Table of Contents
Rheem Air Conditioner Reviews - Consumer Ratings - Rheem offers several economical air conditioning systems from 13 SEER to 20 SEER for residential and light commercial. Rheem air conditioners come in the Prestige series air conditioner or the Classic series air conditioner and features of various Rheem air conditioners include:
Rheem Air Conditioner Reviews - Consumer Ratings | Select Features
- Energy Star rating on selected ACs
- Two-Stage compressors in selected AC units offer higher efficiency for energy savings
- On-board diagnostics on select AC units that detect and records potential problems to make air conditioner troubleshooting easier for technicians servicing the unit.
- Durable cabinets with sound blankets on compressors to reduce noise on selected air conditioners
- Selected air conditioners use R-410A ozone-friendly refrigerant
- Easy access panels with pressure controls on selected air conditioners
- Rheem Warranties as Compared to Other Brands 85%
- Rheem Quality as Compared to Other Brands 92%
- Consumer Opinion based on Field Experience 80%
- Efficiency Compared to Other Brands 90%
- Overall Rheem Opinion from a Technical Perspective 88%
Rheem Consumer Ratings - Top Model SEER Rating
Overall Rheem air conditioners are good systems. Rheem condensing units have unique designs that make them stand out from other manufacturers. Some units are low profile so they do not stand out. Rheem does have some proprietary parts that require you to purchase parts from a Rheem dealer if there is a problem with some components.
Rheem Air Handlers
Rheem air handlers come in a variety of sizes for various applications including residential and light commercial and can be easily matched to their air conditioners, heat pumps, or stand-alone electric furnace combinations. Their air handlers can be configured for horizontal flow, up-flow, and downflow installations, and Rheem manufacturers air handlers that fit in tight spaces.
High Performance HVAC always recommends when replacing the air handler that you get the matching condenser for the heat pump or air conditioner as matching systems are the most efficient and work best together rather than mismatched systems. Additionally, Rheem also offers a hydronic air handler where you can use a special water heater or piping from a boiler to run hot water through a coil in the air handler for heating purposes.
Rheem Air Handler Features
Various features of select air handlers include:
- R410A refrigerant coil models used in Rheem air handlers
- Select air handlers come with variable speed ECM blower motors
- Air handlers are insulated for quiet operation
- Select air handlers are constructed with double wall painted steel for durability
- Humidity control for select air handlers - this is good for consumers as it is very important to health to maintain proper humidity levels in the home
Rheem Condensing Units
Rheem condensing units are manufactured as either heat pump condensers or air conditioner condensers up to 20 SEER and condensing units that utilize R-410A refrigerants. They design condensing units that are slightly different than other manufacturers condensing units including controls and the overall appearance of their condensing units.
Rheem Condensing Unit Features
Various features of selected condensing units include:
- Selected condensing units are Energy Star rated
- Corrosion and rust-resistant materials for longer life and less maintenance in condensing units
- Select condensing units offer humidity control
- Select condensing units come with a 10-year limited parts warranty
- Top of the line condenser comes with an optional communications feature for diagnostics and user information features. This makes troubleshooting air conditioners or heat pumps easier for technicians.
Choosing the Rheem Contractor
One of the most important selections you can make when purchasing HVAC equipment is not the name brand of the appliance but the HVAC contractor you choose to install the product for you.
It is very important that the system as a whole is installed properly lest problems occur later that will not be covered by warranty simply because the system was installed improperly. So make sure you choose a reputable and reliable HVAC contractor for your next HVAC purchase.
Air Conditioner Pricing, Efficiency, and Return On Investment Factors
| Pricing Versus Efficiency Return On Investment | ||
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | Pricing Range for Initial Purchase and Subsequent Repairs outside of Warranty | ROI (Return On Investment) |
| 19 SEER Plus | $$$$$ | 5 to 7 years depending on efficiency* |
| 15 to 18 SEER | $$$ | 7 to 10 years depending on efficiency* |
| 13 to 14 SEER | $ | Over 10 years* |
| *Many factors depend on ROI such as house insulation, personal usage preferences, duct work integrity, and other basic efficiency factors. SEER level efficiency is very important to ROI. The higher the SEER, the quicker the return. | ||
Rheem Consumer Ratings
Rheem History
Rheem Manufacturing Company was established in the 1920s by Richard and Donald Rheem when the two brothers bought a galvanizing plant in San Francisco, CA. In the ’40s and ’50s, Rheem expanded its core product line of water heaters to include air conditioning and heating equipment. Rheem has expanded and is now a global company with offices in Europe, Australia, Canada, Asia, and South America.
