I purchased a 3 ton 12 seer American Standard heat pump split unit for my home. The unit has had problems since it was installed in 2004.

I have been without the heat operating correctly since Dec. of last year. My electric bills have been through the roof because it is using strip heat to try to keep the home warm.

My local servicer has tried to repair a freon leak twice, expansion valve, defrost board, mother board and who knows what else.

I have called everyone from the regional distributor, the extended warranty department, and Trane customer relations to to to resolve this issue.

Trane has finally agreed to replace the outside unit with a 13 seer unit, but there has been some concerns from the parties involved with the compatibility of the 12 seer air handler and the 13 seer compressor.

Does anyone know if this will work or should they replace everything?

Should the company refund all the money I am out in electric bills too? Over $1000 currently.

Is there anyone else out there I could call at Trane to help besides customer relations?

Model #'s
TWE036P130B0
2A6H2036A1000AB
BAYHTR1410000AB
ASYSTAT570

Does anyone know if this will work or should they replace everything?

It would be best to have a perfect matching system. Replace it all since the current code requires it. NOW if the indoor air handler is listed to be used with the new outside unit then it will work. The manufacturer can tell you if it will match or not.

Should the company refund all the money I am out in electric bills too? Over $1000 currently.

While I can feel for your money problem having to run the strip heat without a heat pump I have serious doubts if you will see any of that money back. NOW what you can do is use that as a bargaining tool when it comes to getting the new inside unit if you follow my drift. Also by the time you get a lawyer and play the game you probably will not see much $$$ even if you win plus you would then be considered a hostile customer and they might do nothing about your old unit replacement until the utility money thing is settled in court.

I have phone numbers for various HVAC manufacturing corporations. The president, vice president, and other lower echelon folks are listed just in case I have to contact them or communicate back to them if they call. They are not going to talk to you and giving those numbers out is verboten since they will not talk directly to a customer. They have large ships to run and do not have the time to take every complaint under there wing. Sorry but that is the way it is.

I understand your situation exactly and I have arbitrated many situations just like yours for the factories that make the equipment but since the factory has not communicated with me to visit your home and see exactly what the problem is I cannot intervene on your behalf.

Thank you HVAC 1000

Do you know where I could get a copy of the current code? Maybe that could help with my negotiations.

Actually it is a EPA requirement.

LInks will follow

Older Homes (Pre-2006) May Encumber
Total Air-Conditioning Replacement
On Jan. 23, 2006 federal law changed to require installation of higher efficiency 13 SEER air-conditioning in new construction and when replaced in older homes. (Any home built prior to Jan. 1. 2006 with less than a 13 SEER system and R-6 air flow ducts.)
All replacements in the future will have to be upgraded to the higher (and more expensive) 13 SEER units and existing older units may not be covered by the home third-party warranty companies. The availability of the lower rated SEER units will be doubtful as cities will require compliance with the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the new federal standard.

Standard third-party home warranty coverage for upgrading equipment in resale properties under their limited warranty should not to be expected unless agreed to in writing beforehand.

If you purchase an older home, at some point the HVAC system will need to be changed out whether from failure or age. The serviceable life of mechanical equipment can never be guaranteed. Even new units fail that require replacement under warranty and many existing properties have systems not adequately and properly maintained even under the yearly check offered by some HVAC contractors. Many existing homes have systems that show no apparent attempt of periodic maintenance.
When one component of an air-conditioning system is replaced (outside condenser or indoor evaporator coil) the other component (condenser or coil) will need to be replaced to obtain the 13 SEER rating which may indicate a whole system change out is needed in lieu of a partial replacement.
This could also potentially require a change out of some older furnaces as the blower fan inside heaters (shared by the heater and a/c system) may not be compatible for the fan speeds or air flow needed for the increased SEER rating.
Also, air-flow ducts are required to be R-6 rated in residential structures to comply with the federal rules and the IECC. If you have the older R-4 duct standard or less then to obtain the benefits of the SEER 13 rating change out the air ducts will also need to be replaced.

There is a trade-off system with higher SEER units and ducts.
Note: the higher the SEER the less the stystem may dehumidify so trade-offs should be considered. Dehumidification is necessary and critical along the Gulf Coast.
Buyers are advised to consult a HVAC contractor on options and potential costs prior to continuance on resale properties built prior to Jan. 23, 2006 and/or on properties that do not have a 13 SEER system.
As SEER ratings are not printed or labeled on equipment the HVAC contractor will need to use the manufacturer rating book (ARI) to determine the SEER listing of the many different manufacturers and equipment combinations based on model and serial numbers of what is
.Warning: in resale properties, a unit that may be labeled as "high efficiency" may not be a SEER 13 rated unit. In the past, anything over SEER 10 was marketed as "high efficient".
Inspections and/or the state inspection standards in Texas do not circumvent the need to have a licensed HVAC contractor do diagnostic pressure and efficiency testing on the equipment which is beyond the bounds of the state inspection standards. By law, only HVAC contractors can do this. Inspections for resale properties are not HVAC inspections.
In short, do not rely on a home inspection to determine the SEER ratings or system efficiency of air-conditioning equipment. This change in federal law is in the multi-thousand dollar cost range per home.
For more information contact a qualified reputable HVAC contractor in addition to your property inspection.

EIA - 13 SEER Standard for Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/building..._factsheet.pdf

Here is the deal. The federal law required the manufactures to stop making lower than 13 SEER equipment back in 2006. The federal law does not state that the indoor unit must be replaced but they do say they would like the indoor unit replaced to match the outdoor unit. NOW here is the twist. Most all indoor coils/units that are older than those made in 2006 and less than 13 SEER will not allow the new 13 SEER outside unit perform to its maximum capacity and for heat pumps it is worse that for strait A/C systems.

Now all the manufactures want the HVAC comapnys to sell the new indoor unit when they sell a new outside unit since a mismatch can cause problems not only with energy usage but with the components as in compressors. The reason a 13 SEER unit has to be installed outside as a minimum efficiency number is because all the older under 13 SEER units are gone and no longer available so this is where the new inside unit comes to play. Since the manufacture stipulates they want matched components used to prevent problems and maintain the warranty of the new unit you can use there own statement against them during your dicussion with the powers to be. There is a ton of further info available on the net just use Google as a search tool.

Thank You Again.
I'll see what happens from here.

Good luck with your situation. I hope it works out in your favor.