HVAC company help

[HoneySuckle]

I tried searching for my old thread but have never been successful with the search sytem on this forum so bear with me.

We've decided to get a better A/C-Furnace system.  Ours is almost 20 years (Heil) and is not terribly efficient.

The companies I am looking at right now are HD (Amos), Robison (never heard of them), Jack Beckham Comfort Specialist, and All Temp Heating and air.

I have no idea which of these companies are better.  We're just getting quotes one more time.  Based on the prices I've seen, it's not all that much more to go with Trane equipment.  There is Armstrong (not too sure about this one), Rheem, Payne and of course, Heil.

What do you have?  Who did you use?  Anyone else you can think of that does good work?

[inteller]

Darrough AC

[Nick Danger]

quote:Originally posted by HoneySuckle

I have no idea which of these companies are better.  We're just getting quotes one more time.  Based on the prices I've seen, it's not all that much more to go with Trane equipment.  There is Armstrong (not too sure about this one), Rheem, Payne and of course, Heil.

We have a Trane system that is great. We've had it for a few years and never had any problems. It came with a 10 year parts and labor warranty if you do the 2-year maintenance service, which is probably a good thing to do anyway. Custom Heat & Air put ours in, and we've been totally satisfied.

[Steve]

Why are you replacing the furnace?  Only because it is 20 years old?  Just because you think it is not efficient or are you having serious maintenance problems?

I installed a new Carrier gas furnace in my house back in 1988 (installed by Jack Nelson Co.) It was rated at 84% efficiency back then, I assume this means the ratio of heat entering the HVAC ducts vs. heat loss through the combustion flue.  It has performed great for me in the last 20 years, the only repair has been to replace a fuse on the blower fan.

My house has all the ducts underground in the slab, so air loss is a minimal concern.  But make sure your ducts are sealed properly to minimize air loss.  Unless you are having serious maintenance issues with your furnace, it may be smarter to invest in better home insulation or new windows than to replace a working HVAC system.

[sauerkraut]

I have a Lennox and it was in service since October, 1971. Hows that for old age?  No problemos with it. I guess it's not much as fuel saver as  a 2008 unit would be, but it's simple and has no computer parts in it. The Lennox replaced an old 1956 Armstrong unit that came with the house. The old Armstrong furnace was a unit that could be run on oil or natural gas. We have only natural gas, so the furnace was run on that. We have no A/C it's too cold for it. A/C is not really needed for just 3 months of summer.[xx(]

[chas22]

My personal preference is Rheem or Goodman.  The Rheem will cost a little more than the Goodman.  I have a Goodman furnace in my house with 0 problems for 4 yr's and a Rheem 6yr old condensing unit. If the ever goes out I'll get a Goodman unit.  Goodman is good as lennox, Carrier, Trane or Rheem with some of the same parts,less money and good warr.  A good company and good install is the main key. Call B&B Sheet Metal @ 371-1335 and ask for Dave.

[HoneySuckle]

Thanks for the recommendations. We ended up going with Robison and they did a good job.  I can already feel the difference upstairs!  Our bedrooms used to have a drafty feeling no matter how long that unit ran in the winter and it would take forever to heat the place.

We are also replacing windows next week, so I should be able to sleep without the thermal underwear, fleece pj's and three blankets!!

[sauerkraut]

From looking at the comments it seems no matter what brand you get it's all going to be about the same. The comment above about the Rheem Furnace rings true, our family had a Rheem Furnace in our cottage on Lake Huron (Port Sanilac, Michigan) and it kept the place warm and cozy even on cold windy days..  When I was a kid we had a Sears water heater installed in the early 1960's at our city home. Sears called it "Three Stage Flame With A Brain" it was a 40 gallon unit that replaced a old 30 gallon unit that came with the house,  we had that Sears water heater up till the 1980's when it was replaced because it did not heat the water too good. We had to keep bumping up the thermostat to get hot water. I guess the inside of the tank was getting full of deposits. As for water heaters the kind I'd like to get today is a tank-less water heater I don't know why they never are that popular, very few houses come with those and I don't understand why they cost so much, it's just a coil & a burner with a on/off switch.[xx(]

[HoneySuckle]

Windows for the bedroom going in today!!  

Remodelling is a virus.  I was supposed to only work on the darn kitchen.