The 32 year old AC finally bit the dust

[smarino]

What probably died was your compressor. The rest of the unit like the evaporator, the duct work, etc has no moving parts. So assuming that they are still in good shape, you just need a compressor and possibly some electrical upgrades and you should be good to go. The new freon is compatible w/ all the rest of the unit's parts. I know of nothing like a Saver Switch. It would probably not actually save you any money anyway, as letting the home get hot while the A/C is turned off would just make it that much harder to cool down when the A/C kicked back on. Your regular thermostat takes care of cycling the unit on and off.

[Living the Florida Dream]

Originally Posted by davephan

When we replaced our HVAC system, we got estimates from 6 well known companies. The estimates ranged from $8,900 to $20,000. We chose the company that we had the most confidence, which was the same company that my parents used many decades before to install a central AC unit, which was also the same company we used to install a central AC unit over ten years ago on a previous home. The bid was about $13,500, which we paid for in cash. That company has been around over 50 years, and they have a 13 year transferable warranty.

Those prices seem high. Do you have a particularly large home? How many "ton" or BTU is the unit? Or, do you have multiple A/C units? I asked about replacing my 3.5 ton (42000 BTU). I was given a "verbal quote" of about $4,500 for 16 SEER, and that includes a new air handler. Are you replacing ducts, as well. Trying to figure out why you were quoted so high. ??

Thanks.

[Listener2307]

Originally Posted by Florida Paradise

My townhouse is only 1000 square feet but both stories have 18 foot ceilings, so I would think I really have to double my square footage for cooling. I generally only use my place 6 weeks a year and have renters in the winter for 3 months. I didn't really think about it but you are right. I probably don't need a real efficient unit as most of the time, my thermostat is set at 88. Thanks for the input. You gave me good tips for when I call someone.

Whut th' HECK!?

Do you live in a missile silo?
Your building is 22 X 22 and 36 feet high!

[Living the Florida Dream]

Originally Posted by Listener2307

Whut th' HECK!?

Do you live in a missile silo?
Your building is 22 X 22 and 36 feet high!

Now that right there is funny!

[davephan]

Originally Posted by Living the Florida Dream

Those prices seem high. Do you have a particularly large home? How many "ton" or BTU is the unit? Or, do you have multiple A/C units? I asked about replacing my 3.5 ton (42000 BTU). I was given a "verbal quote" of about $4,500 for 16 SEER, and that includes a new air handler. Are you replacing ducts, as well. Trying to figure out why you were quoted so high. ??

Thanks.

I don't recall how many tons the AC is, I can check into that further. I checked the contract. The AC is a Bryant 4 HP 16.00 SEER, a Bryant 100K 97% natural gas furnace, an AprilAir high efficiency air filter, a AprilAir humidifier. The job also involved relocating the condenser location to the opposite side of the house, and installing the plastic high efficiency pipes out the side of the house, which was a more difficult path for the pipes, but resulted in a cleaner installation. We also added a WiFi thermostat.

So, maybe the installation was more complicated than installing central AC in Florida. Are furnaces installed in Florida? Or, is there another mechanism that is used for the forced air part of the central AC system in Florida? From time to time, there are cold snaps in Florida. I assume that you might still need a central heating system even in SW Florida. Or, do you use portable electric heaters in SW Florida for the rare occasions where the cold snaps occur?

I own 5 portable electric heaters, which I bought on sale, just to backup my old central furnace. If the furnace breaks down in the dead of winter, I can use the backup electric heaters so I don't have to call the expensive emergency after hours service. I ended up calling the emergency service a couple times with the old central furnace before I bought the back up portable electric heaters. After I bought the backup heaters, the old furnace never broke down, but the AC broke down. If we end up snowbirding or moving to SW Florida, I'll probably want to have a backup AC unit for at least part of the house, plus a whole house backup electric generator.

[Florida Paradise]

Originally Posted by Listener2307

Whut th' HECK!?

Do you live in a missile silo?
Your building is 22 X 22 and 36 feet high!

Always a smart ass somewhere.
My townhouse has ceilings above the living room and dining room that go from 10 to 18 feet to a loft upstairs. Then upstairs, adjacent to the loft, the ceilings once again go from 10 to 18 feet. It is very unique town home. And yes, there is more space above your head than usable square footage, but it has a very roomy feel. I mentioned such as to relay concern about necessary BTU to cool such a place.

[Florida Paradise]

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