PennSilverTaco's HVAC BS MegaThread!

I think it’s some offbranded Carrier product haha. It’s been running just fine though. No complaints. I’ve found it more cost efficient to keep a consistent temp on the thermostat instead of doing schedules like with our last stick frame house. Can thank the concrete for that. I like it better though. Less dicking around with it.

 

If it’s not a Bryant, sounds like an International Comfort Products (ICP)...

ICP is owned by United Technologies, which also owns Carrier, and they sell rebadged builder grade Carrier units under the following brands...

Arcoaire
Comfortmaker
Day & Night
KeepRite
Tempstar

Yes, I’m an HVAC nerd; I may have forgotten a couple...

 

They also sell lower-end Carriers under the name Payne, which is still owned by United Technologies but separate from ICP.

 

Yeah, for cooling, but I wouldn’t want one of those as my sole source of heat if natural gas is available...

 

You want the best, buy Lennox. Made in Iowa.

Be careful about getting too efficient of an A/C condenser, you need those to run to rid the house of humidity. Summers in areas like yours get balmy, and too high a seer rating, you’ll have a unit that can drop temp in your home rapidly but not circulate enough air to dry it.

I haven’t read through this whole thread but it looks like you’ve got a handle on what BTU/ton numbers you should be considering

 

I was a Carrier guy, and then I became a Trane guy, but now I’m becoming a Lennox guy...

I believe their flagship model is rated at 28 SEER!

 

First thing you need to do is get a proper load calculation done. You don’t guess at how many btu’s or tons needed. That’s why carpenters build houses and hvac companies design and install heating & air conditioning units and duct.

 

It is expensive but worth it. My home was built in 2003 and my Lennox purrs like a kitten.

We have an uninsulated, solid log home. It gets COLD here in IA

I have been in their factory and it’s impressive. I’d highly recommend.

EDIT: uninsulated walls, the attic is two thirds full of it

 

I'm at about 1100 sqft on one unit and it's honestly the cap imo. For 1500 I'd want 2
But I'm in AZ where 115F+ happens multiple times a year. I keep it at 80 in the summer.

 

Our last house built in 1926 had GE units from the 60’s as best I could tell. Furnace heat exchanger rusted through so it got replaced, but the two condensers still ran perfectly. I replaced one original capacitor and that’s it during our ownership...

 

My best friend’s parents have a 2003 Dave Lennox Signature Series 2.5-ton unit; The house was built in 1961 and did not originally have central air, so this was the first A/C unit it had. The Lennox gas furnace died a couple years ago and was replaced with a Carrier furnace, but the A/C still works great! Also, the system uses R410a, which is why they were able to salvage the A/C when the furnace died!

 

Were they beige colored?

 

Arizona is a whole different animal!

 

Is you like the Lennox brand but can’t afford it you can also go with Armstrong which is a Lennox company made in the same manufacturing plants.

 

That happens often, once the coil and condenser are installed and charged its a sealed system, no shock or vibration like autos, and they run a long time.

I doubt I’ll ever replace my my furnace/coil/condenser in my lifetime....the furnace is 95% efficient and is worth fixing. New like you are in the market for is really getting pricey and takes a millennia to recoup through rebates and lower utility bills.

Cheers Charlie!

 

They were, and brown bottoms if I remember correctly

 

Armstrong is good shit, stainless steel heat exchanger, am I correct?

 

They are good and use the same parts as the Lennox products, they have different seer ratings so pricing varies.

 

Here’s one

 

This is good advice, it’s like a GMC/Chevrolet kind of thing. Definitely worth looking into Charlie