Hello everyone!

I got a 19 y.o house last summer, and over the course of the year have
figured out that my A/C unit (it is also a heat pump as far as I can
understand given my ignorance of the subject) is extremely inefficient as
compared to my neighbor’s 5 y.o. unit. If you just go by the electrical
bill, he pays half of what I do. I am not sure all the difference can be
attributed to the unit, but it looks like a clear indication mine is gotta
go pretty soon.

Could someone please give me a hint at what's involved into upgrading an
A/C unit? The house is two floors, 1,700 sq. ft., and I'm in Eastern PA.
What size unit I should be looking at? What are approximate costs? Will
the modern unit be compatible with the ducts? What is the best season to
do A/C unit upgrade, anyways?

Thank you for any comment or a bit of info!

Cheers!
D.
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DA wrote:
Could someone please give me a hint at what's involved into upgrading
an A/C unit? The house is two floors, 1,700 sq. ft., and I'm in
Eastern PA. What size unit I should be looking at? What are
approximate costs? Will the modern unit be compatible with the ducts?
What is the best season to do A/C unit upgrade, anyways?

The spring or fall are the best times to upgrade; contractors are less
busy then and many of the manufacturer's run rebate programs.

You can't size a system by square footage, number of bedrooms, previous
system size (see below) or distance from the nation's capital. Any
credible contractor will size the system by ACCA's "Manual J", which is
an industry-standard heat gain / loss calculation. Costs will vary
depending upon the system efficiency (aim for a minimum SEER of 13.0 -
but don't overspend for efficiency you don't need in your climate).

http://www.proctoreng.com/articles/bigger.html

Duct work shouldn't be a problem unless the original ducts are
undersized for the new system capacity.

Travis Jordan wrote:

The spring or fall are the best times to upgrade; contractors are less
busy then and many of the manufacturer's run rebate programs.

You can't size a system by square footage, number of bedrooms, previous
system size (see below) or distance from the nation's capital. Any
credible contractor will size the system by ACCA's "Manual
J", which is
an industry-standard heat gain / loss calculation. Costs will vary
depending upon the system efficiency (aim for a minimum SEER of 13.0 -
but don't overspend for efficiency you don't need in your climate).

http://www.proctoreng.com/articles/bigger.html

Duct work shouldn't be a problem unless the original ducts are
undersized for the new system capacity.


Thank you for the link, Travis. It's an interesting article. One thing
caught my attention though: it says that 25% of contractors are sizing A/C
systems based on floor area only (which is not correct, as I now know).
So, it will be a pretty darn important step to pick the right contractor.
Is there a professional organization that a reputable A/C contractor
should be a member of? What are the credentials one should ask the
contractor to produce before the purchasing decision is made?

Thanks for all your input!

Cheers!
D.
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DA wrote:
Is there a professional organization that a
reputable A/C contractor should be a member of? What are the
credentials one should ask the contractor to produce before the
purchasing decision is made?

Some are fans of members of NATE (ACCA accreditation) but I haven't
found that to be a reliable indicator of competency.

http://www.acca.org/nate/consumers.php

The best bet is to call your local municipalities' permitting agency
(ie. the building department) and ask if they've got a recommendation
for a good contractor. Also check the BBB of course (www.bbb.org) and
your state's licensing agency regarding complaints.

Make sure your contractor is licensed and insured.

DA wrote:
Thank you for the link, Travis. It's an interesting article. One thing

Also take the time to check out the residential HVAC forum at

http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1

Posting your questions there will get you a lot of help.

Travis Jordan wrote:


Also take the time to check out the residential HVAC forum at
http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1
Posting your questions there will get you a lot of help.


Checked out the forum, plenty of relevant info. I made one observation
though: most requests for help from amateurs/industry outsiders are met
with a standard answer from the pros/forum regulars: "YOU SHOULD HAVE
HIRED A PROFESSIONAL, SUCKER!" or "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR"
It might be an indication of the fact that there is a vicious competition
in the industry or something else, I don't know - I am an outsider - but
it strikes me as much different from what the tone of answer usually is
elsewhere, including misc.consumers.house group.

Anyways, thank you for your suggestions!

Cheers!
D.
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"DA" wrote in message
...
Travis Jordan wrote:


Also take the time to check out the residential HVAC forum at
http://hvac-talk.com/vbb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1
Posting your questions there will get you a lot of help.


Checked out the forum, plenty of relevant info. I made one observation
though: most requests for help from amateurs/industry outsiders are met
with a standard answer from the pros/forum regulars: "YOU SHOULD HAVE
HIRED A PROFESSIONAL, SUCKER!" or "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAID FOR"
It might be an indication of the fact that there is a vicious competition
in the industry or something else, I don't know - I am an outsider - but
it strikes me as much different from what the tone of answer usually is
elsewhere, including misc.consumers.house group.

Beleiev me, it's vicious over at alt.hvac too. Seems like most have a
disdain for homeowners.


Anyways, thank you for your suggestions!

Cheers!
D.
-------------------------------------


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On 19 Jul 2005 15:07:24 -0400,
(DA) wrote:

Thank you for the link, Travis. It's an interesting article. One thing
caught my attention though: it says that 25% of contractors are sizing A/C
systems based on floor area only (which is not correct, as I now know).
So, it will be a pretty darn important step to pick the right contractor.
Is there a professional organization that a reputable A/C contractor
should be a member of? What are the credentials one should ask the
contractor to produce before the purchasing decision is made?

Find out who Steve of Carolina Breeze HVAC recommends since he seems
to have contacts everywhere.

"KLS" wrote in message
news
On 19 Jul 2005 15:07:24 -0400,
(DA) wrote:

Thank you for the link, Travis. It's an interesting article. One thing
caught my attention though: it says that 25% of contractors are sizing A/C
systems based on floor area only (which is not correct, as I now know).
So, it will be a pretty darn important step to pick the right contractor.
Is there a professional organization that a reputable A/C contractor
should be a member of? What are the credentials one should ask the
contractor to produce before the purchasing decision is made?

Find out who Steve of Carolina Breeze HVAC recommends since he seems
to have contacts everywhere.

"KLS" wrote in message
news
On 19 Jul 2005 15:07:24 -0400,
(DA) wrote:

Thank you for the link, Travis. It's an interesting article. One thing
caught my attention though: it says that 25% of contractors are sizing A/C
systems based on floor area only (which is not correct, as I now know).
So, it will be a pretty darn important step to pick the right contractor.
Is there a professional organization that a reputable A/C contractor
should be a member of? What are the credentials one should ask the
contractor to produce before the purchasing decision is made?

Find out who Steve of Carolina Breeze HVAC recommends since he seems
to have contacts everywhere.

This is Turtle.

yes he would be the one to contact for he has sale of equipment over the
internet and have his rookies put them in just about anywhere. if he tells you
about who to get or how to do the job . he will send you to one of his people in
place to do your work.

Also internet HVAC salesmen do have buddy all over to get the business built up.

Happy Hunting

TURTLE