For more information on Rheem and its latest models and efficiency ratings, visit the Rheem website.
Rheem Air Conditioner Reviews - Consumer Ratings
I am considering a 4 Ton 16 seer Rheem (RA1648). I currently have an older (16 year old) 3.5 Ton 14 seer unit.
My home requires 48,000 BTUs of cooling. The RA1648 CU and AH are rated at 45,000 according to Rheem specifications.
Is the Rheem RA1648 effectiveley capable of 48,000 BTUs? Or do I need to consider a different unit?
let the contractor do a load calculation and determine the BTU’s of the system. System size is very critical to many things. Over sizing will cause serious issues and under sizing will not get the job done. A Manual J load calculation needs to be done before any consideration for sizing. Many contractors will do a load calculation as a part of the bid. We always recommend getting at least 3 bids for systems over any brand name. Choosing the right contractor is also better than any brand name. Refer to our HVAC Buyers Guide concerning this matter.
I had a $384.18 bill to replace the condenser fan motor just because there was no provision to oil the bearings.
It is environmentally irresponsible to design equipment so that it will fail prematurely just because there is no provision to oil it. I’m sure that it is not only Rheem that is irresponsible in the respect; many other manufacturers are too.
I have also learned that if the evaporator fan motor ever fails, replacing it will also be exceedingly expensive, perhaps as much as $1000!! There is no provision to oil it either. Also, it has an internal circuit board which cannot be replaced so if the circuit board fails, the entire motor has to be scrapped.
Rheem HVAC system 6 years old. Heat goes out every winter, AC goes out every summer. Union made garbage. If it does break under warrany you pay the labor. I’ve been sweating for 5 days and counting now waiting for parts to come in. Customer service was not helpful and basically said too bad…
We have the same exact problem. Our heat for 7 yr old system serviced again just last week to the tune of $500+. We’re to the point that repairs needed every summer and winter. Even with parts covered, the labor charge always $500-700. In last 2 years we’ve replaced evaporator, condenser fan, and outdoor thermal expansion valve. Seriously considering a new unit. It won’t be a Rheem.
I had a SEER 13 unit break down due to age and had the original installer replace it with a SEER 16 2.5 ton unit. Right away I notice that the air was very damp. Something I did not have with the SEER 13 unit. They have tried many things to fix this, even replaced the intake box with a larger unit, but this seemed to make it worse. My humidity jumped from 45-46% to 61% and objects felt wet to the touch. I am now back to using window units with the SEER16 completely shut off. My humidity is now at 42% from the 61%.
Sounds like a refrigeration issue or perhaps the unit was oversized. Was a load calculation done before the installation?
My wife and I bought a new house 3 years ago that had two Rheem air conditioners. One for the upstairs and one for the downstairs. We had a problem with the unit upstairs leaking water and caused a stain in the ceiling in one of the bedrooms. We called for repair and the guy came out and took care of it. Told us it had nothing to do with the air conditioner itself, it was just the drain got plugged up and recommend we put bleach in the pipe at the beginning of the season. We repainted the ceiling after we got rid of the leak problem and it looks fine now. Other than that our two Rheem air conditioners seem to be doing fine. I know we could probably upgrade to a more efficient system but so far there are no problems with these air conditioners. Our electric bill matches our neighbors and they have Carrier air conditioners.
I had the same leak, my system is 2 years old, thanks for the bleach tip. I called my installer. He replaced my filter because I also have a home humidifier on my system, he unclogged my system and changed me $140.00.
There are slow dissolving tablets you can get for the same purpose. You will find them here.
What do you think of a Rheem 3 Ton 13 Seer unit for $4300 installed? it would replace a Carrier Unit which was 12 years old.
