Goodman air conditioners: profiles and prices

You may not be familiar with them, but Goodman air conditioners may be just the right option for you and your family

If you and your family are looking to add or upgrade a central air conditioning system to your home, you’re going to be faced with a number of choices. Picking a reliable manufacturer will be one of them. One brand you may not be familiar with is Goodman. Goodman offers several reliable options for central air conditioners and they’ve been around long enough that you can easily find a local contractor to install and help maintain the system.

A history of quality and innovation

goodman air conditioning1In 1954, Harold V. Goodman was working as an HVAC contractor in the then-rapidly growing Houston area. By the late 1960s, he had grown his business into one of the largest and most successful HVAC contracting firms in the United States. In 1975, Harold formed Goodman Manufacturing Company, L.P. to supply his contracting business with flexible air ducts and plastic blade registers. As that part of the business continued to grow, Harold saw an opportunity to fill a gap in the market for high-quality, low-cost central air conditioning systems. In 1982, Goodman entered the market as a manufacturer of central air conditioners and heat pumps.

Air conditioning options

If you decide to include Goodman in any of your evaluations of central air conditioning systems, you’ll find that they offer three standard lines of systems:

  • GSC series
  • GSX series
  • DSX series

Each series offers an expanding and increasing line of features, performance capabilities and (as would be expected) costs. You can get some indication of that with the number accompanying each unit within each series.

Get free estimates from local HVAC contractors!

Air conditioners are rated on what’s known as the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio or SEER rating. The SEER rating measures how much energy an air conditioning system uses to do its job. The higher the SEER rating, the more efficient (and, arguably, effective) a unit is. The federal government requires that any new central air conditioning system sold in the United States meet a minimum SEER rating of 13.

Here’s a brief summary of all five central air conditioning systems offered by Goodman:

Goodman GSC13

goodman air conditioners2The entry-level system from Goodman, this central air conditioning unit features many of the core components that go into each Goodman air conditioner:

  • A high performance, energy-efficient compressor
  • Louvered cabinet of heavy-gauge galvanized steel
  • High-efficiency condenser coil made of corrugated aluminum fins and rifled refrigeration-grade copper tubing
  • Three-bladed fan and louvered sound-control top for quieter operation
  • Minimum SEER rating of 13 (though some units have attained 13.5-14 SEER ratings)

This model is covered by Goodman’s limited five-year warranty on all parts, including the compressor.

Goodman GSX13

goodman air conditioners3The next step up, this model includes many of the same features as its little brother the GSC, but it offers the following improvements:

  • R-410A chlorine-free refrigerant
  • Additional insulation for even quieter operation
  • AHRI certified

While given a SEER rating of 13, some of these units perform up to SEER ratings of 14.8. This unit comes with Goodman’s 10-year limited, all parts (including compressor) warranty.

Goodman GSX16

goodman air conditioners4This is truly a workhorse for Goodman. This unit is also a good balance between price and performance. It routinely outperforms competitive models in its class and while it carries all of the standard features of Goodman’s units, it upgrades in a few areas:

  • 850-rpm condenser fan motor
  • Improved sound buffering
  • Easy-access service valves

This unit also comes with chlorine-free R-410A refrigerant. The 10-year limited warranty is augmented with Goodman’s 10-year limited compressor replacement warranty. Base rated with a SEER listing of 16, some of these units have performed to SEER ratings of 17.5.

Goodman DSXC16

goodman air conditioners5A real step up in many ways. This line comes with a two-stage compressor, which offers greater efficiency as it can maintain a low performance output or kick-in when extra cooling is needed. This line is also compatible with Goodman’s ComfortNet communications system which you can use to pre-set temperatures, zones and times of use, and even remotely control your home’s AC use.

Other upgrades in this line include:

  • Expanded diagnostics built in
  • Coil and ambient temperature sensors
  • High-density foam compressor sound blanket to deaden operational noise even further

The expanded line is covered with an expanded warranty package. The 10-year limited parts is bolstered with additional 10-year total unite replacement coverage and a lifetime limited warranty on the compressor. If you opt to include the ComfortNet system, it comes with its own 10-year limited warranty. The base SEER rating of 16 is often surpassed with these units.

Goodman DSXC18

goodman air conditioners6The top-of-the line when it comes to Goodman residential central air conditioning systems. It has the two-stage compressor and compatibility with the ComfortNet control systems. It’s remarkably quiet for its capacity with an even thicker high-density foam compressor sound blanket. Other notable features include:

  • Low-voltage, two-wire outdoor set-up
  • High and low-pressure switches
  • Diagnostic indicator lights with easy-to-understand fault codes

Like its 16 SEER counterpart, this unit is covered by the 10-year limited parts warranty. The 10-year total unit replacement warranty, and the lifetime limited warranty on the compressor. Rated out of the box at 18 SEER, it can often hit performance levels surpassing 19 SEER ratings.

Get your free, local AC estimates now!

A word about prices

Nailing down an exact price for any central air conditioning unit is a tricky proposition. For one thing, manufacturers rarely list prices for units on websites or even in product brochures. You can get access to catalogs or price lists that will show you a range of contractor wholesale prices for any given unit, but what you pay as a consumer can vary widely depending on the region where you live and the contractor(s) you contact for installation. Unless you are a licensed, certified HVAC contractor, you are going to have to rely on one to install and properly service your home’s central air conditioning. (If you don’t, you will void any and all warranties!)

With that caveat in mind, here is a range of what you can expect to pay for each of the Goodman units we highlight above:

Goodman GSC13

Contractors' wholesale purchase cost:

  • 2-ton unit -- $1,200
  • 3-ton unit -- $1,350
  • 4-ton unit -- $1,550
  • 5-ton unit -- $1,800

Goodman GSX13

Contractors' wholesale purchase cost:

  • 2-ton unit -- $1,350
  • 3-ton unit -- $1,550
  • 4-ton unit -- $1,800
  • 5-ton unit -- $2,050

Goodman GSX16

Contractors' wholesale purchase cost:

  • 2-ton unit -- $1,500
  • 3-ton unit -- $1,700
  • 4-ton unit -- $2,000
  • 5-ton unit -- $2,250

Goodman DSXC16

Contractors' wholesale purchase cost:

  • 2-ton unit -- $1,700
  • 3-ton unit -- $1,900
  • 4-ton unit -- $2,150
  • 5-ton unit -- $2,250

Goodman DSXC18

Contractors' wholesale purchase cost:

  • 3-ton unit -- $2,400
  • 4-ton unit -- $2,800
  • 5-ton unit -- $3,200

Again, these are just price ranges based on what we could glean from contactor resources, and these are what the contractor is going to be charged for the unit. What the mark-up and labor and installation costs will be offers just too may variables to give some total cost ranges.

What isn’t too hard to suggest is that whatever central air conditioning system you choose, get local cost estimates from contractors before you proceed. We suggest that you get at least three separate estimates from local, licensed contractors certified to install and service the brand you choose. In that capacity, Reply! can be a great resource for you as we can connect you to local, licensed HVAC contractors. They can get you a reliable estimate that will let you see if a Goodman air conditioner is the right choice for you and your family.

Free Quotes! Click here to get FREE Local HVAC estimates now!