I screened several HVAC contractors and settled with For Saving Heating and Cooling since they were one of the few Lennox Premier Dealers in the area. For Saving provides top-notch hardware with competent technicians, and honest salesmanship. Their website certainly needs an overhaul, but that’s not reflective of the actual service and hardware they provide.
I received my $475 rebate as promised. The rebate took three months to process. All paperwork was taken care of by the company.
I thought the "Premier Dealer" was marketing fluff. After some research, I learned that Lennox Premier Dealers supposedly undergo more stringent testing and training from Lennox themselves.
I went to Lennox's corporate site (www.lennox.com/locate) to verify that For Saving is actually a Premier Dealer. Apparently if a contractor fails to meet Lennox's standards, the contractor has their "Premier Dealer" approval revoked.
Now, how much of this is marketing and truth, I'll let you decide for yourself. But If I had to choose HVAC contractors, I'd select from companies who are factory trained and authorized by Lennox.
What I gathered from my research was that the installation of the hardware is just as important (if not more important) than selecting fancy hardware. Imagine having amateur mechanics assembling a Ferrari engine.
Tony was very upfront and honest with his opinions. For example, he told me not to buy a more expensive A/C unit because it wouldn't be cost effective in my situation. He was also the only salesman to open the furnace and verify that the furnace blower was strong enough to support the new Lennox A-Coil. He was patient and made sure I understood all the options.
Tony gave me a competitive and detailed written quote the day of the first visit. One big-name HVAC contractor came by, took a look, and didn't bother to write me a quote or give a price. Instead, they showed me a chart with price ranges and told me they'll be back if I was actually interested.
The installation on the day of was clean, precise, and well done. I mentioned to Tony that I wanted the experienced technicians to perform the install and not to use sub-contractors. Luckily on the day of installation, Jimmy was assigned to do the install and his experience shows. If you can, ask for Jimmy to perform the install. He's personable, communicates well, and takes pride in his workmanship.
Now, onto the hardware. I ended up going with the Lennox XC14. The XC14 is very quiet (70Db). The initial kick when the compressor turns on wasn't as loud as I expected.
The entry-level Lennox 14ACX Merit was another option. After doing some research on the XC14 Elite (higher end) vs the 14ACX Merit (entry level), there were two key differences:
1) The XC14 is assembled in the U.S (Dallas TX)
2) The XC14 is better built unit with higher end parts.
3) The XC14 is much more quiet due to a compressor cover.
If your budget allows for it, go with the XC14. Bonus: The XC14 is
sleek looking.
So far, the Lennox X14 is performing as advertised and keeps the home cool on the hottest of days.
