Replace gas pack?

[no704]

Have a Rheem I think is about 2.5 ton gas pac that I bought new about 15 years ago. This is a roof mount unit that has been great. Has went down a few times. Blower fan motor, year later compressor start cap, this year condenser tower fan motor, and the compressor got pretty hot, but is still working.
Should I replace the unit this off season with new? I’m leaning towards yes, hearing all the new stuff is junk, has me question this.
I have a friend who is in the business so I can get wholesale price.
What’s a good unit?
In Tempe Az so it gets pretty warm here.

 

[bonneyman]

I used to recommend Trane, but they were bought by another company and then resold like a year ago. So who knows what's going on with them.
I started drifting towards 2nd tier units awhile back, as top line brands kept sinking in quality and service but their prices stayed high. I put a Tempstar condenser and coil onto a Concord furnace (budget brand of Lenox). That was in 2010. Have had a few water leak issues (gotta clean the evap coil and channels every year) and did replace the indoor blower at year 7. Other than that not a prob. But to what the quality is know? Can't say.
It is a basic condenser, no circuit boards and simple electromechanical controls. I replaced the standard Chinese contactor and run cap with quality USA parts when I installed it. My choice - didn't want to risk a 2K compressor job on cheap Chinese parts. So my recommendation would be the simplest system you can get with a minimum of microchips.

 

[Milton Shaw]

DO it soon as prices are going up a lot next year. New standards make SEER's a lot higher and changes in refrigerants is going to at least double the prices by this time next year. New units are going to require leak sensors, safety systems to sense leaks and then vent the rest of the refrigerant out side so the explosive stuff cannot leak in side the house. A lot of changes have been written into law that is going to change almost everything we have been doing on repairs. The date these become effective has been stated as early 2023 but could change again.

 

[bonneyman]

DO it soon as prices are going up a lot next year. New standards make SEER's a lot higher and changes in refrigerants is going to at least double the prices by this time next year. New units are going to require leak sensors, safety systems to sense leaks and then vent the rest of the refrigerant out side so the explosive stuff cannot leak in side the house. A lot of changes have been written into law that is going to change almost everything we have been doing on repairs. The date these become effective has been stated as early 2023 but could change again.

Freakin A, my head is spinning. Prices are already stratospheric - I can't fathom how techs and customers will cope.

 

[yatg]

Freakin A, my head is spinning. Prices are already stratospheric - I can't fathom how techs and customers will cope.

You mean Freakin EPA

 

[American Locomotive]

I lean the opposite way: Preemptively replacing air conditioners is a waste of time and money. New units while more efficient, will basically never pay for themselves with their efficiency gains over their useful life.

IMO: Keep throwing capacitors and fan motors into your current unit until it suffers a catastrophic failure (big leak, compressor burnout).

DO it soon as prices are going up a lot next year. New standards make SEER's a lot higher and changes in refrigerants is going to at least double the prices by this time next year. New units are going to require leak sensors, safety systems to sense leaks and then vent the rest of the refrigerant out side so the explosive stuff cannot leak in side the house. A lot of changes have been written into law that is going to change almost everything we have been doing on repairs. The date these become effective has been stated as early 2023 but could change again.

Do you have a source for any of that?

 

[Milton Shaw]

I lean the opposite way: Preemptively replacing air conditioners is a waste of time and money. New units while more efficient, will basically never pay for themselves with their efficiency gains over their useful life.

IMO: Keep throwing capacitors and fan motors into your current unit until it suffers a catastrophic failure (big leak, compressor burnout).

Do you have a source for any of that?

I attended a seminar at Johnstone supply last year on changes coming soon. Also have seen some HVAC Youtubes on changes. Refrigerant has already at least doubled in price this year. Only good news is that the new R290 does not have to be recovered as it's in nature already as propane.

 

[fitter30]

Unit sit on a curb or duct work comes off one end? Sits on a curb new unit needs to match up or a curb adaptor.

 

[no704]

Sits on top of a plenum, that was recently modified to accept flex bags to each separate discharge in separate rooms as opposed to the old trunk that was eliminated with the kitchen remodel and removing walls and the lowered ceiling that was the hallway.

 

[American Locomotive]

I attended a seminar at Johnstone supply last year on changes coming soon. Also have seen some HVAC Youtubes on changes. Refrigerant has already at least doubled in price this year. Only good news is that the new R290 does not have to be recovered as it's in nature already as propane.

Everything I've seen said R32 and R32/R1234yf systems will not need that because the flammability limits for these refrigerants are extremely high.