I've checked around town and gotten a few estimates but, as a new homeowner, know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about HVAC units.
So here they are:
Bid #1 - $4519
Carrier 24ABB3 (Comfort Series) 13 SEER A/C
Carrier 58STA (Comfort 80 Series) 80% Single-stage Furnace
with a CNPVPB617 coil
or upgrade to the following for a total of $6385 ($920 for a/c, $946 for furnace)
Carrier 24ANB6 (Infinity Series) 16 SEER A/C
Carrier 58CVA (Infinity 80 Series) 80% Variable Two-stage Furnace
both with a CNPVP3617ATA Cased Vertical Tin-Plated N-Coil
with a CX34 coil
Bid #2 - $3790
Lennox 13ACX (Merit Series) 13 SEER A/C
Lennox ML180 (Merit Series) 80% Single-stage Furnace
or upgrade to the following for a total of $5590 ($300 for a/c, $1500 for furnace)
Lennox 14ACX (Merit Series) 14 SEER A/C
Lennox SL280V (Signature Series) 80% Variable Two-stage Furnace
Missouri has a temperate climate, but we do get the odd extreme temperature. I'm also, as you all know, a spendthrift who would rather open a window or throw on a sweater than pay increased utility bills. Funds are tight, so costs (short and long-term) are definitely a concern.
Any of you all out there have any advice, inclinations, or experiences? Is choosing the 80% efficiency, which every installer recommended, a bad idea? Is the upgrade to a two-stage variable speed furnace worth it? Are there any other models that I should consider that would better fit my needs?
As always, I'm full of questions.
I apologize for the boring subject matter of today's post. Putting on the big boy pants isn't fun, but sometimes it can't be avoided. In the interest of others out there looking to do the same, I promise to post pictures and a write-up detailing my experience once the project is finished.
I can't tell about the a/c (Ours is god knows how old and I'm sacrificing small animals to it, hoping to appease the A/C gods a while longer) but we had to replace our 40 year old furnace when we bought this house. We bit the bullet and went with a gas furnace (Frigidaire; what an oxymoronic hoot!)with about 92% efficiency...and don't regret it! We live in northern Iowa, but our heating bills have dropped to incredibly low levels. I think we now only spend about $85 a month--tops--on a 12 month budget plan, for the new furnace, an ancient gas hot water heater (maybe I'd better start giving it some sacrificial offerings, too) and a gas stove. I can not believe the savings, during our brutal winters!
ReplyDelete40 years! That's crazy. The estimated life on the junk they make today is 10-15. They really don't make stuff like they used to.
DeleteI know. Amazing. Yep, it was installed in 1966, when I was going on 11 years old. When we replaced it, I was...ahem...definitely Middle Aged. Our freezer is 25 years old, and we finally hauled away an equally aged refrigerator, because it was an energy hog. People warn me that our new Samsung fridge will probably die by the age of eight. @@
DeleteOh, and I forgot to add: we didn't really HAVE to replace it. We were strongly urged to replace it. It still worked! Just cost a ton of money to run....
DeleteIt's about time to replace the one in my house too, and I know nothing about A/C units, so I'll be eager to read all the comments you get.
ReplyDeleteMan, it's an information overload. There's like a million different factors to consider and all the reviews contradict one another. I'll report back (hopefully with a positive review) when I get it put in.
DeleteI live in Florida, so we really don't need the furnace application. That said, we put in a whole central unit for our house quite a few years back as it only had some wall shakers and it ran about $6500 everything included. Duct work and all. It's a Carrier 4 1/2 ton compressor and a 5 ton air handler at 13 seer. I wouldn't go with less than the 13 aeer rating, although much higher are available now for a price,. We have a 1927 Craftsman bungalow and this house has the original windows and lack of proper insulation. It's more expensive to heat than cool.
ReplyDeleteWe can't all be that lucky :P St. Louis has wild swings in weather, so one day we'll be running the furnace full blast and the next it'll be unbearably hot. How long ago did you get yours replaced? Mine looks like it'll be about that much.
Deletehome ownership is fun, but such issues suck the fun out of it!! good luck with ur choices
ReplyDeleteHah! When does the fun part start? Hopefully once we've gotten all these issues sorted we can finally start to enjoy things a bit.
DeleteThe post is amazing, as it deals with hvac replacement it is always suggested to get help of professional experts to repair or replace your systems
ReplyDeleteNice way to explain stuffs to your readers. I love this post. Also while talking about hvac replacement, i suggest trying Heating and Cooling Contractors Rancho Cucamonga
ReplyDelete