Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

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cowdogman
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Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by cowdogman »

We have a large house (6600 sq ft) with a separate air conditioner unit for each of the main and second floors (the basement is not air conditioned). We have three furnaces--one for each floor.

The air conditioning units (a 3 ton and a 4 ton) are 14 years old (the age of the house). One no longer works (coolant leak, and old enuf so that the coolant is very hard to find and is expensive). The other unit (second floor) still works and it sufficient to make out house livable on the hottest days. We live in the Seattle area and so we use the AC maybe 10 days a year--some years not at all (tho not in the last couple years).

It is likely that we will put our house on the market in the next 2-3 years (maybe sooner), and any buyer will expect fully-functioning air conditioning.

I had a local HVAC company come out to quote a replacement for both units. I was guessing that the quotation would be somewhere between $10,000-15,000 for both units. It ended up being approx $22,500. The company confirmed that the existing furnaces, ducting and electrical did not need to be updated (altho it also gave me a quote for installing 2 new furnaces at the same time--a little over $30,000 for everything).

The HVAC company is an established company--I often see their trucks. The quoted AC and furnace units are Carrier.

I do plan to get another quotation, but would be grateful for any thoughts on the above.
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snackdog
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by snackdog »

Sounds a little high but not horrible. No need to replace two, just the one that is broken. Around $9-10K each for a new outdoor compressor, indoor coil and labor. Your best bet would be to get 4-5 quotes from highly recommended local companies since you are not in a hurry.
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Watty
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by Watty »

cowdogman wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:34 am One no longer works (coolant leak, and old enuf so that the coolant is very hard to find and is expensive).
Get several more quotes for repair.

Didn't the northwest just have an unusual heatwave? You may be getting their "we gotcha" heatwave price.

You might get better prices in September when the AC season is over but the heating season has not started. The last time I replace an HVAC system I got six quotes and the prices varied widely for similar equipment.

With 14 years of light use the AC should have a lots of life left in it. R22 is still available since companies stockpiled it and it gets recycled from old systems.

If you were planning to stay in the house another 20 year it might make sense to consider replacing it but since you will likely move in a few years that doesn't make a lot of sense.

You could also just wait and get it repaired or replaced just before you are ready to sell the house.
Last edited by Watty on Mon Aug 15, 2022 11:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
adamthesmythe
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by adamthesmythe »

Buyers will expect a functioning system but will probably not pay a premium for a new system.

I would at most replace the system with a leak. If repairable I might even take that route. If you plan to sell replacing both will be a losing proposition.
Chuck Bronson
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by Chuck Bronson »

Where is the leak located? Is it on the indoor evaporator coil, exterior condenser, or one of the refrigerant lines? Despite what many HVAC companies say, it is possible to fix leaks. They will say it's not because they want to sell systems and not repairs.

If the leak is on a coil, it would have to be removed, thoroughly flushed, and cleaned from the inside so that any refrigerant oils and contamination will not spoil the brazing / soldering procedure. The leaking area will have to be either re-brazed or the damaged section cut out with a new one brazed in. If the leak is on the liquid or discharge line then this is a super easy repair any tech can do. Just make sure to have a new line dryer installed and nitrogen flushed since the system was opened up to air with moisture in it.

This kind of repair is not what a typical HVAC shop does but I can guarantee you, the tech would do this to their own system. As a 20 year old 1st year apprentice we were practice brazing such repairs in HVAC school. I'm no longer in the trades though, that was years ago. Your system is probably R-22, which costs $500 a 5lb tank on the high end.

Your best bet is to find a smaller, maybe one man operation, tell them you have a leak and want to save the system. 5 hours of labor and a tank of R22 might set you back $1000 - $1500. Much better than $22k.
shunkman
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by shunkman »

cowdogman wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:34 am

The HVAC company is an established company--I often see their trucks. The quoted AC and furnace units are Carrier.

