Table of Contents
Therefore, how do you find a good contractor that will install your new HVAC system correctly for a reasonable price? Let us explore the possibilities and rules to follow about how a smart homeowner or business owner approaches this and wins.
HVAC Consumers Buyers Guide | Heating & Cooling – The Basics Of Seeking and Finding a Good Contractor
1First rule of thumb is to ask people you know about good contractors they have dealt with in the past. Usually, you can get some great leads from good contractors this way. Another method of finding a good contractor is to check online review sites. Sites such as Angie’s List and/or the Better Business Bureau.
This will give you a good idea of how well the contractors do with customers. It will also let you know if you have a problem during or after the work is completed, will the contractor work with you to resolve the problem. Any good HVAC contractor worth his/her salt will always bend over backward to make the customer happy.
As long as the customer is reasonable and the problem is related to the contractor’s quality of work or materials. That includes the equipment you are buying from them.
Homework for Success
2Do your homework and call at least three HVAC contractors when you are getting the heating and cooling system replaced. This is important even if you have a regular and trusted HVAC contractor. It will allow you to see how different contractors approach their sales. Additionally, if your trusted and regular company is taking you for granted or not. Each contractor has their way of cutting corners, so give the contractor a check and see if yours takes you for granted because you are a regular customer.
Load Calculations
HVAC Consumers Buyers Guide
3Any contractor replacing your HVAC heating and cooling system will do a Manual J load calculation on your home or business to make 100% sure the HVAC heating and cooling system they sell to you is correctly sized. No matter what type of system you have, you need a load calculation for the system. Many contractors will try to cut corners on this to save time and sell you a replacement system that is the same size as the old system.
Who knows if the old system was sized properly? Get a load calculation to make sure the new system will be the right size. If the contractor does not offer to make the load calculation, then use another contractor because they are guessing, and you do not want to guess when making a major purchase like this. Many contractors will do a load calculation but not share it with you until you sign their contract.
Manual J HVAC Sizing
HVAC Consumers Buyers Guide
3.1Manual J is a scientific approach to HVAC equipment sizing. It is not difficult for a trained professional to size the home for HVAC equipment. Software is available to make the task easier for anyone to perform a load calculation. The rule of thumb used in the past, and still used by some contractors, is installing the new system based on the size of the old system. Here are some reasons why you should not do that:
- The house may have been upgraded with new windows and doors.
- Weatherstripping and insulation values may have changed since the old system was installed. Either for the better or the worst.
- A house addition may have been added
- The old system may be inadequate for conditioning certain areas of the home. A big example of this is rooms over a garage.
- The roofing color may have changed. Yes, this is a factor. It goes with trees surrounding the house for shading. Radiant heat is a factor, and those things contribute to radiant heat.
The manual J takes into consideration the following factors:
- Number of occupants
- Duct location - is it in a conditioned or unconditioned space
- Infiltration - is the house tight or drafty
- Orientation of the house to the sun
- Insulation values of the house construction
- Indoor and outdoor design temperatures. Each geographical region has an average temperature for both winter and summer. Indoor design temperatures are important for the desired average indoor temperature along with humidity conditions. Humidity plays a big role in the comfort and is a part of latent heat loading.
- Design areas - e.g., a room with many windows needs different design considerations than an inner room with no windows.
- Elevation - since air is thinner in the mountains at higher elevations the system may need to be upsized by 10% or more for heating.
It is important to get this right. Buying a system that has too much overcapacity can have negative effects on your home. First, it will not be energy efficient. Second, it will cost more. And finally, it could cause problems with humidity and temperature. Sizing is crucial. Some jurisdictions will require the contractor to submit a load calculation with the application for a permit. In that regard, someone is looking over the contractor’s shoulder to ensure they comply with this necessary action.
Contractors Perspective on Sizing
From a contractor’s perspective, many want to get it right. If they install an inadequate system, it will lead to complaints and other problems. Many tend to install a system slightly larger than what the load calculation gives them for figures. In the software, some of the input numbers can be fudged to give them this result. Just be aware that you want a contractor who knows what they are doing when it comes to the phase of the installation. And this usually occurs before the contract is signed.
Additionally, the contractors know the Manual J is black and white. It does not take into consideration some other variables for real-world application. If the customer does not have the budget to replace the ductwork when it really needs to be replaced this causes some issues.
I have turned down jobs for this reason because I know I could not get the system right as it should be done. I have a contractor friend who has also turned down jobs for this reason. If you know, before starting the job, that you can’t get the proper amount of airflow through the evaporator coil then the system will likely have big problems.
After everything is said and done and I walk away from a job after it’s completed, I know without any doubt the customer has a good system that will provide them with many years of comfort. Provided they maintain the system properly.
Manual D and the New HVAC System
3.2Manual D comes into play when you change the size of the system and require new ductwork. Manual D takes into account the size of the ductwork and how much air you need to deliver to each room to satisfy the load. If you are changing the size of your HVAC system you will likely need to change the size of your duct system. I’ve seen the most god-awful duct designs that are truly inadequate and cause problems.
