[cyp555]

Unit is 15 years old. Goodman combo gas furnace&AC unit. 2.5 tons- 80% efficiency.
Repair guy says replace it or spend $1k(heat exchange, induce motor) to fix. so I guess replace is the way to go.

What brand should I go with? Model? How do I know how to pick the right company to do this?
What kind of warranty - parts&labor should I get.
Any other MUST KNOW - MUST HAVEs I need to consider.
Thank you for taking the time to read this & hope to get some good advice.
Cyp

 

[bobinphx]

in the old days, you would ask your neighbors and your friends for their "furnace guys" number and just go from there... rule of thumb was the rule of the day.

in the old days, You would also get three bids and take the middle one so as to get a good job done. today thats not really a good barometer of quality.

Today, there is a huge HCAV body of knowledge and all of that translates into the science of HVAC. The first place to start is to get a couple of things done before you hire a contractor.

1. blower door test. This will tell you how many leaks (and in some cases where) you have in your home. This number is important to number 2 below.

2. Manual J load calculation by a contractor not selling you an hvac system. This will show you what each and every room needs as far as air flow etc in order to keep each room and the house as a whole at the comfort levels you expect and the efficency of the unit you want!!! The idea is that size of the equipment is important for economy and comfort and this the science of making that selection.

3. static pressures, delta t and air flow (supply and return). of your current system, along with any notes you can make about rooms that are hot or cold. The idea here is to learn what is good or bad about your current system, so that any issues can be corrected by the new install.

Note that none of this is free and will cost some money, but better to spend it upfront and be an informed consumer then to pay for mistakes for the next 15 or so years.

I would also add that permits are a necessary part of this process, so check with your city/state and see what is needed. I did and found really interesting rules (no permit needed for like to like change out!!)...

so if you noticed, I didnt recomend any MFGR's... all of them have good equipment and all have had or do have bad designs. the real idea here is that no mater what the make (within reason), its the installation that makes the difference in economy and system longevity.

others will have more to add I am sure!!!!


just my two cents worth.

 

[TarheelTerp]

What brand should I go with?

That can be tough. The short answer is to go with one of the
brands that YOUR contractor recommends.
The long answer? Well, that will much longer.

An example:
The next question is whether to spend $5000 for a job using X brand equipment that might/should last... lets say 15 years or spend $7500 for a job using Y brand equipment that might/should last... lets say 22 years.
$5000/15 = $333 vs $7500/2 = $340 See?

 

[ben's plumbing]

alot of good equiptment out there including goodman...install is the key...proper install will make any decent product work well as long as it is sized right....ben sr

 

[coolhandluke]

Re: Replacing furnace

Unit is 15 years old. Goodman combo gas furnace&AC unit. 2.5 tons- 80% efficiency.
Repair guy says replace it or spend $1k(heat exchange, induce motor) to fix. so I guess replace is the way to go.

What brand should I go with? Model? How do I know how to pick the right company to do this?
What kind of warranty - parts&labor should I get.
Any other MUST KNOW - MUST HAVEs I need to consider.
Thank you for taking the time to read this & hope to get some good advice.
Cyp

Spent my career in the Air Cond/Heating field and all I can tell you is "make sure whoever installs it -
knows what he/she is doing." If you install it right, most all brands will be ok. As for the price .... prolly need to get 2-3 estimates from 'good contractors' and go with the low bid.

 

[beenthere]

Spent my career in the Air Cond/Heating field and all I can tell you is "make sure whoever installs it -
knows what he/she is doing." If you install it right, most all brands will be ok. As for the price .... prolly need to get 2-3 estimates from 'good contractors' and go with the low bid.

often, the low bid gets you lots of corner cutting.

But no matter in this thread. Hopefully in the 1.5 years since the OP made it, he has gotten his system replaced.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

I think everyone new to forums has found a post they liked and unknowingly brought it back from the dead past. What really fills silly is when as a forum veteran you add your comments to a fossilized post. I have done both lol...But It is to bad so many OPs don't follow up with the good or bad news. I have old Goodman's and something in my gut tells me that the newer higher pressure R410a systems with their non reciprocating compressors are not going to make it 15-20 years anymore. Just a hunch.

 

[sammy37]

I think everyone new to forums has found a post they liked and unknowingly brought it back from the dead past. What really fills silly is when as a forum veteran you add your comments to a fossilized post. I have done both lol...But It is to bad so many OPs don't follow up with the good or bad news. I have old Goodman's and something in my gut tells me that the newer higher pressure R410a systems with their non reciprocating compressors are not going to make it 15-20 years anymore. Just a hunch.

Most of the high pressure stuff seems to be holding up well, I guess time will tell.
Scroll compressors have a good track record, I think most contractors would take one over a recip any day but I do know a few old timers that swear by recips only.
My newer Goodman rtu was one of the last units to come with a recip and the dang thing is so loud, I had to put a blanket on it to quiet it down.