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P.S.A. For Your Job - Air Conditioner Information (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ChiefD
- Start date
ChiefD
Footballguy
Sorry - meant to answer this over the weekend but forgot.My wife and I will be in a bidding war for a new house tomorrow (further west suburbs of Chicago, nearer here both kids have recently moved). We really want this place - a fantastic ranch house that was expanded/upgraded five years ago by the current owners.
Something I haven’t seen before: the furnace and water heater are in a small space in the one stall garage. They’re on an inner wall and furthest from the garage entrance. They’re behind some sliding mortarboard panels. Is this unusual? Is this concerning? The situation has obviously worked for the owners. I assume the equipment needs a reasonable amount of airflow, so the space can’t be too heavily insulated.
This isn't unusual but not common, if that makes sense. I'm guessing the house is on a slab?
There shouldn't be any issues, but generally would not be allowed these days due to code issues (mainly a car running into either one and causing gas leaks and all kinds of other possibilities).
Just make sure you get your inspections and you should be fine.
Edit to add: some houses still have water heaters installed in garages these days, but typically they have to be on stands. I'm not as familiar with water heaters because we don't do them.
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tri-man 47
Footballguy
Thanks, GB. For now, it's a moot point - despite an aggressive number, we got outbid for the house.
Ugh. Can't say I hoped to ever need help in this thread, but...
Central air unit is currently blowing warm air. Worked fine 3-4 weeks ago. Inside portion is working fine, air filter was replaced recently. In my extremely untrained opinion, the outside unit appears to not be turning on properly. I reset the circuit breaker, turned the AC on again, and walked outside. No noise, no movement, but I continued standing there for about 3 minutes. At one point, I heard what sounded like something electrical shutting off (can't describe it better than that). None of the cables, wires, or pipes appear damaged. The house was built in 2006, and I assume everything is from the original build. Any thoughts?
Central air unit is currently blowing warm air. Worked fine 3-4 weeks ago. Inside portion is working fine, air filter was replaced recently. In my extremely untrained opinion, the outside unit appears to not be turning on properly. I reset the circuit breaker, turned the AC on again, and walked outside. No noise, no movement, but I continued standing there for about 3 minutes. At one point, I heard what sounded like something electrical shutting off (can't describe it better than that). None of the cables, wires, or pipes appear damaged. The house was built in 2006, and I assume everything is from the original build. Any thoughts?
Jobber
Footballguy
Ooh I had to similar problem about two years ago. There is a mini-coke can sized capacitor in the outside air conditioner unit that died. Kill the power to the AC at the fuse box. Unscrew the side and detach the capacitor. Order a replacement off Amazon or Lowes. Put the new one in and presto. The part cost about 10 bucks.
ETA: Adding my symptom: mine sounded like a loud click or snap when I was outside and it tried to turn on.
Last edited by a moderator:
The Z Machine
Footballguy
ChiefD
Footballguy
Yeah agree. If you are going to do this yourself make sure you order the right size and take a picture of the way the capacitor is hooked up before you take the wires off so you know where they go on the new cap.
If you decide to call someone and don't want to mess with it, this is a part that almost all techs carry on their trucks. You would be fixed up pretty quick and the entire service call should be less than $300.
sho nuff
Footballguy
Our home is 16 years old…water heater is in the 3rd garage bay on a stand. They also have a big metal pole anchored in the concrete at the front corner of it (guessing to prevent an accident with a car and the gas issue you mentioned).
Interesting. Thanks, all. I'll check this out today and see if I can find it.
OK, tried getting my kid to turn the AC on while I was outside. Moderately loud pop as noted above. Killed the breaker and took the side panel off. There was a mouse skeleton between the capacitor and another part, jaws touching the capacitor. Wonder if it fried itself doing that? My teenager absconded with the skeleton and I removed the capacitor. Ordered a new one from Amazon, $12. No delivery until next Saturday, but we'll survive. Thanks, will update in a week.
The Z Machine
Footballguy
You can buy those caps other places, likely local. Ace Hardware or Lowes. If you have a specialized HVAC supply store local, they'll definitely have one for you on Monday morning. Going without AC if it's in the 90s is no fun.
Lowe's and Home Depot didn't have this one, unfortunately. I checked the temps; today is hotter than the rest of this week, so we'll be alright. Other than Monday, it shouldn't get above 82 this week. The house is really well insulated, so if I open all the windows overnight to cool down, it stays bearable.
ChiefD
Footballguy
Chadstroma
Footballguy
I posted this in other threads before but same kind of thinking....
Mortgage Loans/HomeBuying:
#1: The difference between retail and wholesale. Retail is your banks, credit unions and direct lenders (some big direct lenders would be Quicken, Guaranteed Rate, Fairway, etc). Wholesale is your mortgage broker. I shouldn't have to tell you which is going to end up giving better rates and cost on average.
#2: The bigger the Bank the more they usually suck. UNLESS you are your typical FBG rolling in cash. If you are, then the big and regional banks that have wealth management departments will be very aggressive in offering jumbo loans. They basically use it as a loss leader. They will give you a great deal and then get you into their wealth management where they make all their money off of you. When it comes to mortgages, a jumbo is pretty much the only time you want to talk to a bank. Otherwise, avoid banks though sometimes your smaller banks will have a pretty good deal.
#3: If you see them advertising on TV, I promise you, they suck. Quicken spends ridiculous amounts of money on advertising. Why? Because the people who don't know better who have done loans with them before and almost always got bent over are paying for this marketing machine. Plus, they are pretty much the slimiest lender out there. Over and over and over again hearing clients tell me "they said X to me" and in reality it is "Y". They also typically will start off with what seems like a great rate and then charge 3 points in origination charges. DO NOT go to Quicken (aka Rocket Mortgage) or one of the slim ball VA lenders like Veterans United or New Day.
#4: I love credit unions. Huge fan of them. I belong to two of them. CU's are usually your best bet for checking, savings, car loans, personal loans, equity loans or lines, etc. However, one area that they are not usually your best bet is mortgages. The reason is mostly about scale. There are some large CU's but most are still relatively small. They do not do enough volume to be efficient and the large loan amounts take a big chunk of their reserves. Go ahead and check with your CU, they can offer some good deals, I have seen it and they will still tend to beat banks and direct lenders but not usually the best bet.
#5: Rate is not the end all be all of doing a loan. You have the rate which of course is important but there are also fees and origination charges. A typical game that is played is showing a great rate but then when you compare to another lender you see that you are really PAYING for that great rate. Often times as a broker, I am able to match the rate and give a credit versus the origination points they are charging. Be mindful of that.
