Anyone know about residential HVAC?

[JD8]

Got an old Lennox that is gonna die soon on my downstairs. Had a few different places quote a replacement...

Honestly, what's worth a darn in terms of brands? Looking at Trane, Lennox, Armana/Goodman so far....

Also, is it worth it to pay for a 2 Stage unit? looking at 16-18seer units.

 

[rc508pir]

I had Pippin Bros, put in my 16 seer Trane back in 2011 a few months before that god awfull summer we had. It easily cools to 65 when its a 100 degrees out. I usually crank it down when I'm cutting grass during the summer. I am beyond happy with it. Cant tell ya if its a 2 stage though. I can call and ask for ya on Monday if ya like. I normally keep it as 67 and My electric bill is never over $185, even in July and Aug

 

[donner]

I don't know much about brands, but i'll say having a company that stands behind their product is important. We installed a new carrier several years back and the first (and only) issue we had was that the AC wasn't wired right (when you install AC in december, you don't always test it properly). One call on a saturday afternoon and we had a tech at our house within an hour from another town over. Granted, they were fixing their own mistake, but it was no hassle and an immediate fix.

 

[Shoot Summ]

Based on recommendations on here, and some feedback from a personal friend we did a pair of Trane systems in 2010 installed by Overholt out of Collinsville.

The heaters are 95% variable speed, and the AC is 17SEER IIRC.

They also installed new duct to replace the horrible floor ducts from the '50's.

It is night and day difference, and my monthly average bill went from over $200 to $130ish on electric and the gas bill went down as well. The only issue we had was an expansion valve problem that apparently plagued most of the manufacturers in this time frame, all covered under warranty.

 

[Shadowrider]

When I had mine installed a few years back, the guy I hired and bought from told me he never pushed the ultra high efficiency units because they were so expensive you never get the savings back. Gas Heating units are another matter because they last far longer. I got a 96% efficient unit there. What my guy did was install a 14 SEER unit and put in upgraded A coils that bumped the SEER rating to about 16.5. At the time anything more was a losing proposition from an ultimate cost standpoint.

Goodman units can be OK but they are an economy brand. I'd stick with one of the big brands. My system is made by Carrier and carries the same warranty. ComfortMaker is the brand.

 

[n423]

At our other house,had to replace floor ducts made in the 80's and go with ceiling ducts. We chose Trane unit. Was very pleased. We have been in our newer house for 5 years and it came w/ a Ruud. If I were to get a new unit I like Trane. Newer units are very efficient.

 

[John6185]

I paid extra for a American Standard condensing unit from a certain company having heard that American Standard was the top of the line in durability and reliability. However, I noticed a loud squealing sound and called the company that installed it and they said the American Standard condenser and A-Coil inside was mismatched-so another $1,600 dollars on top of the money paid for the condensing unit. I asked the tech if they were mismatched, why didn't the company size them and install both initially? And his reply was, "They should have." I think the company was Advanced Air and I'll never use them again. Incidentally, the new condenser doesn't;t cool any better than my old one.

 

[Rooster1971]

The installation is more important than brand. It needs done right or any brand will fail. Ask friends, coworkers, neighbors who they use and trust.

I sell mainly Armtrong(Lennox product) Rudd and American Standard, but I can get most anything. If you were closer I'd give you quote.

Most that I sell is 14 seer which was high efficiency not long ago. Bump above that you get into more components to fail and more out of pocket. It pays off eventually if you maintain it. Upper seer units require a TXV that's guaranteed to fail eventually.

 

[Boehlertaught]

Last Wednesday we had a Trane XR20i variable speed beat pump installed to replace the 1996 Trane that had issues. This dude is 20 seer and should save some bucks on power.

 

[-Pjackso]

Not sure what you use for a heat source - but if your HVAC is full electric (electric heat also), then give consideration to the newer heat pumps. They work great. I had a new heat pump installed in my Mom's house, and she loves it.

The newer ones are completely different then the weak heat pumps from the 80's.