I do plan to get another quotation, but would be grateful for any thoughts on the above.
Carrier units often cost more than other brands but many say the price is worth it due to the robust construction and quality components. If you are selling your house then this might not be a factor.
ShaftoesSpreadsheet
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by ShaftoesSpreadsheet »

Heat pumps are about the same price but also offer the option of heating and cooling. We have a carrier furnace and a compatible exterior heat pump. With that we eliminated 90% of our natural gas use. Our unit is tall but narrow vs the older generation ones that are big and boxy. This model is super quiet, sounds like a box fan even on the hottest days. The older units in our neighborhood are so loud in comparison.
Californiastate
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by Californiastate »

What are the specs for the new units? Are they single stage, two stage or variable? It makes a difference. It's the same with the furnaces. The devil is in the details. A communicating variable system will be substantially more than a single stage with a Home Depot Honeywell thermostat. FWIW I wouldn't pay for a communicating variable if you only use it 10 days a year.
adamthesmythe
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by adamthesmythe »

Chuck Bronson wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:49 pm Where is the leak located? Is it on the indoor evaporator coil, exterior condenser, or one of the refrigerant lines? Despite what many HVAC companies say, it is possible to fix leaks. They will say it's not because they want to sell systems and not repairs.

If the leak is on a coil, it would have to be removed, thoroughly flushed, and cleaned from the inside so that any refrigerant oils and contamination will not spoil the brazing / soldering procedure. The leaking area will have to be either re-brazed or the damaged section cut out with a new one brazed in. If the leak is on the liquid or discharge line then this is a super easy repair any tech can do. Just make sure to have a new line dryer installed and nitrogen flushed since the system was opened up to air with moisture in it.

This kind of repair is not what a typical HVAC shop does but I can guarantee you, the tech would do this to their own system. As a 20 year old 1st year apprentice we were practice brazing such repairs in HVAC school. I'm no longer in the trades though, that was years ago. Your system is probably R-22, which costs $500 a 5lb tank on the high end.

Your best bet is to find a smaller, maybe one man operation, tell them you have a leak and want to save the system. 5 hours of labor and a tank of R22 might set you back $1000 - $1500. Much better than $22k.
Yes leaks can (sometimes) be repaired.

Interesting that the predominant thinking around here is to pay to fix a car even if rather old while air conditioning and water heaters get replaced preemptively. I guess people value air conditioning and hot water more than transportation.
tibbitts
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by tibbitts »

shunkman wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 12:53 pm Carrier units often cost more than other brands but many say the price is worth it due to the robust construction and quality components. If you are selling your house then this might not be a factor.
Not sure who "many" are but I've never heard that.
Californiastate
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by Californiastate »

I'd prefer a Carrier unit over a Goodman. Willis Carrier's name still holds value.
tibbitts
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by tibbitts »

In general posts like this will get better replies with more specific information, like where the leak is located, what specification models are being suggested for replacement, etc.

However with regards to repairing, the problem is that every estimate will cost you $100. So unless you "know a guy" you already believe will be highly biased toward repair vs. replacement and very be reasonably priced, you can't get a dozen estimates like you can with replacements. Sometimes you have to really, truly "know a guy", for example I'm sure everybody has had the experience of calling their "know a guy" and having the phone suddenly answered by the local mega-hvac guys who bought him/her out. You might notice that, but someone you give a referral to might not.
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by tibbitts »

Californiastate wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 1:59 pm I'd prefer a Carrier unit over a Goodman. Willis Carrier's name still holds value.
I might prefer a Carrier to a Goodman too, all else being equal, but you can't be serious about a founder's name still holding value after all the corporate gyrations through the UT acquisition, UTC spinoff, etc.
Californiastate
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by Californiastate »

tibbitts wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 2:17 pm
Californiastate wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 1:59 pm I'd prefer a Carrier unit over a Goodman. Willis Carrier's name still holds value.
I might prefer a Carrier to a Goodman too, all else being equal, but you can't be serious about a founder's name still holding value after all the corporate gyrations through the UT acquisition, UTC spinoff, etc.
I've worked with Carrier units back in the day . They were always the gold standard. A Carrier unit had all of the bells and whistles. The off brand units were Carrier based without the options standard on a Carrier. We recently had a Lennox system installed. I couldn't get a Carrier quote in our time frame.
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cowdogman
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by cowdogman »

tibbitts wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 2:12 pm In general posts like this will get better replies with more specific information, like where the leak is located, what specification models are being suggested for replacement, etc.
Quoted replacements:

Carrier 13 SEER 4-ton AC model # 24ABB348ABN3
Carrier 4-ton evaporator coil model # CNPVP4821ALA

Carrier 13 SEER 3-ton AC model # 24ABB336ABN3
Carrier 3-ton horizontal evaporator coil model # CNPHP3617ALA

The guess was that the leak was on a coil.
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by tibbitts »

cowdogman wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:11 pm
tibbitts wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 2:12 pm In general posts like this will get better replies with more specific information, like where the leak is located, what specification models are being suggested for replacement, etc.
Quoted replacements:

Carrier 13 SEER 4-ton AC model # 24ABB348ABN3
Carrier 4-ton evaporator coil model # CNPVP4821ALA

Carrier 13 SEER 3-ton AC model # 24ABB336ABN3
Carrier 3-ton horizontal evaporator coil model # CNPHP3617ALA

The guess was that the leak was on a coil.
Usually the hvac techs use a tool that "sniffs" for the leak, and it can find even somewhat small leaks, especially somewhere like around a coil which is somewhat of a confined area (when air isn't blowing through it at least.) So they tested with a device like that? It's sometimes necessary to do some disassembly for access to all the areas for testing.

