Consumer Reports tested the top brands of heating and air conditioning systems for durability and gives you some best buys.LISA GONZALES HAS A CONSUMER REPORTS TEST ON WHICH SYSTEMS WILL HOLD UP FOR YEARS TO COME. LISA: WHEN THE HOT WEATHER SETS IN, PEOPLE GET DESPERATE. WE GET A PANICS PHONE CALL AND HAVE TO RUN OUT. LISA: THE KEY TO HAVING YOUR AIR CONDITIONING THERE IS GETTING OF IT. CONSUME AMERICAN STANDARD IS MORE RELIABLE THAN OTHER BRANDS. CONSUMER REPORTS ESTIMATES 30% YEARS. >> A LOT OF THINGS CAN AFFECT HOW WELL THINGS WORK. EVEN THE SIZE OF THE HOUSE. CHOOSING A MORE DEPENDABLE BRAND WILL BOOST YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING A SYSTEM THAT LAST. >> THERE IS POSSIBILITY IS ON YOU TO -- RESPONSIBILITY IS ON YOU, TOO. CHECK AND CLEAN FILTERS MONTHLY. CHECK FOR BLOCKAGES IN THE DRAINPIPES. Ductless air conditioners are ideal for houses where building new ductwork would be cost-prohibitive. Like regular central air conditioners, ductless air conditioners are split into two main parts, an outdoor condenser and an indoor unit that handles the air circulation.

If you're in the market for a ductless air conditioner, it's essential to check the BTU, or British Thermal Unit, rating, which measures cooling capacity based on square footage. On average, a single, 400- to 500 square-foot room will need between 9,000 and 10,500 BTU, so the higher the BTUs of your air conditioner, the easier it will be to cool the desired living space. In addition, look for units that have met the tough efficiency requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, designated as Energy Star products. Consumer Reports tested three units, each with 12,000 BTUs per hour, strong enough to cool a living space of approximately 650 square feet. They found the Mitsubishi MSA12WA, the Sanyo KS1271 and the LG LS122CE to be three great values, cooling well and making little noise. The Mitsubishi unit can be purchased online at Amazon, and both the Sanyo and LG units can be bought directly from the manufacturer's website, as well as from Home Depot and Amazon. At $1,000, the LG LS122CE is the least expensive of the units, with the Sanyo KS1271 priced at $1,090 and the Mitsubishi MSA12WA a little higher at $1,200.

This does not include parts and labor needed for a professional installation. The U.S. Department of Energy gives every air conditioning unit a “seasonal energy efficiency ratio,” or SEER. This is measured by calculating a unit's BTU output over a year, divided by its total energy input. The higher the SEER, the more energy efficient the unit, and if you buy an air conditioner with a SEER of 16 or more, you can qualify for a federal tax credit of 30 percent, up to $1,500, on parts and labor for professional installation. Setting up a ductless air conditioner unit requires cutting a hole in your exterior wall. You must know where your electrical wiring is located and must have expert measurements for installing tubing from the outside condenser into the indoor unit. Unless you hire a licensed contractor to do the job, you risk improper installation.SAN ANTONIO - If you’re in the market to replace your air-conditioning system, don’t sweat it. Consumer Reports can tell you which central air-conditioning systems hold up best and how you can sustain the chill for years to come.

A lot of things can affect how well a system works: how it’s installed, the quality of the duct work, even the size and layout of a house. But choosing a more dependable brand can boost your chances of getting a system that lasts.To see which brands you can count on, Consumer Reports surveyed more than 16,000 of its subscribers.  ceiling hvac unitFor conventional systems, American Standard proved more reliable than other brands. cost to replace air conditioning fan motorAmanas are more likely to break; air handling units marineConsumer Reports estimates about 30 percent break within five years.Heat-pump air conditioners are popular in areas with moderate temperature swings between summer and winter. Among heat-pump systems, the survey found American Standard again is  among the more reliable, along with Bryant.

York and Goodman are more likely to break, according to the survey.  Consumer Reports estimates about fifty percent will break within five years.Even the most reliable air-conditioning system will let you down if you don’t maintain it. Check and clean filters monthly. Clear debris and leaves from around the condenser coils Make sure hedges and plants are at least two feet away from the compressor. Check for blockages in the drainpipe. Check insulation around ducts. Bolstering insulation and sealing leaks can help prevent as much as a 40 percent energy loss. Once a year, bring in a licensed professional to check things such as refrigerant and mechanical components. All Consumer Reports material copyright 2016 by Consumers Union of U.S. Inc. Neither has any commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site.​If you’re in the market to replace your air-conditioning system, don’t sweat it. A lot of things can affect how well a system works: how it’s installed, the quality of the ductwork, even the size and layout of a house.

