Ok - so I have two quotes.
First is from a local company that is highly regarded. Have a 2 man crew that do all their installs.
Quote will replace AC unit with Trane XR13 3 ton $3,741 or XR14 heat pump for $4,600. Both include replacing inside coil. Detail from them below.
Based on his load calculation he said we could use a 2.5ton (have a 3 ton now), but a 3 ton would also be fine. House is 2600 sq ft above grade and 800 sq ft basement.
Your installation includes:
Outside: Remove old unit, pad, disconnect & electrical whip. Install new outside unit, equipment pad, snow legs, electrical whip & disconnect, exterior lineset insulation, and new copper lineset.
Inside: Remove old unit, coil, filter box, & base. Install new inside all aluminum coil, steel base, steel plenum connections, 5” EZ change filter box & filter, sealed plenum connections,
modifications as required for gas, exhaust, electrical, drain & ductwork, & 1-year maintenance plan with 24/7 support.
10 year warranty on parts. Can add humidifier for $425
Second is a very small company that a friend of a friend owns. Much less formal quote.
He will replace outside unit and inside coil with a 3 ton Tempstar for $2,800. 10 year on parts and 3 on labor.
Thoughts?
I wasnt considering a heat pump, but he said based on our gas and electric costs we would save roughly $500/year with the heat pump.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Seriously, Bleeding Blue says it was at 18# static. That tells me it's a good sized leak since he also says it's run for the last 3 years without needing to add refrigerant (assuming someone actually checked operating pressures each year). A minor leak will usually only need a little squirt every year or so.