I seem to get asked the question if YORK HVAC products are any good quite frequently. Savvy consumers do their research once we’ve quoted them a York HVAC AC or Furnace. Typically the first thing they see is the Consumer Reports customer satisfaction survey. Unfortunately, this survey fails to rank York among the top brands. I will be honest here and say it’s a frustrating thing. Not only is this rating old, but people who don’t understand these HVAC systems or where the issues started are the ones who created this rating and list.
What do I mean by this? What I’m about to say might come off wrong at first, so I’m going to ask upfront that you hear me out past the following sentence. Well, it’s created by customers that had issues with their systems.
In my 20+ years, I have found 80% of HVAC issues that happen in the first 4-5 years occur due to faulty or lousy installation. It’s rarely the brand of equipment that comes into play. Now take a step back here and ask yourself this simple question. How many installers would openly admit it was their fault a unit failed a few years after installation?
The answer is not many, and few are trained enough to recognize it’s their fault anyway. It may come as a surprise to you but most installers in this industry are not qualified to design a system. How do I know this? Because we get called out to clean up their issues quite regularly. This fact means the first thing your should do is seek better information on YORK than the consumer reports. Here is a current ranking by Forbes that places YORK in a tie for the top of the list for example.
This reporting is where the Consumer Reports survey fails. These consumers are relying on the words of the person whose install failed or are attributing it instantly to the brand. I don’t blame the consumer most just do not know any better. Not many consumers understand how important their installation quality is. There are far more reliable area’s a customer can look to for honest advice on YORK’S quality. Are your ready to dive in and see the truth? Let’s see where we can find reliable undisputable 3rd party information below.
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For starters, here I’d like to point to the good housekeeping seal of approval, which YORK is one of only two companies on the list. This seal is significant, like the UL seal attached to electrical equipment. In addition, this recognition means that YORK units with the seal are approved by the only independent 3rd party evaluators that exist for HVAC unit laboratory tests. That’s impressive! The best part is this applies even if the product was a gift.
“Good Housekeeping was originally designed to produce and perpetuate perfection as may be obtained in the home.”- Clark W Brian.
Good housekeeping has been around since 1909 and is a laboratory whose intent is to evaluate and assess household items and product performances. Only when a product passes its extensive evaluation process will it earn the seal of approval. Any products which carry this seal qualify for the good housekeeping refund policy.
This policy means good housekeeping offers a 2-year money-back guarantee on YORK products in addition to the dealer and manufacturer’s warranties. This seal gives consumers true peace of mind as Good Housekeeping puts their money and reputation on the line. This policy is important as they have no financial interest in a consumer buying a YORK furnace or AC. That means they believe that these products are the best options on the market, and the consumer gets peace of mind. It’s the kind of assurance you expect from a product that delivers authentic, American quality like YORK.
Earlier, I mentioned that another company had also earned this seal of excellence. The other company is Lennox, and it is an impressive achievement. So how do you choose between the two? First, let’s look at how these companies protect the consumers and who does that protection.
Lennox extended service contracts are provided by Service Net Warranty, LCC, part of AIG. Service net is an independent 3rd party warranty company. These warranties are about 3x the price of the YORK warranties.
York warranties are factory-backed, so repairs are handled by the company that built your system, not a third-party vendor. These YORK warranties are about 1/3 the cost of what Lennox offers.
I’ve linked to both warranties above and I believe that YORKS warranties durations are slightly better. In addition, the pricing information tells us that there are far fewer warranty claims for YORK than for Lennox. If something is more expensive to warranty, it means you can expect more failures. Add in that you will also have to navigate a third-party process, and it gets even more complicated. This is the info we needed to establish that the clear winner is YORK!
I want to be very clear here as we are not saying other HVAC brands do not make great products. I honestly love carrier products for example but the availability of their parts and supply chain makes them a pain to work with. Many of their parts are exclusive to carrier and can often be hard to get when they are needed. In comparison, YORK is supported through US air conditioning distributors who have a vast US based supply chain that is easily navigated and parts are easy to locate in most instances.
Most HVAC brands on the market in our opinion are of comparable quality. I want to re-emphasize that who installs your equipment is the most important aspect of your installation. If you want a carrier or another brand just understand each has its trade-offs.
I’ve seen YORKS quality in the field first hand for years. It’s why I offer homeowners’ YORK equipment that will last while costing them less in the long run. We install all brands of equipment for our customers and any consumer should be protected by the dealer and the manufacturer’s warranty. We feel the extra protection added by good housekeeping makes YORK a no-brainer with their affordable pricing and parts availability. At Hamel’s, we’re a proud YORK dealer for the reasons above, so please contact us today at (619)456-1488 if you are looking for a new San Diego YORK furnace or air conditioner installation. We’ll get your installation done right the first time so you can get back to enjoying the comfort of your home.
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