Anonymous
01/01/2024 10:51
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:Op back. Getting quotes in the $8k range for Goodman brand per my specs above. Not crazy about Goodman but they warranty 20 years for the materials. The hvac guy tells me proper sizing and good installation are far more important vs hvac brand.
Agree that proper sizing and quality installation are most important.
I used a small local HVAC company to replace my previous house's original HVAC units right after I took possession. They bid Goodman HE units (gas+A/C down; heat pump upstairs). They did a good installation and really the Goodman HVAC was very reliable. No quality concerns.
The Goodman system did not have fancy diagnostics available via the OEM thermostat. Some more expensive brands (e.g., Carrier) offer that but only if using their thermostat. It didn't matter because nothing ever broke.
Anonymous
12/30/2023 21:32
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Contractor: Goodman is not the total crap it was 20 years ago but its still noticably more cheaply made than some other brands. That being said you will see it in newly constructed homes with prices well into the seven figures in our area. Sizing and installation quality are always more important than the brand. There's some real hacks in the trade now, the problem is a lay person cant tell the difference between a good install and a system that was hacked in.
Contractor, do you mind sharing a few items indicative of a good vs a hack job?
Its really difficult for a lay person not looking at this stuff everyday to tell a difference. I think the biggest telltale for a consumer when vetting HVAC contractors is how they respond when you ask them about permits. If they balk/ tell you there will be an additional charge/ say things like its not really necessary for a replacement be warry. Contractors doing good work could care less about having an inspector come behind them and are probably pulling them as a standard procedure anyway.
This contractor must be a troll.
Aside from permits they cannot articulate good/bad work yet make the statement there are a bunch of hacks?
Some things that come to
Mind (and I am a
Diy’er) - poor braising of joints, improper wiring at the condenser (not using outdoor rated wiring or even electric disconnect), improper wiring of control board (set to single stage when you have multi stage capability), mismatched sizing of units without justification (humidity or other supposed efficiency gains), and I could go on and on.
I'm pretty sure you mean brazing, not braising. Anyways, the average homeowner doesn't know what brazing is, and certainly won't be able to judge quality of brazing. Likewise, the average homeowner isnt going to be able to identify proper vs improper wiring of a control board. The PP contractor wasn't wrong, and you're a dick for calling him a troll.
Anonymous
12/30/2023 20:04
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Contractor: Goodman is not the total crap it was 20 years ago but its still noticably more cheaply made than some other brands. That being said you will see it in newly constructed homes with prices well into the seven figures in our area. Sizing and installation quality are always more important than the brand. There's some real hacks in the trade now, the problem is a lay person cant tell the difference between a good install and a system that was hacked in.
Contractor, do you mind sharing a few items indicative of a good vs a hack job?
Its really difficult for a lay person not looking at this stuff everyday to tell a difference. I think the biggest telltale for a consumer when vetting HVAC contractors is how they respond when you ask them about permits. If they balk/ tell you there will be an additional charge/ say things like its not really necessary for a replacement be warry. Contractors doing good work could care less about having an inspector come behind them and are probably pulling them as a standard procedure anyway.
This contractor must be a troll.
Aside from permits they cannot articulate good/bad work yet make the statement there are a bunch of hacks?
Some things that come to
Mind (and I am a
Diy’er) - poor braising of joints, improper wiring at the condenser (not using outdoor rated wiring or even electric disconnect), improper wiring of control board (set to single stage when you have multi stage capability), mismatched sizing of units without justification (humidity or other supposed efficiency gains), and I could go on and on.
99% of homeowners couldn't tell any of those things.
Anonymous
12/30/2023 20:03
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Jan 2022 full HVAC replacement in 1400 sq ft house. A very small adjustment to return duct was involved. 96% eff variable-speed Bryant gas furnace, 16 SEER 2.5 ton A/C, and added MERV 13 filtration sized to the blower unit. $9,000.
