Well said, definitely make sure they are an journeyman refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic, not just a tin basher or plumber. Nothing against said trades, Some of them can certainly install AC but as noted above troubleshooting and diagnosing any issues would be a different story.
Central Air
- Thread starter Adam31
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Well said, definitely make sure they are an journeyman refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic, not just a tin basher or plumber. Nothing against said trades, Some of them can certainly install AC but as noted above troubleshooting and diagnosing any issues would be a different story.
hbar218
Active VIP Member
My friend is a tin basher and he installed an AC unit. He ended up calling me in a panic to braze the evap and condenser and perform start up. What should have been an easy 1-2 hours turned into 4 hours because he put a screw into the A coil when I had a pressure test on and then he hooked up stat wrong and had constant power to condensing unit(customer said it has been running for 2 days, lol).
Looks kinda shoddy when you don't use pipe benders, but my sheet metal skills are not the greatest, but atleast I can use foil tape, lol.
Hahahah awesome, i bet he had to change his short when that screw punctured the coil. That story should be enough for most people to hire the right people for the right job. Gotta love foil tape, it can make anything pretty. Unit running for 2 days, i bet that coil was a giant block off ice when you got there. I like hearing stories like that.
YamaDad
Active VIP Member
Lots of good info on here already, let me add a bit more. In rough terms you should look for 1 ton of cooling for every 600 sq. Ft., and be sure that the furnace and ductwork can provide 400 cfm per ton. A site meeting is better but that is a guideline. Ask the installer how deep a vaccuum he pulled (must be less than 1000 microns, should be under 500), and what level of subcooling (10 to 15 degrees depending on equipment). If they have any trouble with these questions they should not be doing the job. The only brand I would stay away from is Goodman, and Carrier/Bryant/Payne would be preferred (identical equipment with different names). The others are all good, no one makes garbage. If the furnace is origional now would be a good time to upgrade. An auto changeover thermostat is a good idea too (capable of calling for heat and cool without manually turning a switch). Anyone doing this work must either be a refrigeration mechanic or sheet metal mechanic, both are trained to do it. I could help you out if you like, PM me.
togo ripper
Active member
Most sheet metal guys can throw the coil in the furnace pretty quickly but after that theyre lost when it comes to gauges and vacuum pumps
Romaniuk did my house and my brothers cabin and house. As a repeat customer got a fat discount for my house. Put in a top of the line Lennox that was sized for 4500 sq' and my house is 3500sq' so it is not working flat out on the really hot days. It is only 15' outside the kitchen crank window and you can not hear it running but when I stand on the front deck I can her my neighbors when his dog is not barking! As in don't get the cheapo model or a noisy dog.
Been 6 years and zero service required on the Lennox, central air is fawkin awsome once you have it!!!!! Kids sleep and the wife is happy!
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YamaDad
Active VIP Member
I am glad to hear Romanuliuk treated you well Snowchuk. There is lota of work for everyone, I am more concerned with seeing people do thier job well than slamming anyone. I hate seeing people get ripped off.
You mentioned the size of your equipment. Where you can get in trouble oversizing is when the furnace/ductwork can't deliver enough air. The cooling provided (that is kind of backwards) cannot be removed fast enough and the coil freezes up, and nothing works. That is where 400cfm per ton comes in. That is also where a clean filter is critical.
When we talk about square footage we mean above grade. I haven't been to your house but 3500 above grade is a BIG house.
You mentioned the size of your equipment. Where you can get in trouble oversizing is when the furnace/ductwork can't deliver enough air. The cooling provided (that is kind of backwards) cannot be removed fast enough and the coil freezes up, and nothing works. That is where 400cfm per ton comes in. That is also where a clean filter is critical.
When we talk about square footage we mean above grade. I haven't been to your house but 3500 above grade is a BIG house.
My basement is not a walkout but is half out of the ground and is ducted within the perimeter walls to slab level, no ceiling vents so winter heat goes to floor level, aids in mixing air so basement is warmer. Since the basement is ducted to its floor level and gets as hot as the rest of the house it was included in the sq'. There is 2400 sq' above grade. Big but not huge, system has worked flawlessly, maybe because my furnace fan is a continous run year round.
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YamaDad
Active VIP Member
2400 is still a big house for sure. I would expect that a 4 ton unit would be a good fit, unless there is something out of the ordinary. Five tons would be fine but requires 2000 cfm of air. As long as the furnace can provide that it should be fine. By the way you are talking it sounds like Romaniuk did their homework. I may be a bit biased but I would never be without air either.
chickenman
Active VIP Member
I've used Oil City Mechanical for both my furnace and AC. They also helped out my brother and parents. Nothing but great things to say about them. It's a couple of brothers. Ones a refrigeration mechanic and the other is a tin basher. Really good guys that do great work. They run all Lennox stuff
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