I would say 13-seer is pretty low-end for these days, brand names aside; even most base units seem to be 14 or so. However efficiency at 10 days per year isn't a big deal. I suspect the 10-day usage might be specific to you, though, and other people would use cooling where you live much more often. Do you have separate dehumidification? I don't have that where I live (different climate though) and sometimes run the air conditioning more than I might otherwise in the shoulder seasons due to the dehumidification effect. I've visited your area somewhat frequently in spring and fall and almost always used air conditioning.
Last edited by tibbitts on Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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illumination
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by illumination »

Just understand the whole "R22 is no longer made" line is a sort of "half truth". It's become an opening for people to sell you a new unit. R22 is available, and there are also drop in replacements that also work fine. The problem is getting a straight answer on how bad it is or where the leak is coming from. It could be just $100 of refrigerant and a Schrader valve and your unit is now working fine. The flip side could be the unit is empty and you absolutely need a new one.

I had a unit that I kept for several years that just needed a small amount of R22 put in every year for "peak" performance. I ended up buying my own tank when prices went up because I got sick of being gouged. I kept it going to for like $30 a year for like 4 more years. I ended up replacing it as it was ancient at that point, but it was still working great. FWIW, I had (2) Trane 3.5 ton units replaced for a total of $16k last year when shortages were probably at their peak.


If I was planning on moving in 2-3 years (or less), I would just have working AC and leave it at that. No way would I replace both units preemptively, it's just money down a black home imo.
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by tibbitts »

Regarding replacing one vs. two units: if you d-i-y I can see the advantage to replacing both, since you can then throw parts from one of them into the other one for diagnostic purposes, much as you can do with identical cars, possibly compensating for a lack of some diagnostic equipment and experience. If you don't d-i-y I'm not so much seeing that since you're paying labor for swapping parts around. The disadvantage of replacing both with the same model is that some models and production runs of models have design or manufacturer defects that show up after serval years of production and that both units will inevitably develop.
Designairohio
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by Designairohio »

illumination wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:22 pm Just understand the whole "R22 is no longer made" line is a sort of "half truth". It's become an opening for people to sell you a new unit. R22 is available, and there are also drop in replacements that also work fine. The problem is getting a straight answer on how bad it is or where the leak is coming from. It could be just $100 of refrigerant and a Schrader valve and your unit is now working fine. The flip side could be the unit is empty and you absolutely need a new one.

I had a unit that I kept for several years that just needed a small amount of R22 put in every year for "peak" performance. I ended up buying my own tank when prices went up because I got sick of being gouged. I kept it going to for like $30 a year for like 4 more years. I ended up replacing it as it was ancient at that point, but it was still working great. FWIW, I had (2) Trane 3.5 ton units replaced for a total of $16k last year when shortages were probably at their peak.


If I was planning on moving in 2-3 years (or less), I would just have working AC and leave it at that. No way would I replace both units preemptively, it's just money down a black home imo.
R-22 is still available but I have inquired at 2 of my suppliers in the last month and they both told me a #30 tank would be around $1900 if they had any, both had discontinued carrying it. I think the supply that is still available is being used on large commercial and industrial units that would cost tens or hundreds of thousands to replace.
Most homeowners that I run across don’t even care where the leak is when you tell them the refrigerant alone will be close to $500 before you take the time to look for the leak and make the repair or replace a coil, it makes more sense to replace the system if your empty.
If your just a little low and can find someone with some R-22 you could try some Easy Seal UV that has a sealant and UV dye and then fill it up. It may fix the leak, if it doesn’t the UV dye can locate the leak. Then you’ll know if it’s worth fixing.

Ken
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cowdogman
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by cowdogman »

Designairohio wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:23 pm
Most homeowners that I run across don’t even care where the leak is when you tell them the refrigerant alone will be close to $500 before you take the time to look for the leak and make the repair or replace a coil, it makes more sense to replace the system if your empty.
Right, that where I came out, especially after I looked at prices online for replacement units.

