I just got off the phone with the guy that came out Friday. Parts & labor (moving connections around and lugging the thing up a filght of stairs)? 4600 fucking dollars just for the A/C! That is so not going to happen!
Guess we’ll be going the portable route until I can scrape up enough to go with the second company.
I take it you ain’t in DIY territory here ?
Pulling stuff out isn’t hard, nor is replumbing it back in, as long as you are conversant with electrics, pipe jointing etc.
OK so you might have to get someone to inspect and test for insurance and safety purposes and there will be a fee for that.
Yup it needs two folk but if you can buy one to install yourself maybe there’s a friend or neighbor who can help out.
Unfortunately with something like this DIY is not always available. Between getting permits and inspections and the fact that I believe you (as in lay person) cannot handle freon without a liscence. (at least here in MA)
The a/c part is the cheaper of the two from what I recall. I owned a duplex and had 2 systems replaced for $3600.
When we moved to a single family I had AC installed at the same time as the furnace was replaced and all the ducting was redone. I’m not sure how much the ac cost alone (I can’t find the bill but it was around $2000)
One thing too is this is August. If you can wait a few months the cost may go down a bit as demand decreases. You don’t want to wait so long though as to catch them when they are extra busy with heating problems.
casdave, the main problem is our condo association won’t accept anything other than the same type currently installed. I wouldn’t know how to go about getting a unit to put in ourselves.
If only this 3-way split was selling for $2500. I bet that condenser is small enough to hide in our utility closet.
Holy shit! 30,000 BTU? That thing might be able to cool the entire condo all by itself!
The price range of 4000 - 5000 is pretty much in line with what a full furnace + AC replacement would cost. In fact it’s toward the mid range of the scale for doing this to an average house.
Have you looked into just getting a heat pump or is that not an option for your situation.
Not an option, has to be another vertical furnace w/air.
30,000 BTU is only 2 1/2 tons of cooling, equivalent to the average 2-3 bedroom home.
Per the EPA, you are not permitted to purchase refrigerant, e.g. Freon™ without showing evidence of certification. Split systems, including mini-splits, have a factory charge in the condensing unit, and cannot be legally sold to uncertified persons.
I think if we can wait unti spring, we’ll see about getting everything replaced then. I should get at least $1500 back after filing my tax return, I was going to use that toward replacing our car but A/C is more important. I don’t think a car will really be needed after the end of this month anyway because Metro is extending the hours of operation for the bus that runs past our complex.
Yes!
Yes!
We’re going with the company that gave us the second estimate, A/C only, $2650. I just put 10% on my credit card and it should be installed a week from today.
At which point the temperature will fall into the 40s, with occasional slow flurries at night. It will stay that way until next June.
(Yeah, I know, fat chance of that happening in NoVa!)
That’s “snow flurries,” of course. Geez, even with preview, I can’t get it right.
That’s a good number, so long as the SEER is decent. Good luck.
It’s 92° in here but our vents are pumping cold air again! 
Cold front coming through NoVa as I post this message. You won’t really need the A/C for the next few days, at least. Can the snow flurries be far behind? 