I need a new Heat Pump and I have questions.

[rkm]

Let me start off and say I have been doing a little researching on a replacement unit for my home.

My house is 1240 sqft on the 1st floor and the same in a finished basement with a walkout. I live in Maryland and it gets in the 90's for a week or 2 in the summer and usually gets down to the 20's in the winter times.

the unit in my house is a Carrier. I cannot complain. It is 20 years old. It is still working. I just put $XXX in it the other day to get me started into the spring, maybe limp it along for another year.

I got a quote from a local Trane dealer and it was for a 2 ton 14i unit rated at 14 seer

Then I got a guote for Sears for a kenmore 2 ton unit rated for 13 seer.

Sears unit was about 2k cheeper. Another thing. If I buy the Kenmore it has a 1 year labor, 10 year parts, replacement. The Train is only 5 year I think. I know Sears money is in the idea if it aint going to break in the first year it should be good to go. I know the labor to fix the unit could kill me.

I just don't know how well the Kenmore units hold up....

I was even looking into one of the DIY units you can get sent to you from the internet. I have a friend who can install it. I just don't know the names. It sounds like I am playing in the dark. Rudd and Goodman were the names of the 2 I found for a DIY setup.....For the same Seer in those units I save a TON of money....All I would be out is say a case of Beer and some pizza to put it in.

Any opinions on the brands?or am I totally out of my mind.

(No pricing, due to site rules )


[Edited by Jultzya on 03-15-2006 at 11:29 PM]

[Senior Tech]

[QUOTE
I was even looking into one of the DIY units you can get sent to you from the internet. I have a friend who can install it. I just don't know the names. It sounds like I am playing in the dark. Rudd and Goodman were the names of the 2 I found for a DIY setup.....For the same Seer in those units I save a TON of money....All I would be out is say a case of Beer and some pizza to put it in.[b]


Regardless of expertise this is NOT a DIY site.

DIY threads, questions and answers have a life of their own. What happens, if we post repair instructions that injures the person whom we thought was qualified?

We have Forum Rules not to anger you, but because they are well thought tried and true.

We all want to help, but we just can't due to the difficulties of working on the other end of the computer and safety. If we tell you, we tell everyone once it’s posted. It’s here for all to read and try.

Thanks for looking at it from our point of view.

Forum Rules



Any opinions on the brands?or am I totally out of my mind. [/QUOTE]

[Edited by Senior Tech on 03-15-2006 at 10:14 PM]

[rkm]

I'm not looking for advice to fix or work on a DIY system. I was wondering if anyone installed one "Professionally" and could vouch for the quality of the units. I haven't heard of their names before. My friend that would put it in is a HVAC Foreman..........

I think you misinterpreted my question? I read the forum rules that is why I didn't post my prices of the units I found.

[Steve Wiggins]

Whether you get a heat pump or what brand or what size is not your decision to make. That is the techs decision. All you are there for is to authorize the price.

What we are here for is helping you understand the differnce in features, main concept of how stuff works, how to find a good contractor etc....

[Swampfox]

You ask about quality of the brands, what I think what your wanting to know is how reliable will they be. and that depends greatly on the system being properly sized and installed, focus more on getting a quality installation that what brand you choose, the DIY route probably isnt your best long term option.

[rkm]

Yes I understand that. I must be confusing you guys some how. I had people look at my house. I need a 2 ton unit. The seer is realitively up to me for the price I want to pay. My questions are with the quality of the units. The Kenmore is more affordable than the Trane go figure. I am just looking for help with their quality and if I am overlooking something with their warranty.....

That and the Goodman and Rudd systems. I am not a tech. as you guys well know. I know nothing about the name are they a good system or is it a "Internet Queen" so to speak for those who think they can do it themselves. Again I am not nor would I ever attempt to install it myself. I have a HVAC Foreman friend for that.



[Edited by rkm on 03-15-2006 at 10:37 PM]

[rkm]

swampfox, thanks for the reply. It looks like the 2 retailers want to reuse my existing ductwork. It is all clean. The lines are 5/8" and 3/4" and they said it could be reused to the outdoor unit. Is their something else I should be looking for? Thanks for the reply.

[ikey]

Rkm, if your Trane contractor cannot explain the advantages of going with Trane instead of other brands, he might not be the contractor your looking for. try and find a reputable Trane dealer.

