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Advice on buying HVAC system
We will be building a new house in the next 3 months or so and I need to
pick out an HVAC system for heating, cooling, and humidity control. I would like some direction as to the best places to read-up and get educated on what to look for and what to look out for in choosing system type, brand, contractor, etc. Many thanks. |
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I would stay away from Carrier. My neighbor got one last summer and has had
nothing but trouble. Check out Better Business Bureau site-there seemed to be a lot of negatives about Carrier. Too bad. They used to be a really good unit. I think Trane is a pretty good unit, but I'm sure there are others just as good, or maybe better. wrote in message ... We will be building a new house in the next 3 months or so and I need to pick out an HVAC system for heating, cooling, and humidity control. I would like some direction as to the best places to read-up and get educated on what to look for and what to look out for in choosing system type, brand, contractor, etc. Many thanks. |
#6
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Isn't that like asking the fox to recommend a type of lock to use for
the hen house doors? I only ask because I too will be making a choice this summer. I have no central heating system in my house and after the winter is over and I can think clearly, I will have a system installed in my house. No way can I see letting the guy who is going to earn money from the job make the decisions about what I should or shouldn't have. That is just a blatant conflict of interest! The original poster asked the same question I'm asking now--isn't there some industry standard information sources that a person can read to learn about each choice and make their own decision--at least about what TYPE of system to put in (i.e., baseboard, radiant, forced air, etc.).?? Lesley |
#7
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Start by reading all manufacturers brochures and online info .
Companies make a variety of equipment in different price ranges . Most have a low end single speed 80% furnace with cheap low seer AC. Then top line 93-94.5 % efficient furnaces with VS DC motors for more comfort , humidity removal, lower electric usage and very high seer AC units. It depends on where you live- your heating cooling needs and cash you have. If you live where it gets -20 to 100f and it is humid look into the most efficient equipment, Some areas will never see a payback because temps are to moderate. You need a good instaler, a load calculation and price comparisons on different equipment . It is smart to know what you want first, many uneducated instalers shy away from VS DC and 2 speed condensers. Ive had several try to talk me into simple non efficient equipment and one refusing to sell it to me . Insulated metal ducts are worth the cost. |
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Lesley wrote:
Isn't that like asking the fox to recommend a type of lock to use for the hen house doors? I only ask because I too will be making a choice this summer. I have no central heating system in my house and after the winter is over and I can think clearly, I will have a system installed in my house. No way can I see letting the guy who is going to earn money from the job make the decisions about what I should or shouldn't have. That is just a blatant conflict of interest! The original poster asked the same question I'm asking now--isn't there some industry standard information sources that a person can read to learn about each choice and make their own decision--at least about what TYPE of system to put in (i.e., baseboard, radiant, forced air, etc.).?? Lesley I can only say that it is going to be very difficult to equal the skill of at good professional. A good professional will give you what you want and need. On the other hand, even if you pick some very nice equipment out, maybe even the right equipment for your needs, you are going to end up with a second rate un-reliable system if it is not properly installed. As I said a good pro will only sell you good equipment. The trick, and it is a trick, is to find that good professional. They are there. I have one I trust, I only hope he is still around in a few more years when it is time to replace my current system. I found him on a small issue that I called him in, when my AC will killed by lightning. His knowledge and his response, saving me money without costing me in quality proved him to me. -- Joseph Meehan 26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math |
#9
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On 30 Jan 2005 05:36:47 -0800, Lesley wrote:
Isn't that like asking the fox to recommend a type of lock to use for the hen house doors? I only ask because I too will be making a choice this summer. I have no central heating system in my house and after the winter is over and I can think clearly, I will have a system installed in my house. No way can I see letting the guy who is going to earn money from the job make the decisions about what I should or shouldn't have. That is just a blatant conflict of interest! The original poster asked the same question I'm asking now--isn't there some industry standard information sources that a person can read to learn about each choice and make their own decision--at least about what TYPE of system to put in (i.e., baseboard, radiant, forced air, etc.).?? Lesley Learn, learn, learn. If you want to increase your odds, you need to become knowledgable THEN trust the guys to do their job. Use the knowledge to filter out the hacks. Talk to friends and neighbors and check out their installations. I've not seen centralized references that summarize everything in a tidy format for you. There are numerous options, each with their relative benefits, costs, etc. You need to know enough to have a starting point and find the right specialist. Do you want radiant heat, hot water baseboard, forced air, ...? Do you want oil, gas, solar, electric, geothermal...? There aren't many shortcuts. You will have to invest many, many hours studying the pros/cons of each system type. It's analagous to buying a vehicle. If you knew nothing about modes of transportation, then walked into a Hummer dealer, they'd sell you on the virtues of a Hummer. First, you have to know the options. Do you want an SUV, pick-up, sedan, sports car, Motorcycle, bicycle, 2 seater, 2WD, 4WD, etc.??? Would you find a website that could tell you the relative merits of all these different vehicles? I'm not trying to be a wise-a**. But the onus is on the consumers to educate themselves. It takes time, but it's worth it. The options narrow down quickly once you study them. Your home or budget may not support certain choices. Soon, you're left with a few choices and have enough education to ask the pros specific questions. Then, you can get the contractors to come out and give you their opinions and get quotations. Without the up-front footwork on your part, you'll be wasting their time or just blindly trusting them to tell you what's best. As other posters have suggested, you'll not be as knowledgable as the pros. But you'll have a starting point and you will be able to see who is blowing smoke, giving you a better chance of avoiding the obvious attempts to rip you off. Warning - do not post questions to alt.hvac. That's a "pro's only" forum. Stick to groups like this one where there are plenty of other consumers and pros who are willing to help. But always, spend some time with Google before asking questions or you're likely to get snarky replies. Good luck. |
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On 30 Jan 2005 05:36:47 -0800, "Lesley" wrote:
Isn't that like asking the fox to recommend a type of lock to use for the hen house doors? I only ask because I too will be making a choice this summer. I have no central heating system in my house and after the winter is over and I can think clearly, I will have a system installed in my house. No way can I see letting the guy who is going to earn money from the job make the decisions about what I should or shouldn't have. That is just a blatant conflict of interest! The original poster asked the same question I'm asking now--isn't there some industry standard information sources that a person can read to learn about each choice and make their own decision--at least about what TYPE of system to put in (i.e., baseboard, radiant, forced air, etc.).?? Lesley As a long established HVAC contractor I can tell you that you need to find a "good" company and then trust them. Personally, I think most all of the equipment out there is crap. All the manufacturers suffer the same problem. Get a product out there and build it as inexpensively as you can. Sometimes, quality of that product suffers. Like I say, find a good company. Check with friends, neighbors, co workers and anyone you come in contact with. Even call the local Bryant, American Standard, etc warehouses and talk to the guys at the counter. They are the ones that know most of us and they are also the ones that know which companies to use and which ones to steer clear of. Id have to recommend getting a 10 yr parts and labor warranty too because no matter what you get installed it will break over the next ten years and it WILL pay for itself. Note: Personally, I dont have much faith in the Better Business Bureau. Companies like myself can pay them to be a "Preferred Vendor" with them. I think that is bull****. I worked for a company for a couple years that did just that. They were the worst pack of thieves and the BBB rated them highly. Utter nonsense. Good Luck, Bubba |
#11
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DO NOT USE THE CONTRATORS HVAC COMPANY!!!!!
