My GF and I own an approximately 1300 sq. foot townhouse that was built in or around 1986. The heat pump appears to be original to the unit and is in need of replacement. But here’s my dilemma: my GF’s father (supposedly) had both the heat pump and fan coil replaced on his house for (she says) around $2400. I hate to disagree with or doubt her, but I’ve gotten two estimates so far for replacing both and am getting numbers in the $3200 - $5000 range. I’m thinking that perhaps her dad only replaced the outside unit but regardless - that $2400 figure stuck in her head and now she’s getting sticker shock.
Not knowing the extent of her sticker shock when I got the first estimate, I asked the second guy for a quote for just replacing the heat pump itself - and got a reasonable $1900 estimate (this is for a 10 SEER Trane). But, my question is this:
**Is there any point in replacing the heat pump if we keep the fan coil?
Could this be a “two-part” purchase where we get the heat pump now and get the fan coil down the road some time later?**
To give you a little more background:
We will only live in this townhouse for another 4 years, max.
The current fan coil leaks occasionally - so much so that the “popcorn” on the first-floor ceiling underneath it is falling off and there’s a bad water stain on the ceiling.
The current heat pump is a 7 SEER Janitrol model - I don’t have any model-specific information, but could look for you if you tell me where.
Also, I’ve looked at a couple of pages like this (howstuffworks.com) but none of the sites offered enough specific information to help.
I’m sure I’ll have more questions as responses come in. I thank you in advance for your help!
If the fan coil is leaking, then you are probably not getting adequate and efficient energy transfer across the coil…and thus your house is not properly conditioned. That said, are you STILL sure the outside unit needs replacing? What have the techs said about the outside unit?
It sounds like the fan coil is the culprit…
BTW, a SEER of 10 sounds low to me by today’s standards, IIRC.
Are you SURE the fan coil is leaking, or is it condensate rolling off the coil and into your popcorn ceiling? I believe there is a drip pan (with a drain hose) below the coil which is supposed to collect condensate and drain it to your sump.
Can you tell me more about what the service guy(s) have said about their diagnosis for both the inside and outside halves of the HVAC system?
A coil doesn’t leak water. A coil doesn’t have any water in it. You must have a problem with the drain pan underneath the coil. It is probably as simple as a clogged drain line.
The bigger question is, as Jinx pointed out, what exactly is wrong with the condensing unit outside, according to the service guys? It’s entirely possible that the unit is bad and needs to be replaced – 18 years is a pretty long time for a residential unit. It’s also entirely possible that the service guys are lying to you.
If you do decide to replace the condensing unit, I would replace the inside unit as well. The quotes you’ve received are in line with what I’ve seen recently for residential unit replacements. A 10 SEER is pretty much the bottom end unit, with the worst warranty, etc., but if your not going to be there for very long maybe you don’t care.
I assume you have electric heat since your getting a heat pump. If you had gas heat, you get a standard A/C unit and save yourself a few hundred dollars. It would probably be quieter, too.
Thanks for the responses so far. The outside unit has a slow leak in it and one of the drain lines was indeed leaking in the inside unit. Aside from those issues, it’s really just a matter of the system being 18 years old. (I did find out today that the existing unit is actually a 6 SEER so just about ANYTHING will be an upgrade!)
I got two additional quotes today and these appear to be much better deals than the first two. One is for a Goodman system for $2800 and another is for a Trane for $3800 (both for full 12 SEER systems). Also, in talking to my GF I found out that her Dad knew the guy that replaced his system really well, so chances are he got a “good buddy” price. After talking to her it seems like the Goodman is fully do-able and the Trane (with “6 months same as cash”) is also do-able as well… and she’s always wanted a Trane anyway!
I was going to bring up the “good buddy” pricing thing, but I figured you would know if your FIL had benefited from one of those. If you’re friends with a refrigeration mechanic (with a valid license) who will sell you the unit at his cost you would probably only pay about $1500-$1700 for the entire system. Add in installation and a case of beer (if you get your buddy to do that, too) and you wouldn’t be out more than $2600-$2700.
Trane makes a very good unit. Also look at American Standard. They roll off the same assembly line as Trane, but are slightly less expensive because they don’t have the Trane name.
Also, your municipality may offer a rebate on higher SEER models. Be sure to check. Although, the rebate amounts really don’t kick in until you hit 13 SEER.
(a) I thought he might have a bigger problem because…doesn’t the refrigerant go through an air dryer (or receiver/dryer), though? Isn’t this to remove any moisture in the line, using a resin?
(b) Also, in some systems, (only industrial?) doesn’t some compressor lube oil circulate with the refrigerant?
We have a house with a Lennox system. We found out that Lennox can only be repaired by an authorized Lennox man. This ups the price of equipment, parts, and labor. Apparently, their repair manuals are kept secret to Lennox employees. And, I believe, serviceable parts require special tools which only Lennox repairmen would carry.
Our reliable handyman informed us of this. I do not think other brands pull this.