Finally cool, new home ac unit.

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I've been babying along my Carrier home AC unit for the past year. It was one of the R22 refrigerant units, and has been leaking very slowly. I had it topped off once last year, and once again after that.

This week it died completely.

I actually went on thumbtack and got a few bids for the job.

Needed a 2 ton 14 SEER unit, and gas furnace.

Had a few jokers throw up $6000 bids.

Ended up choosing a local family owned contractor.

They provided a American Standard Silver system, with a 80% efficiency silver gas furnace. He told me it was built by Trane, and has a full 10 year warranty. I confirmed this, and all the parts inside the unit say Trane on them.

There are no government or local rebates on AC units around here, and the house is only 1040 sq feet, so it didn't make sense to go with a super high SEER rating unit.

Very happy with the system, the contractor installed a new concrete pad under the AC unit, a new drip pan under the air handler in the attic, a new float switch. Everything installed very tidy in 4 hours.

$4089. I feel as if that is a very fair price. I look forward to cheaper electric bills, and not worrying about babying along an old system.
 
It may be but I never heard American Standard was built by Trane. I thought AS made all their own stuff. I think they make much higher SEER than 14 these days. If you live up North you got a good unit. In Florida they have SEERs up in the 20's for a lot more money.
 
I'm glad that you can be cool now.... Texas heat is no joke. For me a/c is a must due to my condition.
 
Originally Posted By: Blueskies123
It may be but I never heard American Standard was built by Trane. I thought AS made all their own stuff. I think they make much higher SEER than 14 these days. If you live up North you got a good unit. In Florida they have SEERs up in the 20's for a lot more money.


Yep don't need the high seer in a 1000 sq foot well insulated house. Electric bills were never more than $120 per month with my old unit even when it was 100 degrees here for a month.

In Texas, the minimum SEER unit that can be sold is 14 SEER. In most of the states up north it is 13 SEER.
 
Originally Posted By: Blueskies123
It may be but I never heard American Standard was built by Trane. I thought AS made all their own stuff. I think they make much higher SEER than 14 these days. If you live up North you got a good unit. In Florida they have SEERs up in the 20's for a lot more money.


Ingersoll Rand owns Trane and American Standard. Same units different stickers. You can get parts for your American Standard from a Trane parts center and vise versa.
 
Nothing like Texas heat. Course I probably be saying the same if visit Florida now that they got rain again. Got in on the record breaking heat in February-March with the camper on overflow lot on asphalt in Mission TX and those were short days. Camper was built for up north use with only one AC unit but good insulation.
 
Never found the leak, eh? Too bad that. Yours was about 10yrs if I remember.

Good you didn't fall for the $3000/ton hucksters. Many, many have. As I type it's 93°F outside, humidity is 49% and solar heat index is 116°F. Inside it's 76F and 39% humidity. Gotta love the refrigeration cycle!

One thing: Lay a long level across the condenser twice, 90° perpendicular to the first measurement. Shim if necessary.
 
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Never found the leak, eh? Too bad that. Yours was about 10yrs if I remember.

Good you didn't fall for the $3000/ton hucksters. Many, many have. As I type it's 93°F outside, humidity is 49% and solar heat index is 116°F. Inside it's 76F and 39% humidity. Gotta love the refrigeration cycle!

One thing: Lay a long level across the condenser twice, 90° perpendicular to the first measurement. Shim if necessary.


Unit was from 2003, house was built in 2004. Thanks for the tip on the level. So got almost 14 years of service out of a builder grade unit.

It was not worth finding a leak in a R22 unit with the price of that gas being $80/pound (current market rate).
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: JustinH
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Never found the leak, eh? Too bad that. Yours was about 10yrs if I remember.

Good you didn't fall for the $3000/ton hucksters. Many, many have. As I type it's 93°F outside, humidity is 49% and solar heat index is 116°F. Inside it's 76F and 39% humidity. Gotta love the refrigeration cycle!

One thing: Lay a long level across the condenser twice, 90° perpendicular to the first measurement. Shim if necessary.


Unit was from 2003, house was built in 2004. Thanks for the tip on the level. So got almost 14 years of service out of a builder grade unit.

