Home Air Conditioning Question

[Ron Wilson]

Thanks JT. That's some good, detailed info.

WAM. Appreciate the reference.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

HEY RON, I HAVE A 4400 SQ FT HOME BUILT 5 FT. OFF GRADE, DBL.PANE WINDOWS EXTRA INSULATION THOUGHOUT, SOIL COVERED WITH PLASTIC UNDER THE HOUSE, GREAT ROOM WITH CEILINGS 18 FT. HIGH, RM. IS 24 X 36, WE JUST REPLACED OUR WHOLE SYSTEM WITH A 4 TON TRANE, REPLACED A 3.5 TON BRYANT COMPRESSOR AND RETURN UNIT THAT I HAD TO REPLACE JUST 8 YRS AGO. IT HAS DEHUMIDIFIER AND WHEN IT COMES ON IT IS LOW FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE FULL FORCE COMES ON, WE CUT OUR ELE. BILL BY ABOUT $75 PER MONTH SINCE IT WAS INSTALLED LAST JUNE. WE PUT A TRANE IN OUR OLD HOME IN DUVAL COUNTY BACK IN 1988 AND IT IS STILL GETTING THE JOB DONE THERE. THE UNITS WE REPLACE THIS PAST JUNE COST US $4,100 INSTALLED AND THEY TOOK THE OLD UNITS WITH THEM WHEN THEY LEFT, DIDN'T HAVE TO HAUL THE OLD UNITS OFF. WE HAVE HAD OUR SYSTEM CHECKED TWICE A YEAR IN BOTH PLACES, I THINK THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, ALSO BE SURE TO SPRAY INSECTICIDE AROUND THE COMPRESSOR UNIT FOR FIRE ANTS, IF YOU DO NOT THEY WILL GET INTO THE CONTROL PANEL AND COMPRESSOR AND RUIN THEM. FIRE ANTS WAS THE CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE OF OUR 8 YR. OLD UNIT.
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SEMPER FI

[mullet]

3500.00 for a 3.5 ton? Please send me their number. I may use them to sub my jobs. Thats is WAY low . Make sure their gonna be around in a few years(have they been around?). I'm local if you want me to pull a load. I'll be higher than 3500 but I'll be glad to help you out.

[Jumptrout51]

Ron, Mullet will do a professional job for you. The only thing about him that doesn't work right are his fishing holes.

[Gulf Coast]

JT, ... You sure do know a lot bout blowing hot air !!

[mullet]

Ron, Mullet will do a professional job for you. The only thing about him that doesn't work right are his fishing holes.

We can't keep fish anymore, I'm sure my fishing holes are stacked.

[RC]

Just my opinion but you don't need a gas furnace in Albany Ga

and you don't need no ducted return air system for every room either

but sizing and placement of the supply grills is very important. Depending on the layout of the house you might even want to add one more return duct.

again my opinion is I would get a Trane XL16i heat pump which is 18 seer and has a 2 stage compressor. You will have to have a split unit and make sure they change out the air handler in the attic along with the outside compressor.

With a 2 stage compressor and a variable speed drive air handler the unit is very efficient. It runs at low speed when there is low demand and then ramps up at higher loads. By the unit running at low speeds for a longer time it becomes a better dehumidifier which is really what an air conditioner is.

read about them on Trane's website

you can get the top of the line 20i if you want.

I'm sure other manufacturers make similar products but I like Trane

[FUTCHCAIRO]

WE HAVE FOUND NOTHING RUNS LIKE A TRANE
PA
SEMPER FI

[EddieJoe]

This is a reply from a homeowner who is not an expert but has a heat pump installed. A heat pump in our area will be fine in the summer, but in winter you will wish for gas heat. The heat pump works pretty well in mild weather, but does not heat efficiently much below 40 degrees. You need gas to get blown air that will feel warm when it is cold outside (below 40, especially below 30). With my system, I have had to install a gas space heater upstairs, and I will soon put one downstairs, too (I have a two story house with one unit).

EJ

[reelhandy]

I live in Maryland right now, heat and cool with a heat pump and I've been happy with it for the last twelve years. It's a Carrier with a variable speed fan that comes on slowly and ramps up in heat mode so that you don't get that initial blast of cold air. Maybe I had to get used to it, but I don't recall ever wishing I had something else. I keep the heat on 72 all winter and usually crack a window in the bedroom before I go to bed. My electric bills in the winter are higher than in the summer, but they aren't outrageous. I know it gets cold sometimes in the winter down there, but usually not like up here, and never for as many days. I've always thought that heat pumps and Florida were a good match for the majority of the days of the year. My heat pump up here has back up heater coils, aren't they typically installed in the heat pumps down there?

[Ron Wilson]

Thanks all for your feedback. Learned more about heating/cooling in last two days than I have in my adult time of owning a house - though I have to admit I knew little before I posted.

[MarkM]

I have never met Mullet but, have read many of his posts. When he speaks heat and cooling he knows what he's talking about. I know JT does too.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

WE HAVE HAD 8 DAYS THIS PAST YEAR WITH TEMPS. IN THE MID TO LOW 20'S , WE HAD THE HEAT STRIPS IN THE SYSTEM BUT THEY NEVER CAME ON AND WE KEEP THE THERMOSTAT SET AT 70 DEGREES BECAUSE OF OUR HEALTH PROBLEMS. SEVERAL YEARS BACK WE HAD THE TEMP. GO DOWN INTO THE UPPER 20'S, OUR HEAT STRIPS CAME ON BACK THEN FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, THE TEMMPS IN THE HOUSE NEVER FELL BELOW 68. HAVING A GOOD A/C AND HAVING IT INSTALLED CORRECTLY WITH PROPER SEALING OF THE HOUSE AND WITH PROPER INSULATION A HEAT PUMP WORKS GREAT. OUR ELE. COST WITH THIS NEW UNIT SINCE LAST JUNE WILL AVERAGE ABOUT $135 PER MONTH, WE HAVE EVERY THING ELE. CLOTHES DRYER, WASHER, HOT WATER HEATERS , DISH WASHER, AND ALL THE JUNK IN THE KITCHEN. I HAVE 2 METERS, ONE FOR THE HOUSE AND ONE FOR MY WORK SHOP WHICH I DO NOT USE VERY MUCH , HAVE ALL KINDS OF ELE EQUIPMENT THERE.
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SEMPER FI

[mullet]

You don't NEED a lot of things, but a heat pump with fossil fuel back up is the best of both worlds. You have the efficiency of a heat pump, with the fast recovery(if needed) of the gas heat. As far as the returns, they may not be needed but the system with be more balanced with more returns. I mean you can put one drain in your plumbing system for the whole house but doesn't it make more sense to drain every water supply separately? Trane is a decent system, but they spend a lot of money on advertisement and of course that is part of overhead. Rheem/Ruud has a 16 SEER System that is pretty sporty with a great warranty and a good price point. Carrier has a competitive system too. In other words don't get caught up with a name. Check consumer reports, check prices, and make your decision. FYI, you won't touch a builders model Trane for the price you mentioned(or most anything else by an established dealer).

Good luck, Holla if you have a question.

[wevans]

The more I read about them, the Goodmans appear to be one of the best, and lowest cost on the market now "I know they used to be considered low end products"!! Some good info was found here

http://www.heatpumppricesonline.net/270 ... tems-2012/