Question:
I am having an air conditioning system installed in my home. I have 5
quotes ranging from $1200 to $2000. Some installers recommend 2 tons
others recommend 2.5 tons(1500 sq ft, 2 story colonial near detroit
Michigan). My biggest question concerns the brand name of the unit.
Should I care or are they all the same? I have heard of Lennox and
Bryant but have had quotes for a Payne(made by Bryant/Carrier according
to Installer) and a Coleman(Made by York according to Installer). I have
never heard of either other than Coleman campers. Does anyone have any
information or personal experiences with either? Any brands recommended
or that I should be careful to avoid?
Answer:
Bryant-Payne-Carrier are all made by the same company. Lennox is good,
but overpriced, and repair parts are higher. If you're only going to be
in the house 5 - 7 years, you'll never see payback on high-efficiency
deluxe AC units (12+SEER). A high-SEER unit could be a good selling
factor though when you decide to put your house on the market later.
If you got quotes for 2 or 2.5 tons, rule of thumb in AC is to UNDERSIZE
for proper humidity removal and longer compressor life. An oversized
unit won't run long enough to remove the humidity from the house, and it
will short-cycle, which will shorten the life of the compressor.
Ask the companies how they arrived at the 2 and 2.5 ton numbers? Did
they do a load-calculation on the house, or did they just guess? If
they can't produce the paperwork on how they arrived at the tonnage,
find another contractor.