Manufacturers publish specification sheets for their equipment. Located in the specification sheet for an air conditioner or heat pump. The first thing a designer looks at is the amount of air needed to satisfy the load in every conditioned space. Then they look at all the sizes and types of ductwork they can use to hit that number provided for in the specification sheet for the evaporator coil.
To meet warranty requirements, the contractor must have the pressure specified in the specification sheet. This is why ductwork is important in the overall design. It also affects comfort and unit performance. In other words, if they are out of the ballpark on the pressure, you will not get efficiency or comfort. Your new equipment will also likely not live that long.
The best, and most expensive ductwork, is hard round. This type of ductwork delivers the least amount of friction or turbulence inside the duct. However, it needs to be sized correctly to function properly. That goes with any type of duct system.
More Than Just One Thing
HVAC Consumers Buyers Guide
4Just because you are getting a new system does not mean everything will be good after installation. A good example of this is your ductwork. If you get a new high efficient system and the old ductwork leaks, then the new high efficient system will not be so efficient. A good HVAC contractor will check all this for you and make recommendations. They will also show you the problem areas and explain to you why it would be a good idea to replace or repair the ductwork along with the new system.
Additionally, if the size of your system changes, the size of the ductwork will also need to change.
Lastly, if you have an old R-22 system that is being replaced, insist that a new line set be installed. Some contractors try to cut corners and use the old line set. That can be bad for you in two ways:
- The oil from an R-22 system is different than the oil in the R-410A system. Oil migrates throughout the system, including the line set. Residual oil from the R-22 system can have a detrimental effect on your new system.
- It is likely the engineering for the new system requires a larger line set for the R-410A system.
Additional Recommendations
HVAC Consumers Buyers Guide
5Other recommendations a good HVAC contractor will do for their customer is to look at the air handler and condenser. Maybe relocate the units to better ideal locations to increase efficiency and reduce noise levels in or near occupied areas. A condenser located near a patio can easily be relocated to another location, so it will not make noise near the patio allowing you to be comfortable when relaxing on the patio. Other things, such as moving the condenser to a location in the shade can help efficiency.
Warranties - Manufacturer and Contractor
6Offering extended warranties and a new thermostat. That, along with the contractor’s company warranty, one-year parts, and labor. These are extras and make the contractor look good by standing behind the product and workmanship. These are things they are selling to you. If a contractor offers this to you in writing, they are possibly much better than the contractor who does not offer these things.
Third-Party Testing of the Final Installation
7HVAC Consumers Buyers Guide - This is not too common but it should be. It is becoming more common in commercial contracting. It is a third-party testing company to come in after the installation is complete. They go over the system and make sure it is operating properly along with installation workmanship & practices checked.
Brands
8HVAC Consumers Buyers Guide - Lastly, we encourage you to read the reviews of the many brands of heating and cooling equipment here at High Performance HVAC. You may also check other review sites to check on popular brands of HVAC equipment. However, I have been doing reviews on my site for several years.
It is a common occurrence for negative reviews to be more prevalent than positive reviews. Take the consumer posted opinions with a grain of salt. Why? You may ask? Besides, all the details listed above, that many people miss, or don’t know how many people go for the lowest bidder, or never do their homework to find a good heating and cooling contractor to install their new system? How many of those had the system installed correctly and by code? I would make a bet that many of those people who leave angry reviews about the brand are not pointing their anger in the right place.
Many times that should be with the contractor who likely installed the heating and cooling equipment improperly. Or they got cousin Billy Bob who used to work for a contractor many moons ago to install the system when cousin Billy Bob never really knew what he was doing in the first place. There are many variables to this issue. As a technician in the field for many years, I have seen it before.
HVAC Consumers Buyers Guide | Heating & Cooling
All these things will help you recognize a good HVAC contractor. A good contractor from a contractor that is simply trying to sell you something for a quick buck. The contractor should be genuinely interested in selling you quality work and equipment they trust and know to be good. Follow some basic rules when buying heating & cooling systems and this major purchase can go smoothly.
HVAC Consumers Buyers Guide | Heating & Cooling
We have a Goodman AC with R-22 with 80% efficiency gas heater which will be 23 yrs old in Mar 2023. With the new refrigerant coming out 1-2023 should we replace our unit now with one that uses R-410a or just wait til the one we have stops working & buy one with the new refrigerant?
Talked to our AC guy which is a Rheem dealer. I told him I wanted a system with a higher SEER rating. The unit he quoted us price $6000 for a Rudd RA1436 with 80% efficiency gas heater. It’s no more efficient then what we have.
He’s telling me he needs to know how cold we want the ac to figure out size. I know that’s incorrect from what I have been reading.
Our Goodman installer retired.
How cold you want it…………lol……….and stay away from that guy. Sounds like he knows little to nothing about proper sizing or design of AC equipment. I would lean towards a higher AFUE rating on the furnace along with the AC. Maybe consider dual-fuel heat pump with gas for back-up heat. It leaves you two options for heating based on cost of utilities which are very volatile right now with no end in sight because of incompetent energy policies.
