Whether you look for a furnace, air conditioner, heat pump, etc., for your home, you can easily see that the options are many and various. As you navigate your options and cannot decide between American Standard and Payne, our detailed comparison will help you decide.
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Who is American Standard? Who is Payne?
American Standard represents one of the most experienced manufacturers of HVAC systems; its products attract reliability. Its lineup of heat pumps, air conditioners, furnaces, and HVAC-related equipment is similar to the sister company Trane, but they are more affordable than Trane’s products.
American Standard is the result of merging American radiator (the company made cast iron radiators) with standard sanitary manufacturing company (it made plumbing) way back in 1929. In 2008, Ingersoll Rand purchased American Standard, whose products are manufactured in the same factory as Trane.
The company provides three lines for its air conditioners, heat pumps, and furnaces: Platinum, Gold, and silver, with the platinum series presenting high efficiency and silent operation. The silver series consists of the best value models, whereas the gold series includes high energy efficiency for reasonable price models.
Payne was born in 1914 when the company built gravity-type furnaces. Soon enough, the company would offer the first-floor furnace to be set up in a home’s crawl space area. Nowadays, Payne offers a simple line of highly effective and reliable products like gas furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, indoor coils, duct-free splits, and small packaged products. If you’re looking for a reliable heating and cooling system at a reasonable price, Payne is always a sure buy.
Air conditioners
You can choose from seven central air conditioner American Standard models. The platinum models present AccuComfort, which helps the system constantly adjust to operate efficiently; the models have an excellent seer rating.
The four ac units from the Silver series are single-stage, whereas the gold series model is two stages and energy star-certified. The air conditioners from American Standard feature:
- Optional all-weather cover for protection against the elements
- Single, two, or variable speed options
- Seer rating of up to 22
Payne provides customers with central air conditioning systems ranging from 13 to 17 seer rating. The ratings also include ranges in EER from 11 to 13. The design is simple and the price is affordable. Payne air conditioners have basic equipment protection features such as high and low-pressure refrigeration switched. If something goes wrong with the unit, it will be protected.
Here are some of the main features of Payne’s air conditioners:
- Two-stage compressor for efficient humidity control and efficiency
- Coil protection with Payne tight wire grille
- Use of r-410a refrigerant (environmentally friendly)
- Quiet operation
Heat pumps
There are no less than eight heat pumps with American Standard, three of which come with AccuComfort technology (it’s common for the platinum series). You can pair the heat pumps with a furnace to improve efficiency. You will be able to switch from electricity to gas according to the fuel price or convenience.
The heat pumps from American Standard present the following features:
- Accucomfort technology on platinum models
- See ratings of up to 20
- Single, two, or variable speed options
- Optional all-weather cover for protection
Payne makes single-stage, primary efficiency heat pumps that win in the low-cost category and come with 16 SEER and 9.0 HSPF ratings, whereas two-stage models have 17 SEER and 9.5 HSPF ratings. The latter model ensures high efficiency and performance at attractive costs. The heat pump is also Energy Star certified.
Payne heat pumps are quieter than most models (74-76db) and three of its models run at 69db. The heat pump is made with corrosion-resistant materials and has pressure switches for the refrigeration system.
Furnaces
American Standards has a line of 12 gas furnaces that go from the most efficient (the platinum 95 with 97.3% AFUE rating) to the single-stage model with 80% AFUE rating. Most furnaces in the top tier can link to a heat pump to make a hybrid system. Here’s what to expect with most American Standard furnaces:
- Ability to connect to a heat pump (on some models)
- Single-stage, two-stage, and single-stage heating
- Maximum 97.3% seer rating
- Lifetime warranty on heat exchanger (for some models)
Payne makes gas furnaces for residential systems with an AFUE rating between 80% and 96%. The capacity for its gas furnaces varies from 60kbtuh to 120,000 BTUh and they are excellent for residential and light commercial applications. Many Payne gas furnaces are two-stage models and feature ECM variable-speed blowers. The blower ensures various airflow abilities for heating and cooling, with programmable options.
A significant benefit of ECM motor is the dehumidification feature. The less humid the space is, the cooler you feel. In the winter, the situation is the other way around—you will want to add humidity to the air.
Payne doesn’t provide fully modulating gas furnaces. However, its single and two-stage gas furnaces have efficiency similar to models in the high-end category. Here are the main features of Payne furnaces:
- Dual-fuel ability with compatible heat pump
- Quiet operation
- Variable-speed blower motor
- Stainless secondary heat exchanger and aluminized-steel primary heat exchanger
- Compatible with air purifier and humidifier
- Direct spark gas ignition
- Two-stage gas valve
Warranty
As long as you stick to the directions and register for the American Standard furnace warranty within 60 days of the installation, you should be able to benefit from the warranty. It covers many problems according to the product you buy. Here’s what the American Standard warranty typically covers:
- Air conditioner, compressor, internal functional parts, outdoor coil
- Heat pump, compressor, outdoor coil, and internal functioning parts
- Furnaces, heat exchangers, and internal parts.
Some of the models come with a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger.
With Payne, most heat pumps, furnaces, and air conditioners come with a 10year warranty; there’s just one model (discontinued in 2016) with a 5-year warranty. You need to register your product to validate the warranty, but you will have 90 days after installation.
Prices
American Standard does list many of its products online, but keep in mind that where you live, your home’s size, model, etc., will impact the final price. Typically, you will pay:
- Anywhere between $5,800 and $11,600 for a heat pump
- $3,400 to $8,000 for a furnace
- Between $5,800 and $12,800 for an air conditioner
Payne offers some of the most affordable products within the heating and cooling industry, cheaper by almost $1,000 than similar counterparts:
- Between $2,800 and $5,500 for air conditioning
- Between $1,470 and $5,050 for heat pumps
- Between $600 and $2,500 for furnaces
Which of the two should you choose?
We cannot decide which of the two brands will fit your preferences, needs, and budget the most. If you don’t have many preferences about your heating and cooling systems and focus on reliability rather than innovative technology, Payne can be a good choice. Do it, especially if you have a fixed budget. However, if you’re willing to pay the extra buck for some bells and whistles (and higher energy efficiency), American Standard products won’t disappoint.
The following video will go through the top tier, middle tier and low tier HVAC brands:
See also:
American Standard vs. York Furnace
American Standard vs. Carrier
American Standard vs. Trane
American Standard vs. Rheem