#6: Use the Loan Estimate! Wherever you go, when you get the Loan Estimate, shop it to other lenders. You can just send it to the lender and let them come back with their offer or you can put more work in it and just shop and compare rates. What happens if you do? Worst case, you get the peace of mind that you are getting a good deal. Best case, you save yourself thousands of dollars!
#7: Your current lender is not going to make it easier than going to another lender. They will need to get all new docs or if it a streamline another lender can do a streamline as well.
#8: Unless you hate yourself and want to throw your phone away forever do not go to a website that 'shops' loans. First of all, they don't really. All they are doing is selling the leads to lenders. Second, you will get bombarded by phone calls and wish you never even heard of Lending Tree or whatever else.
#9: Always shop lenders. Mortgage brokers do the shopping for you accessing multiple lenders and getting wholesale pricing.
#10: Don't make assumptions about what you can or can not do with a refinance. Talk to someone who actually knows. They can go over your options after figuring out your situation and your goals. I have seen some bad thinking in here that is costing people significant money.
#11: The better your credit score the better your rate. You are going to top out around the 740-750 area. So, don't worry about getting an 800 credit score.
#12: If you have more debt other than the mortgage/equity loan or line then you might be better off refinancing all the debt into the home.
#13: DO NOT listen to Dave Ramsey when it comes to mortgages. He is a dolt when it comes to mortgages, gives horrible advice and then sends his followers to Churchill mortgage because he gets paid advertising from them. It disgusts me. People trust him and he sends them to a crappy retail lender because he gets a big check from them on top of giving really HORRIBLE advice that ends up costing people tons. Just ignore him when it comes to mortgage advice.
#14: If you are getting a mortgage, don't do anything stupid like deposit a bunch of cash into your account or buy a new car or change jobs. Anything to do with your job, credit and income can cause problems for the loan. Yes, I don't care if you are doing the same job for more money- I can't close your loan on time now. (real life situation, I was able to save the loan but this ding dong couldn't get through his head that most lenders would have killed the deal and it was all our fault somehow that we couldn't close on time).
#15: Realize that the vast majority of down payment assistance programs are pushed by lenders who do them and realtors who want you to buy a home with them as free money is NOT. Why do they pitch it like that? Well, why wouldn't you use a lender or realtor who is offering you free money?! This is the way that most of them work... they are set up to give money in a form of a forgivable loan or silent second or another such form. You must keep the loan for an extended period of time 5-7 years is most common. Once you do (meaning you can not sell or refinance that loan) then you are free! Here is the thing... that 3-3.5% of the purchase price that they gave you jacked up your rate. I have calculated the differences- not from different lenders but from lenders that I know using a program, the rate you would get with them without the DPA and the rate you get with it... and let's say you got $10K from them... that $10K ends up costing you $30-40K over the period that you did PLUS potentially an opportunity cost of refinancing as I have done for all my clients who listened to me last year and now that rates have dropped are realizing large savings. There are true grants out there (where there is no ties to the money) but most of these also have a higher rate. I have access to some of these programs but only have done one in the last few years and that was after being sure to explain everything in detail and the real cost to the client (side not, the plan was to refi them later which we plan on doing in a couple of months).
#16: If you are veteran, first responder, medical profession- the great sounding program (Homes for Heroes is the largest one) where you get money back isn't as great as it sounds. I promise you. The realtor part of it is actually a good deal for you but the lender side where they typically pay for your appraisal (around $400-600) is likely costing you a ton of money in the rate and cost of the loan. These are usually retail lenders who have lot's of extra cash (there is a reason why they have to charge higher rates and fees/origination) that pay into these programs, which are relatively expensive (for a lender about $1800 a year for Homes for Heroes just to be part of their program and that is it). You can still shop the lender. DO SO!
#17: First time home buyer programs are usually marketing schemes. There are some benefits offered if you are doing a conventional loan which anyone can have access to. Other things are usually the DPA programs (see #15) and should be avoided. Your third cousins best friend's dog's breeders brother who got $10K free money to buy a home is more times than not money that cost them.
#18: Most loans over 80% loan to value that doesn't have mortgage insurance is costing you in a higher rate. If you are doing conventional loan, you can get rid of the MI later. If it is baked into the rate it is there for life of the loan.
#19: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND ALL THAT IS HOLY if you are building a home PLEASE understand that the builders preferred lender that they are going to give you $10K in free upgrades for using them is going to cost you much more money than the $10K they are 'giving' you. Here is how this scheme works. The free upgrades actually are going to cost them maybe $2K if that to do. In return for you using their preferred lender and getting absolutely bent over they are going to get a nice big fat check worth alot more money. The builder and the lender will laugh at you sitting in the model house counting your money you just forked over as they watch you move in.
#20: A realtors 'preferred lender' can be good or can be bad. There is no way to tell. Here is how it works in the industry. Retail lenders who tend to charge more have bigger budgets to spend on marketing. They will 'partner' with realtors and pay for the realtors marketing (also sponsor things like their meetings, or holiday party, or conferences or whatever else) and in return the realtor makes them their 'preferred lender' so the realtor will refer you to them when you are not already using a lender. Now, you can also have 'preferred lenders' that don't do that stuff and the realtor has found them to be a good lender. (side note here, in the average realtors eyes, a good realtor is one that closes deals and does it on time and not so much about rate and cost) For example, I am several realtors 'preferred lender' but do not spend money on them and it is really based on them knowing I can get more loans approved, close on time and give their clients great deals. Overall, NEVER get loan advice from a realtor unless they are the rare ones that are licensed for lending and actually know what they are talking about (that is significantly less than 1% of them)
#21: You don't need 20% down. Don't keep waiting to buy when you are spending money away on rent. Every month you pay someone else's mortgage (paying rent) is money you will never see a dime of again. As an owner you are building wealth. Think of it this way... landlords are landlords for a reason. They are not losing money and on top of it are gaining equity. For most Americans, their 'wealth' is almost exclusively in their homes. Not retirement accounts or stocks etc but built up equity from paying down principle and appreciation of their homes which is historically pretty consistently 5% over periods of time (including booms and crashes).
#22: You don't need perfect credit to get a mortgage. You can do a FHA loan with a minimum credit score of 580 with as little as 3.5% down of the purchase price.