I always encourage everyone who is replacing their air conditioning and heating equipment to always get a minimum of three quotes from different dealers. As far as any price is concerned a price will vary from one house to the next for various reasons that have to do with the amount of work required to complete the job. Also it is very important to check other things like duct work integrity and sizing issues which should of been done before you got the quote. Please take 10 minutes and read this article – HVAC Equipment Buyers Guide
2014 Rheem AC (14AJM49) ~ EVAPORATOR COIL leak replacement necessary. “Should have done research before buying Rheem product!” Complaints,complaints oh so numberous! Lookup who owns this corporation. DO HOMEWORK,need i say any more.
I have two 3 year old Rheem coated condensing units that the bottoms have rusted and fallen out of leaving the compressor hanging in mid-air. Also, one of the fans pulled out of its’ mounting and fell on the compressor. Rheem says to bad!
Absolute junk with no company help or care. Last Rheem products I will ever buy!
In 2012 paid $6000.00 to replace a working 25 yrs. old Ruud 90+ furace/air conditioner with a more “efficient” Rheem heat pump. Now 4 yrs. later, evaporator coil is icing up. I wonder what the long term effects of breathing leaking refrigerant is doing to us and our pets?
I too have had trouble with Rheem. However, the fact that your evaporator is icing up is not necessarily the fault of Rheem. It’s more likely that the airflow is inadequate. That could be caused by a variety of problems. The filter could be plugged. Too many registers may be closed. Perhaps a unit which was too large for the duct capacity was installed. The blower speed could be set too low.
How do you know that it is leaking refrigerant? Icing does not indicate that there is a leak.
What are your thoughts on the Rheem 2016 4 ton 15 seer units?
Rheem has some new features on their air conditioner and heat pump condensers including a new design. A lot of the new features are designed for service and maintenance in mind. The single row coils are also good because you can clean them easier than double row coils. That is the point of the single row coils is to make them easier to clean for spring maintenance on the air conditioner or heat pump.
As always I believe most manufacturers build a good quality unit so while unit/manufacturer selection is important for the application it carries less weight by far than selecting the right contractor to install the system for you. I can never express enough the importance of proper installation.
9 posts from the same guy. One mans opinion
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Reviewed by D Barnes May 26, 2010
Worthless warranty and no parts available
Our 3 year old, 4 ton unit went out.A bad valve caused pressure to build and caused a leak in the coil. Do to the wonderful 10 year warranty, it will cost $700 to replace the coil. EXCEPT, there are no coils available. Current date of availability is mid June. However, they will not say if that’s the build date, warehouse date, dc date, or at the HVAC shop date. This unit is just starting it’s 3rd summer. We rarely have the thermostat below 80 (and we are down south), so it has never been overly taxed. M shop tells me ADP makes a much better coil, bit it’s $1200. Research some more and pass on this outfit.
Reviewed by Frances Thompson July 24, 2010
Had nothing but trouble
We built our house and moved in Feb of 2001. Our unit was installed in the winter of 2000, and we have had nothing but trouble from the first year. Our ducts are poor, though that is the fault of the installation, but the unit itself has broken down 7 times in 9 1/2 years of use.
Our circuit board fried the first summer, which was under warranty, but still. The unit has had issues freezing up, had several leaks, and now we are needing a new coil. I don’t know that I want to put anymore money into this system. The furnace also has problems, and we have had someone out every year to fix something.
I am so frustrated, as when you buy a new home you should expect things to work at least a few years before replacement.
Reviewed by M Thomas September 08, 2010
If I had checked reviews and did my homework, this piece of junk Rheem would not be sitting in my backyard sounding like a freight train. Sent letters to Rheem in Atlanta, they forward them to
what they call Rheem experts. I am the crazy one, the public relations on these Rheem experts
has alot to be desired. Rude, and they don’t want to hear the bad. Nothing wrong with the unit.
I even sent them a dozen work orders from the folks that installed it and I am the “Problem
customer. They didn’t think I was a problem when I spent my hard earned money on it. Rheem and
I have been going round and round and I am losing the battle. I guess I am just stuck with this
creature. If I can get 5 people not to buy a Rheem than I will have defeated Rheem. So please
folks, again do your homework and don’t think for a minute because it says Rheem is a good unit.
