Need help choosing

[wrigley]

I need a new home system. I live in Florida. My home is 16 years old and has the original system (Intertherm) which still works well but I've been told I'm living on borrowed time and would like to change out the system before is craps out in the middle of August!

I visited a dealer yesterday which sells Amana, Goodman, and Trane. The sales rep told me that right now Amana has the best warranty. 10 year TOTAL replacement of the outside unit should ANYTHING go wrong. ?

I believe I have either a 2 ton or 2 1/2 ton unit currently (1828 sf home).

Any reason I should stay away from any of the above brand names?

Thanks for the help.

Mike

[jimbo]

Nothing wrong with those brands per se. Trane is the cadillac, Goodman is the ford. Amana is probably made by Goodman.

The 10 year warranty is a good thing, but will only be as good as the installing dealer.....shop for references.

Are you choosing an R 410 system?? It will cost more. An R22 system will be serviceable until 2020, although the costs of gas will get quite high. R22 is less than R410 now, but that will change.


I would get a contractor who will carefully size your system. 2½ ton sounds small for 1800 sqft in FL. But if it works, it works.

[Thatguy]

Courtesy of another forum

12 to 15 years for high end heat pumps,
7 to 10 years for builders grade heat pumps. Ocean front, 1 to 7 rears depending on brand and grade.

gas furnace 56 YO, HE (stainless) still in good shape,
AC is close to 35 YO, still the original compressor.

If you get 10 years out of air cooled equipment of any kind. You're doing well.

Midwest, we get 15-20 years out of a furnace and
20-30 out of an A/C,
20-50 out of a hot water boiler,
about 20 out of a cast iron steamer.

13 years HP,
15 to 18 for straight A/C,
18 to 20 gas and oil furnaces,
25 to 30 for gas and oil boilers.

Average is 12years for a heatpump, and
20for a straight A/C..

I recommend calling HVAC parts places for prices on control boards for any systems you are considering. It's a costly and possibly unreliable part.
In Florida you almost certainly need surge protection.

[wrigley]

[QUOTE=Thatguy;197240]Courtesy of another forum

[I]12 to 15 years for high end heat pumps,
7 to 10 years for builders grade heat pumps. Ocean front, 1 to 7 rears depending on brand and grade.


Thanks, I've seen this before. My builders grade heat pump in my Florida home 4 miles from the ocean is still going strong and will 16 years old this August. I'm DEFINITELY living on borrowed time!

Mike

[chas22]

If you check the Goodman high efficiency furnace has a 10 yr. parts and a life time heat exchanger warranty. The 13 seer condensing unit has a 10yr. warranty on all, or you can get a 14 seer condensing unit with a lifetime compressor warranty and a 10 year parts. Trane you pay for the name and you get the famous worthless spiny fin, hard to clean, condensing unit coil. I have a Goodman in my home because the price is right; most of the parts are the same brand as other units. I could have bought Lennox, Rheem, Amana , Frigidaire, Trane, or Arcoaire, Just keep in mind whatever you buy; it’s the quality of the installation that’s the key. Oh yeah, 410A would be a wise choice. If you get an F-22 unit and the compressor was out of warranty 10 yrs down the road and you were to change the condensing unit to 410A. The Freon lines and inside evaporator coil would also have to be changed to 410A.

[MaintenanceMan]

Amana is owned by Goodman. It's their 'higher end' equipment. Goodman is considered bottom of the barrel by a lot of guys. Trane/American Standard are considered top of the line by many. Lots of Chevy vs. Ford debate when it comes to brand. I'll second the notion that proper installation trumps brand. Find a contractor you trust to do the job right first. He will have a brand that he recommends/uses.

[Thatguy]

I understand that the variable speed fans are costly [for the motor or the control or both] and unreliable.

[wrigley]

Amana is owned by Goodman. It's their 'higher end' equipment. Goodman is considered bottom of the barrel by a lot of guys. Trane/American Standard are considered top of the line by many. Lots of Chevy vs. Ford debate when it comes to brand. I'll second the notion that proper installation trumps brand. Find a contractor you trust to do the job right first. He will have a brand that he recommends/uses.

I've seen alot written about "proper installation" and it leads me to believe that the HVAC community has alot of IMPROPERLY TRAINED installers or installers that don't give a &*%$! I have been on numerous forums and I keep hearing the same thing.....PROPER INSTALLATION. What other way is there to install an HVAC system but PROPER?????

A permit needs to be pulled where I live to install a new HVAC system. This means it needs to be inspected by a "CERTIFIED inspector". I surely hope the inspector knows what the hell he's/she is doing. I'm not getting a warm and fuzzy about the HVAC community!!!!! This is a perfect example of why so many people are leary about being ripped off!

Mike

[Thatguy]

I've heard from a credible source who shall remain unnamed that in PA if you call yourself an HVAC contractor, U R 1.

[jadnashua]

There's a fairly explicit set of things that need to be done to install a system properly, and a visual inspection by an inspector at the end won't know if they've been followed. For example during the process, purging the lines with dry nitrogen is usually called for. Omitting that step doesn't mean it won't work, but there could still be moisture or contamination in the lines and the system may fail prematurely. Lots of little details, usually covered in the manufacturer's manual some people say is not necessary, and then they don't do it.