HVAC cost

[SupDock]

On this same topic, I want to get a mini split in my garage. Nearly 5k installed are the quotes. That is like 3k labor for what amounts to a half day work.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by SupDock

On this same topic, I want to get a mini split in my garage. Nearly 5k installed are the quotes. That is like 3k labor for what amounts to a half day work.

If it is only half a day I am wondering how many people are going to be doing this work. Plus if they are doing the correct "work" it will take some time to pull a vacuum on the lines and evaporator. Then the charging takes time. If it is a reputable brand then there is some registration paperwork required for the warranty. That paperwork is inputting all the settings and data from the installation, pressures, and such at what temps, etc.
Let us not forget you are paying for their expertise as well as all the required things to have, run, operate, and make a profit in a business. Have you noticed how much everything has gone up in price that it takes to operate a business?
If you are buying a good name-brand mini-split and it is more than 12,000 btu I bet your guess on price of equipment is off by at least $1k.

[SupDock]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

If it is only half a day I am wondering how many people are going to be doing this work. Plus if they are doing the correct "work" it will take some time to pull a vacuum on the lines and evaporator. Then the charging takes time. If it is a reputable brand then there is some registration paperwork required for the warranty. That paperwork is inputting all the settings and data from the installation, pressures, and such at what temps, etc.
Let us not forget you are paying for their expertise as well as all the required things to have, run, operate, and make a profit in a business. Have you noticed how much everything has gone up in price that it takes to operate a business?
If you are buying a good name-brand mini-split and it is more than 12,000 btu I bet your guess on price of equipment is off by at least $1k.

We are talking a 10000 BTU pre charged. My breaker box is also 10 feet away from the install location.
I think you did hit the nail on the head. They don’t really want to do them because they make more doing something else.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by SupDock

We are talking a 10000 BTU pre charged. My breaker box is also 10 feet away from the install location.
I think you did hit the nail on the head. They don’t really want to do them because they make more doing something else.

Dude I am an owner of an HVAC company. All condensers are precharged. The line set is precharged with nitrogen. The indoor unit and the line set will have to be vacuumed down to remove any noncondensables before releasing freon into the system. I could go on about everything that has to be done. It is obvious you think you know but you don't.

[Abba-Dabba]

Replaced a 3t Carrier and an old Carrier furnace in 2022 with a 3.5t Ruud HVAC for $7700. Ruud is made by Rheem so I'm not too concerned. Not so sure I would be down for more than double that price for a Carrier though.

[ScareCrowe]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Dude I am an owner of an HVAC company. All condensers are precharged. The line set is precharged with nitrogen. The indoor unit and the line set will have to be vacuumed down to remove any noncondensables before releasing freon into the system. I could go on about everything that has to be done. It is obvious you think you know but you don't.

I think he's referring to the line sets. They make what they call DIY kits which come with pre charged lines (freon) so there's no need to pull vacuum etc. They work like the old quick connects. The issue with this usually comes down to the fact that those DIY kits are not what pro's are installing, we're installing better quality equipment & usually higher efficiency. Even if you can get a name brand unit, it's still not the same as what a pro is quoting you.

I've had several people take my quotes deduct the cheapest mini split unit they can find online & assume the rest is what I'm charging for labor. And we don't want to install the cheap DIY units because we don't want to take the heat from customers when they break down. It will invariably be the HVAC companies fault despite the fact that the customer hand picked the cheapest equipment they could find.

[Dartgod]

We had a 2.5 ton 80% unit installed last month for less than $10K, with a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger and compressor. Included the humidifier.

[jerryaldini]

Wow thanks so much fellows! These numbers give me a good idea about where to draw the line. I'm getting another quote this afternoon. This feels too much like car shopping but worse because it's harder to get benchmarks.

[wutamess]

Are you in KC metro?

[TambaBerry]

in KC and was quoted in October for 6k for both furnace and AC. 2k sq ft house

[neech]

Originally Posted by TambaBerry

in KC and was quoted in October for 6k for both furnace and AC. 2k sq ft house

What brand name of furnace and AC was it. That sounds a little to cheap.

[DaFace]

Seems maybe a little higher than what we paid, but not much. We did a Bryant 2.5-ton, 13 SEER AC plus an 80% efficient, two-stage furnace with a variable variable speed ECM motor and a bypass humidifier for about $11k. This was in 2022 in north Denver.

[Dartgod]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Seems maybe a little higher than what we paid, but not much. We did a Bryant 2.5-ton, 13 SEER AC plus an 80% efficient, variable speed ECM motor furnace plus a bypass humidifier for about $11k. This was in 2022 in north Denver.

That's exactly what we put in last month for $9,700. I thought it was a great price.

By the way, right now is a great time to make this type of purchase. A lot of companies have people sitting around and they will make deals to get jobs.

[jerryaldini]

Originally Posted by DaFace

Seems maybe a little higher than what we paid, but not much. We did a Bryant 2.5-ton, 13 SEER AC plus an 80% efficient, variable speed ECM motor furnace plus a bypass humidifier for about $11k. This was in 2022 in north Denver.

Ok north Denver should be a good comp for cost of living and weather. I'll ask them what the less efficient furnace would be. Bryant and Carrier are same equipment.