May I have some input from our HVAC guys?

[LouAvul]

I have a 4 ton Carrier unit that was manufactured in 1996. My house was built in 1998 so I’m assuming the unit sat in a warehouse for a couple of years. It requires R-22 freon which is being phased out and, again, I’m assuming they’ll be charging a premium for it.

My air conditioner has been shutting off. It would run for a couple of hours and never reach the target cooling temperature. The outside unit (fan) would shut off and the attic unit (coil?) would continue to operate. I’d shut it off and after an hour or two, turn it back on. It worked for awhile after I turned it back on.

The HVAC guy just examined it. The outside motor is running at 1.8 amps. He said it’s supposed to run at 1.4 amps which means the motor is overheating and shutting off. In the attic he showed me significant level of rust and he said that the coil is freezing which is why there’s no air flow when it should be cooling. Then, according to him, the ice melts and drains, which is what’s causing the rust.

He says I need to replace the outside motor ($350) and the coil in the attic (on top of the furnace) for $1500.

Or I can go with new. That’s a 24ABC6 condenser, CNPVP coil and 58PHA furnace. This costs $6900. From $6900 I can subtract $1500 for a tax credit, $525 for our local power company instant rebate, another $75 rebate from Carrier, and a $125 rebate from the installer. That’s $4675 installed, plus tax.

The guy also said the warranty is significant. For the first year, emergency service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 10 years on parts, compressor, condensing coil, and evaporator coil. 5 years on labor. 20 years on heat exchange. They’ll also install a programmable thermostat. Currently the thermostat is non-programmable.

The IRS is discontinuing the $1500 tax credit after this year.

So I can spend $2000 to fix the existing unit or $5000 for new. The new price includes the furnace as well.

[mmadi106999]

I use servicemagic.com which is a free referral service where you usually get three HVAC guys. Have three separate people come out and give you an estimate. That will assure you that you aren’t getting taken.

[absolootezer0]

sounds like time for routine maintainance. check freon pressure, check filters, make sure ducts and vents aren’t clogged or closed, make sure the blower is cycling properly, make sure the fins on the outside unit aren’t all mashed up, etc.

if you’re using a media filter, make sure it’s not too high of a rating, that can cause air restriction as well.