Air Conditioning - Advice on buying a new A/C System.

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drose12334
08-07-08, 06:36 AM
We have 2 Trane A/C units for our house that are 20 years old. One unit still works fine but the other has an undetectable leak, and rather than spend a bunch of money to fix it we were advised to just replace it because of the age. My question is, what manufacturer makes a good product? I would love to be able to get 20 years out of a new system like we did before, but I'm doubting things are "made the way they used to be":rolleyes:


any advice would be greatly appreciated.

airman.1994
08-07-08, 10:17 AM
Units are all about the same. Install is everything. having said that most good companys only deal with the main brands. Where a lot of jack legs sell the cheaper stuff.
drose12334
08-07-08, 10:48 AM
. Where a lot of jack legs sell the cheaper stuff.


:D i see your point.

How are some obvious ways to tell the difference between a "jack leg" :D and a quality installer?

tinmantu
08-07-08, 11:19 AM
One way is to ask for references to call and maybe see samples of their work. If they balk, I'd not be considering them.
Codyy
08-07-08, 03:53 PM
Get 3 bids, and make sure the tech you choose does a Manual J, which is a heat loss/load calculation. It determines exactly what it sounds like, and that is the proper way to size a new unit. (Existing units, although working, could still be over or undersized).

Good luck. Hope your new systems works as good as the last!
HVAC RETIRED
08-07-08, 07:51 PM
We have 2 Trane A/C units for our house that are 20 years old. One unit still works fine but the other has an undetectable leak, and rather than spend a bunch of money to fix it we were advised to just replace it because of the age. My question is, what manufacturer makes a good product? I would love to be able to get 20 years out of a new system like we did before, but I'm doubting things are "made the way they used to be":rolleyes: Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

A high quality install & setup is everything!
Also, look for a good warranty.

The other Replies are on target, pay attention to codyy on manual J & proper sizing. - HVAC RETIRED
drose12334
08-07-08, 09:10 PM
Thanks for your responses guys, I really appreciate your time, and advice.