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 10 central air conditioners, each with a specification traced to its source and cross-checked against owner reports.
Carrier Infinity24ANB1
Variable-speed cooling-only condenser, SEER2 up to 21, designed to pair with a gas furnace.
Owners: 1 watch-out 1 report →Trane XV20i4TTV0
Variable-speed cooling-only condenser rated to SEER2 20.5, built around Trane's Climatuff compressor.
Owners: 1 watch-out 1 report →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.
Owners: 1 watch-out 1 report →Lennox Merit ML14KC1ML14KC1-018
Entry-tier single-stage cooling-only condenser, SEER2 up to 17, sized for a small home or condo.
Owners: 2 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 1 report →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 1 report →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.
Owners: 1 watch-out 1 report →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 →