I would be hesitant about spending big bucks to repair a 15 year-old system.

A "gas package" is one single unit consisting of a gas furnace and air conditioning system mounted on a rooftop. Correct?

I would stay away from both Sears and HD as they tend to contract out lower quality installers. It is the quality of the installation that counts more than the brand name.

Get as many quotes as you can. Make sure that the model numbers are on the quotes. This will avoid the "bait and switch". Make sure that your ductwork is inspected. Don't be in a rush as you want to make a good decision on this high $$ purchase.

Good luck.

Thanks good advice regarding the model number. I didn't get that from the first quote. I need to call them back. That's also good to know about HD and Sears. I'll stay away from them.

Is ductwork part of their installation labor costs or I have to pay extra?

...and it's a Lennox 2 ton gas package unit not on the roof but on the ground on the side of my house.

I just bought my first home a couple of years ago and I've never had to purchase this type things before. I have no clue and I don't want to get screwed over.

Ok, I called and got my model number from my first quote. It's for a Carrier Payne model #PY3P024060. Anyone know anything about that model? :-)

Home Depot is OK to use since they sub-contract locally with Trane Dealers. The benefit there is you can use your HD credit card, the downfall is HD gets a cut so, price may be higher.

That being said, just call a Trane Dealer direct if you want Trane besides, they have all the financing options, the same or better than HD.

As mentioned earlier, do stay away from Sears, they contract with lowest bidder contractors while charging higher prices.

You also need to make sure they size your system correctly. They should perform whats called a Manual J. If they just look around a little or size it according to what you already have I'd be wary and look for a diff company.

Wow, thanks everyone for the advice. I do have money in my savings that would cover this, but I just wished I had kept my AHS. This is just a bad time for me to be buying this is all.

Would you think my Lennox would have a warranty with it that I'm not aware of. Someone suggested that they could tell by the model number. I've been in the house 2 years and previous owners neglected to tell me if there is. Is that common to have a 20 year warranty with this type unit?

Is a Trane good or better than the Payne (Carrier) units?

Thanks for the adive on Manual J. I'm learning all kind of things here. lol

Payne is not made by Carrier. It is a builder's-grade system under the Carrier umbrella of products. Payne should be the lowest cost gas-pack offered to you. The PY3P024060 has a 5 year parts warranty, 10 year heat exchanger warranty. Parts-only, not labor. It has a 13 SEER air conditioning system combined with an 81% AFUE gas furnace. These are basic builder's grade numbers which may be OK for you and your budget.

Ductwork tie-in should be part of the installation cost. This is a question that you need to have answered in writing in all of your quotes.

Keep looking, and keep asking questions.

Best to you.

I do have money in my savings to cover this. If I were to opt to spend a little more for a more quality unit, would that be advisable on my home? It's small at 1250 sq feet so I don't need a massive unit.

I'd like something reputable.

thanks garyg for that info on the warranty. I'm not liking the no labor though, but maybe that's common for the less expensive brands. ???

Right now I have a Lennox Gas Package Unit MODEL: GCS20H-261-50-2P SERIAL#: 5693A03376
Can anyone tell if this is covered under any warranty that maybe I'm not aware of?

I guess my biggest concern which so many people seem to bring up is that I need to find a good contractor that will install it correctly. How do I make sure I have a good one? I can't exactly tell by just looking in the phone book. Would the Better Business Burea tell me something like this?

the more info I get regarding the Payne, the more it's not sounding very good. It seems to get recommended only for those that can't afford better. It sounds cheap. I really rather spend a little more and get a little better quality because I will get a job. I won't be without forever and since I have to live with my choice, I dont' want to get the cheapest.

Thanks again for helping me out. This is something I've never done before and clueless, but I'm slowly learning. :-)

Alot of activity in one day on one question people must love you.
Tell me what part of the country you are in if you have a package unit on the ground I think I know but maybe you will surprise me.
It is true that quality of installation is more important than price of the equipment if your contractor is willing to talk about his warranties that is encouraging, most manufacturers have 5 year compressor 5 year parts and 10 year heat exchanger but some manufacturers have models above builder grade which have longer warranties.
You need to ask yourself some questions, is this where you want to be living 5 years from now is efficiency more important than cost savings now and how important is your impact on the planet to you. Dollar for Dollar there is no greater impact a homeowner can make on their carbon footprint than properly upgrading their home comfort system.
Answer these questions and I will be able to help

Diddley:

Labor warranties are typically 1 year while some may be 2 years. You can usually buy an extended PARTS AND LABOR warranty for either 5 or 10 years.

A gas-pack install is pretty straight-forward as everything is contained in one "box".

As far as the BBB, you can check any possible contractors after they have quoted you but it really is no guarantee. A good contractor will listen to you, explain things, and answer your qustions. If your "bullsh%t alarm" goes off, proceed with caution. As a female, you have to be extra careful not to be taken advantage of.

I would call Lennox customer service and ask about any warranty for your old unit. If you get a Lennox company to quote you a new unit, you can ask them about the old unit.

How long do you plan on living in the house? If not too long, maybe the Payne is the right choice.

Keep asking questions. Get a lot of quotes. The more questions you ask, and the more quotes you get, the more educated you become. This has to be an educated decision.

Take care.

Good morning guys,

gary you keep telling me to ask questions. Thanks because I have so many still.

