Guestimate on AC install cost

[scoutkid]

Hi! Not a garage, but a small house (smaller than my shop, lol!)

I have a 1964 rancher, about 860 sq ft on the main floor, with a finished basement that stays cool all by itself. The main floor feels like I am on the surface of the sun, however and I'm looking to get central air put in.

I have a guy coming to do a quote this week, just want to see how close you guys are

I have a furnace and baseboard (well, lower wall) heating already, and there should be enough room on top of the furnace for the AC unit. I won't need any duct work.

Ready - GUESS!

 

[paullie]

$4500

 

[truckman5000]

3,300-5 will depend on whats up and were you are located.

Or do 2 ductless ac, one for the 1st floor, and on with a heat pump for the basment. At 4,600 installed you get around a 1800 rebate and the system will cost 1/3 to run. Compared to adding to existing.

Now would be the time to change the furnace out if its old if your doing the central a/c..the problem is alot of them arnt insulated ducting and not realy sized good. but will work

 

[HVAC Phil]

If the duct work is able to carry the additional airflow that a/c requires, i would charge 3500.00. If the furnace is more than 10yrs old, it would be much more cost efficient to put in a new furnace at the same time. I would charge 4800-5700 depending on furnace choice with a/c.

 

[klhitman]

3350 my guess

 

[89GLH]

I did a few with the mechanic I was hooked up with, and most were in the 3500-4500 range, depending on the size.

 

[brewchief]

Will your electric service be adequate? Furnace A/C ready? Floor drain? How efficient of a unit are you looking for? Permits required?

All of these can affect the price, here in MI where I'm at you'd be around 3K or a little under unless there is something that will add a lot of time to the job.

 

[scoutkid]

Well, as is the story of my life - nothing about this was cheap or easy, lol.

First thing was a lack of additional 220V breaker space in my box - a rough quote of $2000 just for rewire put my hopes nearly out.

Move to the furnace - 22 years old and ready to call it quits with a bad heat exchanger - the guy, rightly so, wouldn't even quote me to put AC on that old furnace.

Soo..... new furnace + new AC + wiring = ~$8,200.00

Thats when my mind got creative: "Say, if i were to put in a gas stove, could we use the existing stove 220V?"

Him: "Absolutely!!"

So, my plan is to craigslist a Gas GE Profile SS range for cheap (to match other appliances) and have him run a short gas line to it (quoted $150), to save major $$ on the electrical work.

Then for a Trane XR80 80,000 BTU furnace and Trane XR12 2 Ton AC unit, total would be around $6k.

Seems reasonable!

Thoughts?

 

[HVAC Phil]

Wow that is expensive for a base model cheap furnace. Wish i could get that money out of people. Usually for base furnace and tiny a/c, all i can usually get is around 4k. Two of those jobs a month at 6k and i'd be set!

 

[35mastr]

WOW,Lots of you guys are pretty pricey. I put in a 3 ton at my place turn key for 1800.00.

 

[kc-steve]

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like there are a lot of unasked and/or unanswered questions here.

I'm no electrician or HVAC guy but the first thing that comes to mind for a small ranch style house is, what is the current electrical service for the place? I'm thinking the electrical service is very likely inadequate at around 60 amp or upwards of 100 amp service.

That alone can be a major consideration, and make this a high-dollar installation.

Steve

 

[Roddy73]

Thoughts?

Get some more quotes, I'd go for whoever gives you a variable speed fan for the best deal. Go to trane.com and look where that model ranks, he might upgrade you if you haggle.

 

[brewchief]

In our area you can get a separate meter just for an A/C unit, you get a reduction in rate in exchange to them being able to shut your A/C off for up to 10 minutes per hour. Check with local power company to see if they offer this.

 

[rickairmedic]

I agree with Phill here thats not alot of HVAC for $6000.00 . I dont install anything but 95% furnaces today ( unless there is no other option than an 80%) and have been quoting 2&1/2 ton heatpumps with 70,000 btu 95% furnaces between $4500.00 and $5500.00 and not getting them due to cheap goofs underbidding me .


Rick

 

[HVAC Phil]

WOW,Lots of you guys are pretty pricey. I put in a 3 ton at my place turn key for 1800.00.

We are talking what an actual business charges to install systems with actual factory backed warrantees, not a DIY install with internet equiptment.

 

[Mike007]

Wow. 80,000 btu's for 860 sf?

Yeah, really. I bet the AC is at least a 1/2 ton over too. I have put an 80K BTU furnace in a 3800 sq ft home. We get weather in the single digits a few times a year too.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

$6k is way too much for that and 80,000 is way to big.
I don't want to get anybodies ******* in a knot but I doubt that the wholesale price of that furnace is more than $800, I'm not familiar with trane but I just replaced my bryant this year with a 95% 100,000 comfortmaker and i think I the wholesale price was $893.

get some more prices

 

[Mike007]

Especially if the person doing the work sized the equipment by "what is there now".

This is a huge problem in HVAC. Some guys just don't understand that just because there was a 100K BTU there to begin with doesn't mean a new 100K BTU unit will work. The older furnaces had a big heavy inefficient heat exchanger that could take a lot of heat and operate with extremely hot discharge air temps. So they were able to move more BTU's with less airflow. You install a modern furnace of the same size and it will run hot, cycle on high limit, and burn out prematurely. And there is no fix other then to install a properly sized furnace. I run across this constantly. It's such a waste.

 

[Mike662]

Scout, just a thought here...have you considered a swamp cooler?

They have their downsides (added moisture inside, don't work as well when the humidity increases, etc), but ours seems to work pretty well. I'm right down the road from you in Morrison, and our swamp cooler keeps our 1800 sq ft house comfortable. Didn't work too well yesterday with the rain, but as long as the humidity stays fairly low, they work great. Plus, they are much cheaper to run than an AC, and you can more than likely do the install yourself.

Just throwing out a cheaper alternative, if money is a concern.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

see I told ya, someone would get there ******* in a not. you guys are way to sensitive about this stuff........he's not doing it himself he's just looking for some guidance
I think wholesale prices do mean something it adds perspective to the total cost.
and the op should get more prices at least 3 because on a 6k job i'd bet the prices could range as much as 2-3k from top to bottom.

 

[HVAC Phil]

Why did someone delete Danski's post. It was informative, is that the problem? Too many facts that don't help the hacks out there? There is a difference between doing it and doing it correctly. That's why the company the OP first chose is going waaaay oversized on the equiptment. Must have that old school mentality, "bigger is better".