#23: When picking a good realtor find out these things about them: A) Do they do this as a full time job or is it a side gig or something they do when they are bored etc. You want a full time realtor for the experience and focus. Trust me. The exception on this would be a semi-retired realtor but honestly, they are usually ones to pass on as well. You want someone who knows the market, is sharp on negotiation and has good contacts. B) How long have they been doing the job. Experience counts for sure. But I rather go with a rookie doing it full time than someone been doing it 10 years as a part time gig. C) What is their availability. You want someone that will be available on your time tables and not theirs. D) How many houses have they sold or closed on? It will give you an idea about how productive they are. But keep in mind, someone who isn't as productive might be hungrier and more flexible to you versus someone who is doing tons of volume.
#24: Always get an inspection done from a good inspector. Do not skimp here. A good inspector will give you very important info on the home even if there is nothing to be concerned over and potentially catch a very big problem. Keep in mind even the best inspectors will not be able to find out anything and everything wrong with a house. Find out of they do mold and radon testing or not and if it is extra if they do. I would go ahead and do it. Keep this in mind, this is usually the largest financial transaction of your life so far. Do you want to be penny wise and dollar foolish on it?
#25: If you are military or a vet. Run away from supposedly veterans lenders like Veterans United and New Day (and more but those are two big ones) THEY SUCK. Even good places like USDAA (who does insurance well), Navy Fed, may do a lot of good for vets in other areas but are not the best in mortgages.
#26: As I will get to soon... brokers are better. This is true for insurance too. I see insurance quotes often and I personally did my own shopping where I shopped 10 carriers plus one insurance broker. The broker easily won out. Plus, the big carriers suck if you end up with a claim. I have a whole personal story about Allstate sucking big hairy monkey balls. On top of it all an agent at a large carrier has NO sway on anything on a claim. A broker actually does (as counter intuitive as that seems) because they can tell the insurer that if they don't do something right that he will not send that insurance company any more business. The captive agent has no choice.
#27: If you are in a rural area, check out a USDA loan. You can finance up to 100% but keep in mind, you actually might end up better served doing a FHA loan depending on specifics.
#28: Brokers are better. They weren't always... they use to be a pack of scumbags and slimballs who would screw over their own mothers for an extra 20 spot. Before 2008 I had plenty of chances to be a broker and would not even though I would have made 3 or 4 times more than I was making because again the vast majority were nastier than moldy dog poo with worms in it. That being said, even back then you could get a better deal from a broker IF you knew what you were doing and could protect yourself. Otherwise, you could get screwed so badly that it would make going to Quicken seem like a good deal. In fact, I actually used a broker on both of my home purchases even though at both times my wife and I worked at banks. That is right, when bankers want to do their loans- you know who they come to? Brokers. Things have changed and really the consumer advocates are now brokers and the things they use to do before that would screw people over are things that can not be done now. Not only are you going to get a better deal at a broker the vast majority of the time but you are also not going to get screwed over. Plus they have options that banks, credit unions and direct lenders don't have to get you approved if you have a harder to finance situation like a business owner, bad credit, recent major credit event (foreclosure, bankruptcy, etc) etc. Also, brokers can close quicker than other lenders on average. How do you find a broker? Well, you can ask me, I know brokers throughout the country. I have no problem connecting you to one (and if you are wondering, by regulation and the risk of losing my license, I can not get paid for referring you to a broker... it is purely out of help you out) or if you want you can check out www.findamortgagebroker.com (if you don't want to talk to me and just get someone) oh... and if you are in Illinois (and a couple of other states), I can help you directly.
#29: You are not locked in to a lender with a pre-approval. Unscrupulous lenders who tend to overcharge will have a lot of nasty little tricks that they do to keep you stuck with them. Fear is one of the big ones backed with lies. That fear will be to tell you that you can not change lenders once you have an offer accepted from a pre-approval or you can lose your earnest money. FALSE! Or that you will end up not being able to close on time with another lender (a favorite of retail loan officers to say about brokers when broker turn around times are actually quicker than retail). Your Loan Estimate is provided to assist you as the consumer to not only better understand the true costs of the loan but to be able to shop your loan around or the best options for you and then be able to compare them as close to apples to apples as possible. Don't let liars overcharging you win!
Hope this helps guys. I am always willing to help out if you have any questions or want to connect with someone licensed for your state. Just DM me.
Mortgage Loans/HomeBuying:
#1: The difference between retail and wholesale. Retail is your banks, credit unions and direct lenders (some big direct lenders would be Quicken, Guaranteed Rate, Fairway, etc). Wholesale is your mortgage broker. I shouldn't have to tell you which is going to end up giving better rates and cost on average.
#2: The bigger the Bank the more they usually suck. UNLESS you are your typical FBG rolling in cash. If you are, then the big and regional banks that have wealth management departments will be very aggressive in offering jumbo loans. They basically use it as a loss leader. They will give you a great deal and then get you into their wealth management where they make all their money off of you. When it comes to mortgages, a jumbo is pretty much the only time you want to talk to a bank. Otherwise, avoid banks though sometimes your smaller banks will have a pretty good deal.
#3: If you see them advertising on TV, I promise you, they suck. Quicken spends ridiculous amounts of money on advertising. Why? Because the people who don't know better who have done loans with them before and almost always got bent over are paying for this marketing machine. Plus, they are pretty much the slimiest lender out there. Over and over and over again hearing clients tell me "they said X to me" and in reality it is "Y". They also typically will start off with what seems like a great rate and then charge 3 points in origination charges. DO NOT go to Quicken (aka Rocket Mortgage) or one of the slim ball VA lenders like Veterans United or New Day.
#4: I love credit unions. Huge fan of them. I belong to two of them. CU's are usually your best bet for checking, savings, car loans, personal loans, equity loans or lines, etc. However, one area that they are not usually your best bet is mortgages. The reason is mostly about scale. There are some large CU's but most are still relatively small. They do not do enough volume to be efficient and the large loan amounts take a big chunk of their reserves. Go ahead and check with your CU, they can offer some good deals, I have seen it and they will still tend to beat banks and direct lenders but not usually the best bet.
#5: Rate is not the end all be all of doing a loan. You have the rate which of course is important but there are also fees and origination charges. A typical game that is played is showing a great rate but then when you compare to another lender you see that you are really PAYING for that great rate. Often times as a broker, I am able to match the rate and give a credit versus the origination points they are charging. Be mindful of that.
#6: Use the Loan Estimate! Wherever you go, when you get the Loan Estimate, shop it to other lenders. You can just send it to the lender and let them come back with their offer or you can put more work in it and just shop and compare rates. What happens if you do? Worst case, you get the peace of mind that you are getting a good deal. Best case, you save yourself thousands of dollars!
