Air Conditioning - Opinion of New Unit

I just got a new Trane XR11 2.5 Ton AC unit put outside my home. I was wondering what everyones opinion of that unit was. I was in a rush and had to get the A/C installed so I was not able to shop around. The cost for it installed was 3200 and so far am happy with the system and the company that installed it. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks.

I just think this time and day you should have got one with a seer of 14 to 16. But you sound happy with it and the company so you did good.

ED

Yes, My model only goes up to 11.5 SEER but I am sure its alot more efficient than my old one and I could not afford anything else. Thanks for your help, any other opinions?

BrianDuy,

I like Trane equipment. Having said that 10 SEER rated units were considered top of the line in operating efficiency over 10 yrs ago. Nothing is wrong with the XR11 model 2.5 ton- but it only has a SEER rating of up to 11.5 which will not meet gov't standards in efficiency in another year. This unit is what I would call a lower end type model in the Trane line. The XR12 would have given you a little better SEER. I would hope you also received a matching evap coil. You don't say what area of country you live as far as AC needs. If you are happy and the installation was good, satisfaction along with comfort is ultimately what counts.

:)

Thanks, I know the SEER rating is not the greatest but its what I could afford and I am happy with the installation and the company and the warranty. SO all in all I guess its a good unit. I live in Northern VA close to DC.

The licensed contractor said my evap coil was in good condition and only needed to be cleaned. So he did that and everything seems to be working fine now.

BrianDuy,
While you have a good unit and apparently a good install, you will not reach the potential of the rated SEER with an old evaporator coil. Just so you are aware. This is a shortcut that I hate to see homeowners take.

My opinion.
Good Luck!
:)

Thank you for your time and your advice. Since my evap coil was only cleaned am I going to run into trouble in the future? The contractor did say that normally when you replace and outdoor unit you replace the evap coil but he said that it was not needed here becasue mine was still in good shape.

Could this cause future problems for me?

Thanks again for your help.

BrianDuy,
Based on the inspection by your tech, I would say you should not have any immediate concern. The problem lies in the fact that cooling may not be as good and obviously you will not achieve the rated SEER potential of your AC unit.

Some years back, I did the same thing with a new Trane XE unit simply because I wanted to save a little upfront cost. Not a good decision.

Good luck with your new unit.

:)

I had a new 4-ton Trane XR12, 100K btu XB80 gas heat full system swapout done yesterday. The cost for the swap was $3500. I also had the lineset (copper tubing) replaced and some ductwork repair done for an additional $550; total price $4050. I formerly had a 4-ton Lennox system with 100K btu gas heat at 60% AFUE, which is no longer made.

The old unit developed a hole in the compressor at the end of May. It was barely noticeable then due to cool weather. I spent 2 days collecting 11 estimates for just the XR12 unit. They ranged from $1850 to $2700 and many in between. The A/C was out for about 10-12 days, but we have two systems and the other one continued to work, though it ran all the time.

I would say that shopping around (about 15-20 phone calls and several hours of time) would have allowed you to save enough to move up to the XR12 for the same money or perhaps less. I left my cell phone number for estimate callbacks, so I did not have to stay at home or at my office desk to await returned calls.

I am in the process of replacing a 15-year-old Lennox 10 SEER with a Trane XR12, both 4 ton. This is conventional R22 A/C with natural gas heat. The heater is a 60% efficiency unit that was available then. I will be replacing the furnace with a Trane 80% single-speed heater, since I have 214 cooling days compared to 10 heating days annually in north Texas.

Hey IBM,
A question. Since heating is not as big an issue as AC, did you consider a High efficient heat pump with variable speed air handler? Did you run a fuel comparison of electric heat pump vs 80% gas furnace? Just wondering. I have no idea on electric rates in Texas. Sounds though you got a pretty good system for a good price.

:)

I have the XR-11 in my home and been happy with it.. you know if your coil has TXV on it?

I thought I might have paid too much for it but I was going out of town and needed the job done. I live in the DC area and I called about 15-20 AC contractors on the first real hot day of the summer and they were all booked for about a week. The company that installed it was the only one that made an effort to help me out and was very courteous and helpful. So far I am happy with the unit, service, warranty and company. But I do fell I paid too much. Oh well, live and learn. Thank you all for your help I really did learn a lot.

No I do not know if I have a TXV coil. What is it? How would I find out?