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Heater and A/C Recommendations?

AngliaGT

Great Pumpkin
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We're looking into replacing one or both units.
I thought I'd see what you guys think.
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
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we just had to put a new furnace - ended up with a Lennox. a couple of thoughts.

1. buy a name brand, when it does break down you want to get parts.

2. We didn't get absolute top end but we got much more than the bottom end - the promotion they were running meant it was literally only a couple hundred dollars to get a much more efficient machine.

3. Get a reputable installer. We bought our hot water heater from a big box store (rhymes with gnome repo) when it stopped working the store blamed the installer who blamed the manufacturer who blamed the store - we got it fixed but the advantage of an installer is that there is at least one fewer person to blame.

BTW the heater came with a one year warranty - it broke (sensor) at 8 months - manufacturer claimed that it was out of warranty. Why? because to their way of thinking the warranty started ticking on the day of manufacture. As far as I can tell the only warranties that work that way are milk and fresh meat. Anyway to resolve it (not making this up) I had to email the manufacturer proof that I had purchased the heater AFTER it was manufactured. :rolleyes:
 

DrEntropy

Great Pumpkin
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Must be nice to have AC. I have a fan that we place in the window.

Down here we've ceiling fans, no central A/C. Broke down last year and got a "window shaker" 'cause Mitsy crabbed at me long enuff I got tired of hearing it. Half the time I get up and go to the couch.

I'm in Florida on purpose.
 

NutmegCT

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Doug - I assume you have ducts in your house for the heating/cooling, and not the "ductless" type system.

In your climate zone, you might benefit from a heat pump instead of separate heating and cooling systems. Gets way too cold to rely on heat pump systems for heating here in New England, altho' some folks use them until cold weather hits, then switch on additional heating (usually electric). Also, our electric costs around 20 cents per kwh, much higher than average USA.

I chose oil burner furnace with hydronic heating, as it's the cheapest way to go at present. Also chose window units for (rare) cooling, as I can cool only the room(s) I need, instead of shelling out the bucks to cool the entire house. Can't imagine how people afford heating/cooling for those 15 room McMansions that were popular years ago.

If you have a non-shaded side of your house that faces south, you might benefit from adding inexpensive passive solar heating. On sunny winter days here, I don't even use the furnace. The passive solar heat the first floor. Building the system cost me a whopping $25, and paid for itself in less than a month.

Do you heat with gas now? or oil, or ...?

Tom M.
 
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