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ga-hvac-newbie

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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hello All,

I am seeking advice. My 20 year old 8 SEER Goodman A/C system has finally croaked after a few years of patching here and there. I am receiving estimates from various vendors. One vendor added a dual fuel system as an option and I am very intrigued/interested in it. The quote I received if for a 13 SEER complete system -hybrid for roughly $ using Amana Distinction products. I do not have exact model numbers yet but does that price sound average for this kind of system. The basic system he quoted was $ which is inline with the price I received from another vendor f about $ but for a 16 seer Lenox system. I also received a quote from what I new to be a high priced vendor. The last vendor offers Kenmore equipment and their lowest system 13.5 SEER is $ (not even considering these guys). I have a few more vendors coming today but I wanted to gauge the information I have so far.

For all system is would be a 2 1/2 ton, 10 years parts and labor warranty. I am doing a lot of research this weekend before making a decision and haggling over price. Any inout would be very valuable to me.

Thanks everyone.
 
#2 ·
The contractor should do a manual j load calculation to size your equipment. New high efficiency equipment is different than the older stuff so if you want it to work efficiently and be comfortable you may need duct revisions. Make sure the contractor is not basing his sizing on what size you have now, or by other rule of thumb sizing methods
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
One of the contractors (the most expensive vendor) performed the calculations and came up with 2.96 and recommended a 3 ton system. He measured everything plugged it into the application he had on his laptop. The lowest system they offered was a 13.5 SEER/3 ton/80% AFUE system.
 
#5 ·
Have any of the contractors discussed your home in general? What I am referring to is evaluating whether other improvements, along with a new heat and AC system, would offer more value.

The equipment alone is only a small part of the package... things like ductwork (size as well as integrity), insulation, windows, infiltration, and a host of others; affect the operation, comfort, and efficiency of a heat ans AC system.

Might want to find a contractor who understands all these things, and have them out.
 
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#6 ·
The only advice I'll offer is a new system is a long term purchase and not something you want installed by the cut all kinds of corners to be the cheapest guy. You want the new one to last 20 years like the old one right? Cheap and quality do not go together.
 
#7 ·
I agree with martyinlincoln...mcheap and quality will never go together.you should research the equipment you want then get bids. You are just having multiple companies out giving you all kinds of different options making it confusing for you... I see customers all the time get ten different bids then pick the cheapest one.. Make sure you pick a reputable company.. Check their BBB history and ask for references..
 
#8 ·
ga-hvac-tech said:
Have any of the contractors discussed your home in general? What I am referring to is evaluating whether other improvements, along with a new heat and AC system, would offer more value.

The equipment alone is only a small part of the package... things like ductwork (size as well as integrity), insulation, windows, infiltration, and a host of others; affect the operation, comfort, and efficiency of a heat ans AC system.

Might want to find a contractor who understands all these things, and have them out.
Click to expand...
+1, Fixing the house/ductwork typically has a quicker payback time than higher SEER equipment. IMHO 14-15 SEER is worth the extra money vs. 13SEER just because it's better made in most cases. The 16+ SEER units are more sensitive to correct ductwork in order to get their rated efficiency.
 
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#9 ·
Good luck with that guys. They didn't want to use the only company that did a load calc becuase of price. You really think they're going to spend the kind of money it takes to replace windows,seal and insulate? The phrase snowballs chance in hell comes to mind.
 
#10 ·
martyinlincoln said:
Good luck with that guys. They didn't want to use the only company that did a load calc becuase of price. You really think they're going to spend the kind of money it takes to replace windows,seal and insulate? The phrase snowballs chance in hell comes to mind.
Click to expand...
Not trying to start anything... however:

Lets say a house was built in, well, 1975... It has single pane aluminum windows, weak R-11 insulation in the walls, weak R-13 insulation in the attic, no insulation under the floor in the crawl, the house is laden with cracks one can stick a finger in (excessive infiltration), poorly sealed base plates on the foundation walls, no sealing around utility holes in the structure or finished walls... etc. The long and short is: Fix the issues and it could mean a system as much as 1/3 smaller... along with maybe as much as 1/2 of the energy used to heat and cool being saved per year.

Yes, 95% furnaces and 16 SEER 2 stage heat and AC are more sensitive to proper and sealed ducts... however if one is gonna stay in the house long term, this is just a good investment. Currently, utilities are cheap in the greater metro Atlanta area (I live in Norcross, a NE burb)... However I watch commodities markets and I am convinced energy costs will not stay down forever.

The key for the HO is how long they will stay in the house. 4-5-6 years max... then go for price and live with some less than ideal comfort issues. However if one is gonna stay in the house for the life of the equipment (12-15 or more years), investing in envelope upgrades as well as high end equipment is a good idea.

One more thing to think about: COMFORT! Is it worth it to have the humidity at the proper range both in the summer and winter (house is not sticky in the summer, not dry in the winter)? And is it worth it to lower to a reasonable minimum the hot and cold spots in the house? How about those funny drafts... want to get rid of them? Or the fireplace that does not always draft properly... want to fix that? These things come under the heading of "Building Science"... heat and AC is just part of the package. Better to address the whole package than to fix a detail and then find out one wasted some $$$ because they did not look at the big picture.
 
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Discussion starter · #11 ·
Actually the second project on my list is replace the windows but for the moment that is secondary to the broken AC. My ideal time range to stay in the house is another 5 -7 years. I threw out the lowest bid and the highest bid that I received. The other 3 bids are within a few hundred dollars of each other. I want the most bang for my buck on the project but I want the work done properly and to last. This is one of the last mechanical systems in the house to be upgraded.
 
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