HVAC Help
 

I need to buy a new furnace and air conditioner for my condo. It is a two-story condo on the 2nd floor. Does anyone have any suggestions or know anything about brands?

Thanks in advance

Wait for the tax credits. And check the recall lists.

You cant stop a Trane, Good unit as is all the Carrier brands (Day& Nite / Bryant / Payne / Carrier).

i certainly can help, we just bought one. we bought a York; it was the only brand we could find with a lifetime warranty on the compressor. the compressor is the single most expensive component of the entire system. most brands now only offer 5-7 year warranties.
also, you'll hear mention of SEER ratings. this stands for seasonal energy efficiency rating. you want the highest seer rating you can afford. we got the highest rated unit available. it cost us on the purchase end, but we'll recoup the costs due to lower electric bills, etc.
don't wait to buy, get as soon as you can because summer is right around the corner. luckily, ours went in march.
York is now owned by Johnson controls, probably the biggest control company in the country.

get several bids. make sure you get a new thermostat-one which is programmable is my suggestion.

Here in WI I got a $250 rebate from the State and $250 from Carrier (Infinty 96)for buying a high efficiency/multi speed unit. This was last 2 winters ago so the imcentives have probably gone up. I kept fairly good records and have recouped a couple hundo in savings. 10-15 years and it will pay for itself. Air conditioner is still "hanging in there" knock on wood

Cut a hole in your neighbor's ceiling and get a fan

lol
and then his freezes up from overworking, and they're both in the market!

That was awesome. Thanks all who chimed in. I have had two estimates and both people suggested an 80-85% enegry efficient unit with a 13 or 14 SEER. But once was a Goodman and the other was Lennox. I have 2 more to go.

13 is the minimum required now. they probably have a ton of them that they've stockpiled and are trying to sell. if you're going to stay in your home for a while, get the highest rating you can afford. trust me, tony and i both have worked in the ac field. i'm not just talking as a customer, but as one who used to sell them.