Our old Trane had near 20 years of flawless service. Blew a capacitor once during a lightning storm...same for a circuit board.Originally Posted by Jim Watson
Our old Trane had near 20 years of flawless service. Blew a capacitor once during a lightning storm...same for a circuit board.
There's nothing civil about this war.
Ive got you beat. My ac unit was a carrier and was over 40 years old when replaced. The gas furnace was not quite as old, had cast burners in it and still working great. If the coils would have fit for the new heat pump I would have kept the old furnace.
I'll wager you a PF dollar™ 😎
The lunatics are running the asylum
Don't overlook Better Business Bureau complaints. Clues are found in how companies resolve them. Do you gave a plumber or electrician? Folks in the trades often know about others' reliability. We have a contractor who posts here. Maybe he will chime in.
Low bid is not always the best value. Sometimes we get what we pay for. Hence checking references is a good idea. Your insurance company will be a good source. Talk to an office manager/secretary for the scoop. Drive by and go in.
Our home has hot water heat and our "AC system" consisted of window units. As we all know, window units suck for the most part.
I just finished installing a 3-zone LG split-ductless system, 34,000 BTUs total. I did the entire install myself, took me a month of weekends. I had a certified HVAC guy do the commissioning (pressure test with nitrogen, evacuation and release of refrigerant into system).
Coming from noisy window shakers, this system is quiet as can be (indoor units 27db, much quieter than the typical central air system) and is rated at 21 SEER. I paid $4k for the LG equipment (two 9,000 BTU and one 15,000 BTU indoor units, one 36,000 BTU outdoor unit) and about another $1,200 for the rest of the needed supplies and the commissioning. If I had paid a contractor for the entire install, it would have been in the $10k range and I doubt they would have taken the time and care I did with it.
The most challenging part of a split ductless install is running the refrigerant lines, condensate drain lines and electrical interconnect cables from the indoor units to the outdoor compressor. I opened up sheet rock to run them in interior walls, pulled back carpet and cut the sub flooring to conceal as much of it as possible, which minimized the exterior runs (the condensate drains terminate as soon as they pass through the exterior wall). Once outside I used RectorSeal Fortress to run the lines through to the compressor, then painted it the same color as the siding;
The two 9k units are in second floor bedrooms, the 15k unit is in the first floor family room. The three keep both floors of our 2,200 square foot home very dry and comfortable. Best of all, the system is essentially inaudible and visually unobtrusive.
I have a 10 year old AC unit I just replaced. My 2 cents.
I believe that AC units now are disposable. A service call seems to be $200 to $500 per visit with Freon. My house is 2 stories and I have 2 units - one for bottom floor and one for top floor. I got quotes from basic replacement to multiple "better" and "best" options. My old units used the newer Freon so no issues reusing lines. I bought the cheapest option for about $3900 for inside and outside AC modules but reusing the existing gas heat module and all ductwork. They were in and out in 4 hours. I got cash and military discounts.
I assume that I will replace this AC unit in 10 years when warranty expires.
I suggest getting multiple quotes but lean toward using a small family shop that has been around for a while. In my opinion, the bigger shops are flashy, etc. but have a lot of turnover with techs.
I got an acceptable estimate yesterday and I'm going with it.
3.5 Ton Trane system installed for $5350.
I'm going with the contractor who put a Trane system in my mother-in-laws house. He came recommended to her and did a nice job on a full AC system including duct work.
This morning I removed the old A-coil, and condenser unit. The R-22 was completely gone so no need to reclaim. I just need to remove the old line set. I told the contractor he is going to have a clean slate to work with in hopes he can squeeze in my job sooner.
^^^^^That sounds much more reasonable.
FYI, we turned on our air for the first time today. The new unit is soooooo much quieter than the old one. We can actually sit outside near it and have a conversation without shouting.
I'm a "7" compared to most gun-guys, which means I'm a "3" on P-F.
Must be the year for this. We came back home Sunday to find that our AC had quit too. It’s a heat pump and 14 years old. Compressor is done. Going to be a complete system replacement including air handler and aux heat, a few updates to the return air and ductwork, and moving the main outside unit to a better location. It’s going to be expensive. It’s going to put a hold on the remodel we just started too.
“If you know the way broadly you will see it in everything." - Miyamoto Musashi
I'm in a similar situation. Blank slate install of a new heat pump and air handler with electric aux heat. The air handler is being replaced and moved to a cabinet in the main house instead of in the attic where the current air handler is. Outside unit being moved to a better location outside. I have three bids so far. I have another contractor coming out this morning. Living in central Kansas heat pumps are not ideal in the winter but we are total electric and heat pumps seems like the best option for us. We have to run auxiliary heat a lot with our current system but the HP was 14 years old and the inside system was at least 25 years old.
The first bid is incomplete. It was from a guy that does HVAC on the commercial side and had been moonlighting his own business for the last 20 years for residential. No specs on the unit other than it's Tempstar. The unit without labor was quoted at $9,250. Yikes.
Bid two is from a small contractor for a York system. I have been told to avoid York by a couple of different commercial contractors. The bid is for everything except moving the electric to the new locations. 3 ton, 14 seer, single-stage air handler with ECM motor, 3-ton coil, and new thermostat. All labor included. $7,224.25. 10 Year warranty on parts and compressor.
Bid three from the same contractor as bid two except it's an LG system. The contractor states "LG comes with a 12-year compressor and parts warranty. High efficient 18 SEER for air handler unit. Will heat as a heat pump down to -4 degrees. Top of the line system and I put a lot in. The outdoor unit will feed the power to the indoor. Will need power for back up heat kit only for indoor. Price $9,747.06.
I like the sounds of what the LG claims it will do but I really can't back it up with any research that I have found. The price seems high but for all the work we're doing maybe not. For comparison by parents just had a new complete system installed. Central AC with gas heat, ductwork and all, was almost $15,000. Similar sized house but I do not know the specs on their system.
I'm waiting to hear from this last contractor before I make a decision. I understand construction but I'm in a little over my head on HVAC. I was expecting to pay between $6-$8,000. What I am getting so far seems overly expensive. The shitty part is I would like to sell this house in about 3 years.
I would appreciate some input here.
“If you know the way broadly you will see it in everything." - Miyamoto Musashi
If I was selling in 3 years, I would no do the relocations and upgrades. I would replace with the 2020 version of what you have now and rock on for 3 years.
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