Find a high end local company. You want Variable Speed Heating System(preferably 90%+) 2 Stage Air Conditioning System, Zoned house, Good Thermostats, Fresh air Ventilator, Humidifier, Ultra VIolet Purifier, EZ trap condensate trap, High end media filtration, or whole house hepa, 10 Year Manufacturer Parts and Labor. Stick with higher end equipment Trane etc. Stay away from builders grade stuff. Stay far away from Goodman or Nordyne product. This system will be expensive, but it is your home comfort system for the life of your home. You are going to be here longer than in your car, and how much do you pay for a car??? wrote in message ... We will be building a new house in the next 3 months or so and I need to pick out an HVAC system for heating, cooling, and humidity control. I would like some direction as to the best places to read-up and get educated on what to look for and what to look out for in choosing system type, brand, contractor, etc. Many thanks. |
#12
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Bubba wrote:
On 30 Jan 2005 05:36:47 -0800, "Lesley" wrote: Isn't that like asking the fox to recommend a type of lock to use for the hen house doors? Lesley Yeah. How could an HVAC professional (who deals with heating systems every day) possibly know more than the customer(who deals with heating systems once every 5 to 20 years)? As a long established HVAC contractor I can tell you that you need to find a "good" company and then trust them. Personally, I think most all of the equipment out there is crap. All the manufacturers suffer the same problem. Get a product out there and build it as inexpensively as you can. Sometimes, quality of that product suffers. Good Luck, Bubba Most customers don't want quality. They want cheap. Seems people would rather pay $500.00 every 5 years on a throw away system made from beer cans, than $1000.00 every 20 years on a well engineered, well built system. Cheap is what keeps bad companies and hacks in business. The original poster has the right idea. Learn as much as you can buuuuuuut, never discount the knowledge of an experienced professional. Cheaper is NOT always better. Choose the wrong system in your house and you WILL pay for it in other ways. And Bubba is right. The BBB is not a reliable tool. |
#13
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Bob Pietrangelo wrote:
DO NOT USE THE CONTRATORS HVAC COMPANY!!!!! Unless you have one of the few home builders that does not hire the cheapest bare bones subs possible. A few near me hire established competent HVAC companies. Find a high end local company. You want Variable Speed Heating System(preferably 90%+) 2 Stage Air Conditioning System, Zoned house, Good Thermostats, Fresh air Ventilator, Humidifier, Ultra VIolet Purifier, EZ trap condensate trap, High end media filtration, or whole house hepa, 10 Year Manufacturer Parts and Labor. Stick with higher end equipment Trane etc. Stay away from builders grade stuff. Stay far away from Goodman or Nordyne product. Isn't Amana (HVAC products) now owned by Goodman? Amana used to be known as a quality name in HVAC. I also here that Amana is also producing a line called "Xenon" but they are taking great pains to keep this connection a secret, which means Amana is unlikely to stand behind "Xenon" products in the long term. |
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#15
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On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 19:49:26 -0600, Doug Boulter
wrote: wrote on 29 Jan 2005: We will be building a new house in the next 3 months or so and I need to pick out an HVAC system for heating, cooling, and humidity control. Much as it pains me to agree with Bubba (and it really does)... It "pains" you because Im right. Just because I wont hold you , coddle you and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. You get it straight from me. You dont like it. Tough ****. Most of the manufacturers really are making their equipment as cheaply as they can. If you've picked a good HVAC contractor, that person can steer you pretty well on what brands they're comfortable working on. Remember, a lot of the problems will turn up in the warranty period, and no HVAC person is getting rich on warranty calls. Be careful of contractors who offer only one brand (e.g. Lennox). Lennox makes good stuff, but if you want to get it repaired, you'd better be really happy with your Lennox dealer, as independent HVAC shops pay through the nose for parts. Wrong. Lennox makes **** and you the customer pays for there mistakes. Dealer or no dealer there parts are ridiculous in price and you the customer will pay for that. What you will want to think about is the efficiency rating of your heating and A/C systems and how long the payback is. That will depend on your local climate, cost of fuel, and price difference in the variously efficient models. Contacting your local gas company and/or electrical company will often yield you some very good advice on the efficiency issues. Bubba |
#16
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Warning - do not post questions to alt.hvac. That's a "pro's only"
forum. I highly recommend perusing some of those message to get an idea how "pros" really behave. |
#17
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On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 17:20:45 GMT, Bubba wrote:
