Hi, I had a new AC unit installed and would like to know if it is comparable to the old unit. Here are the specs:
Heil model CH3036UKB1 (old unit) compressor RLA 20 LRA 107 fan 1/3hp FLA 1.4 LRA 3.6
Payne model PH10JA036-F (new unit) compressor RLA 16.6 LRA 86 fan 1/4hp FLA 1.4
Is there anything else that would identify the quality of the new vs old unit? Thanks for your input.
Katy
Lets see....you replaced an old ICP unit with a new ICP unit.
Unless you had the indoor coil replaced too, you wont see much difference.
Now, as far as quality? The name on the unit means nothing, unless its Goodman, or Janitrol, then you got screwed over good. The quality of the unit, means much less than if it was installed correctly, meaning, new indoor matched coil. If you didnt, then you may find that the new units full of problems, not connected directly of course, to the new unit. The quality comes from the installer, NOT the unit. Installed correctly, you have a winner, reguardless of the nameplate. Installed incorrectly, and you got a POS.
I do not like the Payne unit at all. The condenser fins are very tight and not guarded very well. I would rather have another Heil installed. The cost is about the same!
Payne is not an ICP product. The only equipment made by ICP is the following Heil, Tempstar, Comfortmaker, Arcoaire, and Kenmore. The only real difference in any of the names is the tag on the cabinet. The Tempstar is supposed to be a higher end condneser, and Comfortmaker is a very low end condenser.
True, yet United Technologies, who owns Carrier, Payne, and Bryant, also owns ICP. Tempstar replaced the Whirlpool name when Inter City Gas bought out Heil Quaker. ICP has been owned by UT since 1999.....my bad....technically she replaced one United Tech product with another... since both companies are owned by the same company.
hows that?
Hi CB I posted a question on a Trane heat pump problem (DSS). in HVAC and haven't gotten any real answers yet. I know that you are as knowledgeable as anyone in the business about this problem. If there is anyway you could help me, either by EMail, or in here or HVAC I would be very grateful. I realize that an HVAC question in the other group would be considered OT now, given the recent climate in there. Thanks Larry
CB-- thanks for the reply.Sorry I didn't post more info-- posted it in alt.hvac. Anyhow, here is the scoop. Unit is a 5 ton 10 seer, upflow standard (non variable) air handler in a closet upstairs on a two story house. It was installed when the house was built 4-5 years ago (not by us-we don't do new construction). I think the people are the original owners, but didn't ask specifically. We had never been there before. She said the problem just started last week. When I got there the unit was off. Turned it on -- HP and strips-- and let it run . Everything fine. Coil, blower, cabinet all nice and clean. Figured maybe the drain trap had dried and it was somehow sucking sewer gas, but the drain just runs outside. I checked the line at the unit and outside and no smell in it at all. Said WTF. Then, just to check, put the c/u into forced defrost, went inside and sure enough-- not nearly as bad as they made it out to be, but definitely noticable. The strips had already been on, so it was definitely from the coil. I remember seeing a bulletin from Trane some time back, but as I recall, all it did was acknowledge there was a problem, and gave no real causes or solutions. I think we had another unit with the problem, and put in UV lights and ended up taking them back and refunding the money as they did not help.I am going to look into it more tomorrow, but I wanted to talk to people here who I would trust more than some factory rep giving BS. I know Vicki is a Trane A/S fan, and also NuCalgon. Maybe she will see the post in the other group, if she can wade through the crap there. Have you ever run into one doing what this one is? I don't know if this is something peculiar to Trane or not. I have never heard of the problem on other units, but around here there are far more Trane HPs than all others put together. Thanks Larry
Hey Larry, Sounds like you have a case of "dirty sock syndrome". Typically, the smell does come from the coil when it defrosts due to the extreme temperature change which causes micro-organisms to give off the odor. And no, the problem isn't peculiar to Trane. I have seen it on all the major brands, even some 90% plus gas furnaces too. Basically, the high SEER equipment doesn't run a high enough coil temperature to keep the little buggers away. Sometimes a good cleaning with a acid based coil cleaner and treatment with something like Exodor will make the problem go away for a while. Most times it will return, but sometimes not. I think there is lots of theories out there about the source of the problem and a cure, but I have not seen anything definitive. We have replaced a few indoor coils with coated coils to prevent the growth of the buggers and even one or two of them didn't turn out to be a long term solution. I have heard it said that UV lights are the ticket, but you have already mentioned that you haven't had success with that method. I did have a powerpoint presentation that I got from a Trane distributor that had some info that helped the homeowner understand what was happening and what we knew about it. It had no real solutions other than to make the customer understand we were doing all we could and basically, it was one big experiment because what worked at one job may or may not help the next one. I think CB gave some good advice because if you have mold growth, there has to be buildup on the coil in the cracks and crevices. Good luck with it.
Bobby
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