Air Conditioner...Rheem vs Trane vs ????

TacomaJD · Jun 26, 2018

Re: Re: Air Conditioner...Rheem vs Trane vs ????

NOVI FED COUPE said:
I think that small of a house a 1 1/2 ton is fine. Either way you go with a Rheem the indoor part of the system will be a 2 ton...just the outdoor section will be 1 1/2. Is it gas or heat pump?

All electric heat pump. So when I'm looking online, am I seeing correctly that a new 1.5 ton Rheem split central unit (condenser and air handler) can be had for around $1600? If all my current duct work is still good and all that has to be switched is the condenser, line set, and air handler, what kind of total charges should I expect to see from someone including material and labor? Or is there more to it than just switching those things? Would like to know ballpark figure on what to expect when calling to get quotes on total install.

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TacomaJD · Jun 26, 2018

Re:

But yeah I assume it has regular insulation it in, was 3.5 yrs old when I bought it, never have seen the insulation in it. Just a standard built small spec house. Zero trees in the yard. Shigle roof. So no shade in the summer at all.

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NOVI FED COUPE · Jun 26, 2018

Re: Re: Air Conditioner...Rheem vs Trane vs ????

TacomaJD said:
All electric heat pump. So when I'm looking online, am I seeing correctly that a new 1.5 ton Rheem split central unit (condenser and air handler) can be had for around $1600? If all my current duct work is still good and all that has to be switched is the condenser, line set, and air handler, what kind of total charges should I expect to see from someone including material and labor? Or is there more to it than just switching those things? Would like to know ballpark figure on what to expect when calling to get quotes on total install.

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In the Atlanta market around $3200-$3500 for a 1 1/2 change out. Id say in that ballpark.

TacomaJD · Jun 26, 2018

Re: Re: Re: Air Conditioner...Rheem vs Trane vs ????

NOVI FED COUPE said:
In the Atlanta market around $3200-$3500 for a 1 1/2 change out. Id say in that ballpark.

Thats not too bad in exchange for many years of hopefully a hassle free product. Thanks!

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98TJ · Jun 26, 2018

TacomaJD said:
Bumping this back up. A/C in my old house (12 yr old goodman) is acting up again. House is somewhere around 950 sq ft, 12 yr old house, I believe it has a 1.5 ton unit in it now, should I go up to 2 ton if I replace it? Or would a good Rheem 1.5 ton unit be fine? It's a rental unit, so I just want something that works that I won't have to fawk with again for a very long time.

My single story house is 1,800 sf and has a 3 ton gas pack. So that's 600 sf per ton.

NOVI FED COUPE · Jun 27, 2018

98TJ said:
My single story house is 1,800 sf and has a 3 ton gas pack. So that's 600 sf per ton.

600 sq ft per ton is the "rule of thumb" if you will most guys go by.

TacomaJD · Jun 28, 2018

Just talked to a highly recommended local independent hvac guy. First thing I told him after explaining what my unit was doing, was that I know Goodman is junk, etc. and he said "Why heck no, that's what I like! Goodman and Amana are the same thing. That's what I have in my own house." There was talk about how difficult it was to work on brands like Rheem and how a x-13 motor had a computer on the back of it or something that would always go out and it was difficult to change, Idk, he went into a lot of technical **** I know nothing about. Anyways, I'm gonna let him look at mine and see if he can figure out what's wrong with it for cheap and see what comes of it before I call someone else. Just crazy the extremes you get dealing with things like this. Goodman is junk! I love Goodman! Haha.

My unit, on some days, may get up to 76 temp in house while set on 70. Which is what it was doing a few years ago when it had a freon leak in a copper line in the condenser. Been fine since that was fixed until this year. Maybe it's something simple, and most importantly cheap.

RustyC · Jun 28, 2018

I know very little about HVAC but. I have a goodman unit in my home that is 16yrs old now. May fail tomorrow. If it did I would be happy with it's service.

NOVI FED COUPE · Jun 29, 2018

Goodman is JUNK! Plain and Simple. Goodman and Amana are the same...both JUNK! He is an idiot talking about X13 motors...not everything has X13 motors...a lot of the higher efficiency stuff does, but guess what...so does Goodman. That's how they get the extra efficiency out of these things with variable speed motors and compressors.

LightBnDr · Jun 29, 2018

Now in all fairness I know that I'm not a certified HVAC guy and truly my experience with home systems is limited.

Though for the average American I may as well be a certified tech. I maintained my system in the home I just sold for 16 years. It's a Goodman

I put 2 circuit boards in her in that time, I cleaned the exhaust fan port with a welding tip cleaner every year after I had a carbon build up issue in my first year in the home. I put 2lbs of the OUTLAWED cancer causing baby killing r22 in it 5 years ago.

I cleaned the evaporator, I know cringe, every 5 years. Made sure my drains were clear every year.

Replaced a blower motor about 12 years in. I combed out the condenser with a pocket knife top to bottom after a hail storm last year.

I ran dual capacitors on the unit outside my 3rd year in the home.

My highest electric bill in the summer time was $182 4 years ago.

Ok I say all that knowing that I'm not the average home owner. Though over that 16 year period I watched almost all my neighbors get scammed by a handful of local HVAC guys. Throwing $4-$8,000 on brand new systems.

Then coming over to tell me how their bills in the summer are $320+ and they all work during the day while my girls were home 7 days a week.

So it's a tough pickle these days I think. Most people have zero clue how to do their own work. So they are at the mercy of the guy who loves and hates a brand.

Personally I was super happy with my Goodman.

If we rate a system based on how many piddly issues they have, where would each system rank by brand??

TacomaJD · Jun 29, 2018

Re:

I kinda figured he liked Goodman the same reason a lot of us like GM stuff over say a Mercedes or BMW, "easy to work on and parts are cheap and readily available" kinda thing.