As a long established HVAC contractor I can tell you that you need to find a "good" company and then trust them. Bubba, The problem is finding that "good" company. Part of doing that is knowing enough about the subject so that when I am talking to the incompetent or the crook, I can recognize him for what he is. I like to buy quality. Many years ago, I got 3 prices on a major HVAC job and selected the highest price because that contractor was able to convince me that he knew what he was doing and that I needed the more costly duct design that he proposed. I was never sorry about that choice. Of course, I want to save as much money as I sensibly can, but buying junk equipment or hiring a "junk" contractor is not sensible. Personally, I think most all of the equipment out there is crap. All the manufacturers suffer the same problem. Get a product out there and build it as inexpensively as you can. Sometimes, quality of that product suffers. Like I say, find a good company. In a later post you talked about Lennox equipment. Are there others you think I should steer clear of or consider favorably because of quality, serviceability/cost, performance, etc? I live in Southeastern VA (near the bay) and desire year around humidity control, expecially during those months when little to no heat or airconditioning is required. Check with friends, neighbors, co workers and anyone you come in contact with. I am building a house in a new (to me) area, so I won't have good local contacts. Even call the local Bryant, American Standard, etc warehouses and talk to the guys at the counter. They are the ones that know most of us and they are also the ones that know which companies to use and which ones to steer clear of. Id have to recommend getting a 10 yr parts and labor warranty too because no matter what you get installed it will break over the next ten years and it WILL pay for itself. Thanks. Will do. |
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On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 17:20:45 GMT, Bubba wrote:
As a long established HVAC contractor I can tell you that you need to find a "good" company and then trust them. Bubba, The problem is finding that "good" company. Part of doing that is knowing enough about the subject so that when I am talking to the incompetent or the crook, I can recognize him for what he is. I like to buy quality. Many years ago, I got 3 prices on a major HVAC job and selected the highest price because that contractor was able to convince me that he knew what he was doing and that I needed the more costly duct design that he proposed. I was never sorry about that choice. Of course, I want to save as much money as I sensibly can, but buying junk equipment or hiring a "junk" contractor is not sensible. Personally, I think most all of the equipment out there is crap. All the manufacturers suffer the same problem. Get a product out there and build it as inexpensively as you can. Sometimes, quality of that product suffers. Like I say, find a good company. In a later post you talked about Lennox equipment. Are there others you think I should steer clear of or consider favorably because of quality, serviceability/cost, performance, etc? I live in Southeastern VA (near the bay) and desire year around humidity control, expecially during those months when little to no heat or airconditioning is required. Check with friends, neighbors, co workers and anyone you come in contact with. I am building a house in a new (to me) area, so I won't have good local contacts. Even call the local Bryant, American Standard, etc warehouses and talk to the guys at the counter. They are the ones that know most of us and they are also the ones that know which companies to use and which ones to steer clear of. Id have to recommend getting a 10 yr parts and labor warranty too because no matter what you get installed it will break over the next ten years and it WILL pay for itself. Thanks. Will do. |
#19
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wrote:
We will be building a new house in the next 3 months or so and I need to pick out an HVAC system for heating, cooling, and humidity control. I would like some direction as to the best places to read-up and get educated on what to look for and what to look out for in choosing system type, brand, contractor, etc. Many thanks. http://mb-soft.com/solar/saving.html "Free Home Air Conditioning! Save Money on Your Electric Bills! ....this system was invented and designed by a nuclear physicist!...And the coolest (pun intended) part of this is that all of the comfort in the house is PRECISELY identical to that when using conventional air conditioning. The temperature and humidity levels will be identical" |
#21
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Do a google : 'Buying heating/cooling systems' . Talk with your
neighbors on who theyre happy with. When you get proposals, be sure and get them to provide addresses and phone numbers of customers that have had an installation performed then take a look at the job . Check with your local BBB to be sure they havent had any complaints filed against them. Go to your local courthouse and see if they have been a Defendant in a Law Suit ; the clerk will give you the books to look thru at no charge (in alphabetical order) . Dont give them anymore than 50% deposit. Go to Consumer Reports Oct. of 1998 for a 4 page article on different efficiency residental systems , how brands stack up, and how to choose a Contractor. Go to your local Village Building Dept. and ask if there are any hvac Contractors which they have banned from working in your town. Take out a Permit for the installation so the job can be properly inspected by a Village Inspector who will act on your best behalf ; the Permit fee will be worth it to give you peace of mind. |
#22
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'Most have a low end single speed 80% furnace with cheap low seer AC.