#7: Your current lender is not going to make it easier than going to another lender. They will need to get all new docs or if it a streamline another lender can do a streamline as well.
#8: Unless you hate yourself and want to throw your phone away forever do not go to a website that 'shops' loans. First of all, they don't really. All they are doing is selling the leads to lenders. Second, you will get bombarded by phone calls and wish you never even heard of Lending Tree or whatever else.
#9: Always shop lenders. Mortgage brokers do the shopping for you accessing multiple lenders and getting wholesale pricing.
#10: Don't make assumptions about what you can or can not do with a refinance. Talk to someone who actually knows. They can go over your options after figuring out your situation and your goals. I have seen some bad thinking in here that is costing people significant money.
#11: The better your credit score the better your rate. You are going to top out around the 740-750 area. So, don't worry about getting an 800 credit score.
#12: If you have more debt other than the mortgage/equity loan or line then you might be better off refinancing all the debt into the home.
#13: DO NOT listen to Dave Ramsey when it comes to mortgages. He is a dolt when it comes to mortgages, gives horrible advice and then sends his followers to Churchill mortgage because he gets paid advertising from them. It disgusts me. People trust him and he sends them to a crappy retail lender because he gets a big check from them on top of giving really HORRIBLE advice that ends up costing people tons. Just ignore him when it comes to mortgage advice.
#14: If you are getting a mortgage, don't do anything stupid like deposit a bunch of cash into your account or buy a new car or change jobs. Anything to do with your job, credit and income can cause problems for the loan. Yes, I don't care if you are doing the same job for more money- I can't close your loan on time now. (real life situation, I was able to save the loan but this ding dong couldn't get through his head that most lenders would have killed the deal and it was all our fault somehow that we couldn't close on time).
#15: Realize that the vast majority of down payment assistance programs are pushed by lenders who do them and realtors who want you to buy a home with them as free money is NOT. Why do they pitch it like that? Well, why wouldn't you use a lender or realtor who is offering you free money?! This is the way that most of them work... they are set up to give money in a form of a forgivable loan or silent second or another such form. You must keep the loan for an extended period of time 5-7 years is most common. Once you do (meaning you can not sell or refinance that loan) then you are free! Here is the thing... that 3-3.5% of the purchase price that they gave you jacked up your rate. I have calculated the differences- not from different lenders but from lenders that I know using a program, the rate you would get with them without the DPA and the rate you get with it... and let's say you got $10K from them... that $10K ends up costing you $30-40K over the period that you did PLUS potentially an opportunity cost of refinancing as I have done for all my clients who listened to me last year and now that rates have dropped are realizing large savings. There are true grants out there (where there is no ties to the money) but most of these also have a higher rate. I have access to some of these programs but only have done one in the last few years and that was after being sure to explain everything in detail and the real cost to the client (side not, the plan was to refi them later which we plan on doing in a couple of months).
#16: If you are veteran, first responder, medical profession- the great sounding program (Homes for Heroes is the largest one) where you get money back isn't as great as it sounds. I promise you. The realtor part of it is actually a good deal for you but the lender side where they typically pay for your appraisal (around $400-600) is likely costing you a ton of money in the rate and cost of the loan. These are usually retail lenders who have lot's of extra cash (there is a reason why they have to charge higher rates and fees/origination) that pay into these programs, which are relatively expensive (for a lender about $1800 a year for Homes for Heroes just to be part of their program and that is it). You can still shop the lender. DO SO!
#17: First time home buyer programs are usually marketing schemes. There are some benefits offered if you are doing a conventional loan which anyone can have access to. Other things are usually the DPA programs (see #15) and should be avoided. Your third cousins best friend's dog's breeders brother who got $10K free money to buy a home is more times than not money that cost them.
#18: Most loans over 80% loan to value that doesn't have mortgage insurance is costing you in a higher rate. If you are doing conventional loan, you can get rid of the MI later. If it is baked into the rate it is there for life of the loan.
#19: FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND ALL THAT IS HOLY if you are building a home PLEASE understand that the builders preferred lender that they are going to give you $10K in free upgrades for using them is going to cost you much more money than the $10K they are 'giving' you. Here is how this scheme works. The free upgrades actually are going to cost them maybe $2K if that to do. In return for you using their preferred lender and getting absolutely bent over they are going to get a nice big fat check worth alot more money. The builder and the lender will laugh at you sitting in the model house counting your money you just forked over as they watch you move in.
#20: A realtors 'preferred lender' can be good or can be bad. There is no way to tell. Here is how it works in the industry. Retail lenders who tend to charge more have bigger budgets to spend on marketing. They will 'partner' with realtors and pay for the realtors marketing (also sponsor things like their meetings, or holiday party, or conferences or whatever else) and in return the realtor makes them their 'preferred lender' so the realtor will refer you to them when you are not already using a lender. Now, you can also have 'preferred lenders' that don't do that stuff and the realtor has found them to be a good lender. (side note here, in the average realtors eyes, a good realtor is one that closes deals and does it on time and not so much about rate and cost) For example, I am several realtors 'preferred lender' but do not spend money on them and it is really based on them knowing I can get more loans approved, close on time and give their clients great deals. Overall, NEVER get loan advice from a realtor unless they are the rare ones that are licensed for lending and actually know what they are talking about (that is significantly less than 1% of them)
#21: You don't need 20% down. Don't keep waiting to buy when you are spending money away on rent. Every month you pay someone else's mortgage (paying rent) is money you will never see a dime of again. As an owner you are building wealth. Think of it this way... landlords are landlords for a reason. They are not losing money and on top of it are gaining equity. For most Americans, their 'wealth' is almost exclusively in their homes. Not retirement accounts or stocks etc but built up equity from paying down principle and appreciation of their homes which is historically pretty consistently 5% over periods of time (including booms and crashes).
#22: You don't need perfect credit to get a mortgage. You can do a FHA loan with a minimum credit score of 580 with as little as 3.5% down of the purchase price.
#23: When picking a good realtor find out these things about them: A) Do they do this as a full time job or is it a side gig or something they do when they are bored etc. You want a full time realtor for the experience and focus. Trust me. The exception on this would be a semi-retired realtor but honestly, they are usually ones to pass on as well. You want someone who knows the market, is sharp on negotiation and has good contacts. B) How long have they been doing the job. Experience counts for sure. But I rather go with a rookie doing it full time than someone been doing it 10 years as a part time gig. C) What is their availability. You want someone that will be available on your time tables and not theirs. D) How many houses have they sold or closed on? It will give you an idea about how productive they are. But keep in mind, someone who isn't as productive might be hungrier and more flexible to you versus someone who is doing tons of volume.
