Anyone replaced their HVAC system? What to look for in unit and contractor? Experiences?

[matrips]

Our hvac unit is going on 16 years old and I want to be prepared to replace it. We live in FL so A/C is a must. Though the heat is on this week. Our old unit is a 5 ton, air handler in attic, other part outside on a slab; all electric. It still works, and we've just been getting it maintained, but I think I'd rather have the time to replace it with what we want, instead of something on an emergency basis.

 

Has anyone replaced their hvac unit recently? Or knows about hvac? Just wondering about what to look for besides size and seer ratings. One fellow told me today that the newer units, since they are all plastic, don't trap the mold that my old air handler does. True? Or sales pitch? I will still have the same duct work, but he says they will clean them as part of the installation and new mold won't appear. He also recommended a hepa filter. He was trying to sell a scratch and dent American Standard Platinum unit, two speed, 10 years parts and 1 year labor warranty. $7500 plus $400 hepa filter. I have other estimates coming out, but not sure how to tell the difference between a scam and real deal. He kept telling me it was a 20 seer unit, but then the paperwork says 17.5 I think with a 9 hspf. Apparently the seer isn't always 20 because of the two speeds?

 

Any info or experience appreciated!

 

Thanks.

[TechWife]

We've replaced both of our units within the last couple of years. I'm afraid I'm not much help though. Our criteria had more to do with who would come out to the house when it was 105 and the air wasn't' working than it did with shopping around. I will say that we did decide to go with a bigger unit for the second floor than we had originally. We are very glad we did. It keeps up with both heat and air much better than the old one. 

 

I think it's great you are thinking ahead! 

 

 

[Lisa in Jax]

We just replaced ours. We ended up paying $5000 for replacement of the inside and outside units. (We ended up with a 14 SEER b/c there were few options due to the size of the space where the inside unit had to go.)

 

IMHO, he's trying to sell you all the bells and whistles, including some that you might not need. What do other companies say? Be sure to get several bids -- one contractor wanted FOUR times the price of another. Seriously.

 

If you live in NE Florida, I can recommend the company we used. 

 

Lisa

[Crimson Wife]

Our furnace died on Christmas Day 2012 when we had guests in the house so we ended calling around to all the contractors that had been recommended on the local mothers' club e-list and going with the one willing to send somebody out that day to look at it. He wasn't able to repair it but the company provided space heaters until they could get the replacement unit in. We had been told when we had our home inspection that the HVAC would need replacing within 3-5 years and it was a week short of 3 years when it died.

 

I Googled the typical cost of HVAC replacement in our area and the bid we got was within the range I found, so I hope we didn't get ripped off. But I definitely recommend doing the replacement before the old unit dies.

[G5052]

Yes, get multiple estimates.  We were shocked at how different they were, and also the differences in how thorough the sales people were and how they interacted with us.  We went with the one that had the most detailed estimate and gave us a good "vibe."  And no regrets.  We paid more than we thought, but they did an outstanding job, and the same company replaced our well pump last summer.  They're not the cheapest plumbing and heating company in town, but I've never heard of them doing bad work either.

[matrips]

Did anyone's contractor actually do a load sizing calculation to determinate the size of the unit? Two contractors so far are just going with the existing 5 ton size and seeming to base it on that and the sq footage. But it sounds like a good contractor would do a calculation. Apparently proper sizing helps with getting the humidity out of the air, along with efficiency. Just wondering.

[KatieJ]

We had our furnace and A/C replaced last spring.  We got an esitmate from a company running a huge sale.  Their "huge' sale plus the friends and family discout was still twice the price of the company we ended up using.  Our installer fixed some major ductwork issues we had and still was half the price.

 

My DH is very knowledgeable about all of these things, so he knew what to ask.  We had some duct work issues that were resolved as well.

 

First company was pushing their warranty  We found out later (DH researched it) that the warranty was offered by the manufacturer and quite common in all furnances. So their price was not justified by that. They also would come out as often as every 6 months for a service call at no cost.  We didn't need that service, so again, we could not justify that cost.

 

We did not buy a brand name furnace which was part of the reduced cost.  DH agreed that a furnace is a furnace and if they do the job it doens't matter what name is on the outside of the furnace.  I think this one is louder, but I will get to used to it.

 

So compare prices, follow up and check out their warranty, find recommendations from friends who have used them.  Facebook is great for finding those kind of things out BTW.