AlbaCrush
Recycles dryer sheets
I had an Amana installed about five years ago and no problems. I got a good deal on a 14 SEER 5 ton Heat pump and blower installed for $4,600. Goodman bought Amana about 8-9 years ago. No problems with my unit.
BTW, if you are replacing the AC unit, now is the time to evaluate whether your outside unit is in the place you want it. Ours is in the center of the wall on the back of our house, and when it comes time to replace it I may move it farther away from our (new) back patio and our bedroom. It'll require a longer set of refrigerant lines and moving the circuit/remote fuse box, but it might be worth the trouble just to get the source of that noise to a different spot.
I've never understood the value of "annual servicing" for a central A/C unit. If you have a gas furnace I can see value from the safety aspect, but for someone like me who has a heat pump (all electric), I don't get it. Please educate me.Also, these units do require annual servicing, so if thats being ignored, you could experience breakdowns and service life that is negatively affected.
Someone mentioned the importance of a good installation, amen to that. Also, these units do require annual servicing, so if thats being ignored, you could experience breakdowns and service life that is negatively affected.
I am a big believer in using the more simple versions for heat and ac. No multi-speed super high efficiency etc. i have some goodman units in my own as well as rental. Have been very reliable, but this is anecdotal.
I've never understood the value of "annual servicing" for a central A/C unit. If you have a gas furnace I can see value from the safety aspect, but for someone like me who has a heat pump (all electric), I don't get it. Please educate me.
It needs to be tuned up once a year every year. Also, if the outdoor coils are dirty, if the cooling capacity is not up to par and they are not getting air flow out, things like that can show that the air conditioner needs to be tuned up.
"Going to the outdoor unit we check the indoor coil, the outdoor coil, the capacitors, compressor, do an all systems check on the electrical and make sure everything is tightened, check the refrigerant level, the temperatures and make sure the system is efficient and operating as it should. It is true that you can lose up to 5 percent efficiency because if the system is not operating the way it’s supposed to, such as it has dirty coil, over heated motors, lack of refrigerant effects how that system is efficient so as it goes through the year it can lose efficiency if it’s not tuned up properly.
Here's the wiki on Daiken/Goodman. The acquisition was cancelled.
Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum
I also tend to lean towards simple, but I might move up the scale in this case. The factors for me are:
We don't use A/C a lot, but when we do, the important thing is almost always to get the humidity out, over getting the temperature down very low. For this, you need a smaller sized unit, so it runs long enough to pull the humidity out. A larger unit runs short cycles, not long enough to reduce humidity enough.
But then, when you have a large group over on a hot day, that small unit can't keep up.
So I'm considering a 2-stage A/C. It sounds like those may need a variable speed blower motor on the furnace, but I'll see what this guy says today.
But you are right, going variable speed on the furnace seems to come with 2-stage burners as well. Not a major thing, but it does mean 2x the 'stuff' for some systems, more to go wrong. Maybe the standard multi-speed blower will work with a 2-stage A/C as well, I'll ask.
Oh, two more things I will talk to him about:
1) When my current furnace was installed (I was at work), they put it right on the basement floor. I'd like to have it elevated 6 inches or so, as a little protection against minor flooding, spills.
2) I want an access panel for the A/C coil in the duct above the furnace (updraft furnace). I don't have a panel now, so I couldn't (easily) inspect the coils and clean them if needed, or monitor the ice build up when we had the low R-22 problem last summer.
-ERD50
I do not know why they have it here where you need AC most of the year, but one of our friends have a dehumidifier in their house along with the AC.... I do not know how much electricity it uses, but they seem to like the outcome...
There are times when our humidity is out of whack with the temp... and DW lets me know... she is 'hot' when it is not hot... but I will look at the humidity and it is up... but that is maybe two months in a year, so not important IMO....
ERD, maybe you should investigate a dehumidifier that can be installed inline with your AC. You might get a better overall result in both humidity and cooling vs assuming a 2 stage will solve that problem.
FWIW, I designed transport & residential HVAC for Carrier for about 13yrs, and I can tell you that each class of efficiency from each manufacturer is about the same in quality. ...
Losing 2lb of refrigerant indicates a leak of course, and if the service tech didn't locate and fix that, beware if the new installer doesn't want to replace the refrigerant line(s) and reuse them (easier and more margin for them). You have an old system and if the leak is in the line they will need to be abandoned and replaced. Otherwise, you'll have the same problem in the future.
_B
Add this to the scorpions and fire ants.Rant time...............And yes, get the Hell off my lawn...
I definitely won't allow them to re-use any existing refrigerant lines. If they even suggest that I will probably scratch them off the list.-ERD50