Do yourself a favor: Get at LEAST 3 quotes (not estimates) and go with a
quality installer.

I personally would stay away from Goodman.......

"komobu" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi;

Need a new AC system in my house in Va. I am in the US Military and
currently live in Korea.

An AC Contractor is quoting me $5780 to replace my residential AC /
Furnace with the following 3 ton unit:
Model 38BRC036 3ton R-22 a/c unit 12SEER
CD5AXW036021 EVAPORATOR COIL
MODEL 58STA110 GAS FURNACE,
WITH A 20 YR HEAT EXCHANGER WARRANTY,
INSTALLED PRICE $5780.00

I have seen a 13 SEER Goodman Dual Fuel heat pumps with a 90K 93% Gas
Furnace on the internet for 2350. I am debating whether I should fly
back to Va and do the job myself. If I fly back to Va, it will cost me
roughly 900 for the flight and I can stay with family. Thus I would be
saving over 2500 dollars and I would be getting a higher seer unit with
a 2 stage variable speed compressor.

Some of the questions I have are these:
1) How much of the 5780 that the contractor is quoting is equipment and
how much is actual labor / mark ups? It would be bennificial for me to
pay to have the job done if the total labor cost was less than $2,000.
2) How intensive is an AC Install? (I am a Sheetmetal worker by trade.)
I am thinking that I put the condensor in place, the furnace in place,
and hook up a few electrical connections. I then sweat / bolt the
refrigerent lines and call out an AC Shop to verify all conections,
vacume the lines and turn it on.
3) If I call out an AC Shop to verify the install, I would think that I
could get them to verify the system install for less than a couple
hundred. Is this true?

Some Background. I am a Sheetmetal worker by trade. I have a Universal
License in Air Conditioning. I even taught automotive AC Systems for a
local community college. I have never worked on any residential HVAC
systems. I am a very serious do-it-yourselfer. I have built additions
on houses. I have even completey removed and replaced an entire house
electrical system.

The interesting thing about this whole thing is that for the last three
years I have been talking about going to school and getting into the
residential HVAC bussiness when I return to the states. I could
actually use this project as part of my education!

I am open to any advice and would appreciate any feedback.

Pat