Condo Help close to ocean

[gpfundt]

I am replacing my air conditioner and furnace in my condo in Myrtle Beach (accross the street from the ocean). I have been quoted for Tempstar to Janitrol to Trane. The Trane is $1,800 more expensive than the Tempstar and $1,300 more expensive than the Janitrol. The Trane has a ten year parts and labor warranty and is a variable speed unit. I asked the Tempstar guy if the unit was variable speed and he said yes, high for cool and low for heat (what does this mean?). The warranty on tempstar and Janitrol is 5 years for parts and 1 year for labor.

The tempstar guy tells me that I would be silly to buy anything expensive since it all rusts our in seven years anyway because of the ocean breeze and the salt.

I really believe the Trane will last longer but is it worth it? I also talked to a Lennox dealer who said that a Janitrol would last 7 years and a Trane or a Lennox would last 10 to 12 years. The Lennox dealer was not able to give me a quote because he was out of 12 seres and he did not know what the new 13 seres would cost yet. He did seem the most reliable though. Is it worth it to spend the extra money?
Any other suggestions?

[Edited by gpfundt on 11-30-2005 at 04:38 PM]

[dandyme]

You might want to see a carrier dealer........and check on the coastal unit they make.


Barring that.........what ever you put in,the outdooor coil needs to be rinsed on a regular basis.

. I asked the Tempstar guy if the unit was variable speed and he said yes, high for cool and low for heat (what does this mean?)

he is an idiot/?????????? STAY AWAY from this one.

[t527ed]

i am a lennox dealer and i love their eqipment, however with what i have read on here,and with where you are i would reccomend the trane or carrier coastal units due to the salt exposure.

[gosteelers]

nu clagon does have a teflon based chemical to coat coils with but they must be faithfully maintained. does anyone know if the carrier coastal units coil is copper/copper or is it aluminum/copper treated with chemical treated with a chemical ?

[tinknocker service tech]

lenox also has a unit for the water
very costly and doesnt mater what unit is installed the coil needs to be hosed off on a regular basis
also have it located where it is protected from the wind and sand and salt as much as possible

[smadave]

In live on the Jersey shore and we put in alot of the Carrier costal units. They hold up very well, you may have a tough time finding one but its worth a shot...call your local carrier dealer.

Dave in NJ

[Swampfox]

I am local to you, I cant stress this enough, Do not buy the Tempstar!!!!! anyone who would install one of these near the ocean needs their head examined, they are by far the absolute worst in a salt air environment, the fin material they use is very thin and seperates from the copper tubing in no time

Trane will last longer than any of the others, but costs more

Goodman does better than most, and the price is right

The Carrier coastal stuff does ok, but Ive seen some that looked rough, not worth the extra money

Goodman or Trane in my opinion

[RoBoTeq]

There are a lot of over 15 year old Goodman (Janitrol) systems in Atlantic City, NJ. I have seen 7 year old Goodman units that looked a lot better then 3 year old Luxaire or Lennox units on Grand Cayman after the abuse of Hurrican Ivan.

I just installed a Goodman 14 SEER system in my parents condo in Ocean City, MD that I expect will hold up as well if not better then the 18 year old Rheem I just took out.

I do agree though that the Trane/A-S coils are less affected by the salt air.

[billva]

depending on the layout of your home, it might be a wise idea to upgrade to the variable speed blower. the quote that said high for cool and low for heat, throw away.

if you intend to live there for a while, you will more than likely get more comfort from a vs blower as opposed to a standard three or four speed.

as for the salt air, i don't know and have no opinion.

can someone direct me to a site that would explain the salt air condensers?

thanks, and good luck.

[mark beiser]

With the pricing and warranties you are talking about, it seems that the Trane system you are looking at is for higher end equipment than the others, and the cost of the 10 year parts and labor warranty is bundled in.

You didn't give the details of what equipment you are looking at, but if cost is the concern, and the Trane quote is with an XL outdoor unit, you may want to ask for a price with an XR13 or XR14 outdoor unit.

As others have said, the all aluminum coil in the Trane outdoor unit will last much longer than others in the environment you are in. Just something as simple as rinsing the coil regularly will make it last for many many years.

[RoBoTeq]

Will a longer lasting coil really be a benefit if the other units will last the 18 years my parents got out of their standard old Rheem heat pump system?

My parents condo is literally 8 feet from a brackish bay and about 1/2 mile from the Atlantic Ocean. Does it much matter if the coils are not destroyed before the rest of the system is ready for replacement.