Then top line 93-94.5 % efficient furnaces with VS DC motors for more comfort , humidity removal, lower electric usage and very high seer AC units. It depends on where you live- your heating cooling needs and cash you have. ' It also depends on how long you are planning on living in your home ; Variable Speed DC motor furnaces will take a very long time to get a payback on ; they get an arm and a leg for them . IF youre planning on staying in the house for 20 plus years, then okay...otherwise, they are only good to impress the Friday night Card Game regulars (if they are so duped). Weigh up how much you run the Cooling...if you are not big a/c buffs, then going with an extreme EER a/c unit is pointless due to a long payback period. If you want to save a good 25% of the cost...go with a Rheem, Goodman , or Tempstar brand over hyped up advertised brands like Trane, Carrier, and Lennox. Each one of these brands will last as long as the others so long as they are properly maintenanced. |
#23
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DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON..
HACK ALERT..dave's giving out advice again |
#24
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No Dave wrong again but since you sell "trailer equipment " and are not
a dealer of anything but Goodman you lie. Does Goodman have VS DC??? No . As I posted the numbers before, a 6 yr payback can be seen with VS DC. You never counterd my numbers but hid. Not only do you get more efficiency, but more humidity removal , using a humidistat-thermostat. You can even control Fan Speed at the thermostat! You told him to read Consumer Reports , atta boy Dave , read it again Dave, the Carrier Infinity VS DC was rated "A Best Buy " in Comsumer Reports. And I bet it is more efficient than Goodman . |
#25
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OH NO!!!....Not some MORE bad advice from well known hvac HACK and all
around fundy idiot, dave? Why should this not surprise anyone? |
#26
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Sam O'Nella wrote:
Warning - do not post questions to alt.hvac. That's a "pro's only" forum. I highly recommend perusing some of those message to get an idea how "pros" really behave. If you follow some of the threads on there, you will find that some 'pros' behave like little children and are pretty egotistical assholes. But then, I don't ask questions over there. Don't need to. We've got enough hacks in this shop. Don't have to be an asshole to not be a hack. Oh, and I'm not talking about those that call out the hacks. The hacks deserve the treatment. I'm talking about those who think they have something to prove by being assholes. |
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I read the book called "This Old House, Heating Ventilation and
Cooling" from the HVAC guy in the "This Old House" TV show. That was a good reading. It gives you a lot of pros and cons of various systems and how they are related to the regional need. What he suggested is to choose the right HVAC contractor instead of choosing the right system. This sounds like a good advice because there are too many variables in choosing the right HVAC systems, and there are regional requirement to sort out, and many tasks require a licensed professional to install. You will have to deal with a HVAC contractor anyway. Unfortunately, I don't remember whether he mentioned anything about how to choose the right contractor other than making sure the contractor belongs to a national-wise association or something. Jay Chan |
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The difficult part is to find a good HVAC contractor. When we asked
contractors about setting central cooling in my house, we got many different advices, and we were not in the position to know which one was the right one. The same thing happened when we ask contractors to fix the roof in my house. We got confused. Hopefully, there is a good trick to tell which one is good. There must be a good way to tell. I believe each trade has a way to locate a good contractor. For example, if someone wants to look for a doctor, one good way is to ask the nurse. Nurses know _exactly_ which doctors are good and which ones to avoid. I assume that there must be a similar trick in HVAC industry to locate a good contractor. I really doubt that asking our friends or neighbors will be any help because they probably know even less. This is just like this is not a good idea to ask a patient to recommend a doctor. A patient will rate how the doctor "talks" more than anything; hence, he will always give a good rating to a doctor who is probably more like a salesman than a doctor. Jay Chan |
#29
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There must be a good way to tell. I believe each trade has a way to locate a good contractor. Some have suggested asking the parts counter people at the local supply store.. |
#30
