What parts make up a central A/C system?

[Qacer]

I'm trying to find out more about central A/C systems because most of the houses that we've seen have some old units that may need replacing in a few years.

What would be the major parts of a central A/C system?

In terms of major, I'm referring to parts that makes the system functional and makes up a major portion of the cost. The other sites that I've seen have various quotes for a central A/C system ($5k to $20k). Wowza! But I guess that depends on location. I live in Florida, so it's probably going to be in the higher end.

Thanks!

 

[Qacer]

Never mind. I think I found a nice link:
http://www.fpl.com/residential.../ac_buying_guide.shtml

Well, if you guys / gals have any other experiences with central A/C units, feel free to share them.

 

[db]

Wikipedia.
A salesman will always try to convince you that you need a newer/upgraded system even when the system is working just fine,
but you need to do the math to see when any improvement will break even and then start paying off. Obviously, their motivation is to make money; yours should be to not spend money you don't need to.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Qacer
Never mind. I think I found a nice link:
http://www.fpl.com/residential.../ac_buying_guide.shtml

Well, if you guys / gals have any other experiences with central A/C units, feel free to share them.

What are you looking for?

You first have to figure out the tonnage you need. Bigger is not better.

Once you have that then you can form a budget.

I went with a top of the line unit back around 1997, the guy said my a/c bill would be half easily (I doubted this)....sure as fuck though my bills went from $350+ to $125-150 a month peak and in the more mild months I was at 25% of what I was paying.

It was $5k and I think 3.5 tons....I broke even on it in 2 years and my house was WAY more comfortable as the fan was variable speed rather than just on or off.

 

[PowerEngineer]

An air conditioner works much the same way as your refrigerator. The collant is allowed to expand and therefore draw heat from the area to be cooled and then compressed again outside the area thereby dumping the heat. As the biggest moving part, the compressor is the most likely component to break down.

 

[DaTT]

The major components are your Compressor (outside part) and your A-coil (inside your furnace)

Alkemyst is correct, bigger is not better. There is a formula to determine what tonnage you will need for your square footage, the sales person will be able to determine that for you (no worries, they "shouldn't try to sell you a "bigger" unit than you need)

 

[Shawn]

Main stuff: compressor, condenser, condenser fan, evaporator, refrigerant, and blower

 

[mshan]

I remember reading a good rule of thumb for price was $1500 - $2000 per ton of heating cooling capability.

Air handler inside and compressor (air conditioner / heat pump) outside.

I think Trane is very good, Carrier is underrated, and Lennox parts are supposed to be very expensive.

And I would try and buy from a reputable independent hvac specialist, rather than Home Depot / Lowes, because I think a lot of time they just subcontract work out to cheapest labor they can find. You want someone who can examine your house and then expertly telling you what type of capacity you need so your hvac runs optimally. And probably a good idea to get them to tune up hvac once or twice a year (before summer and winter) to maximize lifespan of your new investment. And of course change air filter regularly.

 

[Muadib]

Just look at the compressor unit, and see what they currently have. Call a few places to get a ballpark figure of what a new install would be. Then tell the seller you want the price reduced by X amount or the current unit replaced. It's a buyers market, take advantage of it!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: Qacer
Never mind. I think I found a nice link:
http://www.fpl.com/residential.../ac_buying_guide.shtml

Well, if you guys / gals have any other experiences with central A/C units, feel free to share them.

What are you looking for?

You first have to figure out the tonnage you need. Bigger is not better.

Once you have that then you can form a budget.

I went with a top of the line unit back around 1997, the guy said my a/c bill would be half easily (I doubted this)....sure as fuck though my bills went from $350+ to $125-150 a month peak and in the more mild months I was at 25% of what I was paying.

It was $5k and I think 3.5 tons....I broke even on it in 2 years and my house was WAY more comfortable as the fan was variable speed rather than just on or off.

Not to mention the fact that your local energy company may even have rebates on more efficient models. We got $500 back from San Diego Gas & Electric when we bought our 4 ton 13 SEER compressor a few years ago.

 

[Rubycon]

Depends on the house. Lots of homes in FL use a package system that basically is everything sitting outside with supply and return lines ducted through the wall/floor/ceiling. The other common so called split system has the outdoor unit (fan+compressor) and an air handling unit (sometimes called the "furnace") which has the indoor coil, blower, condensate pan and metering device (expansion valve).

The outdoor unit with its compressor is the most costly to replace. Heat pumps are common in FL since winter climates are very mild and outdoor temperatures rarely if ever approach the balance point.

 

[boomerang]

Nevermind