Most Reliable Central Air-Conditioning Systems
These are the brands most likely to keep you cool, according to CR’s survey of thousands of its members
If hot summers have taxed your window air conditioners to the max, you might consider installing a central air conditioning system. Installing—or replacing—central AC is a big expense, however, so you’ll want to get it right. That means choosing a system that will give you solid performance, year after year. And CR can help you find one.
Because there are so many variables—including a home’s size and design, how the system is installed, and construction of the ductwork—Consumer Reports doesn’t test central air-conditioning systems. Instead, we estimate the reliability of major brands on the market by asking our members about their experiences with the AC systems they purchased and had installed.
This year, for the first time, our survey includes reliability and satisfaction data on two brands of ductless mini-split ACs, in addition to 23 brands of conventional central air systems.
Reliability and Satisfaction
Using the information provided by our members, we calculated ratings for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.