Looking to Replace A/C

9 years ago

My unit can not keep up in the dog day heats of summer and will run all day and not get below 80-82. The unit loses freon and must be filled about 2 times a year. My inside unit is 3.5 tons and the outside is 3 tons. My house is about 1586 sq feet and I live in Louisiana. I decided that I was going to look into replacement. Started to get quotes for replacing units and admit I went into this blind. My experiences led me to start doing some researcMy unit can not keep up in the dog day heats of summer and will run all day and not get below 80-82. The unit loses freon and must be filled about 2 times a year. My inside unit is 3.5 tons and the outside is 3 tons. My house is about 1586 sq feet and I live in Louisiana. I decided that I was going to look into replacement. Started to get quotes for replacing units and admit I went into this blind. My experiences led me to start doing some research.

First guy shows and just looks at the existing equipment and moves on to give me a quote. He states that the ducts look good, but does not go into much more detail than this. He is going to stay at a 3 ton 14 SEER York system.
After this first company visit, I get a little uneasy as I feel that there should be more to it than just looking at the current system. I call another company to give me a quote. He measures the exterior of the house and looks at the ducts doing some type of calculation. I do not tell him that I got another quote. He states that I should add a total of 3 additional ducts and names some of the present ducts that the sizes will change from a 6-8, etc. He states that I should move to a 3.5 ton 13 SEER Goodman or RUUD system based on flow calculations on how much air flow should match the unit. He stated the current ductwork I have is too small for a 3 ton unit, but will make some ducts bigger and add additional duct work for a 3.5 ton unit. He leaves without giving me a price and states that the quote will be sent to me. He explains all tubing will be replaced, plenum and exactly what he will do. I have no idea what he did, but feel he was more thorough than the first guy. Based on what I stated did this guy do a ManualJ or just a Baloney-J test.
After this next visit I find this site.

I like having a feeling of comfort and having conflicting feelings now. Did either or these guys get it right?h.

I like having a feeling of comfort and having conflicting feelings now. Did either or these guys get it right?

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Comments (4)

mike_home
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Prior to this year, was the AC able to maintain a temperature below 80 degrees? If you are having to refill refrigerant twice a year you have a serious leak problem and the AC has no chance to properly cool the house.

Based on your description the first guy did not do a load calculation and does not seem to be addressing anything about correct equipment or duct sizing.

The second guy appears to be more thorough. He may be doing a Manual J calculation back at this office and creating a formal quote with the details of what he proposes for equipment and duct improvements. This is typically what you see with a good HVAC contractor. I would expect the price of the second guy to be higher than the first because he is going to do more work for you.

Post the summary of the quote when you get it. In the mean time you may want to get a third quote so you have another opinion of what you need.
hvtech42
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
>Based on what I stated did this guy do a ManualJ or just a Baloney-J test.

Just ask him! Beats speculating and asking complete strangers on the internet.
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ionized_gw
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Where are your ducts, inside the house or outside? How many rooms do you have? If the answer is outside and few, get some mini splits and get rid of the stupid ducts altogether if you are going to be in the house for a while.

I think that 13 or 14 SEER is a bad move in this climate if you are not moving out in a short time. That is especially true if you have a leaky, old house. It is humid in South LA and even Northern LA. If you want real comfort (low humidity), you should be looking at variable-speed systems.

Take a look at the LSU extension web site for tips for improving your home in your climate. It is really worth your time. You should consider hiring an energy rater. One posts here frequently that is not in the SE part of the state, more SW, like Cajun country. I'd hire Energy_rater_la in a NY minute in that area.
energy_rater_la
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
awww, you are too sweet Ionized!

Op, check your email.

Looking to Replace A/C

Comments (4)

mike_home

hvtech42

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