It was not worth finding a leak in a R22 unit with the price of that gas being $80/pound (current market rate).



R22 $80 a pound? Apparently because HVAC people have to capture it there's plenty out there. Maybe they quote that to push people into 410 equipment?
 
I know nothing about HVAC prices but it's good you're keeping cool in that TX heat.
 
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
One thing: Lay a long level across the condenser twice, 90° perpendicular to the first measurement. Shim if necessary.


What is the importance of ensuring it's level?
 
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Originally Posted By: JustinH
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
Never found the leak, eh? Too bad that. Yours was about 10yrs if I remember.

Good you didn't fall for the $3000/ton hucksters. Many, many have. As I type it's 93°F outside, humidity is 49% and solar heat index is 116°F. Inside it's 76F and 39% humidity. Gotta love the refrigeration cycle!

One thing: Lay a long level across the condenser twice, 90° perpendicular to the first measurement. Shim if necessary.


Unit was from 2003, house was built in 2004. Thanks for the tip on the level. So got almost 14 years of service out of a builder grade unit.

It was not worth finding a leak in a R22 unit with the price of that gas being $80/pound (current market rate).



R22 $80 a pound? Apparently because HVAC people have to capture it there's plenty out there. Maybe they quote that to push people into 410 equipment?


It's being fazed out.
Won't be available shortly.
It really is that expensive now.

I'm on a home warranty and i am hoping my 19 year old Lenox 1.5 ton will die soon.
My home was built in 98' with 2,600 sqft of living space.

Completely undersized
 
I got a new system installed last year. The original was a water to air system and had been in the house since it was built in 1978. I got a Bryson 15 sear and my electric bills are half now. I had Home Warranty and they kept repairing that old one till the compressor finally died and they had no choice.
I think the new system which had to be switched out because now I have regular system , no more water pumps to deal with was around $4800 because I had to switch over systems.
The warranty covered the bulk. I paid around $1000 "Uncovered" costs. Still Great deal. I love the electric bill now. I wish I would have switched years ago.
 
Originally Posted By: Iowegian

It's being fazed out.
Won't be available shortly.

It really is that expensive now.


And guess what?
R410a is (or maybe WAS)scheduled to be phased out within a few years also. The EPA has been working on a new refrigerant that was expected to be mandated into systems within a couple of years. Here is where it gets tricky: The new administration has talked like it might rescind that order and keep the R410a around for the foreseeable future. But the rest of the world is already working on and expecting a new number so R410a might be a dame duck refrigerant after all. Nobody is for certain yet.
My information is from a buddy who sells and installs HVAC systems. This was told to him about two months ago when he went for a manufacture's mandated training that lasted a couple of days.
 
looks like a very good unit at a very reasonable price. I paid $8500 for a 4 ton unit and a high efficiency system 18 months ago. my original Carrier was 22 years old - only one service call in 22 years.
 
Originally Posted By: RichardS
Originally Posted By: sleddriver
One thing: Lay a long level across the condenser twice, 90° perpendicular to the first measurement. Shim if necessary.
What is the importance of ensuring it's level?
Level in two orthogonal horizontal planes is essential for long system life.
 
Justin thanks for posting gives me a idea of the cost.. the size of ours will be similar. Both of our units our late 80's-early 90's units that the furnace works great but the AC seems to run forever to only make a dent. According to the last checkup it's working fine and the correct size. In a few years want to replace both with a few goals in mind.. get rid of the old chimney that's crumbling and hopefully get away from electric heaters.
 
Originally Posted By: Kruse
Originally Posted By: Iowegian

It's being fazed out.
Won't be available shortly.

It really is that expensive now.


And guess what?
R410a is (or maybe WAS)scheduled to be phased out within a few years also. The EPA has been working on a new refrigerant that was expected to be mandated into systems within a couple of years. Here is where it gets tricky: The new administration has talked like it might rescind that order and keep the R410a around for the foreseeable future. But the rest of the world is already working on and expecting a new number so R410a might be a dame duck refrigerant after all. Nobody is for certain yet.
My information is from a buddy who sells and installs HVAC systems. This was told to him about two months ago when he went for a manufacture's mandated training that lasted a couple of days.


And this idiocy is why I have no interest in central AC.
 
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