I am def at the mercy of someone when it comes to hvac. I aint crawling under my house to do ****. Lol. I'm not bothered by much, but tight dark spaces and spiders are a large hell no for me. If it were between me working as an Hvac service man for $100k or flipping burgers for $15k, I'd be flipping the best burgers you ever ate. Lol

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TacomaJD · Jul 12, 2018

So hvac guy came and looked at my unit, never even called me to tell me that he had went by, obviously went by when tenants were gone because they hadn't seen him. So I text him today and asked when he would look at it, and he said he already had. So of couse I said "And?"......he said "it's doing all it can do"

Didn't charge me anything and that's literally the extent of the convo. 1.) Probably won't call him back unless I run out of other options. 2.) I've been real surprised at how many others around the area say that goodman is what a lot of the local hvac guys recommend. Everybody I talk to says that's the brand unit their particular guy recommended for them when they built a new house or replaced an old unit. So maybe it's like all of our small town simpleton hvac guys like Goodman because they are easy to work on...either way I'm not sold.

So, what could cause this hvac unit to be less efficient now than 5 years ago? It used to never struggle to keep the house what I had it set on (68-70) during peak summer. Now, tenant says it does fine most days but sometimes it's 76 in the house when its set on 70.

May just run it til it dies, or wait until early next spring and replace the whole unit with my tax refund. :dunno:

TBItoy · Jul 12, 2018

Tenants probably running in and out opening the door a lot, makes a huge difference when it's 95 outside.

If it's got blowed in cellulose insulation in the ceiling, that **** compacts after 7-10 years to like 1/2 if it's insulating value.

I blew 8-12" of shredded fiberglass over my cellulose that had lost half its volume and my electric bill went down $100/month average

TacomaJD · Jul 12, 2018

TBItoy said:
Tenants probably running in and out opening the door a lot, makes a huge difference when it's 95 outside.

If it's got blowed in cellulose insulation in the ceiling, that **** compacts after 7-10 years to like 1/2 if it's insulating value.

I blew 8-12" of shredded fiberglass over my cellulose that had lost half its volume and my electric bill went down $100/month average

People that live there are the ones we bought our house from. They are currently building a new one. Not your typical tenant demographic. They are gone a lot. But I do see doors open a lot when I go by there, with just the all glass storm doors closed. Idk, it was acting goofy with me the last year or two. Ever since it had that one leak in that copper line, it hasn't been the same since. Like it worked fine for the first 8 or so years of it's life then starting going downhill. Right now, I'd like to just do a changeout and have a whole new reliable system in place so I don't have to fool with it at all for 15+ yrs. Big expenses like that can be depreciated over several years too instead of taking the deduction all in one year.

jayphizzle · Jul 13, 2018

TacomaJD said:
So hvac guy came and looked at my unit, never even called me to tell me that he had went by, obviously went by when tenants were gone because they hadn't seen him. So I text him today and asked when he would look at it, and he said he already had. So of couse I said "And?"......he said "it's doing all it can do"

Didn't charge me anything and that's literally the extent of the convo. 1.) Probably won't call him back unless I run out of other options. 2.) I've been real surprised at how many others around the area say that goodman is what a lot of the local hvac guys recommend. Everybody I talk to says that's the brand unit their particular guy recommended for them when they built a new house or replaced an old unit. So maybe it's like all of our small town simpleton hvac guys like Goodman because they are easy to work on...either way I'm not sold.

So, what could cause this hvac unit to be less efficient now than 5 years ago? It used to never struggle to keep the house what I had it set on (68-70) during peak summer. Now, tenant says it does fine most days but sometimes it's 76 in the house when its set on 70.

May just run it til it dies, or wait until early next spring and replace the whole unit with my tax refund.

JD there are a few things that can cause what you are experiencing. Depending on the style of compressor (reciprocating or scroll) it could have inefficient valves if a recip. Thus causing less refrigerant pumping capacity. The coils (indoor and outdoor) may need a thorough cleaning. If they aren't transferring heat properly it will DEFINITELY show up in capacity loss. Could be a refrigerant issue. If you really want to quiz your Goodman guy, or any A/C guy, ask for these readings.

1. Suction Pressure
2. Discharge Pressure
3. Superheat
4. Subcooling
5. Return Air Temp
6. Supply Air Temp
7. Compressor RLA v FLA (amp draw to determine pumping capacity)

If he can give you these readings, you can troubleshoot most any issue with the system and determine if the problem is air or refrigerant related. When the system was new, it was capable of say 36,000 btu/h @ 95 deg ambient temp (for a 3 ton). If all the coils are transferring heat properly and the refrigerant is flowing properly it should still be capable of doing that. Refrigerant doesn't go bad or reduce its efficiency. It could also be other factors like more heat loss through insulation, or attic leak, you know, something other than unit capacity. He may very well be exactly right on the unit, but without those readings there is no way that he actually knows. Just my .02. I do this for a living and have been in the business for 20 plus years. I run the service department for a commercial HVAC company in Montgomery. I've seen most of what is out there, and believe me when I say that the reason MOST people like Goodman is the cost and getting to install them. True there are some satisfied customers out there and those units were most likely installed by someone who knew what was going on. All Goodman reps I've ever dealt with will sell to anybody. This puts Goodman in bed with people who are installing them without a clue of what they are doing, just collecting a check, then the brand name suffers. They do enough business that they don't really care about reputation because if the price is right, they'll always have business. Another little tidbit, their marketing used to consist of "American owned and Operated". They may still use that but Goodman was acquired by Daikin a few years ago. They are now Japanese owned. I do think that they are still produced in Houston,Tx though.