Trane XR vs XL vs XV: Tiers Explained

Trane XR vs XL vs XV, tiers explained in one sentence: XR is the base cabinet, XL the upgraded cabinet, and XV the variable-speed inverter line, but only the number tells you how the compressor runs. XR13 through XR16 are single-stage and XR17 is two-stage; XL15i and XL16i are single-stage while XL17i and XL18i are two-stage; XV18 and XV20i are variable-speed. On current R-454B equipment Trane has dropped the letters from its product names, so read a quote by its model number: 5TTR, 5TTX or 5TTV, followed by a digit for the nominal efficiency.

What XR, XL and XV meant on R-410A Trane units

The common shorthand, XR single-stage, XL two-stage, XV variable-speed, is close but wrong in both of the lower rows. On the R-410A generation that sits beside most Trane homes today, the letter marked the cabinet and feature level, and the number carried the efficiency and the staging.

• XR13, XR14 and XR16: single-stage compressors in the standard cabinet. Model numbers begin 4TTR.
• XR17: a two-stage compressor in the XR cabinet.
• XL15i and XL16i: single-stage compressors in the upgraded cabinet. Model numbers begin 4TTX.
• XL17i and XL18i: two-stage compressors in that same upgraded cabinet.
• XV17, XV18 and XV20i: TruComfort variable-speed inverter compressors. Model numbers begin 4TTV.

So an XR17 is a step above an XL16i in how it runs, even though the letter suggests the opposite. If you are comparing a quote against the unit you already own, compare stage counts, not letters.

Trane's current line: the letters moved into the model number

Trane's residential product pages now name each air conditioner by nominal efficiency and compressor type, and the XR, XL and XV badges are gone from the names. The letters live on in the model number, where R, X and V sit in the fourth position. Technicians and homeowners still say XR, XL and XV, so expect to hear both.

• 13 Single-Stage and 14 Single-Stage (5TTR3 and 5TTR4): up to 13.4 and 14.3 SEER2.
• 16 Single-Stage (5TTR6) and 16 Single-Stage with WeatherGuard (5TTX6): up to 17 SEER2.
• 17 Multi-Speed (5TTR7) and 17 Multi-Speed with WeatherGuard (5TTX7): an inverter compressor with several speeds, up to 17.1 and 18 SEER2. Trane describes it as the bridge between a traditional two-stage unit and a full variable-speed one.
• 18 TruComfort Variable Speed (5TTV8): runs anywhere from 30 to 100% capacity, up to 18.1 SEER2.
• 20 TruComfort Variable Speed with WeatherGuard (5TTV0): up to 24 SEER2, on Trane's Link communicating control.

In the current line the old two-stage rung has been replaced by the 17 Multi-Speed, and the X no longer signals staging at all: a 5TTX6 is single-stage and a 5TTX7 is multi-speed. Every one of these models uses R-454B.

What each step up changes: humidity control and outdoor sound

Each step up buys longer run times at lower output. A single-stage Trane cools at full capacity and stops. The 17 Multi-Speed spends most of the season at reduced speed, and Trane credits it with better humidity control and more capacity in extreme heat than a two-stage unit. The TruComfort units trim their output in small steps, so on a muggy night in Burlington or Stoney Creek the coil stays cold and keeps draining water for hours at a stretch.

Sound follows the same order. Trane states that most of its air conditioners fall between 55 and 75 dBA, with single-stage units toward the loud end. The TruComfort models add a sound enclosure around the compressor, and the 18 TruComfort has a Quiet Mode that caps compressor speed where a local noise by-law or a nearby bedroom calls for it.

One thing does not change with the tier: the all-aluminum Spine Fin outdoor coil. Its bristle-like surface catches cottonwood fluff and grass clippings, and it should be rinsed gently with a garden hose, never pressure-washed.

Matching the indoor equipment: where XV quotes go wrong

A variable-speed Trane is half of a system. The XV18 and XV20i were built around Trane's ComfortLink II communicating control, and the current 20 TruComfort connects through the Link communicating controller and thermostat. Both expect a compatible Trane variable-speed furnace or air handler on the other end of the wire.

If the furnace in your basement is another brand, or an older non-communicating Trane, the variable-speed tier means replacing the furnace or the control as well. The 17 Multi-Speed is the exception that matters: Trane lists it as 24-volt compatible, so it works with an existing furnace and any brand of two-stage thermostat. For a house keeping its furnace, that usually makes it the highest tier worth buying.

• The indoor unit model the rating assumes, and whether it is the one in your basement.
• The evaporator coil model, since an old R-410A coil is not part of any R-454B matched system.
• The control or thermostat, by model number.
• The AHRI certificate number for that exact combination.

How to read a Trane model number on a quote

The model number tells you what is being priced even when the quote says only 'Trane 3-ton high efficiency'. Take 5TTR7036A1000A as the example.

• 5: the R-454B generation. A leading 4 marks the earlier R-410A generation.
• TT: a cooling-only split air conditioner. TW in the same position marks a heat pump.
• R, X or V: the tier letter. R is the base cabinet, X the WeatherGuard version, V the TruComfort variable-speed line.
• 7: the nominal efficiency family, here the 17. A 0 means the 20 and a 3 means the 13.
• 036: capacity in thousands of BTU per hour, so 3 tons. 024 is 2 tons, 048 is 4 and 060 is 5. Variable-speed models write it with a letter first, as in 5TTV8X36.

Nominal is the key word. The 16 Single-Stage rates up to 17 SEER2 and the 20 TruComfort up to 24, and either can rate lower with a mismatched coil or blower. American Standard sells the same equipment under its own tier names, which we decode in American Standard Silver vs Gold vs Platinum.

What a Trane air conditioner costs installed, and rebates

Central air conditioning runs $3,500–$7,500 installed in the GTA when the ducts exist, and the Trane tiers spread across that band: the 13 and 14 Single-Stage near the bottom, the 16 and 17 in the middle, TruComfort at the top once the communicating control is counted. If a variable-speed quote includes a new furnace, compare it with the $7,500–$11,500 that replacing a furnace and air conditioner together typically runs.

On rebates: no current Ontario program pays for a central air conditioner on its own, Trane or otherwise. Manufacturer promotions come and go through dealers and are not government rebates. Where the program money does go is set out on our air conditioner rebates page.

Verdict: which Trane tier to buy

• Buy the 14 or 16 Single-Stage, the XR-level units, for a bungalow, a townhouse, a rental, or a house you will sell within five years. Take the 5TTX version if the unit sits under a tree that sheds onto it.
• Buy the 17 Multi-Speed for a two-storey that is keeping its furnace. It delivers most of the humidity and noise benefit without a communicating system.
• Buy the 18 or 20 TruComfort, the XV line, only with a compatible Trane variable-speed furnace or air handler and the matching control on the same quote, and only when noise or humidity is a real complaint.
• If a contractor quotes older XR, XL or XV stock, check the stage count by number: an XR17 is two-stage and an XL16i is not.

ZK Mechanical services Trane equipment across Burlington, Oakville, Milton and Hamilton, and we will decode any quote you have been handed, whoever wrote it. For how the stage types compare across every brand, read single-stage vs two-stage vs variable-speed air conditioners. For a written price on a new system, see air conditioner installation or contact us.

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