Our Sources for Air Conditioner Research

We used many sources to evaluate the top air conditioners. Here is a summary of the sources and our opinions on which sources were the most useful.

Consumer Reviews

The most important source of information before buying a new air conditioner is from other consumers who have actually bought one. There is still not a lot of consumer review information on the Internet about heating and air conditioning equipment but it is growing. The most comprehensive and best consumer reviews cover air conditoners that are relatively popular and have been on the market for over a year. New air conditioners and less popular air conditioners do not have a large number of consumer reviews and you are taking a chance if you decide to buy one of these air conditioners.

  • furnacecompare.com is by far the best source of consumer review information on air conditioners. They have reviews from both consumers and sometimes contractors on most of the top air conditioners.

Expert Reviews

  • Consumer Reports has not done a review of central air conditioner owners so they do not rate central air conditoners. They do provide a free guide that is worth reading.

  • Consumersearch.com does a review of the types of air conditioners including high efficiency 16-23 SEER, Mid Range 14.5 to 17 SEER, Minimum efficiency low cost, and Mini Split ductless. They summarize expert reviews from a variety of sources but use the report from Dully at sensible home for most of their material in this guide. Consumer search does not have any consumer reviews on their site and they weighted the expert reviews higher than the consumer review for their analysis.

Guides

  • Consumer Reports does a base level job covering the information for air conditioners including types, features, and brands. You can access the guide material without subscibing to the magazine.

  • Consumersearch.com does provide some useful guide material on choosing an air conditioner including a review of the types, refrigerants, and efficiency considerations for central air conditioners.

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