Oct
20
Central Air Conditioning?
ByI looking to get central air conditioning for my 2000 square foot home (one story ranch with attic, slab foundation) on Long Island. Can anyone recommend a brand and tell me how much this would cost approximately? Thanks.
3 Comments
October 20th, 2009 at 5:39 am
A reputible HVAC company will come to your house to determine what type and size of unit you will need. They will measure the rooms, look at your window size, check your insulation, look at your crawlspace or attic, look at your electrical box, etc. A proper company will do what is called a Manual J calculation. This will determine the tonnage of unit needed to heat and cool your home. Don’t go with a company who doesn’t do this! Get everything in writing.
Check with the local BBB to see if there are any complaints on any of the companies. The problem with HVAC companies is many pop up during the summer time and are gone by the next year. So make sure you get a company who has been in business for a period of time. They are least likely to “leave you hanging” in case of any problems.
If your city requires one, make sure to get a city inspection. Some companies don’t relay this to the homeowner to save them time/money on inspection fees.
Another good idea is to find a company with a maintenance program. This will allow them to come clean the unit either once or twice a year. One with 24 hour service is also a plus.
Do research on central units to see what brands are best. Trane/American Standard are the same unit, as well as Bryant/Carrier. There are possibly 4-5 actual manufactureres out there so be careful of brands. Personally I have seen the most problems with low-end “builder” type units such as Rheem and Rudd.
You’ll need things like ductwork, electrical wiring, registers, etc…not including the unit and labor for all of this. I don’t know the going rates in Long Island but in Alabama, a brand new central unit can go for $2500~$5000, depending on the brand, warranty, etc.
October 20th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Sorry, insufficient info. If you have existing hot air heat and the duct work is sized properly then it is fairly simple to add A/C to your existing furnace – about 2 1/2 ton will do unless you have excessive window space or very poor insulation. If you do not have hot air heat then duct work will have to be installed which will increase the cost tremendously. As far as a brand – any name brand that gives you a 10 year or better warranty will suffice.
October 20th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
They just passed a new law that the ac had to be 13 seer, where as before they only needed to be 10 seer…lots of AC compaines bought up the old ones, because they are hella cheaper than 13 seer…see if you can find one of those….
Usually one factory makes the same ac unit, but just slaps different names on them….for example, my ac unit is built by the company that makes the famous YORK ac units, but its a no brand, much cheaper unit