Air Conditioning..

Google on "Air Conditioning"?

try alt.home.repair

Don't start by looking at the unit. Start by looking at the contractor.

A good contractor will not sell you junk equipment.

The best equipment not installed properly will never work properly.

Get and check references from any contractor. Make sure they do a formal load calculation and check not only for the total cooling required, but also the ductwork required. Make sure they have workman's comp paid current.

Let them pick the brand of equipment that they know is good and familiar working with.

King, Whenever I antisipate spending a chuck of money, I usually consult "Consumer Reports". Their product reviews point out what to look for as well as what is recommended.

Larry

Someone named "King" Proclaimed on Thu,

I reposted your question to alt.hvac for you. Those guys are the best!

Love,

Robert L. Bass

Wrong group. It's alt.home.repair you want

Thanks!!!....

wrong group

All the experts here say that having a good installer is more important than which brand you use. I think that might be true because a good installer will know what the better brands are; on the other hand, if his company doesn't carry a certain brand that is good, he will be unlikely to recommend it.

The question then is how do you know who is a good installer? I am not convinced that references provided by the installer are of much value; he is unlikely to include any complaining customers in his reference list. Also, if a neighbor or relative says an installer was good, that may be of some value, but you have to realize that they dealt with the installer, in all probability, just once, and haven't dealt with any others.

I think BBB complaint lists are useful, but you should also check out how many installations have been done. If two installers have, respectively, 3 and 1 complains on file, the second looks better; but if the first has done a thousand installations, and the second only 1, its a different picture.

I think a good indicator is how long the installer has been in business. A poor installer will not last long, at least under the same name. I know you may miss a good one who is just starting out, but you will be gaining experience.

Second, after finding a few that are established, have them come out and do estimates. Bear in mind that the best talker may be all talk and little performance, so make a list of just what should be done to produce the estimate, and select between those who do everything on your list. A few years ago, before this forum existed, I had my sturdy old furnace replaced with a high efficiency furnace and whole house air. I didn't realize that the installer should have toured the house and made a calculation to determine the proper size. Luckily, the new furnace and air worked, but next time (especially since I added ducting into my finished (unfinished to the tax department) attic, I will take the advice of the experts here and ask to see the calculation.

Another th> I am looking into getting airconditiong installed and I am getting a few