Shop around and take your time vetting different contractors and brands. The quality and reliability of the contractor far outweighs the brand IMO. I would only replace the old Goodman if it is an energy hog or has a catastrophic failure of one of the major components such as a coil or compressor. R410A will be around for a long time to come so I would choose that. New refrigerant in new systems often have kinks to work out in the beginning. If you want to read about the changeover from R-22 to R-410A you can apply the same from R-410A to the new stuff. See this article.
Good luck
I live in a senior citizen community (75 YO). I’m planning to replace a 38 years old furnace currently in good condition (Trane) 70K BTU and the AC central air American Standard 2 Ton, 20 years old. The AC unit had a freon replacement 10 years ago; the AC stopped working over a month ago now is time to replace both.
I have at least 6 estimates from different contractors, I have check all of HVAC products they offered, some go from $18K to 8K to replace the same thing. Some brands the furnace is good but not the AC unit, others the furnace brands are not good and the AC they are. I understand for what research that the workmanship is the key to install the units. Great products and sloppy job will create a big problem and usually contracts do want to come back to do repairs and they will be costly to the consumer.
Brand name products are costly and parts for replacement will be expensive, some are not as good as they used to. Other concern is the digging recommended by some contractors to replace the lines before the installation; other did not mention to replace the lines but flushing them for possibly leaks. Which product would recommended? Trane, Rudd, Carrier for for both HVAC units? One referre3d contractor recommended RUUD for both units. Would be that a good choice? Trane too expensive, Carrier not the best in furnace. The lowest ratings were for Lennox, which Home depot, Lowes and Costco promote. What would be your recommendation. I’m away from home 12 hours a way (work). Currently my apt’s temperature is 80% and I’m using a Lesko fan at night.
Thank you for your assistance.
If I had the choice to make I would choose Carrier or Lennox but only after vetting the contractors to ensure they have a great reputation. Additionally, my choice would include a higher SEER/AFUE rating because I don’t see the cost of electricity or gas going down in the future. Only up.
Love the comment about Cousin Billy Bob. I think we’ve all had to come behind ole William Robert and fix his mistakes…….
What about the lines that go into the house for Freon and the ducts, does any of this factor into installing a 3-ton unit in place of the old 2-ton unit?
Absolutely it does. The size of the lines are determined by the manufacturers engineers and should be accounted for in the installation by the contractor. 3-ton duct work needs 1200 CFM’s of airflow through the ducts and ducts need to be appropiately sized for that number. A 2-ton unit needs 800 CFM’s of airflow. A good HVAC company will do a pressure drop test across the evaporator coil to ensure the pressure drop is within the manufacturers specification. This pressure test will tell the HVAC technician if the duct work is delivering the proper amount of air through the duct system.
Honeywell th9580wf wi-fi thermostat Need the jumper loop which is missing. Can,t find one on the internet to purchase anywhere. Please help!
Simply use a piece of thermostat wire to make the jumper connection.
we have a Lennex 80mfg that to replace the thermostat we wire as shown y to y w to w g to g r to r found out that both heat an air conditioning running at the same time I did notice on the y wire was marked Y2 would this be the problem how can i check this out
What you describe sounds correct and Y2 indicates the system has a second stage. Whenever I have run into this problem it was either one wire touching another wire or you have bad thermostat wire somewhere. I have even found a nail went through the wire (inside the wall) and caused this problem. To properly troubleshoot it to find out what is indeed wrong it would be best to call a service company.
Getting more confused I just want a good heat pump that lasts what happened to that?? lennox carrier or york I have a intertherm 3 ton 12 seer has worked for 18 years well should say have 16 had to replace the accumulator possibly my fault I sprayed my out side unit with water hose to much washed paint off rusted & leaked a frame coil leaked due to unnamed supposed ac professional wire brushing my coils wrong way so he could sell me a new unit I caught him to late & kicked him out of my house but have now heard that intertherm units have went down hill Don’t know which way to turn for help what happened to units lasting 20 – 25 years?? HELP!!
Wish I had the magic brand to recommend to you Lee but as I stated, find a contractor that will stand behind the product and will make sure it gets installed properly. From my experience, 20 – 25 years is way above the average for life expectancy of an HVAC system. I would go more along the line of 13 to 15 years provided it is installed properly and is maintained on a regular basis. It’s all about the contractor and how they stand behind the product they install properly.
My house was installed with the base 80% efficient Intertherm furnace new back in the summer of 2008. Blew up this last Monday. I thought it odd I would get only close to fourteen years out of it.When I called around to all the contractors that install Modular home systems and they all said to expect about fifteen years, twenty only if your lucky out of them.I opted for the top Intertherm model 96% efficient-two stage ,variable speed blower.I can’t believe how quiet it is to operate. The whole house is more evenly heated. My only concern is the condensation it produces like any 90%+ furnace. It drips harmlessly on my cement slab below the house. Contractor assured me it would not freeze up here in northurn MN.
Very helpful and informative. Thanks
Glad we could help!!
Good post! The factors and variables that you pointed out are right on. Really all boils down the the expertise and quality controls of the HVAC contractor.
Trying to save a few bucks up front can cost you big in the long run.
Very informative!
Thank you for your help!
Thank you for the kind compliment and please share us on social media to help others.