Get a blower door test done on your house first and make sure they don’t MF you by oversizing the a/c. Nothing but heartache, humidity and mold will result.
Did you also get quotes for replacing the gas furnace with an electric heat pump? Trying to understand the cost difference
We didn’t—this was before the infrastructure act tax incentives for heat pumps.
The blower door test was heavily discounted thru the utilities (forget which)—I think $100. HIGHLY RECOMMEND, especially before spending a larger wad of dollars on a “more efficient” system. It’s not efficient if the heat is all exiting directly thru an unsealed attic.
Yes, we did this too. Most of the fixes were also inexpensive.
Anonymous
12/30/2023 20:01
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We did this. We got a dual fuel Daikin heat pump to replace our AC and gas furnace. It was 13K. You should watch some of the videos about it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZQFSpcpXC4
Heat pumps are much more energy efficient and just as comfortable if not more so (less dry air.)
We switched to a dual fuel system this past spring and also spent $13k. Our electric bill has been a little bit lower since the new system was installed, and the air is definitely not as dry. I do feel like the heat pump heat is not as warm. It sounds weird, but the temp on the thermostat right now does not feel as cozy as when we had just the gas furnace.
Glad to know that what we spent was typical. I agree that since you don't get the big blast of hot air that comes with a gas furnace when the heat kicks on, the air doesn't feel quite as warm even though it, measurably, is.
Anonymous
12/30/2023 19:38
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
7-9k, prices have actually gone done since covid
Anonymous
12/30/2023 19:29
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Contractor: Goodman is not the total crap it was 20 years ago but its still noticably more cheaply made than some other brands. That being said you will see it in newly constructed homes with prices well into the seven figures in our area. Sizing and installation quality are always more important than the brand. There's some real hacks in the trade now, the problem is a lay person cant tell the difference between a good install and a system that was hacked in.
Contractor, do you mind sharing a few items indicative of a good vs a hack job?
Its really difficult for a lay person not looking at this stuff everyday to tell a difference. I think the biggest telltale for a consumer when vetting HVAC contractors is how they respond when you ask them about permits. If they balk/ tell you there will be an additional charge/ say things like its not really necessary for a replacement be warry. Contractors doing good work could care less about having an inspector come behind them and are probably pulling them as a standard procedure anyway.
This contractor must be a troll.
Aside from permits they cannot articulate good/bad work yet make the statement there are a bunch of hacks?
Some things that come to
Mind (and I am a
Diy’er) - poor braising of joints, improper wiring at the condenser (not using outdoor rated wiring or even electric disconnect), improper wiring of control board (set to single stage when you have multi stage capability), mismatched sizing of units without justification (humidity or other supposed efficiency gains), and I could go on and on.
Anonymous
12/28/2023 11:36
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Contractor: Goodman is not the total crap it was 20 years ago but its still noticably more cheaply made than some other brands. That being said you will see it in newly constructed homes with prices well into the seven figures in our area. Sizing and installation quality are always more important than the brand. There's some real hacks in the trade now, the problem is a lay person cant tell the difference between a good install and a system that was hacked in.
Contractor, do you mind sharing a few items indicative of a good vs a hack job?
Its really difficult for a lay person not looking at this stuff everyday to tell a difference. I think the biggest telltale for a consumer when vetting HVAC contractors is how they respond when you ask them about permits. If they balk/ tell you there will be an additional charge/ say things like its not really necessary for a replacement be warry. Contractors doing good work could care less about having an inspector come behind them and are probably pulling them as a standard procedure anyway.
Anonymous
12/27/2023 19:27
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:Contractor: Goodman is not the total crap it was 20 years ago but its still noticably more cheaply made than some other brands. That being said you will see it in newly constructed homes with prices well into the seven figures in our area. Sizing and installation quality are always more important than the brand. There's some real hacks in the trade now, the problem is a lay person cant tell the difference between a good install and a system that was hacked in.
