WM,

I live in Myrtle Beach, SC.
We sell mostly heat pumps here. I used to sell a lot of Goodmans when
I first started. However, they do not last as well as some other
brands, like Lennox and Trane and York. Typically a Lennox will
outlast a Goodman by 5-years. In addition, they are very loud. I can
hear my neighbor's Goodman OD unit when I am sitting next to my lennox
while it is running. I consider quiet operation to be part of comfort.
I stopped selling very many goodman units because of warranty and out
of warranty problems.

Yes, they are easy to install. If you are only going to live in your
house for a couple of years, then move; the Goodman can be a good deal
if the sound levels don't bother you. The first cost of goodman is
lower than Lennox, but over the long run, the Lennox is cheaper.

Of course not all Lennox dealers are equal. We have one Lennox dealer
in my areacharging double my prices and doing a hack job.

My feeling is when you buy from a Goodman dealer, you get a Goodman
job.

Just because it is a 14 SEER unit, does not mean you will get 14 SEER.
The equipment must be sized right; the ducts must not leak, The air
flow must be correct, the charge must be correct. Otherwise a 14 SEER
unit can deliver 9 SEER. Most Goodman dealers do not do REAL load
calculations, they size by the square foot of floor space, which is
WRONG. They do not flow nitrogen when brazing the Freon lines, which is
WRONG. They seal the ducts with unapproved tape instead of approved
UL181 A-P tape or mastic. They do not measure air flow with a hood.
They do not have good tools to check refrigerant charge. They do not
size lines properly.

You can do a proper installation with Goodman, but if all you have to
offer the customer is a low price, you cannot afford a Flow Hood
($2,000.00 & up), Blower Door ($2,700.00), Duct Blaster ($1,800.00),
Sling Psychrometer ($100.00 per truck), Load Calculation and Duct
Design software ($600.00 to $2,000.00); Nitrogen Regulator and Flow
Meter ($300.00); etc.
Low price is not always best price. That goes for the equipment as
well as the contractor.

End of rant

Stretch