Ruud Air Conditioner Reviews - Consumer RatingsRuud Air Conditioner Reviews - Consumer Ratings - Ruud offers several air conditioner models from 13 (excluding the 10 SEER commercial units listed) all the way up to the Ruud 20 SEER model of an air conditioner. Furthermore, Ruud air conditioners come in various sizes for residential and light commercial applications. Additionally, features of selected Ruud air conditioners include:

Ruud Air Conditioner Reviews - Consumer Ratings | Select Features

Questions for The Salesman

Furthermore, here is a list of questions you may want to pose to the contractor or salesman who gives you the quote.

Top Model SEER Rating

  • Ruud Warranties as Compared to Other Brands 85% 85%
  • Ruud Quality as Compared to Other Brands 89% 89%
  • Consumer Opinion based on Field Experience 78% 78%
  • Ruud Efficiency Compared to Other Brands 90% 90%
  • Overall Ruud Opinion from a Technical Perspective 87% 87%
  1. Is the thermostat proprietary? In other words, with the communicating system (EcoNet™) where the Ruud condenser communicates with the Ruud air handler, do I have to have a Ruud thermostat to make the system work, or can I use an off the shelf thermostat from any hardware store? You are talking about serial communication that requires only two wires. Essentially network wires or twisted pair shielded wire. So if something happens to the thermostat, you have to purchase an expensive replacement from Ruud. So the thermostat goes wrong on a Friday, and you can’t get a replacement until Monday?
  2. Do they offer an extended warranty that covers labor and parts? Furthermore, most standard warranties only cover parts, and a service call can easily cost you several hundred dollars, especially with all these electronics manufacturers are putting in systems these days.

Ruud Air Conditioner Model Comparison Guide

Ruud Air Conditioner Model Comparison Guide
ModelEfficiencyEnergy Star RatedOperation
UA20 ULTRA® SERIES20 SEERVARIABLE SPEED MODULATING
RA17 ACHIEVER SERIES17 SEERTwo-Stage
UA17 ACHIEVER PLUS® SERIES17 SEERTwo-Stage
RA16 ACHIEVER SERIES16 SEERSingle-Stage
RA14 ACHIEVER SERIES16 SEERSingle-Stage
RA14**W ACHIEVER SERIES16 SEERSingle-Stage
RA13 ACHIEVER SERIES15.5 SEERSingle-Stage
Ruud Air Conditioner Model Comparison Guide - Additionally, for newly installed air conditioners, precision tuning, and adjustment recommended for the startup. Check for tax rebates and energy credits from your government and local power provider for higher SEER Energy Air Conditioners.

Ruud Air Handlers Reviews

Ruud Air Handlers

Ruud air handlers come in a variety of sizes and configurations for residential and light commercial applications. Air handlers can be purchased horizontal flow, up-flow, and down-flow applications, and air handlers have R410A coils. Finally, it is always recommended you match the air handler with a Ruud heat pump condenser or air conditioner condenser for the best efficiency.

Ruud Air Handler Features

Various features of select Ruud air handlers include:

  • 10-year limited parts warranty for select air handlers
  • Ruud air handlers fitted with either multi-speed blower motors or variable-speed blower motors
  • Ruud air handler has a durable construction that makes the air handlers long-lasting
  • Lastly, humidity control for select Ruud air handlers

Another option available for the Ruud air handler line-up is the Ruud air handler with the hydronic coil for hot water heating. The typical set-up for this is a water heater or boiler connection with the water heater being the preferred method. Moreover, this feature complements the Ruud water heater line-up includes a Ruud special water heater is necessary for this feature to work correctly and provide the home or business with domestic hot water.

Ruud Condensing Units

Ruud Condensing Units Reviews | Consumer Ratings
Ruud Condensing Units - Ruud condensing units are available for air conditioning and heat pump applications for residential and light commercial systems. They are also a sister company to Rheem, so the units are comparable but not the same. They offer condensers with R-410A with the efficiency ranging up to 20 SEER for their air conditioner line of condensing units; however, to achieve that rating, you need to match the condensing with the recommended air handler. If I’m going to buy a 20 SEER condenser, I want to make sure I am getting that efficiency, so make sure you hire a good contractor that specializes in Ruud systems so you can get the properly matched system.

Ruud Condenser Features

Features of selected Rudd condensing units include:

Ruud Air Conditioner Warranties

Warranties are important for consumers. If you buy a product you want the manufacturer to back it up with a good warranty. The problem with HVAC warranties that many people don’t understand, is that HVAC warranties only cover parts. That means you will pay for labor if something goes wrong with your HVAC system. This can create an image problem from the consumer to the manufacturer. First, labor is not cheap, and two, the repair can end up costing hundreds of dollars (maybe more) to have a new system repaired in labor cost alone. For this reason, we recommend you purchase an extended part and labor warranty if available.

Finally, always read the warranty and understand everything in it before the purchase. We know you’d rather watch grass grow in the backyard, but this is important. Look for exclusions such as ownership transfer in case you sell the property. That can be a selling point for selling your property. Lastly, don’t forget to register the warranty soon after installation. Most manufacturers give you a limited time allowance to register, after installation. Furthermore, forgetting this can void the warranty altogether.

HVAC Buyer’s Guide for New Ruud Air Conditioners

Buying a new air conditioner is daunting to some people. You have to deal with contractors and go through a process. Many people do not understand the buying process and leave it up to the contractor, to hopefully, do the right thing. There are good contractors and there are bad contractors. The bad guys are looking for a quick buck while the good ones are looking to establish a life-long relationship with you. We’ve taken some of the pain out of buying a new HVAC system with our HVAC Consumer Buyer’s Guide. Furthermore, our guide will help you understand the process and get the finer points correct.

  1. We tell you how many minimum bids you need
  2. What key report you need from the contractor before considering the size of the new system.
  3. Lastly, little details the average consumer misses when buying a new HVAC system.

You can see the details here - HVAC Consumer Buyer’s Guide and it’s completely free of charge.

Air Conditioner Pricing, Efficiency, and Return On Investment Factors

Pricing Versus Efficiency Return On Investment
EfficiencyPricing Range for Initial Purchase and Subsequent Repairs outside of WarrantyROI (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.

About Ruud

Ruud is the sister company of Rheem. 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 Ruud and its latest models and efficiency, ratings, visit the Ruud website.

Visit our other Ruud HVAC Reviews: Ruud Gas Furnace Reviews | Ruud Heat Pump Reviews | Ruud Package unit Reviews

Heating and Cooling Reviews

Ruud Air Conditioner Reviews - Consumer Ratings

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