New central AC with ductwork quote in Nassau County (Wright: 2014, appliances)
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I found similar posts on this topic, however they were dating back a few years already.
For a 1600 sq ft colonial I was quoted $14,100 for a single 4-ton Goodman compressor, 14 seer, 5 vents upstairs, and 4-5 pipes dropped down for 1st floor vents. We don't seem to have good space to drop pipes all the way down to the basement, which is naturally cooler, so seemingly we're leaving that alone.
I'm curious if others have had central AC with ductwork installed recently, how similar the equipment / sizes, and if they paid comparable prices to what I'm being quoted. Any insight is appreciated.
Not sure if this qualifies as "recently", but FWIW, we had a 3-ton Carrier Infinity 17-SEER two-stage CAC installed in early 2014. Single zone (one return) with 7 vents, in a small (about 1200 sf) ranch. The price of $11,000 included the removal of all components of the existing central air system (condenser, compressor, and all ductwork and grilles). How much of the $11K price was for the removal and disposal of the old components, I really don't know.
That said, I would not buy a Carrier system again. We always chose that brand in the past but since the early 2000s their quality control has really gone downhill. If I could do it over I'd go for a Trane (assuming that I didn't want to do a ductless mini-split system instead.)
If you want AC in your basement, then a mini-split is definitely the way to go. Look at both Mitsubishi's Mr. Slim and Daiken. Those are the two veteran brands in the field, the others (Lennox, LG, etc) are Johnny-come-latelys to the mini split market.
Depending on the size of your basement, you can probably get away with the smallest available BTU mini-split unit. An upside to the Mr Slim models is that you can set it to simply dehumidify, which in a basement may be all you need to get the comfort level you want. In our last house we had a 600 sf extension that didn't connect to the attic and so couldn't run ductwork. We put a single Mr Slim in there and on all but the very hottest days we usually just put it on the dehumidify setting rather than "cooling."
Last edited by BBCjunkie; 07-19-2018 at 08:48 AM..
I recently purchased a house without AC and did a lot of research on AC installation. The pricing on central AC and the amount of attic and closet space they take is a lot. I ended up going with the ductless mini split system (Mitsubishi) and love it. I have 1 unit outside with 5 splits inside and it works amazing - I have a 2100 sq ft colonial (4 bedrooms upstairs). You only use in the rooms you need and its connected via wifi and can be controlled from an app. My electricity bill is less than $200/mo in the summer compared to neighbors with traditional Central AC who pay $500 plus. I would look at all options and pricing.
Liz, do you have the wall-hung units or did you go for the ceiling registers (what I call "ductless lite" because there are short runs of duct to those)?
The one downside to the mini-splits is that you have to be okay with the appearance of the wall-hung units. Let's face it: in smaller rooms they are visually intrusive. The room in our last house was 20'x30' and we were able to place the unit above the window that was centered in the exterior short wall, so it didn't look bad. But honestly, I wouldn't want one of those in a 9'x12' or 10'x12' bedroom.
ETA: Don't know what the pricing on the Mr Slim is nowadays but when we had the one installed in 2003 (one outside unit, one inside, controlled with a remote) it was $5000. I forget what BTU it was, because I didn't keep my paperwork on that house after we sold it several years ago. We had a two-zone Carrier system installed in the rest of the house (3-ton each, IIRC) and that was $15,000. Two completely separate systems on that: two compressors, two air handlers, separate ductwork for the upstairs and downstairs (colonial.) But we had plenty of closets to act as chases, and a big unfinished attic. Gosh I miss that house, lol
Last edited by BBCjunkie; 07-19-2018 at 10:34 AM..
My electricity bill is less than $200/mo in the summer compared to neighbors with traditional Central AC who pay $500 plus. I would look at all options and pricing.
