Holliver

Hey,

We closed on our house on Tuesday which is very exciting . We need a brand new heater as the old one is unsafe and should be red-tagged. While we are replacing that we decided to get A/C installed too. I've had quotes from Lennox and York and I'm not sure what the other companies quote was for. Does anyone here have any experience with Lennox or York? How did you find them? What are your recommendations for A/C units?

Thank you.

Mummy in the foothills

Have a look to see if there are any rebates you can get.
http://www.energysavvy.com/rebates/CA/
We were looking at new heat/ac units in Costco. Have a look there too.

Holliver

Thank you. Yeah, the Lennox one is through Costco so we would get a $900 rebate, cash back from using Amex and cash back from our Costco card.

Their quote was still one of the most expensive but Costco are always really good if you ever have any complaints about their stuff.

Michael

When they gave you the quote for the air conditioner, did they include pouring a concrete slab to mount the air conditioner on it, running power cables, installing a new breaker in the power panel, connecting cooling coils into the ducting system, and including a new thermostat plus new wiring? If not, that can possibly be the most expensive part of an air conditioner system if one wasn't previously installed.

Holliver

Yes they did. We also have to get asbestos removed. It's looking at about eight to ten grand

md95065

I hope you really beat the seller down on the price over that stuff ...

Michael

So much of the cost is labor and parts through a third party installer if purchased through a bug box store that I doubt there would any significant price reduction. $8K-$10K seems reasonable a for new installation and hope that it is done correctly. If it is purchased through an air conditioning/heating store, their prices are usually higher so then there may be some room for negotiations.

Pulaski

I have purchased several York units, and there is nothing wrong with them, but given a straight choice between the two, for my own home, I would take the Lennox.

Unless there is a state or local code, these days they will mount the unit on a precast cement fiber panel which is light weight and easy to position on the ground.

Bob

Trane? Something like that. Our old place had it, worked very well.

The drain out of it was shit though and plenty of the units along the condo were pretty rusted up as they weren't covered for the winter or the blocks weren't very deep. Though I doubt you'll have that issue.

MMcD

Congratulations!

I'd never make such a pricy decision without first - at least consulting Consumer Reports. Their recommendations are unbiased and extremely informative. They also point out specific features and pitfalls about which you should be aware.
Unfortunately you must actually be a subscriber to get access to specific recommendations. But since it's very cheap - and you'll, no doubt, be looking to purchase a host of other items for the new home - a subscription might well be a prudent investment. Your local library will also have the magazines. They're published monthly.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...ying-guide.htm

Good luck in your new home. Stay cool 'n comfy this summer.....

Holliver

Three of the quotes are from local A/C companies. The cheapest quote we had was for $7000 but I do not know which A/C system they use.

The one from Costco is also a local A/C company that sells Lennox products - their quote was the most expensive, even after the Costco savings. Out of the four men who came to give me quotes he was the most thorough, measuring every room, checking the attic and gave me a lot of information. Do you think it's possible that they put their prices up for the Costco quotes so that they don't lose money after taking out all the Costco rebates?

Holliver

Thank you

I'll have a check with Mr Holliver about the Consumer Reports. Good advice. I tried looking up reviews of the A/C units online but both York and Lennox had terrible reviews - but most people only bother to write complaints. The people who disagreed said it was because of poor installation.

MMcD

Enter your new zip code to see any current rebates from your local utility company:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?...rebate_locator

And even if there are none being offered at the moment - you still want to get "Energy Star" appliances:
Save the planet/Save on your energy bills.......

Michael

I suspect that when an installer from a big box store gives a quote, the big box store will require the installer to not exceed that quote no matter how many unforeseen problems occur, requires the installer to use quality materials, requires the installer to do it right, and will install on schedule. The big box store will also take responsibility for poor installation and will fix any problems and get rid of any contractor that they have problems with.

On the other hand, if I were to use a air conditioning/heating store directly, I'd ask around the neighborhood to try to determine their quality of work, quality of materials, and whether they will stick to the quote you are given and install on schedule. Also it just seems that when there is a problem with these dealers, there is usually an excuse as to why it isn't a problem and that they will rework it at your cost.

I suspect a big box store gets a better price from the manufacturer due to volume for the air conditioning unit so they may be able to reduce the price of the unit. As far as installation, they are also going to get a cut for that but that can be expected since they are doing work (selling, scheduling, etc.) that normally would be required by the small store. Also they will get a cut since they will be the primary business that warrants the installation.

I'd also consider getting a quote from other big box stores such as Sears, Lowes, and/or Home Depot.

Also make sure you know at a minimum the BTU of the unit. The installer from Costco can't put in too small of a unit and get away with it where as a small store could sell you an undersized unit and just say that is what is in the contract that you signed.

Michael

I suspect that could be the biggest issue. You never know what they are going to provide for a slab, how they will run power cables and the feed for the cooling coils, the quality of materials, and whether they will have to upgrade your power panel or just rework the wiring to try to fit in another breaker or possibly tap off the mains instead of the house power panel. In my last home, I didn't have to worry about that (except for the slab) since the home was purchased new without an air conditioner but everything was run when the house was built so it was just a matter of purchasing the unit, putting in the slab, and connecting the wires and coil feeds. In that house, the air conditioning unit was to be installed on the other side of the house from the heating unit. Even the ducts that were originally installed were specifically designed to correctly handle heating and cooling (cooling/heating ducts are normally larger than just heating ducts but the smaller ducts can be used for cooling but are less efficient and requires larger air conditioning units). You definitely don't want an undersized air conditioner that is constantly running and an oversized unit tends to cycle too much (possibly even make noise) so you want everything to be matched as best as possible depending on space to be cooled, where the vents are, and size of the ducts.