Submitted on 2013/06/27 at 3:54 pm by Alan Gamiel
I have a Rheem Prestige 4 ton that has never been right since the day it was installed 10/09. I have gone thru computer boards, 2 expansion valves, burned wires gas leaking and so on and on and on. I live in Florida and they needed to replace the expansion valve again except no one has it in stock ( because so many are going bad) that it has taken over a week and I still have not had it replaced. Air is running 24/7 just to keep the house at 78. $$$ just down the drain. I have been waiting weeks for their rep to help but no one and I don,t expect there will be any help at least anytime soon. Even the company I bought it from and who installed it said he has had nothing but problems with these units be warned and find a different brand when replacing you present air conditioner.
Submitted on 2013/06/30 at 3:39 pm by Bobbyj
Do I need dual compressor cooling/variable speed blower for consistent temp, or can I get it w/dual capacity cooling&variable speed blower
Submitted on 2013/07/05 at 2:37 pm by Richard | In reply to Bobbyj.
It takes more than the HVAC equipment to get consistency in temperatures for any type of space you want to condition. Think of it like a refrigerator. If you have a large family and everyone keeps opening and closing the door the temperatures will not stay consistent. If it is just one or two people and they rarely open the refrigerator door the temperature inside will stay consistent. Additionally, if the refrigerator is old and has leaky seals the temperature inside will move up and down depending on the ambient temperature outside the refrigerator.
The same with your house or space you are trying to condition. The dual/variable/modulating cooling and heating systems offer better efficiency but if you have leaking doors and windows (or duct work) or someone is opening and closing the door frequently then you will not get consistent temperatures no matter what type of system you buy. Your question by the way is either incorrectly asked or you are confused about something because dual capacity cooling&variable speed blower and dual compressor cooling/variable speed blower is essentially the same thing. Dual compressor cooling typically always comes with variable speed blowers as recommended by most manufacturers of HVAC equipment.
Submitted on 2013/09/17 at 9:45 pm by Cam
I have been in the HVAC field for 20+ years and I can tell you these systems are garbage. Yes! They are cheaper, but you will pay for it twice in the long run! Serviced two today that were dumping refrigerant. I use Lennox for a reason. The warranty and dependability.
I cannot argue with the opinion of Reem units. However, I have had terrible experience with Lennox. The problems have been with control boards and pressure switches. Our first one was with a contractor unit. The replacement furnace was not any better! We are now having the same problem in our Florida home. Controller board, pressure switch and exhaust blower motor repair quote $1,500. The A/C units have performed much better than the furnaces. Replacing Lennox HVAC, but not with another Lennox!!!
Submitted on 2014/01/14 at 12:12 pm by Bill
I replaced a contractor special 10 SEER in 2010 with a 15-SEER Rheem, model # RHLL HM 3617JA. I made a mistake. I am in an excellent position to judge the Rheem’s performance in our house since the back part of the house has an American Standard heat pump, a company I DEFINITELY recommend. The air coming from the Rheem near the blower probably averages 7-8 degrees warmer in the summer than the American Standard. The Rheem struggles much to keep its area relatively cool at 73 degrees since it runs continuously from about 2-9 or 10 PM when the temperature is at least 97 degrees. On the other hand, the American Standard does a great job. The installer has checked the Rheem out and has found no problems with it. It that’s true, then this means the whole unit is a problem. I will never, ever buy Rheem again. Might not even take one free.
Submitted on 2014/06/12 at 9:04 pm by Steve Cail | In reply to Archived Reviews.
Same thing happened to our Rheem Prestige, installed 3 yrs ago, brand new.. Leaking Coil. Needs to be replaced. We’ve now been waiting 3 wks. We were told this in extremely rare & that’s why it’s taking so long to get a new one! BS is my reply. It’s 9pm here in Florida & 85 degrees in the house. Good thing we have fans in every room & we’re in good health!
I’m going to stick up for Rheem. I’ve had my unit for 11 1/2 years. I have never replaced a coil,a compressor nothing! The thermostat went bad last year due to battery corrosion but that’s it. I have had the unit charged twice in 11 1/2 years and I just had a tech come to the house because some wiring corroded and caused warm air to blow in the house. He replaced it for $180.00 the a/c blew ice cold and was on his way. I asked him to do a once over on the unit and it was clearly showing its age. My wife and I decided to use our tax return and get a new unit just because of the age of it. Rheem gave us a rebate of $200.00 and the install company matched it. Also Fpl gave us $150 rebate. We did up grade the copper line set for an additional fee but it was worth it as the old one was not recommended due to the new refrigerant. So all in all no serious issues with our old Rheem unit.