HVAC Replacement Unit - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

suginami · #16 08-12-2010, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynalow

Ok. Done deal.

Trane XL16c 4YCZ6048 Gas/elec package.
http://www.trane.com/Residential/Products/Packaged-Units/XL16c-Gas-Electric-Packaged
16 Seer, 4 ton. Installed $6,250.

After the credit, its 4750,. That's 750 less that the 14 seer 4 ton Carrier Prestiege and only 150 more than the 14 seer 3.5 ton Preferred Bryant.
Case closed. Deposit given.
I'm pleased with it.

Excellent choice. Trane is a quality unit, and described by my installer as the Mercedes of HVAC units.

I also went with a 4 ton unit, and since our houses are both single story with similar square footage, I think you went with the right size.

I just got my electric bill, and I've been using my a/c all day long at home, and I drop the temp down to 71 degrees at night. My bill came in at $210.

Just for some perspective, with my old unit, it would struggle to keep the house below 76, and the bill run about $500.

That is some serious savings, and you're gonna love it.

dynalow · #17 08-12-2010, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suginami

Excellent choice. Trane is a quality unit, and described by my installer as the Mercedes of HVAC units.

I also went with a 4 ton unit, and since our houses are both single story with similar square footage, I think you went with the right size.

I just got my electric bill, and I've been using my a/c all day long at home, and I drop the temp down to 71 degrees at night. My bill came in at $210.

Just for some perspective, with my old unit, it would struggle to keep the house below 76, and the bill run about $500.

That is some serious savings, and you're gonna love it.

Thanks Paul,

The guy who is installing it is a member of one of my Harley clubs. He told me he'd take care of me and later said he normally gets 6,900 for this unit. I showed him the Bryant 3.5 $6,100 proposal, then I took his proposal. So, for 125 more, I get a larger andf more efficient unit. He said the duct work was up to handling 4 tons. He's got 6 service trucks on the road. In my neck of the woods, that's a pretty good sixed company.

My July bill was $194. Highest electric bill I think I ever had in this home. I think there may have been 1 or 2 days I did not run the unit. We had a very hot July here in the east. If fact, this is one of the warmest 2 or 3 summers on record.
$500 per month in elec !?// Oh wait, you are in CA! That splains it.!

pawoSD · #18 08-14-2010, 11:49 PM

I have a 12,000btu and 5,150btu window unit in my house, the 12k keeps the whole main floor at an easy 70F even if its 90+ outside, the 5k unit keeps the master bedroom an easy 65F if the door is kept closed. My last power bill, running both of them quite a lot, plus a server, network equipment, two other computers, and every other normal household item (including electric dryer).....was $71.

Not bad! No need for central air, my 2 year old furnace even has the evaporator on it already...but no need to use it.

dynalow · #19 08-30-2010, 07:50 PM

Soooooooo, it fiiiiiiiiinaaaaaalllly got here. Actually, one arrived last Monday, but the contractor refused delivery because it had a forklift hole punched in it! These 16 SEER units are shipped from Tyler Texas. So, it was delivered this morning and I had three guys here most of the day and my electrician sent two guys over to wire it up.
4 1/2 weeks without HVAC!

This TRANE pulls the load though, I gotta tell you. It's cold in here!

Hatterasguy · #20 08-30-2010, 07:59 PM

Sounds a bit high, I usually pay $6k-$8k to HVAC an entire new construction raised ranch. I'd shop around and see if you can do better. That includes the outside AC condenser.

Hatterasguy · #21 08-30-2010, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcyuhn

Ductwork is sized based on the capacity of the ac/furnace unit, not the efficiency. You need to move a certain amount of air to deliver 4 tons of cooling, for example, less for 3 tons, more for 5 tons. The amount of air you can move is based on the number and size of ducts.

Most homes have lousy ductwork - undersized, poorly designed, poorly installed. In a properly designed system the air should flow silently. If you have rumbling sounds, rattling grates, whoosing noises - then the ductwork is likely undersized. That's the most common problem, as HVAC contractors cheap out on every nickel they can save.

You want the ac to run continuously to keep the house comfortable on the hottest day. It is more efficient - and more comfortable - to have a smaller ac running more hours/day than a larger one which cycles on/off to maintain the temperature of the house. So if the 4 ton unit isn't working very hard this summer, then downsizing to a 3.5 ton might be the right thing to do. The longer run times of the smaller unit will do more to dehunidify the house, so it will be more comfortable at the same temperature as with the larger unit.

Yep, notice that in a lot of older homes.

I got a call on the last house I sold, the owner was trying to just run the upstairs part of the system at night and was complaining it wasn't cooling. AC is like heat you have to turn it on and leave it on, also you can't have big variations in temperature from floor to floor. He was trying to have the upstairs at 70 and the downstairs at whatever the ambient temperature was. I told him to set all three zones to 72 and it worked fine.

Brian Carlton · #22 08-30-2010, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

AC is like heat you have to turn it on and leave it on, also you can't have big variations in temperature from floor to floor.

Of course you can.............if the system is designed for it.

This house has nine heating zones...........one for each room. I can easily have the office at 72°F. and the remaining rooms at 60°F.

HVAC designs are rarely this flexible due to their limited capabilities and high cost. But, with a proper design and some additional cooling on the second floor, it's absolutely possible to cool the upper floor and leave the lower floor at ambient.

In my Dad's house, the upper floor was the only floor with a/c. It cooled that floor with ease and didn't care that the cold air headed down the stairwell.

It all depends on the system design...........and, I suspect that yours was cheeeeap...........like most builders...........and, accordingly, it has no flexibility.

Hatterasguy · #23 08-30-2010, 09:44 PM

I'm building to a price point. When the market will bear $800k houses again they get more zones.

Brian Carlton · #24 08-30-2010, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

I'm building to a price point.

Here's the point: CHEAP.........!

Larry Delor · #25 08-31-2010, 12:11 AM

72 degrees, in the Summer!? Damn...

Hatterasguy · #26 08-31-2010, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

Here's the point: CHEAP.........!

My way of saying it sounds better.

Mark DiSilvestro · #27 08-31-2010, 01:13 AM

Thiking about central air someday, but my 1500 SQFT, 1950s rambler in Northern Virginia still has windowshakers. Small 5000 BTU units in two bedrooms that run mostly overnight. A 6000 BTU in the rec-room that runs during the day. And a big unit in the living-room that also cools the kitchen, hallway and bathroom.
The ancient 40 year-old 11.000 BTU Sears living-room unit finally conked out three weeks ago, during a spell of 100-degree days. At the time, it was struggling to keep the living-room/kitchen area below 78. And that was only if I let it run almost constantly. Was costing about $170/month for electric. I know I probably should've replaced it years ago, but it was such a big, heavy monster that I feared permanent injury if I tried to move it. And I've been advised that some of these new Chinese window-ACs aren't exactly known for longevity.
Replaced it with a 'curbside', 15 year-old 12.000 BTU USA White-Westinghouse (Rescued four days before the Sears conked out!) which has easily managed to cool off and maintain the same area at 71-72 on the hottest days, and often doesn't need to be switched back on 'till late AM. Hoping for a big improvement on my next power-bill. And we'll see how long this AC lasts!

Happy Motoring, Mark