New Central Air Install

[girisharora]

Hi,

I will be upfront and admit that I don't know much about Central Air. I have a HVAC guy wanting to put in the following system in my house

2 5 Ton systems with ADP BCRMC6460S3N4 air handlers with Fedders 13 Seer 5 ton condensors. He tells me that the Air handler is a 10 SEER unit but has a expansion valve built into it that makes it 13 SEER. Is this true? He tells me that this Air Handler is better than the First Company air handlers others are proposing. Is that true? He also tells me that Fedders uses Copeland compressors and therefore it is very similar to the high priced brands. All the listings I have seen on this forum state otherwise. What is the opinion of this forum with regards to Fedders?

He also wants to put in a single return each on the first and second floor. The other opinions I have gotten say that I need to get multiple returns on both floors for efficiency. He tells me that the it is a nightmare to balance the system with multiple returns and he won't do it, no matter what. What is the truth here with respect to single return vs. multiple?

Please help as I need to make a decision soon.

Thanks.

[udarrell]

What kind of huge mansion is this, - that it needs ten ton of cooling? How many sq. ft. is each floor-level & the ceiling heights? How well insulated? New or older home?

(Important) what state, & near what large city do you live? Weather conditions, humidity levels, etc.

Do NOT take the first bid, get at least three bids, - demand that all them do a manual J heat-gain heat-loss calc be done!

Demand that they use the manual D for the ductwork installation.

Do NOT oversize the equipment.

Read as many of my pages as you can so you can ask questions to determine the most knowledgeable company personnel.

Today, 7-31-06, the Heat Index here in SW WI is around 104-F & I am cooling over 900 sq. ft first level 3 rooms & hallway in old May 1937 home, with a "Half-Ton window unit."

Two mercury THs (in the kitchen) furthest from the Living-Room A/C, the Springfield TH reads 72-F, the smaller Taylor TH reads 74-F, 1:30 pm. (Make copies of linked pages as needed, & give to contractors' or techs', ha :-) .) - udarrell

[Oscar_Lives]

Please send your payment for my consultation fee as I need to pay my bills soon.

[Noon-Air]

So how big is that house that it *needs* 10 TONS of air conditioning??

8,000sqft?? 9,000sqft?? How many zones are you running?? Why are you going with cheap equipment?? Why are you not using top quality equipment?? Are you having R-410a equipment installed??...you DO know that R-22 is being phased out and in just a little more than 3 years, R-22 equipment will no longer be manufactured..... then what??

[girisharora]

The house is only 4400 sq ft.

3 z> > Hi,

[aka-SBM]

No, its not.

Cheap, crappy shit. I had a call the other night on one....4 months old, and the blower wheel came apart...not a big deal, but it wasnt due to a static pressure issue, it was due to cheap manufacture process. Tell that to the homeowner that just bought a new home, cant find the original installer, and needs air cause hes got 3 kids and its 9pm with outside temps still in the upper 90s....