We did this not too long ago. It’s nice to just have it over and done with. After that you almost don’t think about it. Ours has the box outside the unit that’s about 2’x 8” for the filter. You pop off the door and the once a year filter is about 5” thick. Our guy told us to stick with the regular merv 11 for the airflow. I order them on Amazon in the same brand 2 at a time since it’s a lot cheaper. I change it mid-summer after the worst of the pollen season.

Facing this soon as well. The 18 year old Rheem units have soldiered on very well, but the end is near for the old solders.

RMD

We are facing the same decisions soon. Our 20 year old home has 3 units to fight the heat in SW Arizona. We won't replace them all at once.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
we trust our HVAC people

This is usually earned.
Priceless.

Depending upon the age of your home, consider window upgrades and proper insulation. Regardless of your HVAC efficiency, if the treated air escapes or you allow a lot “solar gain” through old windows, you’re working against yourself.

My guess is you’ve already factored that in.

At least it didn’t give out when it was hot!!

Mine tripped offline last year when it was over 100°

Para anothother thing to keep in mind that if the unit is of a high enough SEER2 rating it will qualify for an energy tax credit. I believe it is up to $3000.

We had one unit replaced last year and like you had the second one replaced a few weeks ago to maximize the tax credits.

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:
We are facing the same decisions soon. Our 20 year old home has 3 units to fight the heat in SW Arizona. We won't replace them all at once.

Are any of the units connected to the same lines running from the units and into the house? I'd like to know if that's even possible, in order to have a back-up unit in the event one goes down during the summer.

I retired 17 years ago and replaced my driveway, roof, and furnace. The cars were paid off as was the house. I kept asking about the AC, and was told it was "fine and don't worry." I received my last paycheck on June 17 and on that very day the AC blew up.

We are pleased with the new AC and furnace and they seem to do a good job. We now have a 2 speed fan and the unit seems to cool the house well with less power usage.

I am sure you will be pleased with your new units.

Cool.

I replaced mine six years ago, and my electric bill dropped.

Good for you, if it was R22 you're probably going from a 10 SEER, to that new 15.2 SEER. It'll likely save you a good bit on power, with a decent 10+ year ROI. Unfortunately, a good chunk of the perceived savings will come in the form of moderate bill reduction because the KWH rates just keep going up...

Did similar 3 years ago and planned during the "shoulder" season as well. In fact, almost exactly 3 years ago. Hugely helpful doing it planned and researched vs in a panic with summer or winter bearing down on you. Also used Amana, which is actually a brand labelled Goodman system, who is owned by Daikin. American made, near Houston, decent quality stuff.

Good luck with your install, sir.

My HVAC system uses a 16"x25"x4" filter. I use MERV8. Anything above that is a 'tighter' filter and eliminates more stuff out of the air. However, the tighter the filter (higher MERV rating), the more the fan has to work to push the air through it, especially when it begins to fill up with particles. We keep our fan on "auto", so that it comes on when the AC or heat come on, rather than constantly on. Our unit will automatically shut off if there is too much resistance to the fan pushing air thru the filter. By keeping it on 'auto' the filter will last longer and, over time, your fan will last longer (so says my HVAC folks). I usually change the filter twice a year, when the HVAC guy comes out to do the spring and fall maintenance checks. They change my AprilAir humidifier panel every year at the fall checkup.

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
Para anothother thing to keep in mind that if the unit is of a high enough SEER2 rating it will qualify for an energy tax credit. I believe it is up to $3000.

We had one unit replaced last year and like you had the second one replaced a few weeks ago to maximize the tax credits.

I just did the same thing last spring. Here's a link to read about the tax credit:

https://www.irs.gov/credits-de...e-improvement-credit

AC and I have a love/hate relationship. My home had 3 Lennox units. On average, I had to replace leaky coils on 2 of the 3 units every year. The parts were always under warranty, but the labor and refrigerant was still a few hundred bucks each time. Couldn't wait for those units to complete die so I could replace them. Sold the house before it happened.

Congratulations on the new unit and congratulations on getting 25 years out of your old one, that is amazing.

.

25-30 years ago I needed to replace the A/C and the furnace.
I looked at the options my installer presented and chose the Amana furnace for the build quality.
It has worked flawlessly since.
I have had to replace a few glow igniters over the years ( a easy fix and inexpensive) but nothing else.

quote:

Originally posted by Exodus:

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
Para anothother thing to keep in mind that if the unit is of a high enough SEER2 rating it will qualify for an energy tax credit. I believe it is up to $3000.

We had one unit replaced last year and like you had the second one replaced a few weeks ago to maximize the tax credits.

I just did the same thing last spring. Here's a link to read about the tax credit:

https://www.irs.gov/credits-de...e-improvement-credit

There are limits on the allowable annual credit and on the amount of credit for certain types of qualified expenses. The credit is allowed for qualifying property placed in service on or after Jan. 1, 2023, and before Jan. 1, 2033.

The maximum credit you can claim each year is:

- $1,200 for energy property costs and certain energy efficient home improvements, with limits on doors ($250 per door and $500 total), windows ($600) and home energy audits ($150)

- $2,000 per year for qualified heat pumps, biomass stoves or biomass boilers

Para, I’m sure you will be happy with the new furnace and AC. We did that a few years back, got a 2 stage high efficiency furnace, new AC unit,and our heating and electric costs did drop, and our cold spots in the house went away too. We’ve been really pleased with ours.

Amana was always a customer with low warranty costs for my employer, who manufactured their compressors. This speaks to conservative engineering. My info is dated, however.

If you are getting a Copeland (or Emerson) scroll compressor, you are all set with the best of the best of the best (MIB reference). Only four moving parts.

We have two rental houses in Arizona. When the AC crapped out at one house, I was lucky to have the vendor find the one single only AC unit available right here and now, about 100 miles away. Installed and done in < 1 day with a very reasonable price.
Lucky on that one.

So yes, as Para said, the "shoulder season" is the time to get AC work done, not the hottest week of the year.

Also it's great to have a vendor you trust. I had one guy come out--good rep on Yelp--and he looked at and said, "Yup, this unit is old. You need a new furnace and AC." $12,000.
Brought in another guy, he actually tested the switching and found the problem, which was the thermostat wasn't working. Got a Nest thermostat ('cause I wanted wi-fi control) and system is working fine again. San Diego is planning on forcing homeowners to replace gas furnaces with electrics. I've got a couple of years to see if that shit is actually going to be enforced, but I won't wait until near the deadline, because then prices will be sky-high and HVAC contractors will have a years-long waiting list.
Hoping this will be declared unconstitutional long before then.