Question:
I have two quotes for replacing my central air conditioner. Both
contractors measured the house/windows etc to determine size (both
came up with 3 ton), and I would trust either to do a fine
installation, they both have excellent referrrals.
The first suggested a Carrier 38TXA, Puron, SEER 14, total cost
$3560. The second suggested a Lennox Elite 13, SEER 13, total cost $3230.
Is Puron desirable/undesirable?
The Lennox quote would reuse the copper pipes present from unit
to coil, replacing the coil only. Is this a problem?
Is either of these units clearly better? Which would be
quieter?
We run our air conditioner only about 20-30 days per year so SEER is
not driving this decision. I would appreciate any advice from those
of you who are much more knowledgable than I.
Answer:
Puron works at a higher pressure and requires extra training to
service. Carrier used to be the lone supplier of Puron, but it is
spreading through the market now. They used it as a marketing tool.
It does produce lower chloroflourocarbons (chlorine-free) than freon.
You are still safe with freon for a few years, probably the life of
your unit. Reuse of the copper pipes is O.K. as long as the sizes are
correct. If you only use your A/C 20-30 days a year, don't waste your
money on anything higher than a 10 SEER unit. You will drastically
reduce your initial cost if you go this route and your payback time
would not be worth it. Unless you live in Florida or California, you
are not required to have 12 SEER or more. Both units are good quality
units and relatively quiet. For residential, I would give a slight
edge to Carrier.
Sounds as if you have professional contractors. I personally think if you
stay with any of the main manufactures you get good equipment. The most
important is the installing contracting & you may have got that as well.
Puron or freon either way does a good job. The puron vs freon primarily
comes from the ozone layer & freon is to be phased out eventually but that
is awhile down the road. Others would have better input on that. I
personally don't have a problem with the old copper lines as long as there
was not a burn out & the lines are sized correctly. As far as your units
cost of operation the air conditioning may have a long time before you can
realize any pay back based on your input.
