Should I Buy a Single Stage, Two Stage, or Variable Speed Air Conditioner

I personally don't like variable speed. Too many bells & whistles to break down. A lot of the time everything you save on the bill you spend on repairs, such as inverter boards.

KISS, all a sales ploy.

Single stage all the way. And try to not get a microchanel coil. 2 stage and variable speed systems will save you a little bit on your electric bill, but when it breaks you will pay big time, and I assure you, they will break. Pay attention to the warranty. Some manufacturers have parts warranty and some have parts and labor. They do not build ACs like they used to. They break alot more and will need to be repaired.

Hey any chance I could get your email I’m looking into hvac and have a few questions

Hi Greg.. I have been watching your vides for a few months. I am in the market for a new unit (located near Elk Grove) and will be calling you guys to schedule an appointment for an estimate. I've a York unit that is 18 years old and leaking. Would like to get that replaced.

You seem to be conflating variable speed with modulating

I love the idea of a variable speed one but the cost and the potential for breaking down parts seems higher than a single stage I have very high ceilings and I'm changing things out to a heat pump system and I'm hoping to get a good return on my investment as far as savings I understand that it doesn't do as much for the air conditioning part and may not feel as cool as my current AC unit is this true? My heating unit is 44 years old and it's time to change it out I just don't know that I can afford to spend a lot of money but it seems like I can't afford to not

The entire concept of SEER is designed to confuse the customer and is a total hoax in hot areas because the system runs on high all the time. Additionally a R410-a system is less efficient than a R22 system. Efficiency is BTU/Watts in. The R410 systems run at higher pressures and take more watts to provide the same BTUs. Therefore less efficient by definition but SEER was invented to manipulate the customer. Efficiency actually went down, yet through sleight of hand the SEER numbers went up. Additionally the R410-a system efficiency drops at higher outside temperatures... like Arizona in the summer. The two stage system does you no good unless you live on the coast and need minimal air conditioning much of the year. I have been researching going solar and my AC is 12 years old. A variable speed system will allow me to increase efficiency, but most important the VFD gives a soft start so the solar system does not have to supply the very high inrush current when the compressor starts. As more people get solar power this should become a huge marketing tool. Additionally if all AC compressors were 3 phase motors driven by a VFD we wouldn't spent millions of dollars replacing start capacitors every few years and have less waste in the landfills.

I live in Las Vegas. Replacing my 25 yr old single stage York units. One 4 ton and one 5 ton. One AC vendor is saying the 2 stage won't really produce the benefits with the extreme heat in NV and that a single stage with variable speed blower motor will help to address that. I do have a hot spot in upstairs master. They suggested adding a duct for that and that the 2 stage wouldn't really help with the hot spot.

Is a two stage worth it for Vegas?

I spoke with a tech from Trane who was really informative, the whole idea of stages is to maintain humidity and temperature. Seer rating is kind of moot because if the ac unit is running constantly, it had to be efficient.

If you get a 5 ton ac unit but only need 2 or 3 ton, the temp will go down but the air will still be humid and it shuts off. Something like a variable speed system will work longer at a reduced capacity to pull the humidity out of the air in the home.

Depending on the climate you live in having a 26 SEER rated ac unit would take decades to recoup the extra money if you only use it a few months out of the year.

Would be interesting to know the reliability of 2 stage and variable systems. Would also be good to know how expensive those special sensors, circuit boards and variable speed blower motors are too. There is a huge cost difference from a single stage system so, another $3,000 to $5,000 or up to $8,000 more for those 2 stage and variable has to carry some value or they are simply way over priced for the benefits over a single stage. Those are the thing folks want to know, more benefits? More expensive to fix? Need repairs every year? Part...2 to 3 weeks wait for a proprietary and likely expensive part that is going to be priced at retail. Spending more should include more benefits and way less breakdowns and down times. I don't think they are there yet.

Tell us about natural; gas condensing units...why aren't they offered as much?

In the south where humidity is an issue variable units can save cost if it means you can skip a dehumidifier.

The other big piece of the equation that gets glanced over is the variable speed units are the top of the line systems. Usually this means they come with much superior warranties. In turn, stands to reason they are better made.

Are two stage or variable speed compressors a ripoff? I've heard that when it's hot you want your AC compressor running at 100% power to cool the house down if the compressor runs at 75, 50, or 25% power it just runs for hours and the house doesn't get any cooler. The problem is getting the computer to kick the compressor back up to 100% when 50% isn't cutting it.

A few years ago a friend got talked into purchasing two fancy heat pump units for his large house. First year he had the service company come out twice for free warranty calls. Next three years he paid a lot of money for at least 4 service calls. Finally took my advice and ran heat on emergency setting using cheap natural gas. His wife is a CPA and went over the winter heating bills including over $600 on service calls. Came out a lot cheaper just using natural gas. He had a very good insulated house with 2 by 6" insulated walls, R50 insulation or higher in attic and all low E quality windows.

Well said.

We just want one that runs without constant costly repairs, is that too much to ask for?

