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Archive 2014 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related

  
 
rprouty
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


Looking for advice on a new install in an old house of a heat pump and gas furnace.
I have bids from Trane, Carrier, York, Amana, American Standard. All come in between $5100.00 and $5600.00 for total install.
My question does anyone have recommendations which way to go? Are they all created equal? Is who installs it more important than the make and model.
Thanks for any help and suggestions.

Rod



Mar 30, 2014 at 06:35 PM
Wobble
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


I would look at Consumer Reports. It may cost the price of a subscription that you will likely recover in the peace of mind you will get based upon your informed decision.


Mar 30, 2014 at 09:01 PM
rprouty
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


I bought an online subscription but they don't go into much detail.
Thanks



Mar 30, 2014 at 09:43 PM
Imagemaster
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


We don't need non-photo related posts littering up a photo related site.


Mar 31, 2014 at 01:58 AM
rprouty
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


Be courteous, and "polite". Do not use profanity, viciously bash others, be rude, hateful, threatening, abusive, invasive, or otherwise violate any laws. By participating in this forum, you agree to any possible future rules amended, implicit, or implied.


Mar 31, 2014 at 04:27 AM
trenchmonkey
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


Ignore Markle, Rod. (most do) It's a Misc. forum and you'd no doubt like some advice
from your FM family on this one. The 1st 3 brands are right up there in quality but the install
is gonna be key...especially in an older home. I'd look into warranty duration as well as possible
energy tax rebates. GL with your decision. We just sprung for new furnace & AC thru Costco of
all places. Saved about 30% over shopping around AND qualified for the energy rebate.



Mar 31, 2014 at 07:19 AM
john saunders
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


I can't offer much, but I would definitely look at who's actually doing the installation. Do they farm it out or do it themselves -- either way, look for complaints on review sites. Some places book too many jobs then run into delays -- like Mr. Trenchmonkey says, older homes can be tricky (ours certainly is -- I can't even change a lightbulb without the plaster giving way and the fixture landing on my head).

Oh, and I like digressions, especially when they're clear and well-placed (like this one)



Mar 31, 2014 at 08:38 AM
Imagemaster
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


Sorry, how could I think that Miscellaneous on a photo site included non-photo related discussions? Briefly scanning the last 100 postings, I only see 1 that is not photo-related. Wonder what that means?

Good to know we can also have discussions on sex, religion, and politics on this forum.

Gee, and a Google search on "heating" brings up only 118,000,000 results.



Mar 31, 2014 at 11:03 AM
Sarsfield
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


either way, look for complaints on review sites.

I wouldn't endorse (or pay for) things like Angie's List but you can usually find some very good info concerning contractors in your area. I know there are some competitor written scathing reviews that you'll need to weed through but you can usually get the lowdown pretty easily if you look at Yelp, Google reviews, etc...

Imagemaster, go away.



Mar 31, 2014 at 11:46 AM
kzoockof
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


Whoever you hire, hire somebody else to come and inspect the installation upon completion and prior to "signing off". That way, the shortcuts the initial installer made can be identified and remedied. I don't know about you, but I don't consider myself informed enough to recognize if the wrong type of connection, wrong ducting size, etc. . . were used. Also, I want to know that the installation is actually connected to the correct existing ducts taking the "treated" air to where it should and JUST as importantly, that the return air ducts throughout the house are really connected properly to bring that air back to the furnace/AC. On my own, I am not sure I would recognize a bad install, which can add to your bills for years and years, instead of being identified upon completion of the installation.

My experience with contractors in the house. They'll do things right as long as they have easy access and it doesn't take too long. The older the house, the more likely that they will run into things that don't have easy access and may take more time.




Apr 02, 2014 at 12:44 PM
Danpbphoto
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


trenchmonkey wrote:
Ignore Markle, Rod. (most do) It's a Misc. forum and you'd no doubt like some advice
from your FM family on this one. The 1st 3 brands are right up there in quality but the install
is gonna be key...especially in an older home. I'd look into warranty duration as well as possible
energy tax rebates. GL with your decision. We just sprung for new furnace & AC thru Costco of
all places. Saved about 30% over shopping around AND qualified for the energy rebate.



Rod(and Tony),
I believe Will was being facetious. While I do agree a bit with Tony, all of us "lifers"here love to help others. Usually no matter what the topic is.

