Looks like I'm in the market for a new gas/electric package HVAC unit. My 13 year old unit has a cracked heat exchanger and is leaking freon. I would be interested in hearing recommendations for both brands and local installers. Also, how much should I expect to pay.

The unit I'm replacing is a Carrier 48SS 4 ton cooling and 120k BTU heating. My ductwork was replaced recently, so I hope to leave it alone.

3/19/2011 4:05:18 PM

Allan Kelly. message_topic.aspx?topic=605100

3/19/2011 4:23:09 PM

Anybody know anything about geothermal systems in this area?

3/19/2011 5:34:29 PM

Geothermal:
lots of hole digging costs $ and heat soaks the ground in 4-5 years if not done right. (hope to hit the water table and flood the holes but then you could contaminate the water supply soo.. maybe not.


Lennox has some super efficient models for residential use.

3/20/2011 10:17:15 AM

A very rough estimate is $6000 ($1500 per ton). Get something with a high SEER rating. The brand isn't terribly important. Just get what has the best warranty.

3/20/2011 9:40:42 PM

Bad experience with Weather Masters recently on a HVAC install in my condo. Do not recommend. I can PM you the details if you're interested but I will never work with them again.

3/20/2011 10:13:28 PM

Trane, Carrier, and York all have great residential lines. At some point though, all of the big names become interchangeable. It is far more important that you find a good contractor, get a good warranty on both the equipment AND the installation.

Geothermal is generally not worth it for residential applications.

3/21/2011 5:34:56 AM

So I'm hearing a lot of "the brands don't matter, the installer does". If I'm not messing with the ducts and I'm changing out a package system, what are the details that the installer is tweaking? It sounds like it is mostly just hooking the thing up to gas, electric, supply, and return.

3/21/2011 11:31:34 AM

the installer matters 110%. i got a new mid-grade unit. i wanted to get one of those fancy energy efficient ones but because i rent out my condo, the tax break on the energy efficient HVAC units wouldn't apply. what really sucks is that Weather Masters has a fantastic installer - it's just that they have the WORST customer service i have ever experienced in my life.

long story short - i kept failing inspection because Weather Masters wouldn't show up to the city inspection with me - Weather Masters needed to provide the city a ladder to get onto the roof and they "forgot" the first time to bring a ladder. the second time they brought the wrong size ladder. so when we failed inspection and i called to let Weather Masters know the deal, their inside sales lady started screaming at me when i told her i needed to have their installer present in case they were questions and hung up the phone on me. i called back, asked for her manager, the front desk girl sent me back to the same sales girl, she continued to scream at me and tell me i was "wrong." i'm sorry - i just paid your company $6100, last time i checked i was the customer and requesting an installer to be present at an inspection i failed TWO times because of your ignorance is not too much to ask.

the nice thing was that the city had my back the entire time. they also filed a complaint to the licensing board on behalf of me.

3/21/2011 12:15:12 PM

Newcomb & Co.

We work with them on commercial and institutional stuff, but they have been in residential business in Raleigh since the early 50's.

I think they were the 1st Carrier dealer/installer in Raleigh.

3/21/2011 12:17:16 PM

Airmakers worked great for us and most of the people on my street.
http://airmakers.com/

Had the best quote of anyone (only used reputable companies).

3/22/2011 12:52:33 AM

Anybody ever had an energy audit done, ie blower door test? What does it cost/who does it? Any chance it would be worth it on a house built in 1998?

3/22/2011 9:41:29 AM

I would say you're better off just re-weatherstripping external doors and windows if you feel a draft or just picking a point to re-do them all if you are planning on living there for awhile. Just my opinion though.

3/22/2011 10:06:15 AM

please post if you find out

3/22/2011 12:14:19 PM

So far I am getting quotes in the range of $7500 for premium brand package units and $6500 or lesser brands. I got a quote for $37,400 for geothermal (drill 5 horizontal runs) It comes out to ~$18,000 after tax credits.

This is for 4 tons of cooling.

[Edited on March 22, 2011 at 5:11 PM. Reason : ?]

3/22/2011 5:10:44 PM

I saw Duke Energy does free energy audits. I don't know if it includes a blower door test though.

3/22/2011 5:12:28 PM

I've had some work done by All American Heating and Air. Probably not the cheapest but I've had good experiences.

http://www.allamerican-nc.com/

4/21/2011 10:44:45 AM

"A comfortable home" replaced mine and did a great job and was way cheaper than everyone else.
Plus he showed up when he said he would........most of these clowns dont.


Call Shawn @919-609-8292

4/21/2011 2:42:51 PM

http://www.angieslist.com/

4/21/2011 3:01:04 PM

http://www.angieslist.com/ is a scam

4/21/2011 3:09:12 PM

Modern Mechanical out of Clayton/Garner did the new HVAC in my house. They did good work and I didn't have any problems. Their pricing was really good on the higher end Trane system I got.

4/22/2011 12:35:02 AM

http://www.servicemagic.com

They pre-screen workers and ensure they are carrying insurance and are reputable. I used people from this site for handyman service, gutters, replacement window glass, and a host of other items and have been really satisfied.

Have you seen the advertisement for the Lennox with the Solar Solution; you could offset the unit cost with the 30% solar tax credit.

Good luck!

4/24/2011 1:01:01 PM

http://hvac.buildingpros.com/build/name/SJ+SERVICE+COMPANY+RALEIGH+N.C._Clayton_North+Carolina_1005578

5/30/2011 11:23:20 AM

what has happened to HVAC industry? (loving this thread's pre-covid prices).

I feel like if anything goes wrong today with a system that is 8+ years old, every tech turns into a salesman. I don't remember growing up and having to replace systems every 8-10 years. Shit use to run 20+.

6/21/2024 12:10:50 PM

Anything before 10 years should be under warranty.

7/11/2024 5:30:38 PM