My Google research indicated the unit/coil would be roughly $5,000 per floor. If that is right, then the quote I got had roughly $12,500 for labor. That's a lot of labor. At $150/hour, that's 83.3 man hours. Could that be right?
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by illumination »

Designairohio wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:23 pm
illumination wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:22 pm Just understand the whole "R22 is no longer made" line is a sort of "half truth". It's become an opening for people to sell you a new unit. R22 is available, and there are also drop in replacements that also work fine. The problem is getting a straight answer on how bad it is or where the leak is coming from. It could be just $100 of refrigerant and a Schrader valve and your unit is now working fine. The flip side could be the unit is empty and you absolutely need a new one.

I had a unit that I kept for several years that just needed a small amount of R22 put in every year for "peak" performance. I ended up buying my own tank when prices went up because I got sick of being gouged. I kept it going to for like $30 a year for like 4 more years. I ended up replacing it as it was ancient at that point, but it was still working great. FWIW, I had (2) Trane 3.5 ton units replaced for a total of $16k last year when shortages were probably at their peak.


If I was planning on moving in 2-3 years (or less), I would just have working AC and leave it at that. No way would I replace both units preemptively, it's just money down a black home imo.
R-22 is still available but I have inquired at 2 of my suppliers in the last month and they both told me a #30 tank would be around $1900 if they had any, both had discontinued carrying it. I think the supply that is still available is being used on large commercial and industrial units that would cost tens or hundreds of thousands to replace.
Most homeowners that I run across don’t even care where the leak is when you tell them the refrigerant alone will be close to $500 before you take the time to look for the leak and make the repair or replace a coil, it makes more sense to replace the system if your empty.
If your just a little low and can find someone with some R-22 you could try some Easy Seal UV that has a sealant and UV dye and then fill it up. It may fix the leak, if it doesn’t the UV dye can locate the leak. Then you’ll know if it’s worth fixing.

Ken
Here's the way I look at it.
R-22 is $40 a pound. The drop in R-22 replacements are even less.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234650459235?h ... Sw4Pti7vW0

The average system has a total capacity of around 6 - 9 lbs.

So say it's like 3 pounds low, it could only cost $120 in refrigerant to get it working properly. A full tank of gas in your car right now can easily cost $100 and no one panics.

If the system has a leak that's significant and can't be addressed, I agree its time to replace the system. I had that exact scenario play out. But I've also seen situations where I've added like 2-3 lbs and it goes another several years working fine.

The HVAC techs overplay the R-22 issue because it means a much bigger profit (and commission) to install a whole new system.
Last edited by illumination on Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Designairohio
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by Designairohio »

cowdogman wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:48 pm
Designairohio wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:23 pm
Most homeowners that I run across don’t even care where the leak is when you tell them the refrigerant alone will be close to $500 before you take the time to look for the leak and make the repair or replace a coil, it makes more sense to replace the system if your empty.
Right, that where I came out, especially after I looked at prices online for replacement units.

My Google research indicated the unit/coil would be roughly $5,000 per floor. If that is right, then the quote I got had roughly $12,500 for labor. That's a lot of labor. At $150/hour, that's 83.3 man hours. Could that be right?
It’s more than just Labor, this large well established company has overhead, they have to pay for trucks , insurance, benefits, office staff, advertising, rent or mortgage, utilities, etc.

Get a fair price from a contractor you trust and can work with going forward and replace the one unit that needs replaced

22,500 seems high to me, in my area you could get those two units replace(condenser, Coil) for around half of that, but your market may be different.

Ken
Designairohio
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by Designairohio »

illumination wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:59 pm
Designairohio wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:23 pm
illumination wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:22 pm Just understand the whole "R22 is no longer made" line is a sort of "half truth". It's become an opening for people to sell you a new unit. R22 is available, and there are also drop in replacements that also work fine. The problem is getting a straight answer on how bad it is or where the leak is coming from. It could be just $100 of refrigerant and a Schrader valve and your unit is now working fine. The flip side could be the unit is empty and you absolutely need a new one.

I had a unit that I kept for several years that just needed a small amount of R22 put in every year for "peak" performance. I ended up buying my own tank when prices went up because I got sick of being gouged. I kept it going to for like $30 a year for like 4 more years. I ended up replacing it as it was ancient at that point, but it was still working great. FWIW, I had (2) Trane 3.5 ton units replaced for a total of $16k last year when shortages were probably at their peak.


