I'd suggest to get the HVAC company lined up before you start the work. Most
HVAC companies won't touch a system that someone else started, they want to
do the entire job.

As for myself, I've been doing HVAC installs for the last five years. Even
these years later, I'm really amazed at how many details there are to know,
do, parts to stock, and so on. In any case, please let us know how things
turn out.

From those numbers, I'm not sure what brand of equipment the HVAC shop is
suggesting. And if I did, I don't quote wholesale costs in a public forum.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"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