But choosing a more dependable brand can boost your chances of getting a system that lasts. Among heat-pump systems, American Standard again is among the more reliable, along with Bryant. York and Goodman are more likely to break. Here’s how: Check and clean filters monthly. Clear debris and leaves from around the condenser coils Make sure hedges and plants are at least two feet away from the compressor. Check for blockages in the drainpipe. Check insulation around ducts. Bolstering insulation and sealing leaks can help prevent as much as a 40 percent energy loss. Once a year, bring in a licensed professional to check things like refrigerant and mechanical components. More air conditioning buying advice is available here .  Complete Ratings and recommendations on all kinds of products, including appliances, cars & trucks, and electronic gear, are available on Consumer Reports’ website. Editor's Note: The power cord used for this installation is not included in the standard packaging.

Thermostat giant Honeywell designed this Wi-Fi-enabled model in direct response to the innovative Nest Learning Thermostat created by Apple alumni Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. Honeywell went so far as to file a lawsuit against Nest on February 6, 2012, claiming the new company violated seven existing Honeywell patents in the making of their iPod-inspired thermostat. Strip away all of that drama, and you still end up with two extremely capable products that have top-notch functionality and identical $249 price tags. So, what makes Honeywell's Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat unique?In brief, the Honeywell has more predictable design characteristics, a much busier home display, and, in my case, a more complex set-up process. There are a few other slight deviations between models, but the design and installation will be the main deal makers -- or deal breakers -- for most. Where the Nest packaging is akin to that of an Apple product, (it includes a screwdriver and the Web site even offers a quiz that you can take before buying to find out if your home is compatible) the Honeywell is comparatively no-frills.

I would recommend the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat to any home automation DIYer who appreciates traditional style and doesn't need hand-holding during the installation. Just know that it might not work in every home.Design This Honeywell is a slightly sleekified version of that old boxy thermostat you probably have at home now. On the home screen, you will see the date and time, the indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity, and up and down arrows so you can change the temperature manually. It's considerably smaller than my old thermostat and it doesn't come with different size base plates, so the previous paint job is clearly visible on all sides. The Nest, on the other hand, is round and comes with a square and a larger rectangular base plate to cover up any unsightly holes or paint. Its home display is also extremely minimal; it shows the current temperature and that's about it. Honeywell places more emphasis on utility by displaying more information up front, whereas the Nest is more streamlined and design-focused.

It's really a matter of preference here.This DIY installation is not for beginners. There are many different types of heating and cooling systems and some of them just won't be compatible with this thermostat. Honeywell doesn't do a great job of warning you about that beforehand, which leads into a larger issue I had with this setup. You really need a C or "common" wire to power this model. There are a couple of different workarounds available if you don't have a C wire, but they aren't guaranteed to work on every system. So that could cause some installations to come to a screeching halt.For example, my system has a G, a W, a Y, and an Rh wire. To get power to my thermostat without a C wire, I had two main options. I could run a new wire from the HVAC to the thermostat and assign it to both C ports or I could redirect the G wire to the C wire port at the thermostat and HVAC terminal (which would disable my ability to adjust the fan at will). It was around this time that I learned that my HVAC unit is not in great shape.

Everything is connected with wire nuts and there's no terminal unit to be found. I am not nearly experienced enough to figure out where to put the C wire without a port labeled "C" in my HVAC. The same goes for rerouting the G wire to the C wire port -- my system doesn't have a traditional G or C port.Fortunately, Honeywell also provides power cords to reviewers as a simple and quick installation option. Unfortunately, the cord isn't included when you buy this thermostat or available as a separate commercial purchase. Basically, I wouldn't have been able to install the Honeywell thermostat at all without either the power cord (which isn't an actual option) or help from an electrician. I can't exactly blame Honeywell for my sketchy HVAC unit, but the Nest doesn't require a C wire in most houses. Points Nest.Usability Like the Nest, the Honeywell thermostat functions so much like a regular digital thermostat that you shouldn't experience too much of a learning curve when you want to use it on your wall.

The Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat is also remotely accessible via free Web-based and Android and iOS mobile apps. I've been using the Honeywell Total Connect Comfort iOS app and it's very intuitive, although the frequent log-outs are annoying.On the app home page, you'll see a list of all of your connected Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostats. You can customize the names of each, say "First Floor Thermostat" and "Second Floor Thermostat," or "Bedroom" and "Living Room" to distinguish among them. Then you can select the thermostat you want to adjust and you get a quick snapshot of its status. I'm at work, but the app tells me that my house is currently at 75 degrees with 54-percent humidity. If I want a more detailed picture, I can click again and it will display more information. Now I can see that it's 86 degrees outside with 60 percent humidity and it lets me know that it's following the schedule I programmed when I first installed the thermostat. I also have the option to adjust the temperature or completely modify my heating/cooling schedule from the office.