Goodman GSC13 Air Conditioner Overview

I purchased 2 of these units in 2007 from a well known local dealer/installer. Fortunately I have 10 year parts and labor warranties on these units as both have broken down multiple times … evaporator coils more than once, blower motor, freon leaks …. It is unbelievable that a manufacturer can sell such junk. Never buy a Goodman ac product unless you enjoy regular visits from the ac company other than the 2x annual service visits. Yes, I do have a service contract and have my units looked at/filter changed twice a year. When my 10 years is up, it is going to be cost effective to junk these 10 year old units as the repair cost/freon top ups are prohibitively expensive.

After reading many of the negative reviews on the Goodman gsc13 line of condensers, I have to say that most of them don't include many of the important factors that make a replacement of an old a/c unit successful. First, the condenser has to be matched properly to the indoor coil and fan and metering device. Second, the indoor coil should be inspected and cleaned completely before any kind of refrigerant charge can be done properly. Third, what was the reason for replacing the outdoor unit to begin with? Was it due to compressor failure? Had the indoor fan (set to run at the proper speed in the air conditioning mode vs. The heating mode) and coil, along with the outdoor unit been cleaned and serviced yearly? Fourth, when the installer came out to put the replacement Goodman (or any other brand for that matter) condenser, did they use proper charging methods? Micron gauge, nitrogen, proper brazing practices? Was a liquid line filter drier installed? Was the original r-22 refrigerant re-used or did the installer use new refrigerant. Was the original unit failure a compressor burnout? Had the old unit leaked often and did it need to be "topped off"? A properly installed and maintained ac system should never need to be "topped off!". If it needs to have refrigerant added, then it was either not installed properly from the start, coils and fan have been neglected and are dirty, or it has a leak. If it has a leak, the leak has to be found and repaired. Otherwise, the unit will not work properly at all. Also, if the original unit was improperly charged, then attempting to re-charge the new unit with the same charge will not work. Charging a unit of any type is probably the most critical step, other than properly sizing the unit to begin with, and is the most common problem with new installations. Anyone that walks up to you and tells you "you need freon (a particular brand of refrigerant)" has probably not checked the indoor unit for clean filters, fan, duct work, coil and metering device and the outdoor unit coil first. First and foremost, all of the supply air vents must be open and all of the return air grilles must be clean and unobstructed. Once that mistake is made, it just snowballs down hill from there for the short life of the new unit. All of the factors listed above are critical to having a replacement unit installed, be a successful and satisfying experience. It doesn't matter whether you buy a Ferrari or a Chevy Malibu. If it is not properly serviced and maintained by a qualified service company(more importantly, a qualified service technician), then it really doesn't matter what brand you buy. Most brands are sub-divisions of larger companies. As was mentioned in a previous post, Lennox and Goodman are related. Goodman units are also used as Carrier replacements. You are usually paying for the name plate on the front of the unit. Most units use similar brands of compressor (2-3 Major Brand Names – Copeland, Tecumseh, etc.) and the construction of the coils is usually similar. The type of compressor matters also. There are sealed (hermetic) compressors better known as reciprocating compressors and scroll compressor that are most commonly used in residential applications. If the technician does not properly install a scroll compressor and it does not have safety switches for high and low refrigerant pressures, a leak could cause the unit to run without refrigerant. This is bad regardless of which type of compressor is used, but a scroll compressor cannot run without refrigerant, no matter what. It will lock up and be useless and have to be replaced. Before judging the Goodman condensing unit, consider these things. My personal experience is that the installer is the key. If the unit is not properly matched, installed with HVAC Best Practices and if it leaks, it can be ruined before it has a chance to do what it was designed to do. My background is 26 years as a field mechanic, supervisor and apprenticeship graduate in Facility Management at the University of Maryland. There, I have worked on air and water cooled chillers, pneumatic control systems, heat exchangers, pumps, VFDs, air handler coils, fans, bearings and motors, 24 volt AC to 480 volt AC single and three phase equipment. I solder and braze baseboard heating system piping, refrigerant piping, etc. I have a HVAC Journeyman License and also a HVAC Limited Master's license and am insured to perform work in the private sector. I have worked on industrial/commercial/residential HVAC equipment for 26 years and own my own residential service company. I welcome questions and constructive criticism regarding my post. There are more than a few ways to accomplish the same goals when working in any industry and we are all learning continually as we go along. Even after 26 years, I still learn new things every day from others who have experience and who take the HVAC trade seriously. Thank you. -Scott Nelson University of Maryland & Source One HVAC LLC. in Howard Co. Maryland

I purchased a 3 ton unit to replace a 6 year old system just out of warranty. It was professionally installed and when the technician attempted to start the unit, the compressor hummed and refused to start. It took a hard start capacitor to get it going. We left it installed and will see what happens. Hopefully it's not an indication of future problems.

I bought a Goodman AC unit in July of 2011 from an HVAC company that is well-known in the Memphis, Tennessee area. May 31 of 2013, it stopped blowing cold air. I had it inspected, the coil had a leak. It is now going to cost me around $900.00 to fix. The coil is under warranty so I don't have to pay for that. However, I have to pay for the labor and freon, that's the $900.00. I contacted Goodman to see if they would provide any assistance since it was their product that was at fault. They basically said go screw yourself, you bought it you pay for it, but in much nicer terms. The AC unit is not quite 2 years old yet and already I have to fix it. Only thing I can say is that, this is a direct representation of the company and the product that it manufactures. Junk.

Ok. Goodman furnace and 3 ton A/C installed in June 2008. Turned the A/C on blowing no cold air. $150 service call to find out R-22 leaked out running at 18 psi. There is a leak. Going to cost us a lot of money to find the leak. Then have to repair it and then install over 5 pounds of R-22 that could cost over $500 just for the freon. We are trying to decide just to cut our loses and start over with a Lennox system. Any thoughts? This could cost us thousands to repair and we could put that towards a brand new Lennox system. What should we do?