I will say that with the Carrier Infinity CAC in this roughly 1200 sf house, our summer electric bill is between $95 and $100. That said, we do not run it 24/7; it gets turned on when the temp inside the house reaches 79 or 80, and then is set to cool to either 76 or 77. We don't like it too cold. So typically it runs (depending on the weather) from midday to 1 or 2 a.m. .... about twelve hours. I would guess that most people probably run their AC more than we do. I can't imagine paying $500/month for summer electricity unless the house is also running a pool filter or hot tub in addition to the CAC pretty much 24/7. Ouch!
Our typical electric bill from October through May (non-cooling season) is between $70 and $80, so the difference during the AC months is about twenty bucks. We have all electric appliances, and oil heat.
I found similar posts on this topic, however they were dating back a few years already.
For a 1600 sq ft colonial I was quoted $14,100 for a single 4-ton Goodman compressor, 14 seer, 5 vents upstairs, and 4-5 pipes dropped down for 1st floor vents. We don't seem to have good space to drop pipes all the way down to the basement, which is naturally cooler, so seemingly we're leaving that alone.
I'm curious if others have had central AC with ductwork installed recently, how similar the equipment / sizes, and if they paid comparable prices to what I'm being quoted. Any insight is appreciated.
Thanks!!
Thats in the ballpark but you certainly may be able to get a better deal. Get lots of estimates and make sure you use a good company with a good rep. Also Goodmans are kind of "meh" reputation wise but not horrible either.
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OP you should consider getting several quotes, the brand you mentioned Goodman is considered builders grade and a 13 seer is the federal minimum for a unit, its not that well regarded. You don't mention how your basement is used, if finished I would strongly consider getting a/c down there just the dehumidifying it can provide makes a big difference. Realize that running a/c only for a few hours when you feel its the warmest then turning it off will never be efficient but I know that's common practice in NY. We run 2 systems both Carrier/Bryant they have worked great for us, as you shop consider the mid grade models that are well reviewed the more electronics the more prone to service calls they can be. Also your potential cooling season is not that lengthy especially if you turn it off frequently.
OP you should consider getting several quotes, the brand you mentioned Goodman is considered builders grade and a 13 seer is the federal minimum for a unit, its not that well regarded. You don't mention how your basement is used, if finished I would strongly consider getting a/c down there just the dehumidifying it can provide makes a big difference. Realize that running a/c only for a few hours when you feel its the warmest then turning it off will never be efficient but I know that's common practice in NY. We run 2 systems both Carrier/Bryant they have worked great for us, as you shop consider the mid grade models that are well reviewed the more electronics the more prone to service calls they can be. Also your potential cooling season is not that lengthy especially if you turn it off frequently.
Good luck..
Some good advice here, also I’d just add that I’d avoid higher SEER units, you just don’t see the savings in the few months of use in the NE to justify the extra cost (hot climates FL, GA, AZ is where you save with those). Also multi stage units are more complex which means more to break down. For most 14 SEER is fine.
Goodman is fine, as long as the installer is NOT charging a premium price for the unit. And I also agree about the seer rating. Unless you are getting the $ back from a rebate for the higher seer unit, pass on it.
Some good advice here, also I’d just add that I’d avoid higher SEER units, you just don’t see the savings in the few months of use in the NE to justify the extra cost (hot climates FL, GA, AZ is where you save with those). Also multi stage units are more complex which means more to break down. For most 14 SEER is fine.
I do think the 2-stage units are worth it though. We've always had those. I'm guessing the single stage ones probably run constantly at the higher fan speed which, if you have small rooms, can be really annoying especially in the room closest to the air handler.
The bedroom that we use as a computer room is in that spot, and when our unit is running at high stage that room is not only the coldest in the house but the fan noise is very loud. Once it kicks down to low stage it's fine but depending on the interior conditions it can take a half our or more to do that. I can't imagine sitting in that room for hours, five feet away from the ceiling register, with the system blowing on high stage constantly. I'd need to wear a jacket, lol
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