Fancy expensive 'niche' market appliances
kitykat
9 years ago
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Shades_of_idaho
9 years agojakkom
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Why is split ductless so expensive when installed?
Comments (347)Austin, TX Aug 2021. Quotes for a 300sf room mini-split not incl electric which I would guesstimate to add $500-800: 1) $4900, 2) $5000, 3) starting at $4800. The only more reasonable one was 4) $3400 which I MIGHT give up and just take, meaning paying about $4000. The thing is I would be HAPPY as hell to get the 2nd floor central AC to be exactly like our first floor central AC system and pay $5-7000 for it. The 1st floor's Sept 2020-installed 2-ton HVAC, despite being a single-stage, actually cools at 47 dB directly at the intake, 39dB 10 feet away, most of the time. Then it's like 63dB when it has to cool things down multiple degrees but that's not for very long. The 2nd floor's furnace was installed at the same time and is the same exact unit as the 1st floor's but the 2.5 ton outside is not same brand and not the same coils. When I asked the AC co. this summer to just make the 2nd floor like the first floor - replacing the coils and condenser, he hemmed and hawed and said I can't guarantee you the same situation and static pressure, blah blah blah. He couldn't explain why the 1st floor unit had two fan speeds. Isn't there a way to kind of estimate how the thing would work? Funny thing is the 2nd floor furnace is loud as hell all the time when running - I think 67dB with vibrating noises - and will cycle on and off A LOT at night - literally on for 5 minutes then off for 5, then on again for 5 minutes for part of the night, driving me crazy. It's louder than the previous 30-year system which ironically still worked. The first mini-split estimator to come to the house (the rest I just got ballparks on the phone to not waste anybody's time) - they mostly do full HVACs - when I asked about the 2nd floor, he stared at the grate and said "you need more duct board." Hilarious. Didn't even mention the fact that the intake is too small which I found out on my own but I still doubt that would help because pulling the grate off does nothing except maybe make it louder still. So I don't feel like these HVAC people know much about systems either. One of my installer AC's folks said it's the thermostat - you mean the fancy Honeywell? I called Honeywell without much luck. And when I called the manufacturer to supposedly find a compatible thermostat, the guy said X and it was their $800 thermostat. Um, why? I'm definitely looking at the Mr. Cool unit. Not crazy about learning yet a new skill and taking forever figuring things out which is how I am - I'm good, just slow but willing. I may also just install a Midea u-shaped inverter window AC - I bought my daughter one and it's remarkably quiet - crazy quiet. Luckily the window in question is on the side of the house far from the front. But I can't believe I have to resort to a window AC. $500 window AC vs $4000-$5000 Euro-style system vs $5-7000 new HVAC compressor and coils which may not do what I want and the guy really doesn't want to sell me. Geez....See MorePanel-ready refrigerators....are they really so expensive?
Comments (19)Fairytalebaby- I know where you're coming from :) We are in the planning stages of our new home and I was thinking about a paneled fridge too. I talked to several people who had counter-depth french door fridges and they were very disappointed with the actual amount of useable space the units have. Our fridge will sit between two doorways so I can go with a standard depth and have no problem-- the bigger the better. I also started worrying about the possiblity of something going wrong with the fridge in a few years - I've been lurking in the appliance forum- and all that money for the fridge and custom panels is down the drain if a new unit is needed (unless you can find the exact same model and the panels fit- yeah, right- not usually my luck). I've decided to put the fridge into a cupboard surround with pull-outs on either side and cupboard doors up above. The sides will be finished nicely and so I get my built in look- or sort of- without the worry. The area between the doorways is large enough that a fridge sitting there alone would look just plain stupid, so it was a given that the fridge would have to be surrounded by something. Is it a compromise? Sure. Am I saving money? Not likely, but I am saving heart muscle and stomach lining not having to worry about those fridge panels, LOL! ;) There are so many other equally deserving details to obsess over! Good luck on your project!...See MoreBefore you buy that next big kitchen appliance . . .
Comments (25)@DAN1888 I totally agree with you. It is shocking really to spend that much money for something they only guarantee for one year. Also the warranties are not that good for the first year. Whirlpool will not fix my six month old rusting fridge. I would have had to have caught the small rust spots withing the first 30 days to get them to replace it or take it back. But I wouldn't want another one since I would be dealing with the same problem soon there after. I had no idea Whirlpool owned those as brands as well. So basically Whirlpool bought out a huge chunk of their competitors and have set an all time low standard for this sector. I know the top guy at Whirlpool just stepped down in October. My last fridge was a Kenmore and now that brand is no longer what it used to be. Before the Lowes and Home Depot Sears appliances were very popular and they tended to last a long time. Didn't Amazon buy up Kenmore or you can buy them on Amazon? Not sure if that new method of selling will improve the brand. Thank you for posting : )...See MoreDrawer dishwasher—Worth the expense to improve kitchen function?
Comments (25)I really appreciate all these comments, suggestions and perspectives. For the record, I definitely agree that the design of the whole kitchen is the problem, especially at the sink area. The reason I’m trying to keep costs (and work) very limited is that it is likely we will be doing more of a full kitchen renovation in future years, so it doesn’t seem to make sense to do half the job short-term (plus there are other home projects that are more pressing at the moment). When it comes time to re-do the kitchen, for instance, we will likely want to remove that defunct brick chimney that’s to the left of the sink. I’m not sure it makes much sense to get new counters and cabinets with the chimney still in place. We might add some square footage to the kitchen, or we might possibly move the kitchen into the current dining room. My secret dream is to build a big addition with the kitchen in a totally new space—but that’s probably not realistic. So that’s why it might not make sense to redo cabinets and counters at this stage. But I will likely HAVE to replace the dishwasher, which is what got me thinking If it’s worth kicking a small amount of money to lessening the issue, even if the issue isn’t fixed. A new dishwasher is something I could probably keep in a kitchen renovation, if it’s still doing well when the time comes. Anglophilia, can’t agree with hand-washing instead! ;). Did that every day in our last house, and again now whenever the dishwasher breaks. I’ll grumble and moan about the layout but still prefer it to hand-washing, especially now that I have kids! Nhb, no worries :) Dadoes, thanks for clarifying and correcting. The terminology isn’t my strong suit. Example: I also realized my first post referred to a French door fridge when I really meant a side-by-side fridge. I meant the double-drawer unit....See MoreShades_of_idaho
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