Anyone work in the HVAC business.....

[Dadsguns]

Having to replace my current Carrrier split Heat Pump and air handler. 
I have a price quote for a new Trane xl15i,,,, price variances are all over the place depending on which company you ask, this area seems to be high compared to others.

Is 7K out of the norm for a 2.5 ton split Heat Pump and Air Handler?  This was the lowest quote btw.
Everything is ground level and easily accessible so they are not climbing around in a roof or anything like that, I do know of others that have paid far less for this system but it could be just the area.   

[NOT]

For a 2.5 ton heat pump, with no duct work changes, that is a little high. I put a 4 ton in last summer, indoor and outdoor units, and duct work plenums, etc...$3500. But my brother is in the biz, and we did the work. So, material costs for that system shouldnt be any if at all higher. Keep shopping.




NOT

[moot]

I think Tequila Chaser knows about HVAC.

[Wolfala]

Call my subcontractor - Industry Mechanical. Ask for Les Sosnecki - 347-539-0325. Tell him Alexander Wolf & Son referred you and that you need a check price. He managed facilities from Grumman out in Bethpage for 20 years before going out on his own.

[Dadsguns]

Call my subcontractor - Industry Mechanical. Ask for Les Sosnecki - 347-539-0325. Tell him Alexander Wolf & Son referred you and that you need a check price. He managed facilities from Grumman out in Bethpage for 20 years before going out on his own.

Thanks, I contacted him, he referred me to contact local ASHRE rep for more price comparisons, he no longer does residential but commercial applications.

[Dragon]

Keep in mind that it's a 4 hour job, or less, then ask yourself if 7k is off the hook. 


You will pay a LOT more for a Trane and keep in mind that if something should go wrong with it, they use mostly proprietary parts so it'll never be a quick, easy or cheap fix.

[TequilaChaser]

well, I replied to this right when the boards went down as I clicked on "post"

moot is correct, I have ben in the HVACR business basically my whole life.....

$7K for a 2 1/2 ton 15 SEER traine HP system seems a tad high........ unless you are getting all the bells and whistles like Top of the line comfort control panel/programmale thermostat with "Room Temperature averaging", possiblya zoned system, an Air Pruification and filter system included....

one thing I have found to be true nearly all over the US, is most companys doing a "Change Out" or replacement.... will not bother with doing a Heat Loss/Heat Gain Load calculation on the building....... they just replace the old system with a new system the exact same size or sometimes a 1/2 ton larger if the Homeowner suggest it just barely kept up on the old system.....

The new 15 SEER Trane HP will be/should be R410-A refrigerant and this calls for the Refrigerant Lines to be replaced completely because most likely your old system is R-22 refrigerant(Freon) ( although some companies will try and cheat this by flushing the old refrigerant line with a "Refrigerant Flush or something like R-11 refrigerant or R502 etc..... )

I would request from any company to provide a load calculation to show that whatever system you get is properly sized for your home.... the top 2 Load Calc programs are "elitsoftware or WrightSoft"....... I have always prefered WrightSoft personaly....... some will try and us the free software provided by the US DOE although i find it lacking....

Another thing, some states , countys , local Gov. demand by CODE regulations that all new systems for replacement or for new homes require a Load Calculation, Design Drawings, etc. be produced prior to installation of said system. this might not be the case where you live though....

as far as using the advice from the local branch of the ASHRAE or ACCA..... be careful some of them are loyal have their own company's ( the members do that are on the board / answering the calls , and all or most of the members to the organization are actual company owners in the regional/local branchs of these 2 organizations )

best bet would be calling the BBB, or checking p on several promient HVAC companys via the Local BBB Chapter in your area to see how good their rating is.....

for a 15 SEER 2.5 ton HP I would roughly estimate between say $4,250 to $6,000 depending on the local market..... if companys are real busy like middle of Winter and middle of Summer they tend to push their prices up way high ( Inflate them ) verses when the slow times are upon us like spring or fall..... they don't need the work but if you need it badly they bump the price up to make it worth their while..... if you get my reasoning....

sorry I had to wait nearly and hour + to post this, I had already typed out one long reply before to no avail cause the bbs was unavail......

if you need any more advice, you can PM me or call me and I will be glad to help you out....

TC ( Johnny )

[Dadsguns]

...........$7K for a 2 1/2 ton 15 SEER traine HP system seems a tad high........ unless you are getting all the bells and whistles like Top of the line comfort control panel/programmale thermostat with "Room Temperature averaging", possiblya zoned system, an Air Pruification and filter system included....

............The new 15 SEER Trane HP will be/should be R410-A refrigerant and this calls for the Refrigerant Lines to be replaced completely because most likely your old system is R-22 refrigerant(Freon) ( although some companies will try and cheat this by flushing the old refrigerant line with a "Refrigerant Flush or something like R-11 refrigerant or R502 etc..... )

Thank you Johnny for responding, and yes you would be correct in your assessment above.  They did include the air purification system but didn't say anything about thermostat or anything yet.

He will be here in the next 30 min to conduct his consult.  I will PM you or post here what that result will be. 

[TequilaChaser]

sorry for my poor spelling well, typing in that post above....... my hands don't work like they should to much these days

another thing about your TOP national Brands like Trane, Carrier, Amana, etc.... is they all offer some pretty significant Manufactuers Rebates of $500 up to $1,500+ off of their complete systems..... most times these come as either straight off the top of the said price or you can actually get a check mailed back to you from the Manufactuer of the equipment......

if you are not ffered anything like this, ask. and ask if the HVAC Company is an Official "HVAC Brand Name" Equipment Dealer..... almost anyone can get/sell Trane now that HomeDepot has started offering Trane....... also, American Standard is the exact same thing as Trane ( they use to Own Trane brand....... look on any Trane equipment tag , it would say American Standard coproration / The Trane Company ........

sometimes you can get American Standard cheaper than Trane in certian areas..... and still get the same types of warranty, performance, rebates etc....

Carrier and Bryant are the same as well, just different colors of the equipment

Rheem, Rudd, Corsair, WeatherKing are all the same people/equipment

just to give you some more knowledge......

I have installed them all..... I would prefer 1st  American Standard or Trane brand,  2nd would be Carrier,  3rd would be Amana, anything after that they all about the same....... amana's 16 SEER and up systems were offering lifetime warranty / equipment replacement  on their systems not long ago. but I have been disabled since Sept 2009. so I just kind of keep up with the HVAC News sporadically now a days......

good luck

[TequilaChaser]

Thank you Johnny for responding, and yes you would be correct in your assessment above.  They did include the air purification system but didn't say anything about thermostat or anything yet.

He will be here in the next 30 min to conduct his consult.  I will PM you or post here what that result will be. 

ask for a Load Calc, to make sure the system being provided is properly sized for your home...... this takes into account your sq footage, which way the home faces ( front door faces South example), how many windows, types of windows, wall/foundation type, insulation type and thickness, local area Geographical & weather data imposed on the local heating/cooling requirement demands.... then it should also show you your potential savings from your old system as the base line/model. then the new system and any number of other possible systems more efficient or less efficient in SEER/EER ratings....... the potential savings should show year, 5 year, 10 year , 20 year( Life total savings ).....

will PM ya my # incase you need it...