HI FOLKS:
I CURRENTLY OWN A HOME WITH (1) 5 TON YORK 9 SEER SYSTEM AND (1) 3.5 TON YORK 9 SEER SYSTEM. 5 TON UNIT IS DEAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND 3.5 TON IS 14 YEARS OLD AND PROBABLY ON BORROWED TIME. HOUSE IS R38 CEILING AND R19 WALLS. BIG BIG CONSIDERATION...ALTHOUGH LOCATED ON THE COAST IN CONNECTICUT WHERE HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE 90 TO 95 DEGREES, ENERGY COSTS ARE 15 CENTS A KWHR IN SUMMER AND WE ONLY HAVE THIS ONE TIME TO FIX THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROBLEM.
WE HAVE LOOKED AT 14 SEER (11 EER) UNITS ...BY THE WAY, I WAS STUNNED TO FIND THAT SEER RATINGS ARE ARRIVED AT USING AN 82 DEGREE OUTSIDE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AND THAT AT 95 DEGREES, THE UNITS PULL 15% MORE POWER, RESULTING IN 12.17 EFFECTIVE SEER. NONE OF OUR A/C GUYS EVER TOLD US THIS.
HAVING SAID ALL OF THIS, WE ARE CONSIDERING EITHER A GAS FIRED RESIDENTIAL A/C (PROPANE IS AVAILABLE), OR A WATER COOLED ELECTRIC CONDENSING UNIT MADE BY FREUS THAT HAS AN 18 EER (22 SEER EQUIVALENT ROUGHLY).
IN ADDITION, 2 THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND..1) OUR ELECTIC BILLS ARE OUTRAGEOUS IN THE SUMMER (CT SUCKS) AND 2) WE ONLY HAVE THIS ONE TIME TO GET IT RIGHT...ALSO FREUS ALLOWS YOU TO PLACE UP TO THREE INDEPENDENT COMPRESSORS WITHIN THEIR WATER COOLED CONDENSER (UP TO 10 TONS) WHICH IS ALSO ADVANTAGEOUS AS WE CAN GET RID OF ONE CONDENSING UNIT
ANY HELPFUL OPINIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS
KEVIN
[Edited by kevin57 on 03-20-2005 at 03:58 PM]