Ruud Air Conditioner Reviews and Prices (Updated in 2025)

Who Makes Ruud Air Conditioners

Ruud Heating, Cooling & Water Heating is a subsidiary of Paloma Industries that produces Ruud air conditioners. This company is a subsidiary company of the multinational company, Rheem manufacturing company. Rheem is a long-established company in the heating, cooling, and water heating products, founded in the 1920s by brothers Richard and Donald Rheem.

Ruud Air Conditioner Brand Overview

Ruud has a very good customer satisfaction rating, which puts them in a good position with other leading brands of HVAC systems.

Ruud and Rheem are similar in terms of manufacturing processes since they are owned by the same parent company. Such collaboration enables them to take advantage of common technology and quality control measures.

The brand is covered by extensive warranty and the majority of the units come with a 10-year parts warranty upon registration. This is a standard warranty coverage of high quality HVAC equipment.

Ruud systems are very reliable and are usually recommended by professional HVAC contractors due to their value. The brand has a broad dealer and installer network in the United States.

How Do Ruud Air Conditioner Features Perform Compared to Other Brands

In the comparison of the Ruud air conditioners with other leading brands such as Carrier, Trane, and Lennox, there are some important performance factors that are notable:

Energy Efficiency

• The best models of Ruud have a SEER rating of 20, which is not bad but a bit below the premium brands such as Carrier (up to 26 SEER) and Lennox (up to 28 SEER)
• The majority of the Ruud models are between 14-17 SEER, which is a good level of energy efficiency with a slightly lower price tag
• All of the models are at or above current federal minimum efficiency standards

Noise Levels

• The Ruud units are usually at 72-76 decibels
• This places them in the medium position against competitors
• High-end brands such as Trane and Carrier can produce a little less noise (69-72 decibels)

Reliability and Durability

• Ruud employs their Copeland Scroll technology that is reliable
• The units of the brand have copper tubing and aluminum fin coils that are standard in the industry
• Although it is not as prestigious as some of the high-end brands, Ruud has a good reputation of durability
• Life expectancy is industry standard 15-20 years when maintained properly

Cost

• Ruud is usually a good value brand as opposed to the high-end brands
• Reduced initial investment at the cost of decent performance indicators

Ruud AC Model Analysis

Series	Model	SEER	Compressor	EcoNet™
ULTRA	RA20	20	Variable	Yes
ACHIEVER Plus	RA17	17	Two-Stage	Yes
ACHIEVER	RA16	16	Two-Stage	No
ACHIEVER	RA14	16	Single-Stage	No
ACHIEVER	RA14**W	16	Single-Stage	No
ACHIEVER	RA13	13-15.5	Single-Stage	No

Ruud Achiever Series

The Achiever Series offers you dependable cooling with models that are designed for cost efficiency and durability. SEER Ratings: These units typically have a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) ranging from 13 to 16, which means they provide a balance between energy use and cooling efficiency.

Ruud Achiever Plus Series

Your choice of an Achiever Plus Series air conditioner includes advanced features such as the EcoNet™ Smart Monitoring System, which allows for enhanced control and monitoring of your home’s cooling. SEER Ratings: Expect higher efficiency with SEER ratings up to 17, providing you with reduced energy consumption while maintaining effective temperature control.

Ruud Ultra Series

For maximum cooling efficiency and technology, the Ultra Series is your premium option. These air conditioners incorporate features like variable speed technology and EcoNet capability, optimizing performance and energy usage. SEER Ratings: With ratings that can reach up to 20 SEER, these units offer you some of the highest energy efficiencies in the Ruud lineup.

Best Cost-Effective Ruud Models For You

As we have discussed in our central air conditioner guide, the SEER is the most important parameter deciding the initial equipment cost and future energy savings.

Higher SEER Models can not always pay your money back. We developed a SEER Savings Calculator to help find a better balance between equipment cost and electricity cost. This tool can automatically load your local power rate and yearly cooling hours when using Chrome explorer. You can also adjust these inputs manually to get a more accurate result.

Ruud Air Conditioner Prices By Model

In order to offer an objective and equal comparison, we set the baseline below:

Each model includes: 2.5 ton outdoor condenser, 1300-1400 cfm air handler, programmable air conditioner thermostat.

Models	System Only	System Installed
ULTRA UA20	$1,920	$3,960
ACHIEVER PLUS UA17	$1,510	$3,730
ACHIEVER RA16	$1,260	$3,680
ACHIEVER RA14	$1,110	$3,410
ACHIEVER RA13	$1,020	$3,160

Ruud Air Conditioner Prices By Size

Before installing your air conditioner, an HVAC contractor needs to size your system by “Manual J” calculation. This will take into accounts factors like where you live, how much insulation you have, windows types and directions, and everything else. Then you will get a right-sized central air conditioner ranging from 1.5-ton to 5-ton.

Each Unit includes: Ruud 2.5-ton 16 SEER outdoor condenser, 1300-1400 cfm air handler, programmable thermostat.

AC Unit Size	Home Size	System Only	System Installed
1.5 ton	600 - 1000 sf	$1,070	$3,180
2 ton	1001 - 1300 sf	$1,240	$3,360
2.5 ton	1301 - 1600 sf	$1,320	$3,650
3 ton	1601 - 1900 sf	$1,540	$3,910
3.5 ton	1901 - 2200 sf	$1,690	$4,350
4 ton	2201 - 2600 sf	$1,850	$4,500
5 ton	2601 - 3200 sf	$2,450	$5,490

The “Home Size” column is a very rough estimate. The warmer your climate is, the bigger the AC must be relative to house size. You can use our AC Sizing Calculator to get a suitable size in a minute.

How to Get the Best Ruud Air Conditioner Prices?

• Firstly, keep in mind that installation quality is always the most important thing for air conditioner project. So never sacrifice contractor quality for lower price.
• Secondly, remember to look up the latest tax credit and rebates.
• Thirdly, ask for at least 3 bids before you make the decision. You can click here to get 3 free estimates from your local contractors, and this estimate already takes rebates and tax credit into consideration and filter unqualified contractors automatically.

At last, once you chose the right contractor, remember to use the tactics from this guide: homeowners tactics when negotiating with HVAC dealer to get the final best price.