Rheem Air & Gas Advice

[thearchies]

I have an acquaintance/neighbor who is a HVAC guy giving me a price on a new HVAC system. I live in Virginia, in a 3 level townhouse. My current gas furnace is 78000btus, AC coil is 2 ton, and outside is 2 ton. "I" (dumb blonde) ran the numbers thru HVAC-Calc and got 33000 heat loss, and 21000 heat gain.

The HVAC guy is suggesting a Rheem 14 SEER system with R410A coolant, the inside coil to be 2.5 ton with something called a TXV (or maybe a 3.0 ton without TXV - depending on the physical size of the furnace - he said he needed to ensure they match up since one sits on the other). Also, a 2.5 ton outside unit. Variable speed fan. The gas heat will be 75000btu. He'll run a new line & refit the initial duct to the unit (no new heat inputs/outputs).

He replaced his with a similar configuration using Trane. The price for the Rheem is $6300, he also said he could probably do a Trane SEER13 for $7300.

Do you favor Trane over Rheem (consumer reports shows they have about the same occurance rate of problems). Would it be worth 1k to move to a Trane. Has anyone had much experience with Rheem (my Rheem gas water heater lasted 17 years. . .).

Any advice is blondely appreciated!

 

[thammel]

I just got a quote for a new heat pump and gas furnace system for my new garage and the guy suggested Trane and a 13 seer HP. What surprised me (and I think you should check it out also) is that you can get rebates or credits (not sure) for a 16 seer system (I think the max is $1500). It seems to me that's the way to go.

Tom

 

[redsky49]

While you will find anecdotal information to support most any view, I have not found substantial difference between any of the major residential brands (though there are several on this forum that would argue that point).

What might make a difference is in the quality of installation, as minor issues could impact the performance and long term reliability of the equipment. Is your Contractor experienced? Is he a "one man show", or does he work for a large firm? Make certain he is licensed, bonded and certified for refrigerant work, and has some references for similar type successful projects. Make sure he will dispose properly of all demolished equipment. Confirm before start of work how long you will be without air conditioning.

What your load calculations show are a 2 ton cooling load (coupled with your current 2 ton equipment), which makes me wonder why your friend is suggesting a 2.5 or 3 ton cooling capacity. Oversized units operate very inefficiently. Unless you have had a history of not maintaining interior temperatures, I maintain the current 2 ton size. For heating, you have more than enough capacity.

$5-7K seem to be the typical range for system replacement, so you are probably getting a fair price, though no bargain. There will be no discernable difference between SEER 13 and 14 as far as energy bills go. You should also probably get a new thermostat (programmable type) at that price.

TXV is an abbreviation for thermostatic expansion valve. It is a more accurate form of cooling control than some other methods, and is usually a $30-50 upgrade.

Are you certain that the current system can't be saved?

Hope this helps. Good luck with your project.

As always, offered only as opinion

 

[JAL442]

BOTH are very good and well built units. I prefer Rheem and have them in the home and shop. I'm in the plumbing and heating trades and started with the Rheem line in the 70'S and sold and worked on several others with the Rheem always being the best all around unit.

As far as the tax break thats a VERY touchy subject as the a/c condenser, coil and furnace MUST be matched to achieve a 16 seer with a 13 EER rating to qualify for the tax break. If you do go for the tax break on your next unit ask the contractor for all model numbers along with a copy of the tax certificate that shows that there a match and approved for the the tax write off.

 

[redsky49]

[
As far as the tax break thats a VERY touchy subject as the a/c condenser, coil and furnace MUST be matched to achieve a 16 seer with a 13 EER rating to qualify for the tax break. If you do go for the tax break on your next unit ask the contractor for all model numbers along with a copy of the tax certificate that shows that there a match and approved for the the tax write off.[/QUOTE]

+1

Contractor should:
1. Guarantee in writing compliance with all rebate requirements
2. Prove mathematically that the increased price you will pay for the higher performance unit will not eat up the rebate, and will have a reasonable payback period (if applicable).

Tread carefully here.

As always, offered only as opinion

 

[dmw56]

Do not buy from Rheem. They have the worst customer support I've ever experienced. Had a tankless heater go bad they kept fixing the same thing over and never got it right. They then blamed it on everything else that made no sense and would not admit it was a faulty unit and refused to fix it while still under warrenty.

 

[Falcon67]

Our house has a Reem 10 SEER unit, been in use since 1997. Still works good (please don't stop, knock on wood)