#24: Always get an inspection done from a good inspector. Do not skimp here. A good inspector will give you very important info on the home even if there is nothing to be concerned over and potentially catch a very big problem. Keep in mind even the best inspectors will not be able to find out anything and everything wrong with a house. Find out of they do mold and radon testing or not and if it is extra if they do. I would go ahead and do it. Keep this in mind, this is usually the largest financial transaction of your life so far. Do you want to be penny wise and dollar foolish on it?
#25: If you are military or a vet. Run away from supposedly veterans lenders like Veterans United and New Day (and more but those are two big ones) THEY SUCK. Even good places like USDAA (who does insurance well), Navy Fed, may do a lot of good for vets in other areas but are not the best in mortgages.
#26: As I will get to soon... brokers are better. This is true for insurance too. I see insurance quotes often and I personally did my own shopping where I shopped 10 carriers plus one insurance broker. The broker easily won out. Plus, the big carriers suck if you end up with a claim. I have a whole personal story about Allstate sucking big hairy monkey balls. On top of it all an agent at a large carrier has NO sway on anything on a claim. A broker actually does (as counter intuitive as that seems) because they can tell the insurer that if they don't do something right that he will not send that insurance company any more business. The captive agent has no choice.
#27: If you are in a rural area, check out a USDA loan. You can finance up to 100% but keep in mind, you actually might end up better served doing a FHA loan depending on specifics.
#28: Brokers are better. They weren't always... they use to be a pack of scumbags and slimballs who would screw over their own mothers for an extra 20 spot. Before 2008 I had plenty of chances to be a broker and would not even though I would have made 3 or 4 times more than I was making because again the vast majority were nastier than moldy dog poo with worms in it. That being said, even back then you could get a better deal from a broker IF you knew what you were doing and could protect yourself. Otherwise, you could get screwed so badly that it would make going to Quicken seem like a good deal. In fact, I actually used a broker on both of my home purchases even though at both times my wife and I worked at banks. That is right, when bankers want to do their loans- you know who they come to? Brokers. Things have changed and really the consumer advocates are now brokers and the things they use to do before that would screw people over are things that can not be done now. Not only are you going to get a better deal at a broker the vast majority of the time but you are also not going to get screwed over. Plus they have options that banks, credit unions and direct lenders don't have to get you approved if you have a harder to finance situation like a business owner, bad credit, recent major credit event (foreclosure, bankruptcy, etc) etc. Also, brokers can close quicker than other lenders on average. How do you find a broker? Well, you can ask me, I know brokers throughout the country. I have no problem connecting you to one (and if you are wondering, by regulation and the risk of losing my license, I can not get paid for referring you to a broker... it is purely out of help you out) or if you want you can check out www.findamortgagebroker.com (if you don't want to talk to me and just get someone) oh... and if you are in Illinois (and a couple of other states), I can help you directly.
#29: You are not locked in to a lender with a pre-approval. Unscrupulous lenders who tend to overcharge will have a lot of nasty little tricks that they do to keep you stuck with them. Fear is one of the big ones backed with lies. That fear will be to tell you that you can not change lenders once you have an offer accepted from a pre-approval or you can lose your earnest money. FALSE! Or that you will end up not being able to close on time with another lender (a favorite of retail loan officers to say about brokers when broker turn around times are actually quicker than retail). Your Loan Estimate is provided to assist you as the consumer to not only better understand the true costs of the loan but to be able to shop your loan around or the best options for you and then be able to compare them as close to apples to apples as possible. Don't let liars overcharging you win!
Hope this helps guys. I am always willing to help out if you have any questions or want to connect with someone licensed for your state. Just DM me.
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Chadstroma
Footballguy
HVAC is crazy...
We had original (house built in 1986). The original homeowner (we are the second owners) did a good job on maintenance and the furnace and AC lived well past their life expectancy. The AC went out and it was fixable but at that point it would have been moronic to put any money into the AC. Also, I guess the freon or whatever was being outlawed or something crazy like that. Anyways... time to get a new AC and might as well do the furnace too.
So, like a good little consumer, I started contacting to get quotes. I got two companies to come in which were bigger companies and a former client of mine that has a small one man and help kind of HVAC business. Not unsurprisingly, the quotes from the two big companies were ridiculously high. Starting like $17K area and then how they could get me a better deal because sales talk, sales talk, sales talk... but around $12-15K was the amount expected and we were not talking about top of the line equipment. Not crap but not the best of the best stuff and no extra stuff either. My past client (who said how he would get me such a great deal because of how I took care of him as my client) was not much better.
I didn't expect that much and kind of put things on hold to figure out what to do. THANKFULLY, I happened to see one of my neighbors who happens to be a realtor and whined and moaned about it to her. She said she had a guy and would connect me to him. To be honest, I kind of expected to be something similar. Well... he comes in, does his inspection and then we talk equipment.... brand and efficiency level and what to spend the money on and not.... then gives me like a $5K and change number, this with a good brand (I forgot the original brand) with a very high level of efficiency furnace (not top but up there) and a well above average efficiency AC (based on his recommendations of investing more money in getting the better furnace vs AC) and connect it to a Nest that I would buy. They did their job and a great one. I ended up giving him another $150 just because when they did the Nest, they had a horrible time getting the wiring because of how it was originally done so I felt super bad. Super nice guy who basically was on the verge of retiring.
It was crazy to me how much more I was getting quoted on inferior brands and efficiency equipment from other places. I was a little worried about the whole "pay for what you get" type of stuff but since my neighbor had worked with him on several properties and raved about him continued with it and I am very thankful I did because he did a great job.
We had original (house built in 1986). The original homeowner (we are the second owners) did a good job on maintenance and the furnace and AC lived well past their life expectancy. The AC went out and it was fixable but at that point it would have been moronic to put any money into the AC. Also, I guess the freon or whatever was being outlawed or something crazy like that. Anyways... time to get a new AC and might as well do the furnace too.
So, like a good little consumer, I started contacting to get quotes. I got two companies to come in which were bigger companies and a former client of mine that has a small one man and help kind of HVAC business. Not unsurprisingly, the quotes from the two big companies were ridiculously high. Starting like $17K area and then how they could get me a better deal because sales talk, sales talk, sales talk... but around $12-15K was the amount expected and we were not talking about top of the line equipment. Not crap but not the best of the best stuff and no extra stuff either. My past client (who said how he would get me such a great deal because of how I took care of him as my client) was not much better.
