We have a new house that was recently built in Denver, CO (so we will only run the A/C 2-3 mo/yr). We were looking at having a 3.0 ton 13+ SEER unit installed. We have had estimates using American Standard, Trane, Tappan, Carrier and (soon to get quote on Rheem).
We are thinking of choosing between Carrier and Tappan as we don't need the best due to pricing and the fact that it will not be run constantly. Both installers seem compitent although the Carrier installer does large volumes for home builders, while the Tappan is an indept. installer and comes recommended by our inspector. Any suggestions?
The contractor chosen should do a Manual J calculation. Not ask the sqft of the home and then look at all the rooms. A detailed inspection of the duct work should be done. That way the contractor will be aware of all the situations.
A residential home builder installer, says to me bottom dollar. ( my opinion ) Where I live the contractor that does a lot of the home new builds has been sued for lots of dollars several times. Once even by the state. Not a guy that I would want doing my home. I would definately check one of the
1-2 year old home owners and see what problems and suggestions they have about the mechinical system. I owned a 1999 built home that was done by this guy. There were 220 homes in the HOA that I lived in. My compressor even with a blanket on the it was almost 70 db on the patio. Some were so load that you could hear them several homes away.
Equipment is the least of your worries. A 13+ is just that no matter what the sheetmetal says or what color it is. I would definately recommend a scroll compressor. Last longer, and they are quieter. The installer makes or breaks the system.
Who ever you choose research and check on the previous installs. Best of luck
Why is it Carriers fault? Like the broken record we keep playing; the equipment is not the major player in the formula. The installer is the one that makes or breaks the job.
I am sure that Carrier will stand by their warranty. As for preformance not their job, they sell parts not installation.
Me i would want a Rheem , but carrier is not bad ,but i'm not sure about Tappen.
Now we just discussed brands , but I will say this. If you got a GOOD INSTALLER .. Any brand that he/she sells is the best. 90% of a good running piece of equipment is who installed it and not who manufactored it. Any HVAC equipment is no better than the fellow who installed it.
stay away from Carrier. my neighbor installed a $9000+ system last year and it hasn't worked properly since installation.
We are thinking of choosing between Carrier and Tappan as we don't need the best due to pricing and the fact that it will not be run constantly. Both installers seem compitent although the Carrier installer does large volumes for home builders, while the Tappan is an indept. installer and comes recommended by our inspector. Any suggestions?
Inspectors are not allowed to give referrals, because of liability issues and conflict of interest (kick backs). The city/town can provide a list of registered licensed contractors, but no verbal referrals.
How can the installer make that much of a difference when it comes to packaged units? In four years, our Heil has needed a new evaporator drip pan, two blower fan time delays, and a condenser fan.
What's the difference among brands when they contain the same major components (motors, compressor, coils)? Because I have a packaged Heil that's now on its third indoor fan time delay board, and the first two eventually wouldn't turn on that fan sometimes (maybe 1 in 10 to 1 in
50 times). I don't understand why something so simple would fail twice in four years because when I saw the circuit board, it resembled an ordinary 555 timer circuit that should be child's play to make them reliable. This kind of circuit has been featured a lot in electronics hobby project magazines.
We didn't buy a Rheem because the previous A/C was a 10-year-old Rheem, and its evaporator pan rusted out, and then 1-2 years later the evaporator developed black drips all over it.
Rheem had it's bad years from 1988 to 1993 and you got one I guess but good now. You say you got a Packaged Hell unit. Carrier Bought them out and I'm still wondering about them being good or not. The above words i speak are from working on them and not talking about them.
Now above all said here the most important thing there is to concider is the Installer as to making it run correctly in the future. A Good Installer will know about these problems and just not sell that brand till the trouble stops , but above all install it right and not have problem that most have. if all hvac equipment was installed exactly like it should be installed. we would not need
1/2 the hvac people in the industry to repair the units out there.
One last thing here , the time delay you spoke about could be having a problem when too cold of discharge air because of too small or not enought of flow through the duct system. if the air is too cold because of not enough of return air to the building. It can form moisture on the board and eat it up. Water on relay board is a bad mix.
Evaperator Drip pan. the Installer instruction say to turn it tight but don't use a wrench on it or you will break it.
Two Blower Time Delays. Not enogh of air flow , then air will form moisture on the boartd and everthing else and burn them.
Condenser fan motor going out. Well You can have a problem like this and really say hey That was a bad motor and it went out, But now do we give credit of the motor going out to Hiel or to General Electric who made it.
I saw the one they took out. It was cracked at the opposite end, in a corner. Isn't it most likely a factory fault?
The blower time delay is mounted in a separate compartment, along with som that apparently isn't exposed to the air flow and is well-sealed against weather. And besides, aren't these boards supposed to be weatherproofed, just in case moisture does get in?
Again, how could the installer have made a difference?
The installer can do or not do certian things that can cause failures in atleast
30 different ways. Just one let the Package unit have a very high heat rise at
100ºF+ by low air flow you get the motor running in a water dripping area and at about 32ºF air . then in cooling you get a water in the fanmotor and burn it. in the winter you run the heat rise up to 100ºF+ and it will bust any evaperator pan made today.
The Installer is the biggest killer of HVAC equipment than any manufactor ever thought about doing.
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