Steerpike

We just had carpet put in last July ... the room was about 20' wide. They did a pretty decent job of joining the pieces such that I already can't see most of the join (having walked on it for a bit). They used some heat-based tape, I was watching them basically 'iron' the area. After checking with lots of fancy carpet places, we chose Home Depot and they did a fine job.

Steerpike

Question about AC units ...

Any opinions about Trane vs United Technologies (day and night sub-brand)? I have two completely independent units - upstairs/downstairs (two air handlers, two outside condensers, two thermostats, etc - no link between them). Each 3-ton. This is AZ so it gets hot here . House is 18 years old and current units are original, Trane.

Initial Home Inspection found one unit to be cutting out and icing up at the coils in the air handler. I paid for a 'United Technologies' guy (who sells Day and Night branded gear) for a more thorough inspection, and he said the coils in the air handler were bad. He recommended replacing the entire unit with a day and night brand, 16 seer. He said it would be hard to get the parts for the Trane, since it was using the 'old style' refrigerant, and I would be putting money into an 18-year old system that will need more work soon. I talked briefly to a 'Trane' guy and he said he could probably replace the coils for about $1,500.

So I have three choices to make. 1) Replace coils only, $1.5k, and hope I don't have to sink too much more into the 18-year-old unit; 2) replace entire unit with a new Trane; 3) replace entire unit with a new Day and Night (United Technologies). My instinct is to go with #2, because Trane is a reputable brand, but the owner of the company for option #3 spent ages on the phone with me today and he sounded like a good guy. Been in the area 20 years, thinks the UT brand is very solid, not too sophisticated (and thus, more reliable). He really sounded like a guy I could work with. The Trane guy was, in contrast, gruff and way too busy to really get into details ... though he is going to call me back tonight if I'm lucky ... If I can get away with $1500 now and not have to replace for a few more years, that may be attractive also.

Thoughts from the brain trust?

Note - the heat side of things is conventional gas; this is not a heat pump setup (I hate heat pump setups anyway, as they run the condenser which adds noise). Despite what people may thing, it does get cold here in winter

Pulaski

I'll think more about a full reply, but off the cuff, I would seriously consider replacing the coils, if the rest of the unit is solid and you can reasonably expect another 2+ years out of it. One of our units was "condemned" nearly seven years ago and despite being badgered by the service tech to replace the entire system, every six months when the unit was serviced, and therefore against his recommendation, we paid for several repairs and got an additional 5½ years out of the old set up. The annual repairs amounted to about 3 months of the finance charges on the new system, and the new system was a better, more efficient system than existed if we had replaced the old system when first told that it needed to be replaced.

So far as the noise of a heat pump goes, it sounds like you're judging based on the old heat pumps. Our new system is a heat pump based system and when running "flat out" it barely makes more than the sort of hum that a fridge makes, and it provides adequate heat down to an outside temperature of about -4ºC.

Hotscot

Briefly, possibly you have low refrigerant and just need a $50 - $100 top up.
In any case that needs to be ruled out by someone knowledgeable.

(We have Carrier units.)

tom169

Not familiar with the HVAC brands so no help, sorry. Just scheduled my spring inspection / tune up.

petitefrancaise

I had a similar situation 3 years ago. Like you, I have 2 separate systems and the upstairs airhandler was buggered. I changed the airhandler and the outside condensor to a heat pump and my air con bill practically halved.Great move to have air con properly working upstairs, no issues to constantly deal with and that old refrigerant is really expensive now. Are they even allowed to manufacture it still? My new system has probably paid for itself.

Pulaski

Agreed, low refrigerant causes the line to ice-up. .... But a leak in the coil might be why the refrigerant is low.

I have had low refrigerant linked to a leak, and another time low refrigerant for no discernible reason, and that after a top up (and no other repair), and the system did not leak refrigerant again.

scrubbedexpat091

Bathroom fans and sensors, I understand in theory the it detects humidity rising and supposed to turn the fan on, but why put the sensor inside a closet that isn't even in the bathroom where the fan is?

We live in a condo and this is the 3rd place where the sensor is inside a closest that is not inside the bathroom.

Is there a reason for this?