I didn't expect that much and kind of put things on hold to figure out what to do. THANKFULLY, I happened to see one of my neighbors who happens to be a realtor and whined and moaned about it to her. She said she had a guy and would connect me to him. To be honest, I kind of expected to be something similar. Well... he comes in, does his inspection and then we talk equipment.... brand and efficiency level and what to spend the money on and not.... then gives me like a $5K and change number, this with a good brand (I forgot the original brand) with a very high level of efficiency furnace (not top but up there) and a well above average efficiency AC (based on his recommendations of investing more money in getting the better furnace vs AC) and connect it to a Nest that I would buy. They did their job and a great one. I ended up giving him another $150 just because when they did the Nest, they had a horrible time getting the wiring because of how it was originally done so I felt super bad. Super nice guy who basically was on the verge of retiring.
It was crazy to me how much more I was getting quoted on inferior brands and efficiency equipment from other places. I was a little worried about the whole "pay for what you get" type of stuff but since my neighbor had worked with him on several properties and raved about him continued with it and I am very thankful I did because he did a great job.
OK, opened it back up and checked everything I could see. I don't see any obvious issues with the wiring or contact points. I am not an electrician or anything close to it, however, so it would need to be pretty obvious for me to spot an issue. I took some pics and uploaded, in case someone else can spot something. https://imgur.com/a/LG2cm8M
ChiefD
Footballguy
They looked OK to me while I had it open, but I imagine they'd be easy enough to replace, just in case? I suspect if I can disconnect them and take them to the hardware store in town, the guys there could find replacements.
ChiefD
Footballguy
I honestly would not go that deep into it. I would call a pro at this point. You are getting into the territory of diminishing returns, where you keep throwing money at it without really knowing the diagnosis.
STEADYMOBBIN 22
Footballguy
Do you hear a small pop when the exterior A/C unit turns on?
It could be the fan motor. Pretty easy to replace. Will cost you about $100 for a generic replacement.
As @ChiefD said - not being able to diagnose the problem yourself will just have you buying and replacing parts. (That’s what I do but I enjoy figuring things out and fixing things myself)
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Steeler
Footballguy
@ChiefD
I have to get a new AC unit (old system with R22, wish I saw your earlier posts about getting a new system already). Anyway is a RUN-TRU essentially the same as a Trane? I got a quote from the same company and I can get:
15 seer TRANE for a million dollars
or a 16 seer RUN-TRU for 1150 less than the TRANE
or a 14 seer RUN-TRU for 2200 less than the TRANE
Any recommendations on these options?
I have to get a new AC unit (old system with R22, wish I saw your earlier posts about getting a new system already). Anyway is a RUN-TRU essentially the same as a Trane? I got a quote from the same company and I can get:
15 seer TRANE for a million dollars
or a 16 seer RUN-TRU for 1150 less than the TRANE
or a 14 seer RUN-TRU for 2200 less than the TRANE
Any recommendations on these options?
ChiefD
Footballguy
I'll be honest - I have never heard of Run-TRU until you posted this today. It must be a newer line from TRANE.@ChiefD
I have to get a new AC unit (old system with R22, wish I saw your earlier posts about getting a new system already). Anyway is a RUN-TRU essentially the same as a Trane? I got a quote from the same company and I can get:
15 seer TRANE for a million dollars
or a 16 seer RUN-TRU for 1150 less than the TRANE
or a 14 seer RUN-TRU for 2200 less than the TRANE
Any recommendations on these options?
In general, Trane makes pretty good equipment. We are not a Trane dealer so I can't really speak to specifics about their equipment, other than I know are a reliable system. I would assume the Run-TRU would still be decently made. It looks like they are even marketing it as a cheaper version of Trane in terms of cost. Which to me seems odd, but that's their strategy.
As far as the cost difference, obviously that's A LOT. Which would actually scare me a little bit. Like, why is that cost disparity so much going from a Trane manufactured product to an actual Trane branded product. I would ask your salesperson what the difference is in components.
When it comes to which SEER rating to go with, it really depends on how much you use your AC. What part of the country are you in?
Steeler
Footballguy
I'll be honest - I have never heard of Run-TRU until you posted this today. It must be a newer line from TRANE.@ChiefD
I have to get a new AC unit (old system with R22, wish I saw your earlier posts about getting a new system already). Anyway is a RUN-TRU essentially the same as a Trane? I got a quote from the same company and I can get:
15 seer TRANE for a million dollars
or a 16 seer RUN-TRU for 1150 less than the TRANE
or a 14 seer RUN-TRU for 2200 less than the TRANE
Any recommendations on these options?
In general, Trane makes pretty good equipment. We are not a Trane dealer so I can't really speak to specifics about their equipment, other than I know are a reliable system. I would assume the Run-TRU would still be decently made. It looks like they are even marketing it as a cheaper version of Trane in terms of cost. Which to me seems odd, but that's their strategy.
As far as the cost difference, obviously that's A LOT. Which would actually scare me a little bit. Like, why is that cost disparity so much going from a Trane manufactured product to an actual Trane branded product. I would ask your salesperson what the difference is in components.
When it comes to which SEER rating to go with, it really depends on how much you use your AC. What part of the country are you in?
Thanks, I live in FL so we obviously run it a lot.
ChiefD
Footballguy
In that case I'd probably go with the 16 seer.I'll be honest - I have never heard of Run-TRU until you posted this today. It must be a newer line from TRANE.@ChiefD
I have to get a new AC unit (old system with R22, wish I saw your earlier posts about getting a new system already). Anyway is a RUN-TRU essentially the same as a Trane? I got a quote from the same company and I can get:
15 seer TRANE for a million dollars
or a 16 seer RUN-TRU for 1150 less than the TRANE
or a 14 seer RUN-TRU for 2200 less than the TRANE
Any recommendations on these options?
In general, Trane makes pretty good equipment. We are not a Trane dealer so I can't really speak to specifics about their equipment, other than I know are a reliable system. I would assume the Run-TRU would still be decently made. It looks like they are even marketing it as a cheaper version of Trane in terms of cost. Which to me seems odd, but that's their strategy.
As far as the cost difference, obviously that's A LOT. Which would actually scare me a little bit. Like, why is that cost disparity so much going from a Trane manufactured product to an actual Trane branded product. I would ask your salesperson what the difference is in components.
