HVAC woes, mismatched or no?

[Dishiki]

I just had an A/C guy out to do the annual maintenance and I was commenting that our upstairs is cycling alot, and that our old ac guy had kept putting freon in but could never get it right.

So, the guy spends a good two hours here servicing everything and looking at the top unit. He said the numbers were way out of whack.

He said the following:

The system is running at a very high head pressure: 305
Superheat will not go below 24
Subcool running at 38.9

The condensing unit and the coil are 16 years old. The part number on the condensing unit is RAMA-030JAZ. It's a 2.5 ton Rheem. The furnace is a Super Quiet 80 at 48000 BTUs, a 2 ton system, about 6 years old. He said the furnace should be a 3 ton, and that the two ton is not providing enough airflow and is choking the system.

He said my options are replace the furnace, but that the condenser and evaporator are so old. He said I could replace the condenser and coil, or I could just get a whole new system.

I have two more companies coming out to look at it and get me quotes if I do need to replace.

Do I have a a serious problem? Is it mismatched? What is the best route for me to go? The upstairs is right about 1300 sq ft. If I need a new unit, what should I look at? Trane seems to be what most of the companies down here are pushing.

Any help is greatly appreciated as I know next to nothing about AC. He could say the fluffernutter needs replacing and I'd be inclined to believe him.

Thanks

[Dishiki]

Ok, I did a little more digging. The Condenser and the AC are 16 years old. They used to be on the main floor. When the old upstairs AC went out, he moved the AC upstairs and replaced the downstairs. This is what the work order reads.

Relocate AC from downstairs to upstairs
Install Rheem 50000 BTU 80% efficient furnace with 3 ton drive
Install 3 ton 12 seer coil 17"

So does that mean the furnace is actually 3 tons? If it is, did the AC misinform me? What is the problem with the readings and the cycling? He is saying I need a new system. Is this the case?

The model number of the furnace is RGDN-05EAUER

Thanks

[George2]

Ok, I did a little more digging. The Condenser and the AC are 16 years old. They used to be on the main floor. When the old upstairs AC went out, he moved the AC upstairs and replaced the downstairs. This is what the work order reads.

Relocate AC from downstairs to upstairs
Install Rheem 50000 BTU 80% efficient furnace with 3 ton drive
Install 3 ton 12 seer coil 17"

So does that mean the furnace is actually 3 tons? If it is, did the AC misinform me? What is the problem with the readings and the cycling? He is saying I need a new system. Is this the case?

The model number of the furnace is RGDN-05EAUER

Thanks

I'm confussed.....is the "super quiet 80%" the furnace shown above? If so, the blower is large enough.

I wish they had install a 2.5 ton coil instead, but that's only for better de-humidification purposes.

[Dishiki]

Yes. In the first post I was going on information that the AC tech gave me. The second post is from the work order 6 years ago when it was installed, and the model number I pulled from the unit. So if the blower is strong enough, any ideas on what my issue could be?

[George2]

Yes. In the first post I was going on information that the AC tech gave me. The second post is from the work order 6 years ago when it was installed, and the model number I pulled from the unit. So if the blower is strong enough, any ideas on what my issue could be?

Well if the last guy didn't know the blower capacity, I would recommend someone that has a clue.
Before someone else comes, clean the blower wheel, clean outdoor condenser and check the filter.

[skippedover]

I'd recommend that you do an honest evaluation regarding your financial position in this whole thing. A 16-year old unit could be a losing proposition and if you're a normal mortal, once you start putting money into it, you'll have a hard time walking away. Given you've been living with a problem for several years, this could be the time to throw in the towel and get a fresh start.

So call around. Find a company that will size your new system by their insistence that they do a full Manual 'J' load analysis. That way you know you're inviting in a company that is willing to do it right, without cutting corners.

I could make lots of suggestions on repairs but if you were my customer, I'd be making the same recommendation, except that we do insist on doing a load analysis before replacing a piece of equipment so there's not additional phone call to be made!

[Dishiki]

I get what you're saying and I am considering it. It's just that it seems like such a waste throwing out a 6 year old furnace and evaporator coil in the process. The tech and his boss are coming back out either tomorrow or Monday to try to diagnose the problem. He didn't inspect the evaporator coil because it was wrapped up. His boss said there might be a blockage, that is restricting airflow. If I can squeeze a couple of more years out of this unit, then it's preferable to spending 6-8k on a new system.

[George2]

I get what you're saying and I am considering it. It's just that it seems like such a waste throwing out a 6 year old furnace and evaporator coil in the process. The tech and his boss are coming back out either tomorrow or Monday to try to diagnose the problem. He didn't inspect the evaporator coil because it was wrapped up. His boss said there might be a blockage, that is restricting airflow. If I can squeeze a couple of more years out of this unit, then it's preferable to spending 6-8k on a new system.

I don't believe Skip was suggesting replacing the furnace. Just be careful putting too much money in a 16 yr. old A/C system.