Need New A/C unit. Suggestions? (Phoenix, Surprise: homes, contractor, live)

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by observer53

No HOA, but I had not considered putting anything on the roof. Is what you are talking about serving the same function as the air handler, since you talk about disconnecting it? Remember, it's a heat pump I'm replacing, not an AC unit.

As far as brand, the unit I have now, and I think the original, were both Tranes. Not a lot of trouble with this last one, until the last year or so. Electrical components wearing out. I'm not averse to looking at different brands with the right contractor.

You should consider other makes. Trane is a solid unit, but from what I have been told by my AC contractor friend, Trane uses many proprietary parts that can run up the cost and ease of repair. Just about every other make these days uses off the shelf stuff that is stocked at the parts warehouses and carried on the trucks. I guess its kind of like Apple versus Android in phones. I swapped my Tranes for Goodmans a few years back. The Trane price quoted was way, way higher. The Goodmans have done a great job for me and had a better warranty. I think you will find the same lower price/equal performance to Tranes with many other makes as well.

[observer53]

I will be sure to get someone out who sells Goodman or some other comparable brand. I have one estimate replacing w/ a Trane, so we will see how things compare.

[Desertspiritsteve]

The rooftop heat pumps have everything built into one unit. My split heat pump has an upflow air handler in a furnace closet in the hallway. House built in 1949. Attics are pretty hot for the air handler but that's where they are often put. I don't know what kind of roof you have...regular shingles would be the easiest for a rooftop install. The rooftop unit would just be set up on the house with a crane. It could save you alot of money on the install that you could put toward upgrading your unit to a fancier two-speed higher efficiency unit. The last Trane heat pump I bought was on a rental house about three years ago. It broke down in a year and took a week to get a blower motor from the east coast. Everyone I know with Tranes have had serious repair issues lately. I bought the 3 ton Trane for my rental from a fly by night a/c contractor on Craigslist. It has 410 refrigerant and 13 seer. I think I paid around $2500. cash installed. Then I called a more reputable Trane dealer and bought a ten year parts and labor warranty for approx $650. From the sounds of people's repair bills in this thread, the warranty was a good investment. Maybe Zippyman or Ponderosa have some thoughts on going from a split system to a rooftop unit. I would hate to have my house torn up to bring an air handler down from the attic and get the damage fixed afterwards.

[Pink Jazz]

Originally Posted by observer53

I will be sure to get someone out who sells Goodman or some other comparable brand. I have one estimate replacing w/ a Trane, so we will see how things compare.

Warning on Goodman: they have the most liberal sales policies of any brand, since anyone can buy one of their units at their supply houses. For this reason, Goodman is infamous for being the brand that hacks install. If you decide on Goodman, be sure you have it installed by a reputable contractor.

I personally prefer Carrier myself.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by Pink Jazz

Warning on Goodman: they have the most liberal sales policies of any brand, since anyone can buy one of their units at their supply houses. For this reason, Goodman is infamous for being the brand that hacks install. If you decide on Goodman, be sure you have it installed by a reputable contractor.

I personally prefer Carrier myself.

Thanks, I'm looking at Carrier as an option, too.

The extra warranty mentioned upthread makes sense, since the 10 year warranty from Trane is only on the parts, and labor charges can blow through the cost of the warranty pretty fast.

I'm really not opposed to Trane. I called around to repair folks once to price a part, and the part could be had a lot cheaper, and put in a lot cheaper, than the people who wanted to replace it for me said it cost. And, with so many repair folks working on Tranes, it's not a big issue to get the parts. Two units in 27 years is really not at all outside the norm for how long they last here. Major repairs have not been an issue until the last year or so, when things are wearing out. I really hate the fact that my unit is on the sunny side of the house. Takes that much more of a beating.

I have a tile roof. I'm not putting anything up there. The one contractor that has come out so far didn't express any concerns about getting the air handler out in terms of damage. I'll be going back over that and some other issues once I talk to some other providers.

The most perplexing thing at the moment is why they didn't push to replace the air handler 13 years ago. The new (at that time) unit was never going to work at maximum efficiency, apparently, with the old one. May explain why the lower electric bills promised never happened. Hoping for better after this gets done.


Thanks for all the input. Much appreciated.

[Voebe]

I'm terrified of the expense of when my 20-year-old one had to be replaced, but I'm going to consider getting a refurbished one.

[MalteseJane]

I just checked my invoice. I have 5 years warranty on Labor. 10 years on compressor and parts.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by MalteseJane

I just checked my invoice. I have 5 years warranty on Labor. 10 years on compressor and parts.

That was on a Lennox, right? Given your family member's experience, sounds like five years labor is a good idea.

[MalteseJane]

Originally Posted by observer53

That was on a Lennox, right? Given your family member's experience, sounds like five years labor is a good idea.

Yes it's a Lennox. We also have a service contract what my daughter did not have. Don't know if it would have made a difference tho. I e-mailed her to check her installation invoice, since Service Experts installed it too, maybe she has that warranty without knowing it ? Will see.

[observer53]

Learned something else new. Trane air handlers are now PLASTIC. The person who just left here told me he told his boss he won't sell them. Recommends Day & Night (which is Carrier) or Lennox.