Right now you can get a 10 yr p and l warranty for super cheap, and 6 months s.a.c.

Kenmore doesn't make units, I think it's a cheap carrier brand.

don't buy from home depot, sears, or any other supermarket store. they only sub out to other contractors. Usually dorks that can't make it on their own and have to settle for hand me downs.

find a contractor that is independent and does a load calc. look into something that has an eer of 15 and you can get a credit on your taxes of $300

[ikey]

Originally posted by rkm
I was even looking into one of the DIY units you can get sent to you from the internet. I have a friend who can install it. I just don't know the names. It sounds like I am playing in the dark. Rudd and Goodman were the names of the 2 I found for a DIY setup.....For the same Seer in those units I save a TON of money....All I would be out is say a case of Beer and some pizza to put it in.

Any opinions on the brands?or am I totally out of my mind.

Sorry I didn't read this part. Sounds like your more interested in price. If your considering doing this, Quality of install, expertise or professionalism is not in your future.

Not to mention, no other company in your area would warranty this internet purchase.

Save now, spend more later to fix all the b.s. installed

[rkm]

Ahh thanks for the tax info....The Trane guy was actually here first. It was a tech that was fixing my 20y carrier unit. He was basically a tech. He got me a price by calling the office. His rep called back and said he would come by if I had more questions about the unit.

As for the Kenmore. It is a Carrier unit. It is supposed to be the same just a badge change. You know how that works. A Black&Decker drill is not a Dewalt even thought they are made by the same person. I am sure their are quality parts exchanged for an affordable price.

This past year I put in all new Pella lowE windows, pulled the siding on the house. put a foam on the outside and resided the house. THe roof was redone. All the insulation is up to par. I was looking to breath for a little while when my AC didn't work the first warm day we got this year. I just don't have the Trane money anymore...

Is the new refrigerant something to keep in mind for servicing down the road. Should I make sure I have the new style if I choose to replace this year?

[Edited by rkm on 03-15-2006 at 10:55 PM]

[rkm]

Actuall the quality of the install from my friend should be great. This is what he does. The only problem would be the equipment. If it were a bunch of B.S. That I dunno from the Brands. I could always see if our local HVAC guys service the brands if I absolutely had to go that route. They do service contracts all the time.

[tostaos]

When you made all this upgrades on your house, you will need a load calculation. When you like DIY, check out the link to HVAC-Calc on top of this page . It is a very easy to use program. Otherwise have a real contractor make one. Every brand is good; every brand has different quality series of equipment. Go with a real good contractor, it can save you TON of money in the long run. As a sample and every contractor can give you one, I have a customer, who bought from his buddy by the distributor a furnace and 2 stage heat pump and had a tech install it as a side job. The ductwork is not right, the furnace is not to good and the 2stage of the compressor on his heat pump is not working. The tech is not answering the phone to correct the problems and to do the warranty work on the compressor. He will have to pay me big bucks to get it fixed.

[tostaos]

Is the new refrigerant something to keep in mind for servicing down the road. Should I make sure I have the new style if I choose to replace this year?

There is already replacement refrigerant for R22 systems, so service for the next 20 years is not a problem. R410a systems will last longer when correctly installed.

[Jultzya]

Originally posted by rkm
I think you misinterpreted my question? I read the forum rules that is why I didn't post my prices of the units I found.

First, site rules state no pricing, so it has been removed from your first post.

Originally posted by rkm
I am not a tech. as you guys well know. I know nothing about the name are they a good system or is it a "Internet Queen" so to speak for those who think they can do it themselves. Again I am not nor would I ever attempt to install it myself. I have a HVAC Foreman friend for that.

rkm, your questions have an open end of answers.

The equipment matters very little. As any and all equipment DEPENDS on a qualified installer to properly size, install and set up the equipment to operate with-in the manufactures specifications.

So in the end, the equipment is only as good as the installer. So, get the best installer you can find and go with the equipment he recommends.

As to having your friend do this on the side... well, what kind of warranty is he going to provide?
Is he going to be around when it breaks at the most inconvenient times?
Since he's doing this for BEER and PIZZA, do you also expect him to do a qualified job that will last 15-20 years?
Is it worth the risk of losing a good friend over saving a little money?
Just some things to think about...