If I was planning on moving in 2-3 years (or less), I would just have working AC and leave it at that. No way would I replace both units preemptively, it's just money down a black home imo.
R-22 is still available but I have inquired at 2 of my suppliers in the last month and they both told me a #30 tank would be around $1900 if they had any, both had discontinued carrying it. I think the supply that is still available is being used on large commercial and industrial units that would cost tens or hundreds of thousands to replace.
Most homeowners that I run across don’t even care where the leak is when you tell them the refrigerant alone will be close to $500 before you take the time to look for the leak and make the repair or replace a coil, it makes more sense to replace the system if your empty.
If your just a little low and can find someone with some R-22 you could try some Easy Seal UV that has a sealant and UV dye and then fill it up. It may fix the leak, if it doesn’t the UV dye can locate the leak. Then you’ll know if it’s worth fixing.

Ken
Here's the way I look at it.
R-22 is $40 a pound. The drop in R-22 replacements are even less.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234650459235?h ... Sw4Pti7vW0

The average system has a total capacity of around 6 - 9 lbs.

So say it's like 3 pounds low, it could only cost $120 in refrigerant to get it working properly. A full tank of gas in your car right now can easily cost $100 and no one panics.

If the system has a leak that's significant and can't be addressed, I agree its time to replace the system. I had that exact scenario play out. But I've also seen situations where I've added like 2-3 lbs and it goes another several years working fine.

The HVAC techs overplay the R-22 issue because it means a much bigger profit (and commission) to install a whole new system.
I know it’s being done, however it’s against EPA regulations to put what you call a drop in replacement on top of R-22,
Also remember that a unit that is refilled without fixing a leak is only working at maximum capacity on the day it is refilled, with every passing day it becomes less productive and efficient, running longer without you realizing it and costing you more to cool your house, then you finally realize it’s not shutting off and you do it all over again. Yes you can prolong paying the large initial expense. But you may end up spending more in the long run.
Ken
cbs2002
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by cbs2002 »

Dealing with the same thing right now. Plan to move in a year or two. 17-year old unit with fading coolant pressure, and while this is not a performance issue, it's just super loud! Still cools, but I can tell it's on the way out. Can't really cope with a crowd of people or heat from cooking.

Guy from reputable shop said about $1500 to fill with R22, replace the starting capacitor on the condenser, and some other maintenance. Quoted about 11K for a new system (AC, Furnace/blower). This is for an approx. 2000 sf home. I haven't looked at the quotes in detail yet, still trying to decide what to do.

If I was a buyer and saw a system as old as mine, I'd assume replacement cost and deduct it from what I was willing to pay for the house.

Curious to see others' recs too.
Designairohio
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by Designairohio »

cbs2002 wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:47 pm Dealing with the same thing right now. Plan to move in a year or two. 17-year old unit with fading coolant pressure, and while this is not a performance issue, it's just super loud! Still cools, but I can tell it's on the way out. Can't really cope with a crowd of people or heat from cooking.

Guy from reputable shop said about $1500 to fill with R22, replace the starting capacitor on the condenser, and some other maintenance. Quoted about 11K for a new system (AC, Furnace/blower). This is for an approx. 2000 sf home. I haven't looked at the quotes in detail yet, still trying to decide what to do.

If I was a buyer and saw a system as old as mine, I'd assume replacement cost and deduct it from what I was willing to pay for the house.

Curious to see others' recs too.
Did he replace the Capacitor? I replaced a Capacitor for a customer last year on his noisy condenser, We couldn’t believe the difference it made in the sound level,
Why would he suggest adding R-22 if it’s cooling ok? Or is it not keeping up under heavy load?

Ken
tibbitts
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by tibbitts »

Designairohio wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:59 pm Get a fair price from a contractor you trust and can work with going forward and replace the one unit that needs replaced

22,500 seems high to me, in my area you could get those two units replace(condenser, Coil) for around half of that, but your market may be different.

Ken
If we could all find a "contractor [we] trust" (and this being Bogleheads, dirt-cheap is also implied) the number of threads on the forum would drop by half.
Designairohio
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by Designairohio »

tibbitts wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:08 pm
Designairohio wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 4:59 pm Get a fair price from a contractor you trust and can work with going forward and replace the one unit that needs replaced

22,500 seems high to me, in my area you could get those two units replace(condenser, Coil) for around half of that, but your market may be different.