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Ask your neighbors, friends, and relatives. They'd give you advice on who
to choose, and NOT to choose. What their experience has been, etc. Besides, people love to give recommendations, good or bad. -- Zyp wrote in message oups.com... The difficult part is to find a good HVAC contractor. When we asked contractors about setting central cooling in my house, we got many different advices, and we were not in the position to know which one was the right one. The same thing happened when we ask contractors to fix the roof in my house. We got confused. Hopefully, there is a good trick to tell which one is good. There must be a good way to tell. I believe each trade has a way to locate a good contractor. For example, if someone wants to look for a doctor, one good way is to ask the nurse. Nurses know _exactly_ which doctors are good and which ones to avoid. I assume that there must be a similar trick in HVAC industry to locate a good contractor. I really doubt that asking our friends or neighbors will be any help because they probably know even less. This is just like this is not a good idea to ask a patient to recommend a doctor. A patient will rate how the doctor "talks" more than anything; hence, he will always give a good rating to a doctor who is probably more like a salesman than a doctor. Jay Chan |
#31
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On Fri, 25 Feb 2005 10:47:53 -0800, "Zyp"
wrote: Ask your neighbors, friends, and relatives. They'd give you advice on who to choose, and NOT to choose. What their experience has been, etc. Besides, people love to give recommendations, good or bad. ================================= Good question ... Both my sons are HVAC "pros" ...Both are employees...not owners.. and both have about 10 years experience not alot but enough. to know how to be dangerious... Ask ...LOCAL frineds, for sure...BUT also ask some local business people...like your Physiciam, your lawyer, your Gas Station owner...etc... these people need HVAC service ... No way your Doctor is going to have office visits if his A/C is shut down for a week in August.. That said... The boys have told me many many times that the Brand of the installed unit is not really the important thing... IT is the installer...and the guy who comes out to your house and does the calculations (Manuel J)... PLUS how they actually do the installation... The failure rate of brand "A" is at best, only slightly better then Brand "B" at best.... They do not like Trane however and I can not remember exactly why... Anyway they each have quit jobs because they had to do fast, and dirty, installations not given enough time to do it right so corners HAD and were cut..Took them a few years to find an employer who paid well and insisted on good solid work...most paid well but lost all interest in the customer even before the installation was done..before they got paid... Duct Tape is a wonderful tool...yea sure.... Bob Griffiths |
#32
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Duct Tape is a wonderful tool...yea sure....
Not for ducts however. I hear superglue is the tool of choice for gas furnace sensors though. |
#33
Posted to alt.home.repair
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Advice on buying HVAC system
replying to NoSpam99989, Monte wrote:
Most of the brands of HVAC equipment are equivalent on durability, efficiency, and life span. Some brands the parts are outrageously priced one furnace has a venter assembly that is around $1000, avoid air conditioners that use microchannel type condenser coils currently have a high failure rate. My current brand is Goodman. Probably the most important thing is proper design and installation of the duct work. 40+ HVAC&R tech -- for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...em-589507-.htm |
#34
Posted to alt.home.repair
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Advice on buying HVAC system
On Friday, January 17, 2020 at 11:44:06 PM UTC-5, Monte wrote:
replying to NoSpam99989, Monte wrote: Most of the brands of HVAC equipment are equivalent on durability, efficiency, and life span. Some brands the parts are outrageously priced one furnace has a venter assembly that is around $1000, avoid air conditioners that use microchannel type condenser coils currently have a high failure rate. My current brand is Goodman. Probably the most important thing is proper design and installation of the duct work. 40+ HVAC&R tech -- for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...em-589507-.htm +1 All good advice. When I did my research about ten years ago, the reliability reports looked about the same whether it was Goodman, Rheem or Carrier or Trane. Also G and R I think tend to use common parts that more suppliers carry and that probably cost less. I went with a Rheem and it's been fine except for the stupid ECM motor on the condenser fan failing. It would have been $300+ just for the motor. I put in a basic PSC motor that fit exactly, cost me $90. That ECM is an example of how not to save energy. The amount that fan uses is so small, it's not worth having a motor with fancy electronics, especially in an outside environment. I have an ECM blower motor too, that's been fine and I think I've saved enough on electric by now that it's more than paid for itself. I also agree that I'd rather have sub-prime eqpt than a sub-prime installer. You could get the most expensive eqpt and a bad installer will have it screwed up. |
