Replacing both our AC units! Brand question.

[lewdog]

Lots of badass help on CP for these home maintenance things!

Replacing our 2.5 and 3.5 ton Carrier AC systems that are 18 years old.

Have had similar quotes for Carrier and Lennox brands. Recommendations on these brands? Other brands to look at or avoid?

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by 007

Half the things I click on don't provide the option of replacing both the AC and furnace. Kind of pointless.

Oh I was just using it for rankings and ratings of brands.

Nothing more.

[007]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Oh I was just using it for rankings and ratings of brands.

Nothing more.

I honestly hate this game. I have no idea how to locate the right installer much less purchasing the right unit for my home.


You can read until you are blue in the face and still **** up your choice. Problem is, you won't know you ****ed up until 2-3 years later when it's too late.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by 007

I honestly hate this game. I have no idea how to locate the right installer much less purchasing the right unit for my home.


You can read until you are blue in the face and still **** up your choice. Problem is, you won't know you ****ed up until 2-3 years later when it's too late.

It’s definitely a crapshoot. That’s why I think a good warranty is super important. Only go with a company or installer who stands by their work.

That’s what I seem to be finding.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by Chief Roundup

Make sure you get a company with decades of experience with radiant systems. Those are very hard to maintain and get set up properly. If you ever have problems with air getting into the system or need the glycol levels adjusted it can be a real tough ordeal.

I'm just using a boiler and waterlines in the concrete.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by CatinKS

I bought a house that already had a Amana installed. Here in central Kansas the cottonwood trees seeds tend to plug off the fins in June. To properly clean the fins you need to wash from the inside out. Does anyone recommend a brand that make access easy from the top to blow or wash out the cottonwood seed? My current unit makes it difficult as power cords to fan are very short.

Originally Posted by alpha_omega

I came here to post this. Welcome to the planet Cat.

Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief

I'm just using a boiler and waterlines in the concrete.

A lot of dudes put them in shops. I’ve never heard of them in a residential setting. I know the concrete retains a lot of the heat and takes a LONG time to get warm. Which is why they’re efficient. But it’s pretty hard to fine tune. I’d think in the days where the nights are cold and the days are warm it wouldn’t work very well. I mean, in January - sure. Late March not so much.

If you do it I’d be interested in how it works.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

I came here to post this. Welcome to the planet Cat.



A lot of dudes put them in shops. I’ve never heard of them in a residential setting. I know the concrete retains a lot of the heat and takes a LONG time to get warm. Which is why they’re efficient. But it’s pretty hard to fine tune. I’d think in the days where the nights are cold and the days are warm it wouldn’t work very well. I mean, in January - sure. Late March not so much.

If you do it I’d be interested in how it works.

I've had friends put it in their high end house and they say it works great. I will continue to research though. Thx

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief

I'm just using a boiler and waterlines in the concrete.

Ok, best of luck. I hope you have looked into the temp rating of the piping you are going to use. I hope you have made sure that your layout will not be going anywhere there will be a wall of any time especially a load-bearing wall or anything else that will need to be nailed, etc to the floor.
Have you checked on the flow rate required to keep the boiler operating properly so it is not overheating or short cycling? Have you figured out how many loops you are going to need to be installed to be able to meet the required GPM of flow? Have you found the proper manifold to distribute the water in each loop? What orifice size are you using for each loop? How many loops are you going to use? How many of each length per manifold are you going to be using? If the loops are not the same size you will have hot and cold spots in the flooring ergo the house.

Dude my brother-in-law put one of these systems in his house. There was not a single HVAC company in Springfield that could help him. DeLong tried but they ended up having to pay for a company out of St. Louis to come Springfield to get it done correctly.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

A lot of dudes put them in shops. I’ve never heard of them in a residential setting. I know the concrete retains a lot of the heat and takes a LONG time to get warm. Which is why they’re efficient. But it’s pretty hard to fine tune. I’d think in the days where the nights are cold and the days are warm it wouldn’t work very well. I mean, in January - sure. Late March not so much.

If you do it I’d be interested in how it works.

There has be to a plastic barrier and foam insulation board put down under the pipping to keep the heat from transferring to the ground and losing a lot of the radiance and efficiency.

[Marada]

Not many brands that are stand alone anymore. Even Carrier is owned by the same company that owns Amana and Goodman. If I remember correct it is named Daikin Group. I installed a Goodman Heat Pump 12 years ago and am happy with it. In that time have had a Contactor go bad and last year had problems until figured out a bird had built a nest inside the exhaust vent thereby blocking it closed.

[Mr. Kotter]

We bought a Lennox 2.5 ton system last November. So far we've been thrilled with it. Lfetime warranty on major components too.

[Chief Roundup]

Originally Posted by Marada

Not many brands that are stand alone anymore. Even Carrier is owned by the same company that owns Amana and Goodman. If I remember correct it is named Daikin Group. I installed a Goodman Heat Pump 12 years ago and am happy with it. In that time have had a Contactor go bad and last year had problems until figured out a bird had built a nest inside the exhaust vent thereby blocking it closed.

This is COMPLETELY not true. Carrier Corporation is owned by United Technologies.
Goodman, Amana is owned by Daikin.

[Peter Gibbons]

Originally Posted by 007

I honestly hate this game. I have no idea how to locate the right installer much less purchasing the right unit for my home.


You can read until you are blue in the face and still **** up your choice. Problem is, you won't know you ****ed up until 2-3 years later when it's too late.

I suggest you start drinking heavily.

[DaneMcCloud]

I'm getting bids to replace a 5 ton unit on my roof, which includes resealing all of the ducts, which are exposed on the roof, a new platform, all new vent registers (the current registers 4 way and but of the installers say that they should be replaced with one way) and any electrical.

With the ductwork replaced, I'm looking at $25k with crane fee and tax and $15k using the existing ductwork (which one company said was fine). So, my decision is between a huge SoCal company called NexGen or a Mom & Pop guy I've used since 2008.

One is selling Daikin/Amana and the other Day & Night.

Any brand preference? Thanks in advance.

[gblowfish]

I have American Standard in my house. It's been fine. IIRC, it's built by Trane, just has a different name plate. Their big parent coroprate overlord is Ingersol Rand.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

I'm getting bids to replace a 5 ton unit on my roof, which includes resealing all of the ducts, which are exposed on the roof, a new platform, all new vent registers (the current registers 4 way and but of the installers say that they should be replaced with one way) and any electrical.

With the ductwork replaced, I'm looking at $25k with crane fee and tax and $15k using the existing ductwork (which one company said was fine). So, my decision is between a huge SoCal company called NexGen or a Mom & Pop guy I've used since 2008.

One is selling Daikin/Amana and the other Day & Night.

Any brand preference? Thanks in advance.

I have Bryant in my home and it works great for about 10 years now. I bought the Cadillac model because the wife made me. I've put several tranes in my rentals. I think they are all pretty good. I'd get estimates from as many as possible and look at warranties . Make sure you have plenty of insulation in the attic, that makes a huge difference.