Maax Utile system review?
7 years ago
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- 5 years ago
- 5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
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New bid - Please review (newbie here)
Comments (8)That seems like a very good price. I did a quick read through, and a couple of things jumped out. There is vinyl siding, and then there is quality vinyl siding. You should get some assurances it would be the latter. $3500 seems like a good price to upgrade to fiber cement. Just make sure it isn't James Hardie brand prepainted siding. There have been a lot of reports of paint failures with that brand, especially in snow country. A 150 amp electrical service is too small by today's standards. Most homes are built with a 200 amp service. Our new home is getting a 400 amp service. Textured ceilings hide lousy sheet rock work and are almost impossible to repair properly. I suggest you insist of flat finished ceilings throughout the main level, and also the lower level, if you don't take my next suggestion. Either have the builder pour a ten foot foundation wall or go with an eight foot ceiling in the lower level. Either way. make it a dropped ceiling. Dropped ceilings provide direct access to the space above them. It's great for running new wires, access to HVAC ducts, tracing a plumbing leak, etc., without tearing the ceiling out. Good luck. It sounds like a nice home....See MorePlease review my system choice for Furnace and Hot Water Heater
Comments (18)First question, they go hand in hand somewhat. You see you need to get the bonnet temp dispersed from the furnace to hit recommended temp rise out of the furnace to obtain efficiency and expected life of unit. At the same time if you add more than required heat runs to do this, the room temps will swing horribly causing discomfort. Although you may wish to have additional heat runs to deliver airflow at a lower CFM, with low FPM at the diffusers which result in a quieter operating system. At the same time depending where the registers are placed, certain velocities may be required for the air flow to efficiently get to the areas that need the conditioned air. So you see, it takes an experienced person to weigh all the factors to assure a proper balance to end up with a great system, versus what most people end up with or settle for. Going beyond a 2-stage system,, with a system that precisely varies the input and blower speeds is always an advantage. The benefits is that it works at the capacity required which always changes because indoor and outdoor conditions are constantly different. As we all know a standard furnace is like a car in the hands of a teenager, either always on the gas or the brake. The goal of a great heating system is to be seen and not heard. The variable systems will deliver at a required rate to match conditions with the results being limited temp swings which equates to improved fuel utilization and comfort. A quick answer on your 135 question, if all takeoffs were 6" and the correct amount were installed in the space, to match room loads, you would have about 21....See Moreneed help in replacing hvac system
Comments (12)You as a professional know how to compare system A to system B and determine if the extra cost is justified or not. Most homeowners don't have the knowledge to do this. I think lifetime heat exchanger warranties are becoming more common. In my opinion most heat exchangers fail due to over sized furnaces and undersized duct work. The warranty does not cover labor charges which makes the warranty almost useless. In most cases it makes more sense to put the money towards a new furnace. I think a 99 year compressor warranty is a marketing gimmick. It may be useful if the compressor fails in the eleventh year and then again you have to pay for labor. But if fails in 15-20 years, how many people are going to sink money into an old Goodman condenser? My neighbor and I were shopping for new HVACs systems at the same time several years ago. A third neighbor highly recommended the Carrier dealer she used. The neighbor who was shopping rejected him because is price was very high. I rejected him not just on price, but the system he was recommending made no sense, and his load calculation consisted of walking around the house and checking off boxes on a piece of paper. The quote itself consisted of scribbling numbers on a blank sheet of paper and then subtracting discounts and rebates. The whole thing was very unprofessional, yet if I ask the neighbor who used them she would recommend them again. Shopping for HVAC systems is hard. You don't know the ability and honesty of the contractor until the system is installed....See MoreHow do you keep your utility bills costs down?
Comments (37)Well...we only run the heat at a warmer level 65-68 during the morning while we get ready for work and the evening before we settle down for the night. The rest of the time, the thermostat is either at 60 or off. To be honest, we also avoided buying a house that faces east/west to avoid the heat in summer or with high cathedral ceilings so we could better control our utility costs. It’s just the two of us, so the dishwasher is only used once maybe twice a week, our washer is also a European front loader and laundry is done during off peak times. We have well water so no bill there. Our windows are old and leaky as well, so new windows are on our to do list as well adding thicker insulation in the attic. Our gas bill during peak winter months has been fairly consistent from year to year and low when compared with others in the neighborhood. I’ve heard of the cellophane window coverings but haven’t ever considered using them; maybe we should! ETA: I forgot to say that I agree with 3Katz in that during the summer months, I’m less willing to sacrafice comfort over cost. BUT as crazy as it sounds, we like to sleep in colder conditions so during summer months, we turn the a/c way down at night (during the off peak hours). And because we face north/south we get limited sun from the windows which keeps the house cool for a larger part of the day. On the weekends, we usually don’t turn the a/c back on until mid afternoon and the house will stay incredibly cool until then. The only exception is when it’s very humid. Then the ac will go on whenever we need it to....See More- 5 years ago
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