Howdy! I may have an A/C replacement in my future. I'm wondering what the cost may be. I have a 2-story home in NW Houston. It's about 2200 sq. Right now, we've got an Ameristar 5-ton (I think). It was manufactured in 2006. When it works, it cools the house ok. It struggles on the really hot days in the summer keeping the home cool, especially the upstairs.

I know it's not a whole lot of info. I'm at work right now. So, any help is appreciated.

I am in Kingwood in a 2400 sq ft 2 story home built in 1994.

We are also getting quotes for a full system replacement. We bought the house last year and are still on the original system which is a 5-ton SEER 10...the brand escapes me but it isn't a big name.

I have a quote from a Lennox vendor and a Trane vendor and they range from $9,000-$12,000. The $9,000 is for a 5-ton SEER 14 and the $12,000 is for a 5-ton SEER 16.

I also have a quote from our local HVAC guy who is a Heil dealer (Heil is in the Carrier family) for $7500 (5-ton SEER 16). There is also a $750 transferable extended labor warranty that extends the 1 year to 10 years for labor...which is in line with the parts warranty. Unless something breaks due to our negligence, it should be covered for 10 yrs.

I have past experience with the Heil dealer and trust the guy who comes out to help us, so I am leaning in that direction.

Edited to add: All 3 vendors have stated that prices start going up when the temps go up due to labor rate multipliers...and there are discounts for cash payment. For example, the Heil "summer" price is $8900 while the "winter" price is $7900 and the "winter cash" price is $7500.

If you are replacing, I would make sure to perform a new manual J calculation (one may not have even been done to begin with) before even starting the conversation about system sizes.

The Fife said:

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If you are replacing, I would make sure to perform a new manual J calculation (one may not have even been done to begin with) before even starting the conversation about system sizes.

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Agreed...for us, the Trane rep was in and out in 10 minutes. Looks like he is just replacing like for like.

The Lennox dealer walked me through all of his calculations and we are just above the line for a 5 ton.

The Heil guy didn't show me the calculations but asked a lot of the same questions and ended up at exactly the same conclusions. He said if I replace all the windows (they are also original from 1994), I could safely go with a 4-ton unit. However, part of me is concerned that when we go to sell the house, an inspector is going to ding us for having an undersized unit. Also, I don't think replacing our windows will be on the radar for the next couple of years.

Thanks for all the help. My a/c went out last night. I want to get it fixed ASAP. I have a guy coming out tomorrow to take a look at it. I hope it is something small.

The same guy replaced the fan in the unit back in 2015 after it stopped working. He said the compressor looked to be close to being on its last legs. Back then, he said if he was in my shoes, he'd start putting money away for a new unit because it was just a matter of time before I needed a new one. The guy has 30+ years experience and is highly recommended. He even walked me through his process for the repairs. And, with my limited knowledge about it, I understood what he was talking about.

This is the 3rd repair I've had for the unit. We've been in the house since 2007. The Ameristar unit was likely put in shortly before we bought the house.

I'll make sure I get a few quotes if I have to replace it all. I'll know more once the tech gets there tomorrow.

And, I hear you about the age of the home. Mine was built in 1989 and has all the original single pane windows. It would help if I replaced all of them, but I also don't want to get dinged when we try to sell in a couple of years for having an undersized unit.

We have a 2300 sq ft house that had a 5 ton trane. The ac guy calculated the volume and told us the 5 ton was too big. We replaced it with a 4 ton Lennox for about $7500

Just paid ~12,500 for an entire new system.

4 ton 17 SEER Two-Speed Unit (American Standard "Gold Series") - new A/C, gas furnace, and all new ducts.

lunchbox said:

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The Fife said:

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If you are replacing, I would make sure to perform a new manual J calculation (one may not have even been done to begin with) before even starting the conversation about system sizes.

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Agreed...for us, the Trane rep was in and out in 10 minutes. Looks like he is just replacing like for like.

The Lennox dealer walked me through all of his calculations and we are just above the line for a 5 ton.

