Skip to content
Rebate.Blue

Ranked by hot-day cooling efficiency only

Cooling efficiency on a 95°F afternoon. A single hot-weather test point, when air conditioners work hardest. Higher is more efficient. This list ranks by that one rating. For the units that hold up best in the cold overall, see the cold-climate picks.

Covers older R-410A heat pumps, no longer installed new. See models sold today · Updated

Showing Ducted, 2.5–3 tons (27,000–38,999 Btu/h cooling), the most-listed ducted size. Pick yours above. What size is my system?

Top 10 by hot-day cooling efficiency only: ducted, 2.5–3 tons

Ranked by this one rating, not an overall verdict. Every model here is the same size and type, so the numbers compare directly. Higher is better. One certified pairing per model.
  1. 14SHP17LE136P-**Awith indoor coil H,A,DG47(1,2)36+TXV and furnace A80UH2E110C16Lennox (sold as Armstrong Air)3 tons · 36,000 Btu/h · DuctedTop 10%14.5
  2. 2ARUN038GSS4LG3 tons · 38,000 Btu/h · DuctedTop 10%14.0
  3. 34HP17L36P-**Awith indoor coil 37CX and furnace 80G1DF110CE20Lennox (sold as Allied)3 tons · 36,000 Btu/h · DuctedGreat14.0
  4. 4ML17XP1-036-230A**with indoor coil LP36/37R9 and furnace ML180UH090E48BLennoxAlso listed as EL17XP1-036-230A3 tons · 35,800 Btu/h · DuctedTop 10%14.0
  5. 54HP17L36P-**Awith indoor coil PL36H210P299 and furnace 80G1UH090BE16Gree (sold as Ac Pro)3 tons · 35,800 Btu/h · DuctedTop 10%14.0
  6. 6NS17H36SA4-**Awith indoor coil V36H175P459 and furnace NF80U090S4B-GE Appliances (sold as GE)3 tons · 35,800 Btu/h · DuctedTop 10%14.0
  7. 74HP17L36P-**Awith indoor coil 7EC48CX-0*+TDR and furnace 80G2UH110CE16Breeze333 tons · 36,000 Btu/h · DuctedTop 10%14.0
  8. 8LMU361HHVLG3 tons · 36,000 Btu/h · DuctedTop 10%13.5
  9. 9SL25XPV-036-230A**with indoor coil C35-48C+TDR+TXV and furnace EL296UH090XV60CLennox3 tons · 34,000 Btu/h · DuctedTop 10%13.5
  10. 10BHP17L36P-**Awith indoor coil BC1P36A+TDR+TXV and furnace BG801UH090BE16BlueRidge3 tons · 35,800 Btu/h · DuctedGreat13.5

Every ducted, 2.5–3 tons model, highest first

Top cold-climate picks, ducted 2.5–3 tons

These are certified test ratings, not a recommendation for your home. The right size comes from a load calculation by a contractor.

Want this size class’s full distribution and peer percentiles? Switch to Advanced

What good looks like: ducted, 2.5–3 tons

Good is better than half of this size class, great is the top quarter, top is the top 10%. The scale comes from the class’s own ratings.

  • COP at 5°F

    Efficiency on a 5°F day

    How much heat the unit makes from each unit of electricity when it is 5°F outside.

    Good
    1.90+
    Great
    2.05+
    Top 10%
    2.34+

  • HSPF2

    Winter-long heating efficiency

    Heating efficiency over a whole winter, measured with a federal test.

    Good
    8.1+
    Great
    9.2+
    Top 10%
    10.0+

  • SEER2

    Summer-long cooling efficiency

    Cooling efficiency over a whole summer, measured with a federal test.

    Good
    15.8+
    Great
    17.5+
    Top 10%
    20.0+

Next steps

The advanced view adds the all-sizes boards, each qualifier’s peer percentiles, charts of every model in each size class, and the EER2 and heat output boards.

Open the advanced view