Hello, I'm new to this site but I've read many blogs.

If HVAC1000 is out there I'd like to also hear from him.You sure have the experience!

First off my current system is a Rheen Criterion II system about 15years old, gas Furnace and the AC unit is 10SEER. Not the best energy efficient system and now the AC does not blow cool air, I had it charged last summer it worked for a time and now it's no longer working. My house is 1650sf no basement but split level not sure if I have a 2 or 3 ton unit

I did research looked at a few models online I have no prices and don't know what a HVAC company would charge.

Not sure if Air Con & Furnace or
Heat Pump & Air Handler is best

Also, wondering about different makes
American Standard: Allegiance 15,16 or 18

Lennox EliteSeries G61 Gas Furnace

Rheem RGRL Classi 90 2 stage upflow gas and RAPL A2

Trane Furnaces XT90,XL 90 XR95
Trane Air Cons XR13 XR15 XL 14i XL 16i

That is all the research I've done so far. I have sears and home depot coming to the house for prices any advice and direction on what to go with is appreciated. It's a big decision and I don't want to be taken and look naïve

American standard and trane are same company... lennow are loud in my opinion. Rheem are decent but some do not like them.

Be careful with sears and home depot. They companies coming out do not work for them are are subcrontracted. Might want to call a couple hvac companies out to. Most will give you free estimates. Getting a few estimates is better. Also they can answer any concerns.

As far as ac and gas versus heatpump. It really matters on where you live, gas vs electric cost, and your comfortability. With the electric companies being able to charge what they want in the near future I am seeing a lot of people ditching heatpumps here in PA. so keep that in mind when deciding.

What companies charge varies from state to state and citi to citi. So its hard to say what would be reasonable where you live.

Sounds good, I live in DE heard of carrier just looked at their web site. Have any idea about total cost>? Ball park figures are fine

Thanks siberianair

I have mentioned this a few times before and I will mention it again. A good install is what you are looking for. That info to the consumer can be hard to come by since running around town knocking on doors asking to look at there furnace install just does not work well if you know what I mean and then you would have to know what you were looking for so that is also not much help.

Check with friends and neighbors and see who they used and if they were satisfied is one way to go and also check the BBB to see if any complaints were filed and how the company took care of the situation/complaint.

There are many different manufactures and ALL manufactures go to great lengths to make sure there equipment performs and lasts but all companys have different price point model numbers from the cheapest to the most expensive. The more expensive units usually get higher SEER rates and a few toys added that may or may not be useful to the average homeowner.

Lennox is a problem child in this area since parts can be hard to come by and Lennox uses a lot of model specific parts instead of off the shelf parts. Off the shelf parts usage is always preferred since you can go to almost any supply house and get the part you need for the repair instead of paying a premium for a model specific part.

American Standard for all intent and purposes if a Trane unit. There could be a few different items on each unit but the majority of the components are the same model for model.

Rheem is Rudd and they make OK equipment also.

Carrier is Bryant and Day and Night and Payne. All 4 units are made by the same basic company and here again there are differences between models but the quality is about the same.

You did not mention Goodman and they make different levels of equipment. Goodman is also good and I have sold much of it many years ago.

As mentioned before I would stick with the middle of the road equipment and pick a SEER number that is going to suit your utility needs now and in the future. We all know electric is not going to go down in price but at the same time if your cooling season is average or short you pay back for high SEER equipment will take forever.

Items not to do.

Do not just buy the same size equipment you have now. Make the contractor do a manual J on your home. This will determine the exact amount of cooling and heating you need. To large of a A/C unit for example will cause short cycling and poor moisture removal and the same goes reverse for heating. To large a furnace and the unit will start and stop all the time causing you to be uncomfortable.

Most if not all of the higher rated furnaces use a Variable speed blower. These work well EXCEPT when they stop working and the unit is out of warranty. The cost of the motor/electronic end bell/ and control circuits is extermely high. Most manufactures warranty the parts for 5 to 10 years but not the labor and a pretty penny is charged for replacing these motors and controls since a investment in special testing devices is needed to work on them. I for one would stay away from factory variable speed BUT you might be forced into getting a model that has this since I am sure you plan on taking the Federal tax credits for your purchase and most of the furnaces that come under the requirements are variable speed. ( I believe Carrier and Bryant have a non-variable speed furnace that will comply with the Fed rules for the tax credits but it just hit the market and may be hard to find.)

I could not begin to give you a price since every area the cost is different. I saw units in NY going for 8000.00 installed to units in Aurora Indiana going for 5500.00 and this was on the same equipment. So I can offer no pricing except to say GET at least 3 estimates and make them apples to apples to prevent any confusion. If you are going to get 13 SEER stuff with a 95% furnace then get all the estimates for 13 SEER and 95% otherwise it creates too much confusion.

See attached.

Thanks HVAC 1000
I just got a price from Sears complete new unit installed
What do you think about these prices?

Carrier: Comfort 24acb, Furnace 58sva, Condenser 24aca =$ 9,587 I also need a few more returns(free) and duck work cleaning$(400.00). After Discounts he came down to about $8,800

Also, two units (Kenmore) no model numbers but looking on the energy star web site he was able to boast a 14.5SEER Going with same type of Carrier Product.
14.5 SEER = $8,411 3 Ton, Variable speed blower
13 SEER $6,255 3 ton, Single Speed Blower

I just don't know about the prices?
Their warranty seems really good 5 year plan for about $700.00 100% coverage no change for coming out once a year PM, and they would replace it if it can't be fixed. Also promies no waiting if there would be a problem.

