AC...Fix or Replace?

[komobu]

Hi;

I am in the US Army stationed in Korea. I have a House in Virginia that I am renting out. The AC compressor went out. And I am being quoted

1600 dollars to replace the compressor. I purchased the house in 1993, and replaced the compressor in 94 or 95. The AC Unit is probably 20 or more years old. I am trying to decide whether to repair the unit at 1600 or to install a brand new model with better efficiency. In another year and a half, I will be moving back into the home and will live there indefinitely. I would like to replace the unit in the off season and is there a month that would be best for me to replace it? Please provide me with some recommendations, specific name brand and model numbers with pricing if known. Also, should I get a manual J done?

Thanks for any help Pat

[Bill]

From the money point of view, if you were going to keep it a rental, I would say repair it.

But since you are going to live there, get a new AC and get the most efficient you can swing. You will be glad you did when the electric bills show up. And get several estimates if possible.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

In that case, I'd replace. Thanks for serving in our Military and making our country safer.

[Support Your Cowardly Troops!!]

[tiny dancer]

Hi, we are in N.C., and replaced our whole unit a couple years ago. Can't recall if it's been two summers now or three, but we noticed a huge savings on our electric bill the first summer. The new unit saved us at the very least 1/3 off our summer cooling bills per month, most times closer to 1/2. My husband said this new unit will have paid for itself in less than 5 years time, in the savings off our cooling bills. With the old unit, some of electric bills in the summer time were approaching $400, after the new unit, we never had a bill that even neared the $300 mark, and I'm talking hot and humid summer. If you'd like, I can ask my husband the name of the unit we had installed? I know it was an off-brand model of a name brand. The guy we had install it said 'it was made by the same company, same unit, etc. but less expensive than the name brand.

Hope this helps.

td

>

[Red Neckerson]

I wish they'd kill some more babies so gas and heating oil prices drop some more.....

[Dr. Hardcrab]

You have some good points, but i want to clarify a few things:

Brand name does not really matter. 90% of the job is who and how they install it. You can get a top-of-the-line unit and have it installed by some fly-by-night "hack" and then you end up with nothing but trouble. A/Cs and heatpumps have improved (efficiency-wise) quite a bit in the past 20 years. What was considered "high efficiency" back in 1988 is now considered the least efficient and will soon not be available due to new government standards. You have to remember though: Just changing the outdoor unit can help, but you are not going to get very good efficiency using the old evaporator coil. You may even DEcrease the SEER rating. In other words, if you install a 13 SEER outdoor unit (which will be the minimum requirement at the end of this year. You don't HAVE to have one, it's just that manufacturers will not make them any longer) and you keep the old evaporator coil, you may get an actual 11 SEER rating or possibly lower.

In any case, get a least 3 quotes (not estimates) from companies that your friends and neighbors know. See who they have used and who they are happy with and you can't go wrong..... Do yourself a favor: Replace the entire system. Outdoor unit, lineset, eveaporator coil, the works. You'll save money in the long run and have less problems down the road..

[CJT]

I'm not convinced that replacing everything is necessarily the best way to go. Of course you want it installed right. But the rest is economics. It might be MUCH cheaper to simply replace the compressor unit -- so much so that the additional electricity saving from going all the way won't justify the additional cost.

In my experience, the greatest savings (assuming a working unit of reasonable efficiency) come from making sure the ductwork is in good condition so you don't leak half of your cooled air.

[Dr. Hardcrab]

"CJT" wrote

Again, it depends. If you use A/C a couple months out of the year, then you could get by with just replacing the outdoor unit. If you can see what a 20 year old coil looks like, you can see some of the "physical" differences of the improvements made to the new, high efficiency ones. One thing is the size. More efficient ones have more surface area. An old 3 ton coil may be

12 inches high wher a newer one can be 20-some inches high. Another thing is the metering device. Old ones used pistons where newer ones have expansion valves. Not ALL new coils, but most. And, depending on the size, installer, how much of a pain it is to change, sheet metal involved, adding a new evaporator coil and new line set can be as low as an additional $500. Sure, that's not pocket change, but if changing out the entire system can save you 50 bucks a month on your electric bill, it may pay to do it. Especially if your cooling season is 5 or 6 months long. If you have a heat pump, forget it. You'd be crazy just to change the outdoor unit......

[CBHVAC]

As of Jan 1, 2006, the ONLY way to get what you pay for, is to go with a matched condensor and evap coil, provided that the company that you are dealing with cant get a 10, or 12 SEER unit....13 SEER is a new ball game when it comes to retrofits. Bad thing is, with the higher SEERS, sometimes you need higher airflow, and the ONLY way to get that, is to go with a VS furnace...so..yea..it can suck. However, no legitimate AC company will replace just the outdoor unit, with a high SEER, (13 and higher) if you have old 10SEER or lower evap coil....if they do..they are just stealing your money, its that simple.

