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A/C & Heater Replacement - Looking For Advice

Winchester said:
I appreciate all the info. I'm debating when I need to replace my current forced air heating system (no AC, don't need it). It's a Williamson that's pushing 28ish years. Still works I just don't know if I need to be proactive.
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Where are you if you don't mind my asking?
 
American said:
Where are you if you don't mind my asking?
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Montana. The furnace gets a workout during the winter months and that's part of my worry. Do not want the thing dying on me when it's 20 below. Replaced all windows and doors about 10 years ago, good insulation, etc. Don't have zones, house upstairs is approx 1200sq ft with full finished basement.
 
Winchester said:
I appreciate all the info. I'm debating when I need to replace my current forced air heating system (no AC, don't need it). It's a Williamson that's pushing 28ish years. Still works I just don't know if I need to be proactive.
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Gas or Oil? Back in the day they were a beast of a unit, built like a battleship. The only units I sold back then was the Five-in One unit, you could burn coal, wood, oil or anything combustable in them. I knew of one person who would compact his burnable trash into blocks and burn those.
 
woodsman said:
Gas or Oil? Back in the day they were a beast of a unit, built like a battleship. The only units I sold back then was the Five-in One unit, you could burn coal, wood, oil or anything combustable in them. I knew of one person who would compact his burnable trash into blocks and burn those.
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Natural gas.
 
Dragonfly said:
I have 32 year old Carrier heating and a/c. The a/c unit finally died. I dread having to spend a huge chunk of money, but also realize how lucky I am that they lasted this long.

The heater still works, but at 32 years old, if I'm replacing one unit, I'm replacing both.

So here's the questions. Can I , or should I expect to buy something that will last 20 years? Or like everything else, has the overall quality of these systems gotten to where 10 years is the best I can expect?

What SEER rating for a/c is reasonable without paying far too much for a rating number that won't really return anything for me?
Will a cheaper 14 SEER system be easier to maintain and last longer than a more expensive 17 SEER system?
Same question for the heating system? Will 85% AFUE be better than a 92% AFUE in terms of longevity and dependability?

I don't care about having the ability to use a smart phone to regulate my house temp. I don't need the bells and whistles.
I want longevity and dependability along with efficiency.

I know that whatever I get I'll have a far more efficient system than what I had.

What about brand names? Should I stay away from Lennox? Or Trane? Goodman?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and help.
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We have a Goodman furnace. It has been great, reliable, minimal maintenance, and our furnace guy almost insisted on it as our best option--no he doesn't work for Goodman. But out here in the desert Southwest, only the really rich people have central air. The rest of us have some kind of swamp cooler on the roof and our top of the line Master Cool is the best there is.
 
American said:
Easily remedied.
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Well, maybe not so much. Tearing apart a 30+ year old duct system shouldn’t be taken lightly. To do it properly you would need to run a second trunk line. Yes, you could isolate all the individual run outs and use motorized dampers on each but that will open up a whole other can of worms.
 
Winchester said:
Montana. The furnace gets a workout during the winter months and that's part of my worry. Do not want the thing dying on me when it's 20 below. Replaced all windows and doors about 10 years ago, good insulation, etc. Don't have zones, house upstairs is approx 1200sq ft with full finished basement.
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I would go with just a basic furnace change out, nothing high tech at most two stage. If reliability and bullet proof is the most important factor because of extreme weather conditions less is better. Not just less but availability of parts and qualified folks that can service it in your area. I’m often asked to design off grid systems, sustainable building is a bit of a hobby for me now that I’m retired, the best and most expensive system is not always the best, I refuse 90% of all consulting jobs because they want the Ferrari that doesn’t run sitting in the basement.
 
Winchester said:
Montana. The furnace gets a workout during the winter months and that's part of my worry. Do not want the thing dying on me when it's 20 below. Replaced all windows and doors about 10 years ago, good insulation, etc. Don't have zones, house upstairs is approx 1200sq ft with full finished basement.
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You have natural gas to the house?
 
woodsman said:
I would go with just a basic furnace change out, nothing high tech at most two stage. If reliability and bullet proof is the most important factor because of extreme weather conditions less is better. Not just less but availability of parts and qualified folks that can service it in your area. I’m often asked to design off grid systems, sustainable building is a bit of a hobby for me now that I’m retired, the best and most expensive system is not always the best, I refuse 90% of all consulting jobs because they want the Ferrari that doesn’t run sitting in the basement.
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Any ideas on how to cut down on the dust, it's horrible in our house. Probably need to get all the ductwork cleaned out, but it would be nice to get a good filter system to keep it from getting so bad again.
 
Winchester said:
I appreciate all the info. I'm debating when I need to replace my current forced air heating system (no AC, don't need it). It's a Williamson that's pushing 28ish years. Still works I just don't know if I need to be proactive.
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Edit, I looked up the model I have at lunch and it was put in 25 years ago 6/21/91. Williamson Gassaver CTL 1345 Counterflow series/1347 Upflow series (not sure which) just what was on the owner's manual.
 
woodsman said:
Well, maybe not so much. Tearing apart a 30+ year old duct system shouldn’t be taken lightly. To do it properly you would need to run a second trunk line. Yes, you could isolate all the individual run outs and use motorized dampers on each but that will open up a whole other can of worms.
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Noted.
 