When it comes to which SEER rating to go with, it really depends on how much you use your AC. What part of the country are you in?
Thanks, I live in FL so we obviously run it a lot.
I would also get a second bid if you can. If you want to PM me your bids I would be happy look them over and see if you are getting a decent deal.
krista4
Footballguy
I should have thanked you months ago for this great thread. Thank you!
Now I'm here with a question, too. Do you still feel like Lennox should be avoided at this time? I moved recently (of course) and am in the market for a new furnace (this one is 25 years old) and to install central air. When I got AC at my last place (two years ago), I used a company that installed a Trane, which has been good, and I'll get a quote from them again. But I'd like to shop around on installers a tiny bit, and one of the companies that has been recommended to me uses Lennox products. Not sure if I should just take that company off my list.
ChiefD
Footballguy
I would probably still avoid Lennox for now. We are still having a handful of coil issues with them. Not as bad as last year and the year before, but it seems they are working the kinks out. The problem is we won't know for another year or two after they have been out in the market.
BUT, if you can get a ten year parts AND labor warranty company from the installing company, you should be fine. That way you are covered if you decide to go that route. But I would for sure not buy a Lennox unless I had the labor warranty to go with it.
On a side note: if you are thinking about doing this we were just informed by our Carrier dealer that prices are going to go up 13-14% after January 1. I can almost guarantee you that all the manufacturers will be raising prices to that degree. So if you can I would lock your price in NOW, especially if you plan on doing this in 2023.
krista4
Footballguy
Ugh re the price increase! Thanks for the info.
One more brand question: I assume you must not like Daikin since you didn't mention it, but one of the most highly recommended companies I've been given uses those products, so thought I'd ask.
ChiefD
Footballguy
Daikin is a Japanese company that has been making equipment for years but in the last 10 years or so have started making inroads within the US. There are only a couple of companies who install them here in KC, so we don't run across them that often. So I can't tell you one way or another if they are good or bad.
They recently bought out Goodman a few years ago, presumably because Goodman has a ton of footprint in the states for distribution. So one thing I can say is that if I still need Goodman parts I haven't seen any drop off in availability for replacement parts. So I would assume they would have parts available should something break.
That's my biggest thing: make sure replacement parts are readily available if something does break down. That's why I like the bigger names: Carrier, Trane, Lennox. They almost always have parts in stock.
Chadstroma
Footballguy
We ended up with a Ruud. We originally were going with another system... I want to say Rheem.... but not sure. However, this is not long after the full COVID shut down and everything was taking forever. The original system we were going with was going to take 3 months which we didn't have time to wait for. The Ruud was a week. My HVAC guy who I totally trust as he did a very good job and didn't charge me a ton extra to get rich off me like the other quotes.... said that Ruud was the same company and basically the same system. I said "so, it is kind of like getting a Chevy or a GMC- 90%+ is the same everything with most of the changes being cosmetic and the name" and he said that was a good analogy. With us being in the Chicago area, he said to spend your money on getting a better furnace with the efficiency ratings etc than the money going into the AC. I think we have the same, a two stage 95% efficiency furnace and then a one speed 16 seer AC.
I got a Nest and he hooked it up for us. It took him forever because they had a super hard time with the wiring because whoever did it before basically screwed it up. I felt bad and gave him an extra $100. The Nest is good and fine except that I got locked out somehow and haven't spent the time to figure out how to get back in.... so I just use it manually and it does it's own 'learning' and economy thing.
It has only been about two years but our Ruud has been great.
Bought a new house earlier this year. Big cold snap blew in this last week and our house would not warm up. Furnace would run and run but the house would only get into the mid-60’s, in the mornings it would be 62. Called an HVAC person I trusted and found out the furnace was overheating, triggering a sensor that cut the flames and then it would blow no hot air for a few minutes and then go back into this same cycle.
The culprit? Massively dirty air filter. When we moved, my dumbass completely forgot to start changing the filter on a regular basis.
You hear the advice and most people don’t think about it, but it’s totally true. Change the darn filter regularly!
The culprit? Massively dirty air filter. When we moved, my dumbass completely forgot to start changing the filter on a regular basis.
You hear the advice and most people don’t think about it, but it’s totally true. Change the darn filter regularly!
ChiefD
Footballguy
They are fine. The nice thing about Goodman is that they carry a lot of replacement parts, so you can usually get a replacement part the same day if you need a repair. We don't work on a ton of them but the customers who have them it seems we go to their houses every couple of years for a repair.
But like anything, if the filters are changed on a regular basis and the AC coils are washed out yearly they will last longer with fewer repairs.
beer 30
Footballguy
Relevant, our AC/Furnace upstairs went out last week. Live in SC so this time of year not a big deal but good to find out now rather than June. Had to replace the downstairs unit earlier this year when it went out so all together about a $13k investment in HVAC this year. Needed to be done, both were original Trane units with the house which was built in 1997. Downstairs unit was installed right before it started to get hot this year, incredible difference in how cool the house was this year so happy with the investment. Both units are Daikin, never heard of them prior but got decent reviews from my HVAC people.
Oddly enough, I purchase all the HVAC equipment for a large national rental company. Was wierd having to buy something for myself and not being able to negotiate something out of the deal.
Oddly enough, I purchase all the HVAC equipment for a large national rental company. Was wierd having to buy something for myself and not being able to negotiate something out of the deal.
Chadstroma
Footballguy
Our condo that we had before our current house... we had it for 5 years. The place the unit was was very odd and I didn't even realize it was there where it was hidden in a closet behind the hot water heater. I just assumed that it was all done through a central unit or something that we didn't have access to (I don't claim to be smart when it comes to this kind of stuff). It was a good 3 years of being there before I found it and realized that I had not changed the filter. It was so hard to get it out there because it had basically imploded with a big dent because of all the crud built up and the air pushing up against it. I am sure that took a good 5 years off the life of that unit.Bought a new house earlier this year. Big cold snap blew in this last week and our house would not warm up. Furnace would run and run but the house would only get into the mid-60’s, in the mornings it would be 62. Called an HVAC person I trusted and found out the furnace was overheating, triggering a sensor that cut the flames and then it would blow no hot air for a few minutes and then go back into this same cycle.
The culprit? Massively dirty air filter. When we moved, my dumbass completely forgot to start changing the filter on a regular basis.
Chadstroma
Footballguy
Any good "how to" on properly washing the coils
Let your dog piss on them.
krista4
Footballguy
@ChiefD , like many here, I have a favor to ask! If you're too busy to comment, I understand. Appreciate any thoughts you have if you have time.