When he says "system" does he mean the compressor or the air handler??

Hvac techs are not the smartest people in the world. If they can understand new tech. I can.

WOW So much info in such a short time.. Bravo

I’m retiring at the end of the year and I’ll be selling my house to move to a lower cost area. I want to replace my 35 year-old Carrier with the cheapest new AC on the market - I’ll likely go with a Goodman. But does Goodman also make a furnace? The entire system is 35 years old and I want to replace it all. Thanks to anyone who can help with this question!

Should buy a heat pump (bi directional)

I recently got a quote to replace 4 ton AC condenser, evaporator coils, Plenum, pan, 16 SEER, single stage cooling. Attic job. Replace one small section of ductwork that leads to a bedroom, where the current duct is smaller than the rest of the ducts. 80,000 BTU. Gas heater/furnace. 1900 square-foot home. $11,500. Carrier or Heil brand. In your opinion, does that seem like a fair price?

Single stage is simple and just run less mechanical parts. Better go with single stage.

Bosch variable speed is not technically “communicating”

Man it’s hard to find the answer to this.
Are the speed signal voltages different for ecm and variable speed? From what I’ve read all ecm speed signals are 24v but not sure about variables

I live in Minnesota and it gets cold and also very hot and humid. Had my 31 year old Rheem 1 stage system replaced with a High Efficiency Variable Speed Bryant system in November 2019. Yes it was expensive, 3k more then the single stage 80% eff furnace and AC. However, my gas and electricity costs went down 40-50% a month. Xcel said I now have one of the most efficient houses in my neighborhood based on square footage. I never know the system is running inside the house it's so quiet and have to read the thermostat to know if it's heating, cooling, or dehumidifying.

Can you use a new variable system for upstairs if your downstairs is a single stage?

Hey sir. Caught on the fence and looking for a little advice. I’m changing out my home AC system and it’s going to be a 2 ton unit. I got quoted for a trane system that has a air handler that is veritable speed BUT the heat pump is a single stage unit. My question is, is that a bad move to make? I feel like the compressor is always gonna be on and use a ton of energy. Am I correct? Should I pull the plug in the deal and go with a single stage unit? They said the air handlers were the same price for variable or single, however the variable speed compressor was wayyy more money, that’s why I got the quote for a single stage. Thank you !

Do yourself a favor, stay the F away from variable inverter based systems. I have a daikin vrv life system, and my house is always above set temp on hot days, system always runs, and it broke. It took a month to get it fixed. The company that installed it while qualified had no idea how to fix it and relied on tech support who was sub par, and it was done by replacing every components on the outdoor unit (were talking computer motherboards that rival whats in your PC) and when that didn't work they just replaced the eniter outdoor unit. It is confusing and apparently not as reliable as the old school on/off style. I asked other a/c repair companies if they could take over said nope, we aren't certified on that system. So you are stuck with sub par service or none at all and that's scary. wish I knew this before I bought this system.

Looking at the performance data on the Copelands two stage compressor I see the first stage may be at 67% capacity but the efficiency is much lower on stage one then stage 2. as always it's always a trade off.

The time has come to replace my 2-ton and 5-ton AC/heat pump units. They are both single-stage. A local contractor has quoted both single-stage and variable replacement units. The variable speed quote is about $10k higher than the single-stage quote. Ouch! I have asked him about something in the middle -- a two-stage system, for example. He says "2 stage is going away". Is that true?

KISS. Keep it simple stupid. Just like washers and dryers why do you need all that extra nonsense.

Trane waiting 44 days + or over 7 weeks for a blower and Trane says this is common because of supply shortages they are experiences. Its a 2 variable speed blower 😕

This is a very useful explanation. I moved into a new house recently and the HVAC system is 20 years old so I am in the middle of figuring out what to replace it with. Thanks very much.

Thank you for the information!

Got to listen to his wording, it’s some what misleading .two stage tends to be much more expensive to work on. It does not pay off in the end after you add up parts and labor costs. And they have not perfected a lot of the more complicated technology required.

And then he sold the company to someone else. That sucks for your customers.

Good job although I would argue that Seers matter of you trying to capture a Federal Energy Tax Credit. 16 will qualify. 14 won’t.

Great video. I can't tell you how many videos I've sifted through to find one that doesn't push this or that brand, or mini splits vs central AC or list the six best brands.....seriously, six brands that are great? C'mon, who believes that. This video perfectly explains the different technologies, why one may perform better than the other but the differences are small or why this type is easier to fix, etc. I'm going to have mine replaced with a quality single stage unit installed by what will hopefully be a reputable company. Again, great video.

We had a train variable, and it was awesome. Wish I still had it

I like the 2 stage but is it worth an additional $7k over a single stage??? I’m in California so humidity is not a factor..

Very well explained and to the point without a lot of fluff.

My single stage has worked well for 20 years. No need for more technology to break down and more expense. I'll be replacing it with a single stage when the time comes.

Don't two stage systems run longer and use more natural gas.