We could use some really helpful advice because last year we bought a new AC system that replaced the 19yr old one that was installed when the house was built and it worked fine and we never had any service on it in those year. We were sold a Goodman 4ton 18SEER system that has been an absolute problem energy wise because instead of energy bills going down they have actually gone up. We had an issue with a leak one week after the system was installed and the house was extremely muggy meaning we had over 45% humidity for over 1 month until I had them remove the thermostat and install a non bluetooth one. The humidity levels dropped over night but the electricity shot up to more than we ever paid with the old one. When the water was coming down the attic we asked them to come and fix it and I was told that the drip pan was cracked and that they had to replace the new one but they never did and then pop up into the attic was broken and they never fixed it and never fixed our ceiling. I was told to contact the Az Contractors office and file a complaint and also we have never received a copy of the permit for the unit because we signed a contract that all the work would be done to code. Can you please give us some advice ?
@@joegarciatucson if they aren’t doing what their contract states regarding warranty, you may have a legal leg to stand on. Just make sure you keep good records of all communication Incase you decide to contact a lawyer.
@@NewHVACGuide Yes we have all the documented evidence we need if we move forward with a lawsuit we have the video recording from the security cameras but coincidentally they never not once ever gave us any paperwork other than the purchase order of what they came out here for and what they found.
If you've got rooms that are colder than the rest, it might be simpler and cheaper to insulate them better (above and perhaps below) and put thermal curtains on the windows.
Agreed. Also check the duct passage to make sure it’s not obstructed. I had a guy in my attic who crushed one of the ducts. My window replacement a couple years ago improved the cold room 80%. Drafty. And this year, I’m going to have my south wall insulated. It’s the wall that gets the cold wind in the winter and hot sun in the summer. The wall is cold/hot to the touch.
Connections to the plenum are where the biggest air leaks occur. I’ve seen brand new homes with incredibly shoddy ductwork. Installers just don’t care. Zoning issues are a huge problem in large custom homes.
I bought a 16 yo, 2,000 sqft townhome with 3.5 ton a/c system with NG heat. The summer went well but when winter rolled around I was getting woke up from the hot air blowing on me, over 160 degF to be precise. I did a load calc and found I only needed just under 70,000 btu/hr. The furnace was rated for 100k. I don’t understand a contractor oversizing a unit so much unless the original owner requested it. In the fall, I got quotes for a 80k, two stage furnace with a heat pump. I really had no issues with the a/c but decided to go ahead and change both together. Now, my heat never exceeds 125 and because of the higher SEER rating, my annual gas and electric bills have dropped about 12% and more importantly, temperatures are WAY more comfortable, stable and do not cycle on/off nearly as much.
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If your old system ain’t broke, don’t fix it. My old HVAC system is over 30-years old. New filters. Some annual cleaning attention. Ductwork inspection in the attic. Should be good for another 5-years. I may never have to replace it. The problem with new units is they are not built to last. Whatever “energy $avings” I might get would be eclipsed in repairs and replacements.
I used to say the same thing. As I’ve learned more in the trade though, it’s not so much that the equipment isn’t built to last but they’re tested to higher standards and can’t withstand the improperly sized duct work that’s out there. That’s something more HVAC guys need to educate their customers on. You go to a customers house for 10-15 years doing service and say everything’s great. Change the unit out. Now the ducts not right and the homeowners like what do you mean? You never said anything the past 10-15 years you been working on it. Older equipment could handle the extra strain put on them from that poor ductwork. Properly sized ducts with equipment now works fine and lasts just as long. Obviously you have duds here and there but that’s what *a big portion* of it boils down to. And most of these techs nowadays don’t even know how to size ductwork so how can they tell you yours is right or wrong?
@@calebpruitt7235 :So, new HVAC systems require all new ducts? What seems to be the problem: too big or too little? Do I have to change all the vents too?
@@majorburke9735 they don’t necessarily require new duct, it depends who put it in originally and what they knew. 98% of the problem is undersized, too small duct work. When you have this issue it causes excessive wear and tear and strain on your blower motor on the indoor unit and the compressor on the outdoor unit. A lot of newer units now have ecm motors, which have modules in them. The modules tend to go bad, not the motors themselves 8/10 times. They will go bad constantly on a duct system that is badly undersized. They’re rated to operate under certain static pressures. While too low of a static can be a problem, you rarely I mean rarely see that. Usually it’s high static pressures from the duct. A good way, obviously this is just a rule of thumb not the right way, but a good way to know if your duct system is undersized is if you can hear the ducts blowing or the return sucking very strongly. Like I said that’s not the for sure way, other things can cause that as well but hearing them blow or pulling very hard at the filter indicates undersized duct that needs upsized. A bit long winded but that’s the general idea. Happy to give any advice I can.
The cost of a higher efficiency system could be twice the cost of a standard system and you’ll never recoup that amount of money it could take 10 to 20 years to recoup the amount of money you’d save by putting in a standard system and not a high-efficiency system that is a lie Another factor that you don’t even talk about is the type of insulation you have in your house if you have a 25-year-old house, 30-year-old house and you put a high-efficiency unit in with shitty windows and no insulation you’re still not gonna get any recourse by putting a high-efficiency unit in the whole point is mute
