Central Air Replacement Estimate
JasonG
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
I am thinking about replacing out 14 year old central Intertherm AC. I have absolutely no idea what these systems cost and don’t want to waste someone’s time if it is way out of my budget.
Our home is 1000 square feet, 1 story, built in 1930. The house is fairly tight (new windows, new siding, insulation, etc.).
Like I said, I don’t want to waste a companies time to come out and size a system. The company I am considering installs Trane systems. Are these systems in the $1000-$2000 ballpark or substantially more?
Thanks for any advice – Jason
Replies
Don't know about U.S. pricing but 8 years ago an a/c unit started at around $2400.00 for about a 2 1/2ton.
Wouldn't think you would need one much bigger. Depends on a bunch of things. Unless the a/c units are coming from China I would expect to pay more than $2500.00 but I'm only guessing.
roger
Early-mid Summer 2007 I was quoted $3800 for a 2.5 tonne unit. Of course, none of the HVAC contractors I engaged with (4-5 of them) would replace the AC only and required the NG furnace to be replaced as a paired set.
And that wasn't even the highball quote. I went from 2.5-3.5 tonnes in quotations and the top was simply $5K. This was an attic install with 14' ceilings feeding just the second story zone.
Sounds like high pressure selling to me. If the furnace was old we might suggest it would be a good time to get a newer more efficient one. Of course anytime is a good time to replace a furnace when you are in Heating
In some cases if the furnace was old the fan motor wouldn't be big enough (cold air is heavier) and we would upgrade the blower motor at a cost of course. Also older furnaces needed a box called a fan control centre.
I'm sick of people in any service business saying "THEY" recommend changing or "THEY" recommend replacing allinstead of only one. My answer is "then let "them" pay for it."
roger
Call it whatever, but if no one will replace the AC alone then no one will replace the AC alone. Instead of high-pressure sales, how about collusion? BTW, I may have mispoke, but it wasn't a recommendation but rather the only option. Period. Their collusionary position is simple, really: replace as a set or they will not insure anything.
Then again, you are where you are and I in the sh!ts. :)
I've worked for a number of years in a/c and heating and have NEVER heard what you are going through.
From the satelite picture your house looks new so I assume to furnace isn't too old. If you had a new furnace put in the year before would they still want to "match" with another new furnace?
I personally wouldn't play their game. It's your money. A/c might be really nice in Georgia but people lived years without it.
roger
House was built late 1999 to early 2000. I bought and moved into it in December 2000. Seems that every other year we have had the AC guy out there, and most recently a leak developed for the 2nd floor zone. It was this past Summer when it failed completely that I decided to get a lot more detailed in the investigation--not just the repair, but the analysis of proper fit.
It was concluded that when the builder's HVAC subcontractor came out the installed the two zoned units backwards. A healthy amount of the 1st floor area was open to the 2nd floor. Then end result was the 1st floor always was cool in the heat of Summer, and the 2nd floor never cool due to an undersized condition.
1st, the common homeowner inquiry was to switch them to correctly have them installed. Not a single one of the five HVAC companies I called and that came out would do this. Ok. 2nd, the next common homeowner inquiry to replace the existing undersized 2nd floor AC with a more appropriately size unit. None of the five that came out would do this without also replacing the BG furnace, too.
But like I said, we live in different geographic regions and with different HVAC cultures. If you were to setup shop down here I think you would be considered an anomaly, make a lot of friends (homeowners) and be targeted for re-education by any HVAC competition in my town.
I think I deleted my initial response, so my apologies if this is a duplicate.First, thank you for the replies. It sounds like we are probably in the $3K-$4K ballpark.Why replace the current AC? Very simply . . . to save money. Our utility (Balt. Gas & Electric) has been deregulated. The "increased competition driving down rates" has instead raised rates to $.12KWH with another increase coming in June. Our electric bill after several increases has gone from $65-$150 to $180-$480!I have contacted a local company about an estimate. The owner lives in our neighborhood and my kids love his Christmas display, so I figured this might be a good way to save money and say "Thanks" for the smiles.We have an oil furnace (also 14 years old), but this company does not handle them. So replacing AC and the furnace won't be an option. During the fall service, it was 82% efficient, which I think is about as good as oil gets. I'd like to get natural gas, but our utility (BGE again) won't connect us despite having lines 100' away on either side.I think we have done almost all we can to increase efficiency in the house except the AC - windows are 8 years old, newer siding (1" foam insulation and tyvek), energy efficient appliances, newish water heater, caulking, etc. The only other project is to insulate the ducts in the unheated crawlspace.Jason
I feel sorry for your problem.
I was the guy who would install the units and try to repair the units. I went to trade school and took many courses to do with a/c. but I did not know how to design a system. I installed systems the way I was told to install them. That being said the average home was relatively easy to figure out just based on the numbers we installed. The more complicated the home the more complicated the ductwork was. The heat gain was basically easy to figure out but getting the air to the right places and the right volume was up to the designers.
There was a really good article I believe in FHB and it basically used the analogy of designing a beautiful car with all your wants and needs put into it THEN you have to figure where you are going to put the engine and transmission.
It is the same with new design homes. Most companies that install ductwork (and air conditioning) cannot design AND install what is really needed in these new homes. (Actually lots can even do it even for basic homes) What with engineered beams and "open concepts" and people's fickle nature means most heating companies are trying to "make" something fit. It rarley ifr ever works.
In heating season problems with ductwork/systems rarely show up but it raises its ugly head in cooling season.
I have been to homes trying to figure out why their system isn't cooling and have found horror stories that are worse than yours and no we wouldn't offer to fix the problem. The problem was wayyyyyyyyy too much trouble.
roger
I don't think that any company would object to coming to your home and giving you at least a ball park estimate. Business is kinda slow in most places and few companies are too busy to look for new work.
Just be up front with them about your budget - but be open minded enough to listen if they suggest an all new system. If you're still using the original heating system (ca 1930??) it's probably been obsolete since well before you were born. - lol
what your going to get into is your old unit is somewhere in the 8-10 seer efficancy. now the worst unit out there is a 13 seer. so you will probably need to replace the a coil also. my thoughts on cost,and this is within a couple thousand one way or another is the a coil is around 500. unit is going to be in the 1500. range,then labor will hit somewhere in the 1000. range. so i think your looking at at least 3k if you don't go with anything fancy.
why are you wanting to replace your unit,14 years is about 2/3's through it's life?
larry
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
Jason
8 years ago we replaced furnace and AC on our 2800SF Victorian $6,000 about 1/2 was AC.
On a 1000 SF mobile home I replaced a furnace AC Cost about $3,500.
Get a high eff. furnace while you are at it.
Sorry if this is repeat advice.
Rich
JasonG
Think outside the box here.. new A/C units are becoming more and more efficent.
Why spend $2000 dollars or whatever on a unit that at best wiill be obsolete efficency wise in not that much time..
I used window A/C units that were cheap but still had extremely high ratings.. However I didn't want to lose my views out the windows so I cut holes in the walls and installed them. Trimmed them out like windows etc.. In the winter I can put a plug in and gain back all the insulation. the plug is trimed with the wood removed from the hole so it looks right.
I saved a lot of money that way and can afford to upgrade as I need to because we're only speaking a few hundred dollars and a few minutes work..
In addition since each room has it's own controls temps can be set by those using the room or left off completely..
Just wanted to offer an update . . . we got an estimate from the company that does our annual furnace/AC tune-uo. We are going to install a 30,000BTU Bryant SEER 15 unit. Total for the outside unit, condenser coils, and installation will be $3200.
Jason