In the fine newsgroup "alt.home.repair", "Evan Mann"
artfully composed this message within
. com on 03 Jun
2004:

If the compressor does fail, is that part replaced, or is it the
entire box/fan/everything outside? What kind of price could I
be looking to be for a mid-range unit to cool 1800sq ft? I know
it's a somewhat loaded question, but at least its pointed to a
specific component, and not "how much for new A/C for my entire
house". Unless your going to tell me when you replace a
compressor, you need a new coil/piping/fan/other things.


OOOO OOO I can answer this. Not how much it would take to replace a
compressor on a furnace that is at least 14 years old, but HOW MUCH
CAN YOU SAVE ON ENERGY COSTS on a brand new, much more energy
efficient unit. The answer for me when I had to choose between
repairing an old heat pump and replacing it, no brainer. I think in
3 years since replacing the whole thing, I've already paid it off
in savings in the monthly bills to the electric company. My unit
is a heat pump, $4000 for a brand new Bryant (inside and outside
units because the old inside part wouldn't match up with the new
outside part), but the thing cools off my house in no time flat. In
the winter, the air coming from the ducts is actually warm without
AUX heat. For an 1800 sq ft house, the bills halved in the winter,
and in the summer, even lower.

--
Cheryl