Pulaski

Are you sure it's a sensor? I have never seen a bathroom fan connected to a sensor (I know that some times the fan is connected to the light switch, effectively making use of the fan mandatory); maybe it's an apartment thing.

What does the sensor look like - could you post a picture, or find a link to one on-line?

lizzyq

Both our bathrooms have extractor fans controlled by humidity sensors. The sensors look a bit tlike rotary thermostats but are marked in % humidity and can also be turned to an off position so the fan doesn't come on at all. The sensors are in the relevant bathrooms and not in cupboards. Can't post a picture as I'm out of town.

Pulaski

Hmm, OK, thx. I can certainly say I have never lived in a home with one. It is possible I have seen one in an home, or hotel, but not recognized what it is.

scrubbedexpat091

Looks similar to the photo. Just can't figure out why they seem to put them inside closets.

lizzyq

Ours are similar to this: https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.supplyho...h46c1166-2.jpg

Steerpike

Before I get to your answers - thanks everyone - why are there so many 'brands' of AC unit when they are all made by just a few companies? Given that this isn't exactly a 'retail' product, it seems odd that a company like United Technologies would maintain so many sub-brands (apparently Carrier is another United Technologies sub-brand). I understand that with cars, for example, there's a long history of brand loyalty, and the different brands allow for stylistic variations ... which don't exactly apply to A/C units! Anyway - just a curiosity.

That's why I'm really hoping to discuss this with the 'Trane' guy - since he knows this specific product well, he can best advise me on the options, including availability of spares, etc. He comes well recommended as a guy who won't push 'replace' without reason. But - he didn't call me tonight as he promised, and I didn't get a good vibe from him today - he seems so incredibly busy. The 'other' guy was also a recommended guy, but he admits he's not a 'trane' expert so he can't speak to the exact availability of parts so he was leaning towards replace. He did say the old refrigerant is no longer being made after ?this year? (soon?) but there will be stockpiles for a long time. In case I didn't mention it, the cost of a new system is about $5,600 installed, for 16 seer (up from the minimum 14 seer).

PS - you have your system tuned up every 6 months?! wow. That's pretty regular! What do they do?
My comment about heat pumps was somewhat editorial since this new home has gas already plumbed in so I wouldn't go with heat pump anyway, but - my experience with heat pumps was with a roof-mounted condenser. I lived on the top floor of a 2-story building, and both my and my neighbor's condensers were right above my kitchen. When the condenser kicked in, there were resonance issues that amplified the vibration quite badly. I had them out to try various 'damping' things (various rubber isolators, etc) but nothing really stopped the incessant 'droning' vibration that accompanied the condenser running. When I had the original system replaced in 2011, they switched from electric heat to heat pump, so I went from having annoying vibration noise all summer to having annoying noise all summer and winter . This new place has an outdoor condenser mounted on a slab, and I will say it's pretty quiet.
I paid $120 to have both units 'checked out' by a reputable guy, and I can only hope he ruled out low refrigerant. I was there while the guy did the checkup, and he sure spent a lot of time on it.
As noted above, it seems the old refrigerant is no longer in manufacture but you can still get it; price will likely be high! When I replaced my AC in 2011, I put in new double-pane windows at the same time and between those two actions, my electric bill dropped by more than half. And, equally important to me, the system ran at least 50% less time, which made me happy (as I'm a silence freak!).
The only thing in the write-up they gave me was that here is a blockage in the coil.

Thanks for the ideas, everyone!

Steerpike

That's bizzarre that you'd have a sensor in the closet ... but the fact you've seen it 3 times means it's not a crazy fluke! Also odd that this would be in Vancouver - not a place noted for hot, humid summers! I moved into an apartment briefly last year in CA while between homes and I asked the maintenance guy why there weren't two switches in the bathroom (one for light, one for fan) and he said, they want to FORCE people to have the fan on when showering to reduce mold. So I can see why they'd put in a sensor control, but ... not in a closet! Is the closet right next door? does the fan ever kick in? It would seem unlikely unless the closet were used as a steam room!

Is this an apartment or your own home? It seems very extravagant, but I guess you do have humid summers in PA.