Now I will put in my $.02 worth. I have had a heat pump and furnace in 3 of my houses over 50 years. Here in Maryland they are so inefficient that when the weather gets really cold, it can take the heat pump a long while to heat the air. Condensation has formed on the motors and condensors outside in near and below zero weather and the hp burned up. Now this was awhile ago so they may be more efficient nowadays. I know in 90% or better of the developments built around here in the last 10 years, they no longer use heat pumps on new construction.
My last 2 brand new homes have a furnace for heat and an air conditioner unit for cooling and it is very hi efficiency and moderate cost(natrl gas-heat,electric air).

I would do some research. Check new subdivisions on line in your area and see what they are installing.
Brand wise, I cannot recommend 1 against the other. You can have problems with any. My present one burned up the heating sensor after 2 years inthe middle of a cold winter. So go figure.

Best of luck.
Dan



Apr 02, 2014 at 01:00 PM
kzoockof
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


If you can find a furnace that is closer to the 30-50 year old range, it is much more likely to last longer than one of the new disposable ones they sell now days. It seems like half the people I know that have bought a brand new house has had their furnace fail within the 5-10 year time range.

I suspect buying a 30 year old well made furnace will get twice the life of a brand new furnace. It won't be as efficient, but it is also less likely to fail in the middle of winter when you need it to work. An the moderate loss due to ineffeciency will be more than made up when you have to replace a "new disposable" furnace.

My furnace was 28 years old when I bought my house . . . 14 years ago. I had the furnace inspected prior to purchase and was told it would need to be replaced shortly. It has been inspected and serviced every two years - every single time I was told it was on it's last leg, by a furnace sales and service company. I actually paid somebody to come in and measure the efficiency of it last year . . . it measured at 88-89% efficient. The inspector (who did not sell furnaces) told me I would be crazy to replace it with a new one to get to 92-94% efficiency. He also told me that a new one probably wouldn't last as long as the one I already have, not the 40 years, he meant from now until the end of it vs. a new one to the end of it's projected life of 10 years.

I would buy a new furnace only if it came with a 25 year full warranty or my house didn't already have a furnace and I could not find a 30 year old used one.



Apr 03, 2014 at 06:12 PM
PetKal
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


trenchmonkey wrote:
Ignore Markle, Rod. (most do)


True enough.........however, although I do not pay much attention to Markle's posts, I do find his avatar distracting. I think I should finally start to use that "hide me" button in order to take that avatar away, and for no other reason.

Edited on Apr 20, 2014 at 05:21 PM · View previous versions



Apr 20, 2014 at 05:19 PM
rprouty
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related





Apr 20, 2014 at 05:21 PM
PetKal
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


Done: the crazy avatar is gone. Calm and quiet has returned to my FM screens.


Apr 20, 2014 at 05:25 PM
jbregar
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Heating and Air--Non-Photo Related


kzoockof wrote:
Whoever you hire, hire somebody else to come and inspect the installation upon completion and prior to "signing off". That way, the shortcuts the initial installer made can be identified and remedied. I don't know about you, but I don't consider myself informed enough to recognize if the wrong type of connection, wrong ducting size, etc. . . were used. Also, I want to know that the installation is actually connected to the correct existing ducts taking the "treated" air to where it should and JUST as importantly, that the return air ducts throughout the house are really connected properly
...Show more

Any contractor that'd come in behind another contractor to "check things out" even if paid is probably not worth paying to check things out. They'd be opening themselves up to all kinds of liability by "signing off" on work they didn't perform... not to mention it's kind of a jerk move to run around second-guessing your colleagues.

Besides, replacement of a furnace is a big job... one that's going to require a permit be pulled in just about any county/municipality I've ever heard of. You have a "double checker" that comes to your house for free... he's called the "inspector" and he should be making sure the HVAC contractors and electricians follow code.

Find a reputable contractor to start with and then let them do their job. Would you hire another wedding photographer to come in and follow your real wedding photographer around to make sure he's doing a good job? How about hiring them to check out your photos to make sure they're "ok" before you pay the actual photog? No? Then don't do it to your HVAC guy either.

I build websites. If a client came to me and said "hey, we've hired this other guy to check out the work you've done when you're finished" my response would be to politely fire them as my client. If they want some other guy to "double check" my work, they don't trust me... and if they don't trust me, then I'm not going to be effective for them so it's in both of our best interests to part ways.



Apr 29, 2014 at 11:38 PM





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