[Advanced Response]

The last post by Jules summed it up..

Many people in this business have be doing it wrong for yrs upon yrs.. Who know your friend might be one of them..

Get a quality contractor and go with the brand he recommends..

Just check out the thread "Did I buy the wrong furnace" by Jeff.. He did not buy the wrong furnace, he did not find the right contractor!!

If your friend was qualified, he would be able to answer your questions and would be able to provide the brand he recommends.. You would not have to get one of the internet!!

Do it the first time Right.. Or try, try again!!!

Good luck
J

[re2ell]

Originally posted by rkm


Is the new refrigerant something to keep in mind for servicing down the road. Should I make sure I have the new style if I choose to replace this year?

[Edited by rkm on 03-15-2006 at 10:55 PM]

rkm, you might want to read this on the issue of what you might face down the road. Some pretty good info presented here.

http://www.corp.carrier.com/static/C...WhitePaper.pdf

[xv80satisfiedcust]

Like I said on another post, I got a Trane furnace installed (Trane authorized seller/installer) for not much more than a Goodman (but, I picked the lowest of the Trane quotes and only had 1 Goodman quote). Hint - the Trane website does NOT show all Trane dealers in your area. They rotate the list.

Get quotes on Goodman brand if you are really trying to save money on initial purchase price. I would have a (professionally installed) Goodman installed before I would have a friend install a Do It Yourself of ANY brand (dangerous operation).

Maybe the company that installed my Trane wasn't the most skilled or most expensive, but several places I lived had trouble free Trane equipment made in the 1980s and 1990s still running in 2006 (all NOT Do It Yourself installs) - most were apartments !

The "Did I Buy The Wrong Furnace" thread -- I truly believe this customer shopped until someone told him his ducts were ok and he could have a large (regular - non high velocity) furnace installed. That thread should be archived forever under "Ductwork" or "Load Calc" nightmares.

By the time this guy gets finished, radiators with boiler heat would probably be cheaper ! He probably heard all the advice of HVAC Talk from his bidders and didn't believe them. Swapping out the insides of a furnace - I hope the real "Bryant" reads about this. I would bet money they wouldn't recommend it. That thread almost sounds like DIY (or soon to be).

The professionals on HVAC Talk are giving you VERY good advice. Read all the horror stories. These don't happen by coincidence. (I'm studying a lot in prep for future central AC decision - procrastination you know).

[beenthere]

Originally posted by rkm
Actuall the quality of the install from my friend should be great. This is what he does. The only problem would be the equipment. If it were a bunch of B.S. That I dunno from the Brands. I could always see if our local HVAC guys service the brands if I absolutely had to go that route. They do service contracts all the time.

At one point you were interested in parts and labor warranty.
If your friend does the install on the side, then you have no labor warranty from the factory.

Will your friend get out of bed at 2 in the morning when you have no heat, and come right over and fix it.

Doesn't matter which brand it is, it could have a failure 6 monthes down the road.

You know the quality of your contractor, by the service he performs after he has your money.

[dan sw fl]

Originally posted by xv80satisfiedcust
Like I said on another post, I got a Trane furnace installed (Trane authorized seller/installer) for not much more than a Goodman (but, I picked the lowest of the Trane quotes and only had 1 Goodman quote).

The "Did I Buy The Wrong Furnace" thread -- I truly believe this customer shopped until someone told him his ducts were ok and he could have a large (regular - non high velocity) furnace installed. That thread should be archived forever under "Ductwork" or "Load Calc" nightmares.

That thread almost sounds like DIY (or soon to be).

Read all the horror stories. These don't happen by coincidence.

Perhaos, the OP of this thread is wishing for
a second place finish to
The "Did I Buy The Wrong Furnace" thread.

Time is the Essence of Truth.

[tony82164]

Originally posted by tostaos
Is the new refrigerant something to keep in mind for servicing down the road. Should I make sure I have the new style if I choose to replace this year?

There is already replacement refrigerant for R22 systems, so service for the next 20 years is not a problem. R410a systems will last longer when correctly installed.

You better have some $$$$'s if you have a leak with R410A R-22 will be here after 20 because you will be able to buy recovered R-22.