Winchester said:
Any ideas on how to cut down on the dust, it's horrible in our house. Probably need to get all the ductwork cleaned out, but it would be nice to get a good filter system to keep it from getting so bad again.
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Yes, cleaning the duct system is a good idea, with that, picking a qualified company is tough. This area of the industry is riff with scams, to do it properly is worth the cost and I refer you back to my past posts of a quality contractor. A basic Hepa or Hepa type filtration system is not that big of a deal. It does involve a change of the return ducting to whatever air handling or furnace you have but it’s not major surgery. (Do Not) go with on of the electronic units, they are a waste of money and you pay to power it. If you do it at the time of furnace change out Its cheep aproxx $300 on the high end, most contractors will throw it in for less with just a markup on the unit itself $175 because the ducting is already being changed and there is minimal or no labor.
https://www.aprilaire.com/whole-hou...r-purifiers/aprilaire-space-gard-air-purifier
 
American said:
You have natural gas to the house?
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virtually all houses in the mountain and pacific time zones are going to be natural gas. probably a lot of central also. Before natural gas it was wood/coal stoves and boiler/radiator heating. I don't know that oil was ever really used in the west.
 
SocialD said:
virtually all houses in the mountain and pacific time zones are going to be natural gas. probably a lot of central also. Before natural gas it was wood/coal stoves and boiler/radiator heating. I don't know that oil was ever really used in the west.
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Another possible option is LP gas.
 
Anyone living in mid-Atlantic region, a complete HVAC system for your existing house, that being new gas furnace and new a/c with humidity control for both heating and a/c seasons is going to run something like this:

(Carrier equipment)
Low end line: $8,000 (14 SEER a/c - 80% AFUE)
Mid-range line: $10,000 (16 SEER a/c - 96% AFUE)
Top of the line: $15,000+ (19+ SEER a/c - 97.5% AFUE plus a crap ton of bells and whistles)

:shock::shock::shock:


Currently, it appears the established companies in my area are all offering 36 month no-interest financing for those that qualify.
 
Dragonfly said:
Anyone living in mid-Atlantic region, a complete HVAC system for your existing house, that being new gas furnace and new a/c with humidity control for both heating and a/c seasons is going to run something like this:

(Carrier equipment)
Low end line: $8,000 (14 SEER a/c - 80% AFUE)
Mid-range line: $10,000 (16 SEER a/c - 96% AFUE)
Top of the line: $15,000+ (19+ SEER a/c - 97.5% AFUE plus a crap ton of bells and whistles)

:shock::shock::shock:


Currently, it appears the established companies in my area are all offering 36 month no-interest financing for those that qualify.
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Get the $8K system. Spend the rest on windows.
 
Dragonfly said:
What is a "swamp cooler"? :3oops:
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That's redneck lingo for evaporative cooler. It has a small water line pumping water into pads that the fan draws air through and then into the house. It works great in non humid climates that get a lot of sun. Ours is so efficient it sometimes has us scurrying for a light sweater or other cover up. And it costs a fraction to run compared to refrigerated air.
 
Dragonfly said:
I have 32 year old Carrier heating and a/c. The a/c unit finally died. I dread having to spend a huge chunk of money, but also realize how lucky I am that they lasted this long.

The heater still works, but at 32 years old, if I'm replacing one unit, I'm replacing both.

So here's the questions. Can I , or should I expect to buy something that will last 20 years? Or like everything else, has the overall quality of these systems gotten to where 10 years is the best I can expect?

What SEER rating for a/c is reasonable without paying far too much for a rating number that won't really return anything for me?
Will a cheaper 14 SEER system be easier to maintain and last longer than a more expensive 17 SEER system?
Same question for the heating system? Will 85% AFUE be better than a 92% AFUE in terms of longevity and dependability?

I don't care about having the ability to use a smart phone to regulate my house temp. I don't need the bells and whistles.
I want longevity and dependability along with efficiency.

I know that whatever I get I'll have a far more efficient system than what I had.

What about brand names? Should I stay away from Lennox? Or Trane? Goodman?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and help.
Click to expand...

American Standard, which is Tranes residential line is by far the superior product.

Carrier ? Used to be a decent system but I would atay away from them if I were you.
 
Dragonfly said:
Thanks. That's what I figured. Hoping to get a quote with some possible no-interest financing for a year of two. That would be sweet.
I know a guy I work with who got something like 4 years no-interest. I might cry if I can get that. :mrgreen:
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Morning. Many people do not consider YORK, yet they are US and high quality. We installed a 2 stage AC and HE furnace in 2010 or so.
Also installed a UV Light. It is silent and kills odors and other crap in the air.
The year we had the bad fires north of us, in Slave Lake. Came home, smell of smoke was quite noticeable in the house, closed the windows, turned the AC on, smoke smell was gone in about 45 minutes or so.

Not sure about the US, but up here, if you know someone who can install, may be cheaper to buy the unit(s) separately.
Another thing for the furnace. Ensure you have a spare igniter as when they go it can be easily changed.
 
Fenton said:
American Standard, which is Tranes residential line is by far the superior product.

Carrier ? Used to be a decent system but I would atay away from them if I were you.
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Funny. I've heard the exact opposite from most people around here.
 
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