Contractor, do you mind sharing a few items indicative of a good vs a hack job?
Anonymous
12/27/2023 18:32
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Jan 2022 full HVAC replacement in 1400 sq ft house. A very small adjustment to return duct was involved. 96% eff variable-speed Bryant gas furnace, 16 SEER 2.5 ton A/C, and added MERV 13 filtration sized to the blower unit. $9,000.
Get a blower door test done on your house first and make sure they don’t MF you by oversizing the a/c. Nothing but heartache, humidity and mold will result.
Did you also get quotes for replacing the gas furnace with an electric heat pump? Trying to understand the cost difference
We didn’t—this was before the infrastructure act tax incentives for heat pumps.
The blower door test was heavily discounted thru the utilities (forget which)—I think $100. HIGHLY RECOMMEND, especially before spending a larger wad of dollars on a “more efficient” system. It’s not efficient if the heat is all exiting directly thru an unsealed attic.
Anonymous
12/27/2023 17:41
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:Op back. Getting quotes in the $8k range for Goodman brand per my specs above. Not crazy about Goodman but they warranty 20 years for the materials. The hvac guy tells me proper sizing and good installation are far more important vs hvac brand.
Yes! 22K poster here and he sounds like a good one. We had to replace an entire system heat pump, AC that was aging out and they also recommended a few more intakes for us which was more ductwork.* You don't need that, but it was completely worth it and our new systemsis dreamy and efficient.
*We didn't have the right circulation and there was rattling and doors being sucked shut before...
Anonymous
12/27/2023 17:39
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:7-9k
what? More like $20K-$25K! Have you been in a coma for the last 15 years?
Looks like you’re the one in a coma. We paid $9k in 2019 and even with pandemic pricing it won’t cost that much.
No way you paid that for what OP is talking about.
Have you read the last few posts? Do you understand the wholesale retail model? Do you understand that even in the DMV there are contractors that are reasonable? Do you understand that 90% of lift and replace is labor and that almost everything is straightforward and almost every manufacturer is precharged these days (no additional cost to contractor who may sell it as such, unless it’s a ‘long’ run)
10k today for what op is asking is extremely reasonable and likely. Ceteris Paribus.
Even if a contractor has to add
‘Spacers’ between say the furnace and the Evap coil your at most
Talking a hundred in material that is mostly readily available and only adds minimal time.
+1 even if OP splurges on a variable stage communicating system it doesn't need to be that much more than $10k after rebates/tax credits. < $9k is totally achievable for simply replacing what OP currently has.
There's a contractor who frequents DCUM. I think he messes with us with his fancy words and then charges his clients 25K...
Anonymous
12/27/2023 17:33
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Anonymous wrote:We did this. We got a dual fuel Daikin heat pump to replace our AC and gas furnace. It was 13K. You should watch some of the videos about it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZQFSpcpXC4
Heat pumps are much more energy efficient and just as comfortable if not more so (less dry air.)
We switched to a dual fuel system this past spring and also spent $13k. Our electric bill has been a little bit lower since the new system was installed, and the air is definitely not as dry. I do feel like the heat pump heat is not as warm. It sounds weird, but the temp on the thermostat right now does not feel as cozy as when we had just the gas furnace.
Anonymous
12/27/2023 17:19
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Contractor: Goodman is not the total crap it was 20 years ago but its still noticably more cheaply made than some other brands. That being said you will see it in newly constructed homes with prices well into the seven figures in our area. Sizing and installation quality are always more important than the brand. There's some real hacks in the trade now, the problem is a lay person cant tell the difference between a good install and a system that was hacked in.
Anonymous
12/27/2023 12:48
Subject: Recent total hvac replacement costs?
Op back. Getting quotes in the $8k range for Goodman brand per my specs above. Not crazy about Goodman but they warranty 20 years for the materials. The hvac guy tells me proper sizing and good installation are far more important vs hvac brand.