Central air conditioners
Cooling-only systems paired with a separate furnace or air handler.
Buyer's guide: How to choose a central air conditionerWe hold full sourced data on 12 central air conditioners, each with a specification traced to its source and cross-checked against owner reports.
Specific features Optional
Voltage filters only equipment with a sourced indoor-unit match. Confirm the exact AHRI combination and electrical requirements before buying.
All the central air conditioners we have data on
Ranked by our objective durability read until you tell us about your house. Click through for full specifications with sources.
Rheem Endeavor Line Prestige RA19AYRA19AY60AJVCA / UA19AY60AJVCA
Current Rheem/Ruud R-454B 5-ton communicating inverter condenser. Rheem's designated test combination with the RHMVY6021SEACAJ modulating air handler delivers 54,000 BTU/h, 17.5 SEER2 and 10.5 EER2.
Rheem Endeavor Line Classic Plus RA16AYRA16AY60AJ2NA / UA16AY60AJ2NA
Current Rheem/Ruud R-454B 5-ton, two-stage cooling-only condenser. It is the middle Rheem/Ruud replacement path between single-stage equipment and the fully communicating inverter system.
Carrier Infinity24ANB1
Variable-speed cooling-only condenser, SEER2 up to 21, designed to pair with a gas furnace.
Trane XV20i4TTV0
Variable-speed cooling-only condenser rated to SEER2 20.5, built around Trane's Climatuff compressor.
Bryant Preferred 148TAN148TAN04800W
Two-stage cooling-only condenser, SEER2 18, EER2 14, built on the same Puron Advance platform Carrier sells as its own mid-tier line.
Lennox Merit ML14KC1ML14KC1-018
Entry-tier single-stage cooling-only condenser, SEER2 up to 17, sized for a small home or condo.
Owners: 1 watch-out 2 reports →Rheem Endeavor Line Classic RA13NYRA13NY24AJ1NA
Single-stage cooling-only condenser, SEER2 13.4 — just above the current federal minimum, Rheem's builder-grade entry tier.
Owners: 1 watch-out 3 reports →Daikin DX5SEDX5SEA3010A
Single-stage cooling-only condenser, R-410A, SEER2 up to 17 — Daikin's economy tier, engineered on the same platform as sibling brand Amana's ASXH4.
Owners: 1 watch-out 1 report →Goodman GSXC18GSXC180241
Two-stage cooling-only condenser, R-410A, SEER2 17 — being sold through as clearance inventory ahead of Goodman's move to R-32/R-454B.
Owners: 1 watch-out 2 reports →Goodman GSXC18GSXC180481
Two-stage cooling-only condenser, R-410A, SEER2 18, the 4-ton entry in Goodman's outgoing GSXC18 clearance line.
Owners: 1 watch-out 2 reports →York Affinity YXTYXT48B21S
Two-stage cooling-only condenser, SEER2 18, R-410A — York's mid-tier line, a step below its full variable-speed YXV.
Goodman GLXS4BGLXS4BA3010
Two-stage cooling-only condenser on R-32 — Goodman's newer refrigerant platform, ahead of most of the market's move to R-454B.
Owners: 1 watch-out 1 report →What the specifications mean
SEER2
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2 -- cooling output over a season divided by electricity used, measured under the 2023 DOE test procedure.
The headline cooling efficiency number. SEER2 replaced SEER in 2023 and uses a higher external static pressure, so SEER2 figures run roughly 4-5% lower than the old SEER for the same equipment. Never compare a SEER number to a SEER2 number.
EER2
Energy Efficiency Ratio 2 — cooling output divided by power draw at a single hot operating point (95°F outdoor).
SEER2 is a seasonal average measured at 82°F. In a desert climate your afternoons are far hotter than that, so EER2 — measured at 95°F — describes what the equipment does when you actually need it. In hot-dry climates, weight EER2 above SEER2.
Rated capacity (BTU/h)
Nominal heating or cooling output at the standard rating condition.
Sizing matters more than efficiency. An oversized system short-cycles, fails to dehumidify, and wears out early. Always size from a Manual J load calculation.
Durability is read from objective signals only — the weakest link in the warranty, the refrigerant's service outlook, and what trade and owner reports say about parts and service. How we research → · Comparing whole system types, not just this category? Run the recommender →