Home heat/Ac questions

[jimr]

I know nothing about my home unit its an old (about 20 years old) Heil 2.5 ton gas pack / ac unit and about 2 months ago when it kicked on for a couple of seconds we would smell gas---not good. We have decided to replace the whole unit and got prices from $3210-4300 for a 2.5 ton and 3 ton 13 seer my question is what would you choose between these 2?<br />$3210 for a 3 ton goodman<br />$3254 for a 2.5 ton bryant/carrier

 

[KRS]

Re: Home heat/Ac questions

I would probably clean the area where the gas blows into the burner (because if it's dirty you get "rollback" and gas smell), and keep the one I have.... just my advice, because I'm cheap.<br /><br />If you have the money, a replacement may save you in energy costs (you probably already know this).<br /><br />I hope someone has insight into the two brands you are considering.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Home heat/Ac questions

As a service tech, I have encountered both. The Goodman units are simple and basic. They are easy to find generic parts for. Bryant/Carrier may require their exact replacement parts which ties you into paying higher prices for their parts. <br /><br />The 13 seer is a high efficency unit and can be a bit lower on your bill, but jumping up in size may equal out that savings.<br /><br />I'm partial to Copeland and Techumseh compressors. Check to see what make compressor is in the units. Oddball compressors can be a pain to aquire sometimes. Good luck, hope my little bit of info helps.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Home heat/Ac questions

I agree with Mayfloat. Having been in the HVAC business for a while, I personally would shy away from the Bryant/Carrier brand. To many parts are specific. The Goodman condenser is a mid-range model, but does use decent standard parts. Very few calls for service on them. (Their furnaces are another story that we won't go into.) This means when a Tech. comes out in the middle of the night to repair your fan motor that is on the fritz, he will have a replacement on the truck that will work and get you going. Otherwise, you will wait a bit to get going and pay more for the specific motor...Just an example, but true...BTW- The gas A/C units are pretty reliable. I would have it serviced and see what they come up with....