In Grand Cayman, where the salt air is much more harsh, I can see spending the extra money. But why spend the extra cash for no gain?

[gpfundt]

Everyone thanks for your help I will stay away from the Tempstar (great advise). Final prices the Trane is $1,175 more than the Goodman. The Trane dealer told me that to remove the extended warranty will only save me $175. Seems kind of low but maybe he has a package deal price.

This unit is a rental. I am at the unit four times a year.
I will not have the ability to rinse the unit on a regular basis because I will not be there all of the time.

So what I think I am reading is that the Trane may be worth the extra cost in the long run.

I was sold on the Trane last night after talking to the Lennox dealer who told me to go with the Trane because he cannot get equipment before the first of the year. The Lennox dealer did price out the 13 seer with the extended warranty and it was the exact same cost as the Trane. I have winter renters starting in January for 3 months.
After reading the responses some think the Goodman may be all that I need so I am still a little confused.

I have also contacted a Carrier dealer who is also a Trane dealer for a quote.

One cool thing is that in Myrtle Beach, Santee Cooper (power company) will come out for free and determine exactly what I need as far as the size of the units. They are coming out on Tuesday. If I purchase the recommended units I will receive a $8.75 credit every month on my electric bill.

Any final thoughts, this stuff is very confusing for us novices.

[Edited by gpfundt on 12-01-2005 at 10:24 AM]

[gpfundt]

Originally posted by mark beiser
You didn't give the details of what equipment you are looking at, but if cost is the concern, and the Trane quote is with an XL outdoor unit, you may want to ask for a price with an XR13 or XR14 outdoor unit.

The air handles is model # 22FE3F25 and the heat pump is model # 2TWR1024. Bothe are 12 seer.

How do these compare to the items you have listed above?

[dash]

Not all agree but i think Trane or Costal carrier is wirth the extra.I think you can get a higher SEER in the Trane than the Coastal carrier,might be a good idea.


And check out Variable Speed for the indoor fan and your comfort,lots of options to control and dehumidify in the summer with VS fan.

[tinknocker service tech]

if this is for rental purpose only it would be to you best avantage to install goodman. aside the salt and sand the unit will be or may be subjected to human abuse also. aside from partying and smoke and whatever does on at a beach house rental the filter will only be changed when you are there or during a pm the unit will be working its ass off with doors opening and closing all the time. people putting the t-stat at 50 just to make it colder and iceing it up. being turned on and off to much. i do a lot of rental units on long beach island NJ. these units take a lot of abuse and it just isnt worth a real expensive unit
goodman will hold up well and is a lot less

[Carnak]

If you want it to last I recommend the Trane, the coil will outlast all others, with protective coatings or not.

Otherwise put in the sacrificial Janitrol, try to wash the coil once a week.

[gpfundt]

Swampfox would you like to quote on the job since you are in Myrtle? If you do please contact me via email. I am still undecided about which unit. Santee cooper is coming out on Tuesday. Is it worth the $1200 more for the Trane or $800 without the extended warranty? The opinions seem to be split evenly from the replies I have got. I was hoping for a specific yes or no but I guess I won't get it.
Thanks

Originally posted by swampfox
I am local to you, I cant stress this enough, Do not buy the Tempstar!!!!! anyone who would install one of these near the ocean needs their head examined, they are by far the absolute worst in a salt air environment, the fin material they use is very thin and seperates from the copper tubing in no time

Trane will last longer than any of the others, but costs more

Goodman does better than most, and the price is right

The Carrier coastal stuff does ok, but Ive seen some that looked rough, not worth the extra money

Goodman or Trane in my opinion

[docholiday]

Here try this....

Buy what you want, and ask the contractor what size the suction line to the compressor is. While he's installing it you go down to the marina, buy a shaft zinc with an inside diameter matching the outside diameter of the pipe. Have him attach it between close to the compressor. The zinc, provided it stays damp (hence the location) will eliminate most of the corrosion. Much like your anode rod in your water heater. Your out 15 bucks.

[Swampfox]

We would be happy to bid the job for you, I dont see your email address, but you can contact us at the phone number listed in my credentials, or if you would rather email me your info I will turn in a sales lead, Im just a service technician there though so you wont deal with me initially, I will make sure I'm on the job though if you decide to go with us.

[mr big]

If it were mine, I would buy the Trane. On the ocean, the Trane is tops. If it were a Gatlinburg chalet, I might not pay that much more for the Trane.