Need a new furnace and also want to install central air. House is not big (approx. 2000 sq ft, two levels) and in a temperate climate. Rarely goes below freezing here or above 80, though the latter has been becoming much more frequent the past few years.
Based on your advice, I was looking to get a Trane or Carrier brand, and I contacted the company that had installed AC at my last place and uses Trane products. They spent a lot of time with me explaining options and I felt great about them. They said they'd get me estimates by the next day and then...poof, ghosted me. I've reached out (nicely) via email and phone over the course of two weeks, but not a peep. So I got in touch with a company that my electrician had recommended. Excellent reviews across the board, locally owned, feel very good about them, but they use the Daikin products that I asked you about before. I know you don't have experience with these, but I wondered if you could take a look at the below and see if everything seems to fit what you'd expect to see. (We specifically wanted 80% efficiency based on a bunch of discussions with the prior company.)
In terms of price, just wanted to mention we are in one of the most expensive areas of the company for everything, in particular labor. The amount listed below doesn't include some electrical and permitting, but I'm dealing with those separately. Thanks!
install:3 ton Daikin Fit
DAIKIN FURNACE CHANGE OUT ADD AC
Remove and recycle existing equipment
following all local and EPA codes
Install new DAIKIN variable speed 2 stage 80%
80 k btu down flow NG furnace B cabinet
Install new line set sized to manufacture
specifications
Level and set composite pad and risers
Install DAIKIN variable speed side discharge
inverter AC
Secure heatpump to pad
Modify and seal duct transitions to retro fit new
AH
Install Daikin One Wi-Fi T-stat
Braze all connection with silfos while purging
nitrogen
Pressure test with nitrogen @350psi
Vacuum system @500 microns per ASHRAE
standards
Charge system with sub cool method
Install lock caps
Install NEW condensate pump
Duct clean and sanitize accessible ducts
Warranty includes:
Life time craftsmanship warranty for work
performed by us
2 year no lemon warranty
12 year unit replacement
12 year all parts
12 year labor warranty
2 year maintenance
19,800.00
Need a new furnace and also want to install central air. House is not big (approx. 2000 sq ft, two levels) and in a temperate climate. Rarely goes below freezing here or above 80, though the latter has been becoming much more frequent the past few years.
Based on your advice, I was looking to get a Trane or Carrier brand, and I contacted the company that had installed AC at my last place and uses Trane products. They spent a lot of time with me explaining options and I felt great about them. They said they'd get me estimates by the next day and then...poof, ghosted me. I've reached out (nicely) via email and phone over the course of two weeks, but not a peep. So I got in touch with a company that my electrician had recommended. Excellent reviews across the board, locally owned, feel very good about them, but they use the Daikin products that I asked you about before. I know you don't have experience with these, but I wondered if you could take a look at the below and see if everything seems to fit what you'd expect to see. (We specifically wanted 80% efficiency based on a bunch of discussions with the prior company.)
In terms of price, just wanted to mention we are in one of the most expensive areas of the company for everything, in particular labor. The amount listed below doesn't include some electrical and permitting, but I'm dealing with those separately. Thanks!
install:3 ton Daikin Fit
DAIKIN FURNACE CHANGE OUT ADD AC
Remove and recycle existing equipment
following all local and EPA codes
Install new DAIKIN variable speed 2 stage 80%
80 k btu down flow NG furnace B cabinet
Install new line set sized to manufacture
specifications
Level and set composite pad and risers
Install DAIKIN variable speed side discharge
inverter AC
Secure heatpump to pad
Modify and seal duct transitions to retro fit new
AH
Install Daikin One Wi-Fi T-stat
Braze all connection with silfos while purging
nitrogen
Pressure test with nitrogen @350psi
Vacuum system @500 microns per ASHRAE
standards
Charge system with sub cool method
Install lock caps
Install NEW condensate pump
Duct clean and sanitize accessible ducts
Warranty includes:
Life time craftsmanship warranty for work
performed by us
2 year no lemon warranty
12 year unit replacement
12 year all parts
12 year labor warranty
2 year maintenance
19,800.00
massraider
Footballguy
Amazing the number of people who don't get this.
Anywhere customer service people get abused, if you come in and are cooperative, you will get hooked up. The more people get abused, the more they will hook you up for being a sweetheart.
I learned this at the dentist office.
krista4
Footballguy
17
ChiefD
Footballguy
Ok, thanks.
Are they putting in a heat pump or AC? The list mentions both, so just want to clarify because that can impact the cost.
krista4
Footballguy
Oh yeah, I meant to mention that. He was using a prefilled form where they have heat pump in there and meant to change it to AC.
ChiefD
Footballguy
That price is high. Like way high in my opinion. If we were to do that job here in KC with similar Carrier equipment you are probably looking at $11,000.
Now, take into account actual labor costs and such for your area.....ok....let's call it $15,000 for that job. So to me that cost would be somewhat reasonable.
But I'm basing our costs on what our install labor rate is for two guys for a full day + I added an extra 8 hours just for misc costing.
Now....we don't see much Daikan here. But from what I understand it's pretty good equipment.
I'd get another bid for sure.
Now, take into account actual labor costs and such for your area.....ok....let's call it $15,000 for that job. So to me that cost would be somewhat reasonable.
But I'm basing our costs on what our install labor rate is for two guys for a full day + I added an extra 8 hours just for misc costing.
Now....we don't see much Daikan here. But from what I understand it's pretty good equipment.
I'd get another bid for sure.
krista4
Footballguy
Bummer. :( Thank you so much for taking a look!
ChiefD
Footballguy
The only thing I would add is if they are doing a ton of ductwork. I saw where they were doing some ductwork - probably around the furnace to accommodate the new evaporator coil and such. But if they are adding supply runs and cutting in new air returns and such that could make the cost get close to your number.
krista4
Footballguy
Yeah, none of that is being done.
I just called the first place yet again and got through to someone. They said they'll have me the quotes by 2 pm. (We'll see.) But they were recommending to go with a 13 SEER, which will make a big difference. Any thoughts on SEER rating for a small-ish house in a usually temperate climate? Thank you again SO much!
ChiefD
Footballguy
Yeah, I would agree with that. I would put the minimum required by law in a climate like yours. That would save you a little money. Not as much as you would think - probably $500ish. For Carrier it would be about that much of a difference.
krista4
Footballguy
Great info as always, thanks. I did assume it would be a bigger difference than that. Now I'm on pins and needles to see what the other guys say!