Ken
If we could all find a "contractor [we] trust" (and this being Bogleheads, dirt-cheap is also implied) the number of threads on the forum would drop by half.
I know I made that sound easy, Right?
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by kelway »

cowdogman wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 10:34 am I had a local HVAC company come out to quote a replacement for both units. I was guessing that the quotation would be somewhere between $10,000-15,000 for both units. It ended up being approx $22,500.
Extra-large houses just keep giving and giving.
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by cbs2002 »

Designairohio wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:58 pm
cbs2002 wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:47 pm Dealing with the same thing right now. Plan to move in a year or two. 17-year old unit with fading coolant pressure, and while this is not a performance issue, it's just super loud! Still cools, but I can tell it's on the way out. Can't really cope with a crowd of people or heat from cooking.

Guy from reputable shop said about $1500 to fill with R22, replace the starting capacitor on the condenser, and some other maintenance. Quoted about 11K for a new system (AC, Furnace/blower). This is for an approx. 2000 sf home. I haven't looked at the quotes in detail yet, still trying to decide what to do.

If I was a buyer and saw a system as old as mine, I'd assume replacement cost and deduct it from what I was willing to pay for the house.

Curious to see others' recs too.
Did he replace the Capacitor? I replaced a Capacitor for a customer last year on his noisy condenser, We couldn’t believe the difference it made in the sound level,
Why would he suggest adding R-22 if it’s cooling ok? Or is it not keeping up under heavy load?

Ken
I've had no work done yet. It's not keeping up - it'll run long and the evaporator will freeze up regularly. I confess we like it cool at night and maintaining anything below 75 is usually a no-go. If there are extra people or cooking going on, forget it. The noise I care about is from the blower. The condenser is too close to the patio so cutting the noise there would also be desirable, but I'd be much happier if the interior noise was lower. Blower is noticeably louder when cooling versus heating, tech says it's because the pressure on the blower is higher when evaporator is running.
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bottlecap
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by bottlecap »

Seems about right given the size of your home.

JT
Designairohio
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Re: Replacement Air Conditioner Cost

Post by Designairohio »

cbs2002 wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:54 pm
Designairohio wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:58 pm
cbs2002 wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 5:47 pm Dealing with the same thing right now. Plan to move in a year or two. 17-year old unit with fading coolant pressure, and while this is not a performance issue, it's just super loud! Still cools, but I can tell it's on the way out. Can't really cope with a crowd of people or heat from cooking.

Guy from reputable shop said about $1500 to fill with R22, replace the starting capacitor on the condenser, and some other maintenance. Quoted about 11K for a new system (AC, Furnace/blower). This is for an approx. 2000 sf home. I haven't looked at the quotes in detail yet, still trying to decide what to do.

If I was a buyer and saw a system as old as mine, I'd assume replacement cost and deduct it from what I was willing to pay for the house.

Curious to see others' recs too.
Did he replace the Capacitor? I replaced a Capacitor for a customer last year on his noisy condenser, We couldn’t believe the difference it made in the sound level,
Why would he suggest adding R-22 if it’s cooling ok? Or is it not keeping up under heavy load?

Ken
I've had no work done yet. It's not keeping up - it'll run long and the evaporator will freeze up regularly. I confess we like it cool at night and maintaining anything below 75 is usually a no-go. If there are extra people or cooking going on, forget it. The noise I care about is from the blower. The condenser is too close to the patio so cutting the noise there would also be desirable, but I'd be much happier if the interior noise was lower. Blower is noticeably louder when cooling versus heating, tech says it's because the pressure on the blower is higher when evaporator is running.
A freezing coil is caused by one or a combination of these three things, low refrigerant, low Air flow or too low of a return air temperature. These can all be see by a good tech that can read and interpret the pressures and temperatures of the system and the return air temperature( coil temperature should be 35 deg less than the return air temperature on a normally operating system, les than 67deg and the coil is at freezing slow the airflow down and coil temp drops further). Low airflow can be caused by restricting the ductwork, dirty filter, dirty coil, these 3 things can cause excessive pressure and noise.
Low refrigerant means low pressure and corresponding low temperature refrigerant entering the coil, often well below freezing, any condensation freezes and snowballs int a frozen coil.
Ken
Edit to add that a dirty blower can cause low airflow also, dit can also throw the blower wheel out of balance causing noise,
Blower noise can also be caused by bad motor bearings, or cracked hub on the blower wheel
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