Lennox is one of the top brands in central heating and air conditioning products. Many consumers prefer Lennox for the quiet sound, durable products, and excellent warranty. In this post, we will go over a guide to purchasing a Lennox heating and central air conditioning system for your home.
Before we get started, it is important to understand that Lennox has 3 series of products: Signature, Elite, and Merit. Just as when you are purchasing a new car, there is a wide variety of products to choose from depending upon your needs and budget. The Lennox Signature Series represents the best air conditioning and heating products available. Using our car analogy, a Signature Series product falls into the range of Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus. The Elite Series is Lennox's best selling collection of products. They are mid-range products that offer great technology at an affordable budget. They are the Acura, Toyota, and Honda of the air conditioning world. And finally, the Merit Series is the most affordable collection of products from Lennox.
Lennox Signature Series
There are two furnaces in the Lennox Signature Series, the SLP98V and the SL280V. The SLP98V is the most advanced furnace available. It has a 98.7% efficiency ratio in its operation (best in its class) and offers variable speed heating. It is the quietest and most efficient furnace you can buy. The SL280V offers 80% efficiency in its operation and has a 2 stage heating system. If use your heater often, the SLP98V will save you money on your heating billing.
The Lennox Signature Series has three options for air conditioning: XC25, XC21, and SL18XC1. The main difference between the three models is their SEER rating. A higher SEER rating denotes better energy efficiency. The second difference is the cooling system. The XC25 has variable cooling. The XC21 has two stage cooling. The SL18XC1 has a single stage cooling. The variable cooling system of the XC25 allows ultimate control over your indoor temperature. The system can cool within less than 1 degree and has the ability to flexibility change its capacity to meet your demands. The two stage cooling system allows the XC21 to operate at either full or half capacity at any given time. When needed the system will turn on full power and then maintain the room's temperature with part of its capacity. The single stage cooling system is an on or off switch. It either operates at 100% or is turned off. The benefit of having a variable or two stage system over a single stage system is the indoor comfort and cooling efficiency. And finally, one last to consider is the outdoor noise level. The XC25 is the quietest model available at 59 decibels. Both the XC21 and SL18XC1 are highly competitive with noise levels below 70 decibels.
Lennox Elite Series
The Lennox Elite Series has 5 different options for heating. They are broken down into 2 categories: >95% AFUE and 80% AFUE. The AFUE rating specifies the heating operation efficiency of the system. A 95% AFUE rating states that the system will be able to effectively convert 95% of the energy from the natural gas into heating your home. Within the >95% AFUE category, there are 3 models: EL296V, EL296E, and EL195E. The EL296V has a variable speed blower while the EL296E and EL195E both have a single stage constant torque blower.
Within the 80% AFUE class, there are two options: EL280 and EL180E. The EL280 is a two stage variable motor while the EL180E is a single stage motor. The EL280 can adjust the size of its flame based on heating demand, allowing it to fine-tune your comfort and your energy savings with greater precision than a conventional furnace. The EL180E’s Power Saver™ motor is designed to operate at constant torque and maintain a consistent flow of air. This helps keep temperatures inside your home comfortable, even as the weather outside changes. It also helps eliminate loud startup sounds.
The Lennox Elite Series air conditioner can be broken into two groups depending upon their energy efficiency. Group 1 includes products that can achieve up to 20 SEER. Group 2 includes products that have a SEER rating of 16 to 17. The XP20 is a heat pump system that can do both heating and cooling while the XC20 is a traditional air conditioning system. Both systems have true variable cooling and are the most efficient in its class.
The XC16 is a two staging cooling system while the EL16XC1 is a single stage system. The EL16XC1 has a quantum coil made of aluminum rather than copper. This allows the unit to have extra corrosion resistant and durability. It is recommended to use the quantum coil system if you live near the ocean due to the effects that sea water has on traditional copper components.
Lennox Merit Series
The Lennox Merit Series is an entry level product and is ideal for customers on a budget. All furnaces in this series are single-stage. The main distinguishing difference between the three offerings is the AFUE rating.
The Merit Series air conditioners are typically louder than the Elite and Signature models. The ML14XC1 is a single stage system and can achieve up to a 16 SEER rating. It is a great combination of reliability, affordability, and efficiency.
Thermostats
When purchasing a heating and cooling system, it is important to consider the right thermostat as well. The thermostat is the brains of your HVAC system. Lennox offers three levels of thermostats. The 7500 series is a programmable wifi thermostat that works with your variable speed heating and cooling system. It is a touchscreen display and can be integrated with other home automation systems such as Amazon Alexa. The 5500 series offers many of the same benefits of the 7500 series. The main difference is that it is designed for a single stage system. And finally, the 3000 series is the most basic programmable thermostat available. It is simple and easy to use.
Air Filters
No heating and air conditioning system is complete without considering your indoor environment. Lennox offers some of the best air filter systems in the industry. The Carbon Clean 16® combines industry-leading MERV 16 filtration with activated, carbon-coated fibers to remove allergy-aggravating particles from your home’s air. Provides powerful filtration without restricting the airflow of your comfort system. The Carbon Clean 16 is effective against common household allergens that can aggravate asthma and respiratory illnesses. It also attacks germs like viruses, bacteria, and mold. Much like plants and trees absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen back into the atmosphere, the Carbon Clean 16® removes harmful ozone from indoor air and converts it into clean, healthy oxygen.
The Healthy Climate® 11 filters out dust, pollen, and other particles to make your home's air healthier. It does all this without adding to the cost of running your heating and cooling system. Unlike many portable air cleaners, the Healthy Climate® 11 filters air without emitting ozone, a toxic gas that can irritate your lungs. The Healthy Climate® 11 helps prolong the life of your heating and cooling system by keeping it free from dirt and dust buildup. It’s compatible with any system, and no additional power source is needed to keep it running.