Been going around in circles with HVAC people trying to get a straight answer.
I think it may be my lack of technical knowledge and failure to use the same terminology they use, so if anyone can shed any light on this, I'd apprecaite it (hubby is out of town right now and I have to get this done).
We moved into a 4.5 yr old home last fall, and have a Goodman HVAC unit that is still under warranty (just under 5 years). I'm told the compressor needs to be replaced. The unit is SEER 10 rating. I have two quotes from two reputable companies, and want to compare their two compressors.
Company 1 tells me that they will replace the compressor with a 12 since Goodman doesn't make 10's and 11's any more.
Company 2 tells me that the compressor has to be a 10, as that's the only thing that will fit in there. When I questioned him about using a 12, he told me that's not possible, but referred me to the distributor.
I called the distributor and was told that the same compressor will fit a 10, 11or 12. I asked does that mean it will be more efficient than old one, and he said "absolutely".
I call back Company 2, and I'm told that I don't understand. That it can't be a 12. It has to be a 10 as that that's what the unit calls for.
So, frustrated by now, I'm thinking, OK. We're talking in circles and it's because I'm not understanding the terminology, so the best thing to do is get the specs for the compressors (hubby is an engineer, he likes specs.
)
When I ask Co. 2 for specs, there's a silence on the other end of the phone.
He says they're going to put in what Goodman sends them as a replacement. Now he's getting impatient with me. They don't know the specs. If I want specs, he says I should call the manufacturer (good non-service!) -- Besides, he assures me, my husband wouldn't understand them anyway. "he wouldn't understand specs on an air conditioning unit compressor." (Hubby only helped put astronauts into space a number of times, was in charge of quality of life support systems)
. Well, by now I'm ticked off.
(Thanks for sticking with me through this paragraph.)
Bottom line is, does anyone out there know whether a replacement compressor manufactured today for this 5-yr old unit would be one that fits the SEER 10 as well as a SEER 12, and is newer and more efficient than the old one?
In other words, which company is giving me the straight scoop? Co. 1, or Co. 2? Are they both saying something different? What am I not understanding here??
Even if its under warranty (just barely), it's still going to cost $550-$600 for labor and refrigerant. We've never had this kind of a unit before, so all I wanted to know is what are they going to install. I didn't think the question is unreasonable, nor did I think it would be that hard to get the information.
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