I have two very old (30+ year) A/C units for my two story house in Central Texas. They're not dead yet, but I've decided to play it safe and replace them now at my leisure rather than during 110F summer. Upstairs ducts are easily accessible but downstairs ducts are not.
I've received three bids. One just struck me as dodgy. The second company was pretty good, but I've over time found some things about his bid that I dislike. Third company has been very knowledgeable. Their guy has been the only one to measure the whole house plus each of the individual rooms upstairs. He was the only one to notice that the upstairs unit mixes 1/4" and 3/8" copper tubing (which is apparently bad, though the system has lived three decades with it).
Here's the meat of what the third guy has proposed:
Downstairs:
3 Ton Trane XR-15 Heat Pump
3 Ton Trane TAM7 Variable Speed Hyperion Air Handler
TCON Digital Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat
Upstairs:
1.5 Ton Trane XR-15 Heat Pump
1.5 Ton Trane TAM7 Variable Speed Hyperion Air Handler
TCON Digital Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat
Total cost: $15.5k (includes new lines, permits, new platform/ducts/construction in attic, new air return in my daughter's upstairs room, etc.)
Main question:
He's been open about the fact that he is trying to sell me a top of the line variable speed air handler with a mid-tier compressor. He has explained that the VS air handler will provide comfort and control humidity. I find myself wondering, however, if a one-stage compressor will really take advantage of the high end air handler or if I'm throwing away money with the fancy air handler. He claims that a two stage compressor is thousands more each and wouldn't be worth it but that I also shouldn't downgrade the air handler. Is he correct? Or is the TAM7 overkill?
Side questions:
1) After I received my bids, I showed the equipment list of the second guy to the Trane guy and asked him to explain how the systems were different and why his cost thousands more. He pointed out (correctly) that the second guy was selling me "builder grade" compressors. He also said that the second guy was matching a 4 ton air handler with a 2.5 ton compressor in order to make the SEER look better, but that it would be less efficient at handling humidity. Is that right? The second guy seemed baffled when I asked. (The second guy was pitching Heat pump M# 215BNA030 and Bryant AHU M# FV4CNF005 for the downstairs).
2) Am I crazy for only getting three bids? Should I get more? I feel pretty comfortable about the Trane guy/company, but then I felt good about the second/Bryant guy until the Trane guy pointed out what the Bryant guy had failed to notice and how he was matching equipment.
Let me know if I should provide any additional info. I REALLY appreciate the insights here.
I've received three bids. One just struck me as dodgy. The second company was pretty good, but I've over time found some things about his bid that I dislike. Third company has been very knowledgeable. Their guy has been the only one to measure the whole house plus each of the individual rooms upstairs. He was the only one to notice that the upstairs unit mixes 1/4" and 3/8" copper tubing (which is apparently bad, though the system has lived three decades with it).
Here's the meat of what the third guy has proposed:
Downstairs:
3 Ton Trane XR-15 Heat Pump
3 Ton Trane TAM7 Variable Speed Hyperion Air Handler
TCON Digital Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat
Upstairs:
1.5 Ton Trane XR-15 Heat Pump
1.5 Ton Trane TAM7 Variable Speed Hyperion Air Handler
TCON Digital Touchscreen Programmable Thermostat
Total cost: $15.5k (includes new lines, permits, new platform/ducts/construction in attic, new air return in my daughter's upstairs room, etc.)
Main question:
He's been open about the fact that he is trying to sell me a top of the line variable speed air handler with a mid-tier compressor. He has explained that the VS air handler will provide comfort and control humidity. I find myself wondering, however, if a one-stage compressor will really take advantage of the high end air handler or if I'm throwing away money with the fancy air handler. He claims that a two stage compressor is thousands more each and wouldn't be worth it but that I also shouldn't downgrade the air handler. Is he correct? Or is the TAM7 overkill?
Side questions:
1) After I received my bids, I showed the equipment list of the second guy to the Trane guy and asked him to explain how the systems were different and why his cost thousands more. He pointed out (correctly) that the second guy was selling me "builder grade" compressors. He also said that the second guy was matching a 4 ton air handler with a 2.5 ton compressor in order to make the SEER look better, but that it would be less efficient at handling humidity. Is that right? The second guy seemed baffled when I asked. (The second guy was pitching Heat pump M# 215BNA030 and Bryant AHU M# FV4CNF005 for the downstairs).
2) Am I crazy for only getting three bids? Should I get more? I feel pretty comfortable about the Trane guy/company, but then I felt good about the second/Bryant guy until the Trane guy pointed out what the Bryant guy had failed to notice and how he was matching equipment.
Let me know if I should provide any additional info. I REALLY appreciate the insights here.
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