First off it sounds like I need to call Lennox. I'll do a search and give them a call. If I did have a warranty that I was unaware of, would they pay for a new unit? Sorry if dumb question, but I have no earthly idea how that would work. It sounds too good to be true anyhow so I'm surely not getting any hopes up.

I plan on getting at least 6 quotes and let me get this right.... I need to get each one in writing and it must include all warranty info and model number and I should ask about ductwork. Ductwork is part of the installation cost..right? so when they qive me a quote for installation I need to make sure that they are actually checking the ducts and they need to show me diagrams? If they act wishy washy and not spend time explaining things to a woman then they could be taking advantage and be careful.

As far as how long I plan on staying in the house, I don't know. I wish I did because that would help me decide how nice I'd want to go. I like my little house and am happy here so I'd say for at least maybe 5 years.

The technician that found the cracks first suggested a hybrid and he explained that a little. I talked to someone else about the hybrid and they said I don't really need that or it wouldn't really be cost effective for South Carolina and that the gas pack would be fine for me.

My unit is on the ground outside of my home on the side.

Thanks again for letting me post my concerns and questions.

"If I did have a warranty that I was unaware of, would they pay for a new unit?"
- No. If you had a warranty on the heat exchanger, they would only pay for the heat exchanger part. You would pay labor.

"I plan on getting at least 6 quotes and let me get this right.... I need to get each one in writing and it must include all warranty info and model number and I should ask about ductwork. Ductwork is part of the installation cost..right? so when they qive me a quote for installation I need to make sure that they are actually checking the ducts and they need to show me diagrams? If they act wishy washy and not spend time explaining things to a woman then they could be taking advantage and be careful."
- Yes, yes, yes, yes. You need no ductwork diagrams. You need to know the condition of your ducts that tie into the new unit (one supply duct and one return duct), if any repairs need to be made to the tie-in, and the cost is to be included and written on the quote (there should be no issue with the tie in, you are just covering all bases). Remember, that quote is the only thing that you have that states what the contractor says he will do for what you are paying. It doesn't matter what he says, it matters what is written on the quote.

I don't understand what you mean by a hybrid. A "gas-pack" is a gas furnace, a/c system, and blower in one outdoor box. There is no indoor unit with a gas-pack. If it had an indoor component, it would be called a "split-system".

If the unit is on the ground outside the house, I would go out to the unit with each contractor and have them show you the ductwork tie-in and any other issues.

Take care.

Oh my gosh. I'm one happy person right now. Thanks so much you guys!!!!!!!

I called Lennox and they informed me that my heat exchanger is still under warranty until July of this year. For some reason they add 6 months to the warranty's manufactured date. Don't ask me. They went by the model # and serial # to tell what date to add the 6 months to.

Anyway I told Lennox that the technician told me they had called to ask about the part to replace the heat exchanger and they no longer have that part. She told me they do and then proceeded to give me reputable Lennox dealers' phone numbers in my area so I could call. She said perhaps since they aren't a Lennox dealer that they don't want to bother with getting the part.

I called the first number she gave me and they are again checking on the warranty and will call me back and could be out as early as today.

I'm too excited. This would keep me going for hopefully at least another year and I wont' have to buy a brand new unit right now.

When I called the place that is checking for me right now, they had never heard of someone turning the heater off completely. They said they will leave on even if cracks but that they would telll the people not to use it.

Wow, thanks so so much for all your input. This is all very interesting and I feel like I've learned a lot.

I've still got my fingers crossed. Hopefully thought they can just replace and all I have to pay for is labor.

Ok, now I'm back to square one. The first company I got a quote from for labor was $1,150. Wow! I had no idea.

Sounds great.

Hopefully labor won't be much more than a few hundred $$.

Have them check your a/c while they are at it.

Keep us posted.

Best to you.

Not as great as I thought. Labor quoted was $1,150 by one company and $700 from another. I had no idea it would cost that for labor.

I'll keep you posted. It looks like though at that price for labor I might as well buy a new one.

It's sounding like I need to just start getting my quotes. what fun!

Wow - 49 posts on HVAC-Talk.com as of 12:15 - you go girl!

That's a pro site, a very good site. They don't post pricing as one of the members is whining about already.

Keep up the good work. You're close to getting an "at-a- girl".

Hi GaryG. I thought I saw you post over at the other forum. I guess I'm spazzing myself and everyone else with all my questions. Sorry! I'm not trying to break any talking records. I just was upset that since getting laid off a job I was at for 10 (as if that's not bad enough), I now have to buy a brand new heating/AC unit because I was stupid enough to let my AHS lapse. The one reason why I kept it for the past 2 years and now it did me no good. I have enough things on my plate to not have to think about spending a ton of money on a brand new unit and who knows if I can even find a job to keep my house. Buying a new unit just isn't top of my priority list at all, but that's life and I'm sure I'll survive.

I was just asking questions so I could make a good decision for myself. I don't have a husband and they are usually the ones that take care of this type thing. It's just me.

Thanks for your help and everyone elses.

I'll just hope I do good and make a decent decision for myself.

"I have enough things on my plate to not have to think about spending a ton of money on a brand new unit and who knows if I can even find a job to keep my house."

- If money is tight, maybe you should just pay the labor to replace to heat exchanger? Have you had a Lennox pro look at the heat exchanger for a second opinion?

Hang in there, don't get bummed out, and keep on keepin' on.