Cost to reconfigure HVAC system

[scutty83]

I have an odd question. Before I get a professional to come give me a quote, I would like to get some advice from someone who know a little something about HVAC systems and what they think would be a reasonable quote to do what I would like.
I bought this walkout basement house which was built in 2006 and am in the process of finishing the basement. For some reason, they mounted the (electric) furnace on it's side in the crawl space area under the master bedroom which is not part of the basement and ran the duct work exiting the furnace through the opening that was intended for the return duct work.
My question is what would be a reasonable price for relocating the unit upright in the basement including building the new duct work.
Also, our heat pump sits just outside our bedroom window and would like to relocate behind the house. By the way, I plan on installing a 100A subpanel in basement which would be a much shorter run than the 200A panel in the garage. Would it be better to make the electrical runs to the sub? Thanks
Cannot get pics to download, says download file failed

 

[CNGsaves]

Try the "Manage Attachments" again by Editing the post. Likely your pics are too big as there is file size limit.

If needed, you can open up the picture in Paint, and save as JPG with minimum size which generally gets under file size limit of GJ.

You'll get best replies if you provide pics.

 

[philjafo]

Even with pictures there are way too many variables to give a price that's anywhere close to what you will get for a price quote. The best I could do is anywhere from $1 to $100,000. Get a couple quotes ignore the price and go with the company that's going to give you the best quality. Even the cheapest hack is going to ask for a lot of money to do what your asking for so you might as well get it done right and not have to do it twice.

 

[danski0224]

My question is what would be a reasonable price for relocating the unit upright in the basement including building the new duct work.

You will not get an answer to this even from local contrctors unless (1) you provide a scope of work and specs or (2) the contractors do.

It is doubtful that any armchair HVAC "experts" on this site could provide a meaningful estimate, even with pictures.

Additionally, your definition of a "reasonable price" may not mesh with reality.

Even if you get a few to a hundred estimates for the job, comparing "prices only" is meaningless without knowing what kind of work is being performed as part of the job.

Providing a list of work being performed should be expected for a major system renovation, which is not the same as a "parts and labor breakdown".

Installed HVAC is a system, and each system is unique. There is no "one size fits all" if the job is done properly.

 

[Falcon67]

You're also assuming that the furnace mounting can be changed. Not all side drafts can convert to an updraft.

 

[55bigblockcid]

I won`t even give an estimate without going on site to see what needs done.Even with pictures you can`t get an accurate perspective of the work needing done.There are to many variables to know what a fair price would be.Every job is different.Call several contractors and get quotes,they don`t charge to come look and quote.

 

[pseudorealityx]

Random thoughts...

1) Relocating the existing heat pump is basically the same, if not worse, than installing a new heat pump, as far as labor is concerned.

2) If the supply duct work is coming out of the 'return' opening... where's the return duct work running??

3) There's potential issues with relocating the unit from a horizontal mounting to a vertical mounting. Typically having to deal with how the fan is mounted, and how condensate is handled. That said, a fair number of units these days are mutli-poise, which can be mounted any number of ways with some minor modifications.

 

[scutty83]

Today I got my first estimate. The guy was fairly certain the unit could be reconfigured to sit upright but may need parts to do so. He quoted $1500-2000 to do it all or 600-800 if I removed it from the crawl space so would be ready to start building the new ductwork. Of course he would come out and recover my refrigerant as well. Seemed fairly reasonable. After all I'm sure a large part of the labor is fitting that thing through a hole barely large enough to fit through. I plan on getting as many local qoutes as possible before deciding on anyone.

 

[DPelletier]

That quote sounds reasonable based on the limited information available. Do yourself a favor and get 2 or 3 quotes from local companies that have a good reputation; going on a huge "price shopping exercise" will likely result in you getting the worst contractor around doing your work! When I get the "trolling through the yellow pages" type of customer, I generally tell them we are too busy because it's a waste of my time.

Dave