Need help with getting new house A/C unit...HVAC

[chef1231]

I have been without air for a few days and need a new unit. My old unit is about 20 years old and I am really not interested in trying to fix the old one. I have a company that only offers Goodman brand and they can do it this week. The price is fine even lower then expected but I know nothing about HVAC so... its a single 13 sear 3.5ton unit with a 4 ton condenser. I have another company coming out tomorrow that offers Armstrong and Trane, maybe Ducane.

 

[churchmouse]

If you can get the equipment outside of Goodman that’s what I would do. We stopped using Goodman years ago due to putting out a crap product but I am sure there are a few out there that run just fine.
Ducane is a rebadged Lennox.
Trane is what I would use of the brands you list.
what is the reference of a 3.5 ton unit and a mismatched condenser. That’s not how this works. It’s not how any of this works.
matched system. Evap has to exactly match the condenser.

 

[rhamersley]

I have been without air for a few days and need a new unit. My old unit is about 20 years old and I am really not interested in trying to fix the old one. I have a company that only offers Goodman brand and they can do it this week. The price is fine even lower then expected but I know nothing about HVAC so... its a single 13 sear 3.5ton unit with a 4 ton condenser. I have another company coming out tomorrow that offers Armstrong and Trane, maybe Ducane.

Are you sure you don’t have a 4 ton evaporator coil (indoor coil) and a 3.5 ton condensing unit? I designed air conditioners and heat pumps for Carrier for 10 years, and we rated a half size bigger evaporator, but never the reverse.

 

[ghitch75]

i sell Amana and a bunch of them...if you go with 16 seer or higher they have a 100 year compressor warranty if it dies they will replace the whole unit for free and you pay labor...

 

[rhamersley]

i sell Amana and a bunch of them...if you go with 16 seer or higher they have a 100 year compressor warranty if it dies they will replace the whole unit for free and you pay labor...

Also, lots of high efficiency equipment installs can get you some energy rebates from the local utilities. I put a 16 seer ac system with a 97?% gas furnace in my daughter and son-in-law’s house a few years ago and they got like $400 back from Vectren and Duke. Not bad on a $1600 purchase.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

If you can get the equipment outside of Goodman that’s what I would do. We stopped using Goodman years ago due to putting out a crap product but I am sure there are a few out there that run just fine.
Ducane is a rebadged Lennox.
Trane is what I would use of the brands you list.
what is the reference of a 3.5 ton unit and a mismatched condenser. That’s not how this works. It’s not how any of this works.
matched system. Evap has to exactly match the condenser.

Remember, you're retired...

 

[chef1231]

I might have those backward. The 4 ton unit is for inside and the 3.5 unit is outside

 

[chef1231]

I had a Ducane furnace installed a few years back from a different company if that matters.

 

[MRockwell]

I have a company that only offers Goodman brand and they can do it this week.

I am no HVAC pro, had CM do our system last year. Our neighbor had a new system put in a few years ago, Goodman. I came home a couple weeks ago when it was hot, stepped out of the truck and their outdoor unit was hammering like a detroit diesel.

Makes me glad I had someone knowledgeable do ours.

 

[churchmouse]

Remember, you're retired...

Just giving an opinion. And yes I have hung up the tools.
I did the upsize Evap on the house I live in now when my buddy owned it and they never liked the way it worked. I bought the house and no, I did not like it either but we are talking piston metering not TXV here. When that turd died I matched everything up and brother it is great.,

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Just giving an opinion. And yes I have hung up the tools.
I did the upsize Evap on the house I live in now when my buddy owned it and they never liked the way it worked. I bought the house and no, I did not like it either but we are talking piston metering not TXV here. When that turd died I matched everything up and brother it is great.,

I have no idea what you just said, but I gave you a "Like" anyhow!

 

[ghitch75]

I have no idea what you just said, but I gave you a "Like" anyhow!

HVAC talk....it is a special club....

 

[rhamersley]

Just an engineer’s opinion, but if I were doing it, my first choice would be Trane equipment. Armstrong and Ducane are both alternative brands from Lennox, so they’d be second choice, and Goodman last. Did a competitive comparison of about 15 different brands of equipment for Carrier and Goodman/Janitrol was the lowest performer, at least twenty-some years ago.

 

[ghitch75]

Just an engineer’s opinion, but if I were doing it, my first choice would be Trane equipment. Armstrong and Ducane are both alternative brands from Lennox, so they’d be second choice, and Goodman last. Did a competitive comparison of about 15 different brands of equipment for Carrier and Goodman/Janitrol was the lowest performer, at least twenty-some years ago.

i would disagree....trane armstrong carrier and the other tops one give the most trouble of all i work on..

everybody say Goodman is junk but the fault of many many Goodmans out there are installed wrong.....(/not saying you put any in wrong CM)

i have a lot of Goodmans out there before i started to sell Amana and i just don't have any trouble with them.....

a lot of them are over 15 years old...

been doing this for 40 years if that means anything

 

[rhamersley]

i would disagree....trane armstrong carrier and the other tops one give the most trouble of all i work on..

everybody say Goodman is junk but the fault of many many Goodmans out there are installed wrong.....(/not saying you put any in wrong CM)

i have a lot of Goodmans out there before i started to sell Amana and i just don't have any trouble with them.....

a lot of them are over 15 years old...

been doing this for 40 years if that means anything

Agree to disagree. Tested Janitrol units in our test cells, and they were consistently under rated capacity and efficiency. Granted, that was over twenty years ago, but I still design/spec systems for commercial/industrial clients and we still have all sorts of performance issues with Daiken products made by Goodman. Maybe I’ve just been unlucky or whatnot, but Goodman‘s performance has always been lackluster at best. As I said, agree to disagree.

 

[MindfulMan]

To someone like me, who has an aging A/C, this thread contains interesting information.
But, so far, it's hard to draw a conclusion from the info. I'll keep reading the thread.
I appreciate the input !

 

[churchmouse]

i would disagree....trane armstrong carrier and the other tops one give the most trouble of all i work on..

everybody say Goodman is junk but the fault of many many Goodmans out there are installed wrong.....(/not saying you put any in wrong CM)

i have a lot of Goodmans out there before i started to sell Amana and i just don't have any trouble with them.....

a lot of them are over 15 years old...

been doing this for 40 years if that means anything

The unit in my house was a Goodman as I used them due to the costs involved. Mine was 22 years old when I pulled it (furnace) but the condenser died 10 years in and we finished up with a Carrier.
My trouble was component failures. Those cheap damned stamped shell condenser fans were a given. The last 5 I installed we had issues with every one and it was components. So now we use (used...) Carrier with near zero issues. Had 1 evap with a leak early on in the run. Worst problem we had with that brand.

 

[churchmouse]

To someone like me, who has an aging A/C, this thread contains interesting information.
But, so far, it's hard to draw a conclusion from the info. I'll keep reading the thread.
I appreciate the input !

Dont read to much into any of this. Personal results and experiences may vary depending on what is in front of us. And yes the way it is installed is the absolute most important issue on the check sheet. Getting the right equipment put into your situation is critical.

 

[rhamersley]

The unit in my house was a Goodman as I used them due to the costs involved. Mine was 22 years old when I pulled it (furnace) but the condenser died 10 years in and we finished up with a Carrier.
My trouble was component failures. Those cheap damned stamped shell condenser fans were a given. The last 5 I installed we had issues with every one and it was components. So now we use (used...) Carrier with near zero issues. Had 1 evap with a leak early on in the run. Worst problem we had with that brand.

.

 

[ljk]

Some say the overall quality of HVAC system is 20% on equipment, 80% on installation.