My question is does our utility companies have coverage plans?
What about Mortgage companies?
Their seemed a little pricey

I still have yet to have a local guy come out He's done work before for me.
I guess I just want and good install, a company that won't be out of business in 5 years.
Also, is it possible if you contact the Company about the unit have a problem in years to come only to find they claim your unit is not installed right and you somehow broke you 10 year compressor warranty?


According to the sears guy my house after do a load comp said I needed about a 3 ton, AC and I have a 100,000 BTU furnace.

I'm only getting about 50-60% efficiently from the furnace he said and about about a 7- 8SEER when the AC was working.

Any advice on models for furnace and ac?
I looked at Carrier, Trane, Rheem,
How's American Standard?

Would would you say is reasonable to pay for a 3ton, and 100,000btu furnace is worth the variable speed option, Sears guy said it would cost the same as a ceiling fan to run yet having it should lower my bills and make the air only 2-3 degrees different per floor?

Also, it seems people have been steering me away from a package unit? It uses propane heat My father had one put in for a trailer and room addition about 1000sq foot place for about $1,200 Nothing inside the trailer, it comes in everything from the outside?

Anyway, any advice is very helpful, as the summer is going to heat up fast now.
I have to made a decision soon

Thanks to all who reply

$700 seems okay for a 5 year coverage. Usually that is the price for a full 10 year extended coverage for me.
Package units are fine. Duct work just needs to be reran under trailer, and some people just do not want to get under there.
Duct cleaning is not always needed. Sometimes I feel companies use this as a money making tool.

Other companies that offer protection assitance are going to be more expensive and have a lot of headaches. Home warranties are evil evil evil programs usually. Monthly payments, deductables, shoody contractors. Just get the extended warranty from instaler.

Thanks Siberianair,

I just got done with a HVAC guy, I believe him to be very honet I had him come out a few times in the past.
Good news and bad news, first the Good news He said my furnace is not that bad I should no get ride of it. It's only 12 years old runs fine just not the best efficiently. So all I need is a SEER 13 ac.

Now the bad news lots of it. I have no returns in the up stairs bedrooms there are 4 of them only one in the hallway, a low thin one. He said so of course your always hot upstairs no where for all that hot air to go. Also, it make the downstairs furnace workd harder heating since all it's air is coming from downstairs. No warm air from upstairs except that one return. All my bedrooms have 2 supply's in it. And the duct work is too small for anything bigger then 3ton, He said it may even too small for that.

Good news: adding a some returns to the bedrooms and another in the main hall should solve the problem upstairs of being so hot almost 100% he said.

He'll have to tap into the flu coming into one of my bedroom closets and attach duct work to it run it to the attic an then into each bedroom, and also put a supply in as well. He said it will almost be like having 2 zone heat and cool. He would attack a damper to the duct work and I could control it in the winter and summer how much would come up.

With a remote thermostat upstairs in the summer I can control how cool it may get and use that spot for the final temperature.

Sounds good to me any thoughts on this approach? He's really against me upgrading all units so much as improving the duct work as much as possible because my home is about 50+ years old He said they probably never intended one central Air and that is why the duct work is so poor with regards to returns upstairs.

So If I go with him is a new AC and new improved duct work/ returns upstairs.
He only puts in American Standard units any knowledge about them?

OK, well one step closer, I may get one or 2 other HVAC guys out to give me a final price.

Thanks to all who reply
Eric

Sounds good so far but I am surprised that he did not want to replace the furnace. Your first post said it was 15 years old and now is the time to do it since you will be getting a new A/C unit. Check into the Federal EPA IRS tax savings before you decide. I believe it is worth up to 1,500.00 tax credit so that could help pay for your new stuff. Good luck.

Yeah, I thought 15 but it was put in 1997 he showed me.
He said it really won't hurt the AC unit or the SEER rating by not getting a new furnace.

I'll look into it but getting 90+ rating would be much more costly he said because of added work. He'd have more to do to put it in. he said there is added things you'd have to put that you would not for an 80%.
Then we came to the thought I could get another 5-10 years out of this furnace with no problem
I'm the second owner of the house and the heat exchanger is warranted up till 20years old. If any other part would go he said it's not much to fix so I'd save money in that respect.

Getting that duct work improved he thought would be where I should really spend $$ it would give me more band for my buck the just upgrading units. He also felt I'd not improve utilities by more then 10-15%, again bad duct work too small and lack returns.

I guess it's not a very thought out duct system and I'm stuck with it. Well you get lemon you make lemonade ;-)

Thanks HVAC 1000
Eric

I understand. The duct work should help.

Personallly I don't like mixing and matching brands and units unless I absolutely have to. Engineers design them to work differnat wayes. And even though they will work together they are not designed to.
See what the other guys say.
They make a new style of tstat that I have installed in homes in PA that are 120 years old and never meant to have ac. It is a waireless one by honeywell. A little expensive, but works great because you can take the actual t stat off the wall and up stairs with you. Then it would be controlled from where ever you need it.

Well, I just wanted to let everyone know my HVAC man just put in a used Ducane AC10B36-B unit outside, His best guess is that the leak was outside at the compressor site and this one should be fine. It is a 2004 model 10SEER and 9.4EER. My other one was 10SEER but with the leak I'm sure more like a 7-8SEER and EER who knows. So this should be a little better on the bills. He put it in for $500.00. From what I know that's a great deal. I'm thankful not to have to shell out 3,500-5,000 for a new ac

So, I'll pray this is a fix for a few years till I can get a new unit.

Thanks for the advice and sharing your knowledge of this HVACworld with me

Eric