The Heil guy didn't show me the calculations but asked a lot of the same questions and ended up at exactly the same conclusions. He said if I replace all the windows (they are also original from 1994), I could safely go with a 4-ton unit. However, part of me is concerned that when we go to sell the house, an inspector is going to ding us for having an undersized unit. Also, I don't think replacing our windows will be on the radar for the next couple of years.

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You wouldn't get dinged because inspectors don't do manual J calculations. They report back things such as register temperature, approximate age and general cleanliness.

I would be happy to get any of y'all a quote or load calculation done. I own Enviromax Services, Inc. http://emaxteam.com. We have helped many Texags users. Give us a call...my office number is 713-466-7555. My name is Jim Wolf...If I am out ask for Jackie or Danny.

88agswin said:

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I would be happy to get any of y'all a quote or load calculation done. I own Enviromax Services, Inc. http://emaxteam.com. We have helped many Texags users. Give us a call...my office number is 713-466-7555. My name is Jim Wolf...If I am out ask for Jackie or Danny.

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Give Jim and his team a call - We are very happy with what they put in our house.

Did you guys try Artic Air?

So, here's an update: The first guy who came in checked things thoroughly. I have a leak in my exterior unit. All the gas was gone. It takes Freon, so for just the gas, it would have been at least $1,000 just for the Freon, and not repair the leak. My home cools unevenly with the upstairs getting super hot in the summer. He suggested going to zone cooling since the entire house is off of one unit. He showed me some shoddy work done by whoever installed everything in the attic. He suggested creating a larger return upstairs and adding other vents. He's proposing putting in an American Standard Silver XI 14 seer coupled with a new furnace. He says the two working together would provide 15 seer. The current unit is only 13. I also called the guys on this thread for a quote.

agproducer said:

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So, here's an update: The first guy who came in checked things thoroughly. I have a leak in my exterior unit. All the gas was gone. It takes Freon, so for just the gas, it would have been at least $1,000 just for the Freon, and not repair the leak. My home cools unevenly with the upstairs getting super hot in the summer. He suggested going to zone cooling since the entire house is off of one unit. He showed me some shoddy work done by whoever installed everything in the attic. He suggested creating a larger return upstairs and adding other vents. He's proposing putting in an American Standard Silver XI 14 seer coupled with a new furnace. He says the two working together would provide 15 seer. The current unit is only 13. I also called the guys on this thread for a quote.

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FYI...

Quote:

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Myth #2: Upgrading Your Condenser to SEER 21 Makes Your Entire System SEER 21.


Many of the people who ask us, "what is a good SEER rating?," also wonder how they can save money when upgrading their SEER value. One of the biggest fallacies out there is that you can increase your SEER value by purchasing a high SEER condenser.

The answer is NO. You can't just increase one component at a time it's a package deal!

Contention 1: Adding a high SEER condenser to an otherwise normal system will not increase its SEER value. Some sales people are either dishonest, or just don't know what they are talking about.

Either way, they tell people that changing out the condenser will increase their SEER value and save energy. This just isn't trueit is the equivalent of dropping a 1.5L engine into a truck that was designed for a 6.0L engine. Would you get better gas milage? Wrongthat little thing can't even get the truck up a hill, let alone pull a rig, and as it strains, it will be burning tons of gas.

Perhaps this example wasn't the best, but I'm trying to illustrate the point: upgrading your SEER value is a package deal. You can't drop a random engine into a truck made for a large engine it just won't work properly.

• Likewise, to increase your SEER value, you need to upgrade everything as a package: condenser, evaporative coil and furnace, to increase SEER and for them to work together efficiently and in conjunction with one another.

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What's a Good Seer Rating? The Truth About High SEER Air Conditioners.

I should have been clearer -- he said it would operate like a 15 seer. But, I understand what you are saying. It would replacing everything to get me away from the freon and to the newer refrigerant. It would bring the current seer from 13 to 14.

Vernada-

Did you get that done in Houston? That's about what I'm looking at, but I need zone cooling thrown in. I'm getting quoted at $13,800. It also includes the installation of two new ducts and a larger second floor return.

I'm in new Braunfels now.