Ducati Monster Forum

So with the good rebates offered now (30% back) I'm thinking maybe I'll get AC this summer.

After googling for reviews I found a whole lot of nothing useful. Any HVAC people here?
My furnace is a 94 Carrier Infinity.
I have a Lennox guy coming next week for an estimate, but I really know nothing about any of the brands, or the prices for the units.

<-- wishes that he lived in a part of the country where AC was optional.

I guess if you live in parts of Cali, you might be able to go without it and still ride all year, but I will take needing AC and not having to garage the bike for the snow.

Damn. My AC runs 11 months out of the year. 

how much does running the AC drive up the bills?
i just moved to a place that has it and i've never had it before - never needed it either

Our electric bill (in Texas where we have 95+ degree days in the summer) basically doubles when we go into the hot months. There are so many factors that determine this (size of air handler, how the ducts are routed, how long it has been since the filters have been changed, temperature delta, humidity...) that it would be difficult to estimate how much more it will be. If you can get by without it, I would say rock the open windows and fans.

When was living in Phoenix, my electric bill would be between $250 and $300 a month from late May-Sep. Contrast that to about $80 in the winter months...

Indeed ;D 8)

I look at it this way.

There are roughly 35 million people in Cali...and 1.5 mil in NH.

If you assume that 10% of the population is an asshole...insert opinion of choice...

that means there are waaaaaaaaay fewer assholes here.

I'll freeze thanks. ;)

our house has everything in place for central air, except for the compressor
here in CT, we only need it a few days a year

Right now I have window units for A/C in coastal CT. It surprises the hell out of me right now to see some of the people I live near with their A/C units in the window and RUNNING! It's in the 60's right now! That's January weather where I'm from...

To the OP, Tailgunner is an HVAC guy, he might could answer your question

Well my house is small - 1250sqft. And it's a brick ranch, so that helps with climate control right there.
I'm on a much quieter street than I used to be, so the windows will be open much more. However the houses are very close together. Lots on either side of me are about 40' wide - same as mine.

It would kill me to have a high electric bill  (winter bills were about $55) since I stick it to the man using wood heat during the winter ;)

It's amazing how 70 degrees in the winter is great lounging about temp, but seems a tad warm at the end of May :)

I hate shopping for items like this since prices don't appear to be generally known since you can't install it yourself (unless you can do sheet metal work). I'm a window shopper - I like to compare prices, features, reviews. not so easy here.

A coworker had a friend install his furnace/CA for 3800. He will install any brand and he does it on the side, so no matter which I decide on, I may go with him for the install. I can do the electrical which is easy, but the sheet metal work...not so much. Plus, I'm going to have 2 8" taps added in for my new wood furnace which I'm getting this summer.

But rreally. I feel for you'se guys in the SW. I was in Arizona last May for a week and it wasn't bad - bout 90. But you know.....it's not the heat....it's the humidity :p

I'm an HVAC tech in nebraska,  I work for a York dealer but I much prefer Lennox products.  I do more commercial service than residential, I am always happy to see a lennox on the roof when I'm out on a no cool.  Lennox is the best brand out there in my opinion, servicability, warranty and leading edge tech.  Pull the trigger if the estimate is fair.

Yes but some people are bigger assholes than others.

Yea, but all the visits from MASSholes probably makes up for it  ;)

And don't forget that cold winters and cabin fever tend to enhance asshole behavior. ;)

You guys aren't swaying me. ;D

The smaller the state the bigger the asshole.  I'm from Texas.  ;D

fascinating, but not entirely helpful  ;D

So what I'm gettin from this is, almost no one has experience with central air units. Outstanding.

I worked in the call center for a company that makes indoor air quality products like humidifiers, air cleaners, thermostats and zone control products.  I recommend getting a whole house air cleaner at the same time that you get a A/C system installed. And a programmable thermostat can really help you save on power too, by only running the A/C when you are home. A geothermal heat pump system can also save you quite a bit on operating expenses, but I am not sure how much the up front cost would be.

What did you expect from us?  I have AC that stays on 11.5 months of the year.  Set thermostat at 77 and house stays cool, electric bill goes up.  Simple.

I will help you. Carrier/Bryant is one of the best systems you can get. They generally have the best support as well. Rudd/Rheem has the best warranty. Lennox is ok. You want to buy a Dual-stage/multi-stage system. This offers the best efficiency/ cost savings. this should be coupled with a programmable thermostat. The programmable thermostat alone can save you up to 25% on your heating and cooling bill.

I had to put a new A/C unit on my house about 2 years ago. The house is a little over 2200 sq/ft, I went with a Rheem 5 ton unit installed for $5k on a HOT holiday weekend (Labor Day in Phoenix)...