Well, yes, and no. Ductwork SIZED correctly for the unit, each rooms needed capacity, and sealed is the way to go. Bad thing is, most companies throw a trunk line in and ever take off is 6 inch....thats wrong.

[CBHVAC]

First...thanks for what you are doing..even if it allows some f****rs like that one that posted later to still breathe...

1600 for a compressor change out, depending on the size and brand of the condensor, is not as high as it sounds...however, if its 3 ton or less, then it can be quite high for this area..VA, NC, SC..just depends on how much the compressor costs and the brand name on the unit...

I have been able may times to change out an entire unit for less than that, and still make a profit, so, you might want to shop around...and if you do, remember, name brands on the units today mean nothing, unless of course its a Goodman..Goodman is STILL the cheapest POS on the market...and while it will do the job, why install something that is prone to failure more often than others, when you can get a better brand for less, or the same price and have fewer issues with it.

[Dr. Hardcrab]

"CBHVAC" wrote

Another thing: You change a compressor only, you get 1 year warranty. If you change the entire unit, you (sometimes) get 10 years. Depends on the manufacturer. Some will not give the 10 years unless you change the evaporator coil too.

or a York.

;-]

(I kid)

[CBHVAC]

Yea..I know...since Yorks giving lifetime warrantys now..LOL seriously.

Funny..Goodman drops theirs...everyone else gets one...

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[Dr. Hardcrab]

"CBHVAC" wrote

Really? York does now? Why in the world did Goodman stop? That was about their only selling poimt......

[CBHVAC]

14 SEER and higher Affinitys, with a matching coil, gets a lifetime on the compressor....good thing about that is, with the new ACC team covers (NOT winter covers...unit grilles actually..you know the colored ones? Well, now you can get Duke, UNC...Florida..etc...with the team logo on it) if the grilles rust out, you can replace em with about anything you want..

Goodman stopped after their buyout with the new owners. The lifetime warranty isnt automatic now, and they are hardcore on the "if you bought it, not licenced, or in the trade and can prove it, or bought it over the internet" there isnt a bit of warranty on the unit. Have to go back and look, but its gone bro.

[Red Neckerson]

We don't allow no colored ones around these here parts!!!!!

[CBHVAC]

Keyboard....where do I send you the bill? LOL

[Dr. Hardcrab]

"CBHVAC" wrote

Duke and UNC???!!! They're for PUSSIES!!!!!

;-]

BTW, been down your way quite a bit in the past 3 weeks. My son has been in the NCAA playoffs (soccer). Most of them have been in Raleigh. (The ACC playoffs were in Carey). They are in the "sweet 16". Play Notre Dame (at Clemson) this Sunday. Then the final 4 (and finals) are going to be in Carey. Putting some miles on the vehicle!!! 5 trips in 2 weeks! Nothing like driving a 10 hour round trip for a 2 hour game. Clemson is a 17 hour round trip!!! Oh, well. They are only young once.

Give me 3 years. I'll be down there somewhere in the Carolinas...........

[CBHVAC]

Well, yea..I agree...ive always been an NCSU fan...even when they suck..

You have been out Pauls way...should have given him a call and met up with him...found out hes not the total ass he wants you think he is..LOL

If you are out this way again, let me know..lunch is on me.

And yea...I know about the being young once thing. I have a friend thats not only talked me into joining as a PT officier here with the local SD, but he also coaches an elementary soccer team...(ok..its not even close to NCAA stuff) but we sponsored them this year..and they won their divisions championship last week. Its nice to see the kids out there and know that by buying the uniforms, shoes, etc...that they are doing something they wont prob ever forget..

[Dr. Hardcrab]

Played them two days ago! Beat them 3-0 and my boy scored the third goal. Hey! NCS beat them during the reg season. One comment: They must not give much money to the soccer team. That field was pitiful! No lights, pot-a-potties, crappy field. We thought it was a alternate field because of the rain, but someone said that was their regular field! Oh, well. We didn't want to walk around the field (through the mud) to go to the "visitor's side" so we sat with all of the NCSU fans. Nice people! Most of the time you still get PPS (pissed parent syndrom) when their kid is losing and you are cheering for the opposing team. Got none of that. We got lost getting to the field and ended up at the baseball stadium. Now THAT is nice.

I forget exactly where you are.

I have no beef with Paul. Don't know him personally, but I know what kind of guy he really is.

We were going to go down to Clemson tomorrow, but we are going to wait until Saturday morning. Then, hopefully, we will be in Carey/Raleigh the 9th,

10th, and 11th.