#35
Posted to alt.home.repair
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Advice on buying HVAC system
On Sat, 18 Jan 2020 06:58:11 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote: On Friday, January 17, 2020 at 11:44:06 PM UTC-5, Monte wrote: replying to NoSpam99989, Monte wrote: Most of the brands of HVAC equipment are equivalent on durability, efficiency, and life span. Some brands the parts are outrageously priced one furnace has a venter assembly that is around $1000, avoid air conditioners that use microchannel type condenser coils currently have a high failure rate. My current brand is Goodman. Probably the most important thing is proper design and installation of the duct work. 40+ HVAC&R tech -- for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...em-589507-.htm +1 All good advice. When I did my research about ten years ago, the reliability reports looked about the same whether it was Goodman, Rheem or Carrier or Trane. Also G and R I think tend to use common parts that more suppliers carry and that probably cost less. I went with a Rheem and it's been fine except for the stupid ECM motor on the condenser fan failing. It would have been $300+ just for the motor. I put in a basic PSC motor that fit exactly, cost me $90. That ECM is an example of how not to save energy. The amount that fan uses is so small, it's not worth having a motor with fancy electronics, especially in an outside environment. I have an ECM blower motor too, that's been fine and I think I've saved enough on electric by now that it's more than paid for itself. Those savings go up in smoke as soon as that blower motor takes a crap. The motor for my Trane was $800 but they said not to replace the motor unless I also replaced the $800 board. You are not saving $1600 in 10 years. |
#36
Posted to alt.home.repair
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Advice on buying HVAC system
On Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 10:44:34 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sat, 18 Jan 2020 06:58:11 -0800 (PST), trader_4 wrote: On Friday, January 17, 2020 at 11:44:06 PM UTC-5, Monte wrote: replying to NoSpam99989, Monte wrote: Most of the brands of HVAC equipment are equivalent on durability, efficiency, and life span. Some brands the parts are outrageously priced one furnace has a venter assembly that is around $1000, avoid air conditioners that use microchannel type condenser coils currently have a high failure rate. My current brand is Goodman. Probably the most important thing is proper design and installation of the duct work. 40+ HVAC&R tech -- for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...em-589507-.htm +1 All good advice. When I did my research about ten years ago, the reliability reports looked about the same whether it was Goodman, Rheem or Carrier or Trane. Also G and R I think tend to use common parts that more suppliers carry and that probably cost less. I went with a Rheem and it's been fine except for the stupid ECM motor on the condenser fan failing. It would have been $300+ just for the motor. I put in a basic PSC motor that fit exactly, cost me $90. That ECM is an example of how not to save energy. The amount that fan uses is so small, it's not worth having a motor with fancy electronics, especially in an outside environment. I have an ECM blower motor too, that's been fine and I think I've saved enough on electric by now that it's more than paid for itself. Those savings go up in smoke as soon as that blower motor takes a crap. The motor for my Trane was $800 but they said not to replace the motor unless I also replaced the $800 board. You are not saving $1600 in 10 years. That's why I recommended staying with Goodman, Rheem, Rudd. Trane, Carrier, are no more reliable, but more likely to use volume parts that you can easily source. They are also more likely to hose you with their own thermostat, some proprietary link, etc. Replacing the board too sounds like CYA and more $$$ for the service company. I would have sent them packing. My whole two stage gas furnace with variable speed ECM blower cost about $1600 when I bought it, retail. Here are some Rheem ECM motors, $340 to $550. Note they also have just the electronics end for $135. I was skeptical of the ECM stuff years ago too. But at these prices for something that is used a lot and that uses significant energy, I think they make sense. Nine years here and very happy. |
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