Looked up the part number of the dead compressor.
It's a 2-ton, 13 seer, R-22 unit.
From sites that sell compressors and air handlers the rule of thumb is 1 ton for every 500-700 square feet.
My tiny little abode is a mere 892. 2-ton would appear to be sufficient, right?
Wait for it.
There are a couple consumer protection type web pages that have more detailed tabulations for figuring out how much compressor you need.
a=sq ft
b=residents
c=windows
(a*25)+(b*400)+(c*1000)=btu/hr
+10% if you have no shade, -10% if you are rarely hit with direct sunlight.
That comes out to 34,650 btu/hr here at the abode.
(btu/hr)/12000=tons
2.89 tons is what I should be running, because Florida not generic everytown house.
During this search for how much AC unit I need, links to Amazon came up.
3-ton, 14 seer, R-410a compressor and air handler: $1,956 delivered.
2.5-ton, 14 seer, R-410a compressor and air handler: $1,724 delivered.
2-ton, 14 seer, R-410a compressor and air handler: $1,656 delivered.
Not included: Heating element or installation.
But about that installation. AC is not rocket science. Marv and I do it on cars all the time. Successfully, I might add.
You can just BUY R410a and have it delivered to your door. No license required and the shit's even somewhat affordable.
The gauges are cheap.
What you lose in the DIY is the warranty on the units.
Part of me is thinking that three grand will do this. Gotta get saving.
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Well, you could do it yourself for three grand, but I had a complete 3 ton system installed by the pros last summer for $3500. I even really lucked out. I called the guy to tell him that I would go with his bid. When he stopped back over with the contract he saw my loading bench in the garage and asked if I would be interested in another shotshell press. I asked how much he wanted for it and he said free. It was his father's and he just wanted to get rid of it to make room in his basement since he didn't use it. Nice, little MEC 600 Jr set up for 12 gauge with an extra set of 20 gauge dies. Also gave me some bags of shot and a bunch of primers and other misc stuff. I slipped him $50 even though he said free..........
ReplyDeleteMost places that build houses undersize the air conditioners to pinch pennies. A properly sized one will save you a boatload, it'll run less and maintain the temperature better. I was going to say the biggest sticking point besides the unit itself would be the vacuum pump, those used to cost a small fortune but apparently you can get a kit with pump and connections for $100 now. Besides that it's just brazing equipment you should already have if you'd done it before on a car. Check the mount pad they had the old air conditioner on, they might have cheaped out on that too, a good pad with gravel under it to make sure it can drain and stay level will help out. On an unrelated note, if you dabble in air conditioning and refrigeration, keep an eye out for old ice makers and/or minifridges; it's a $5 part that usually fails, but $60-100 in knowhow and/or specialized equipment if you have to pay someone else to fix 'em.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're close enough to a 3 ton unit to warrant going a little over. Too much over-size is bad, but 2.9 vs 3 is close enough that you won't run into things like short cycles or overcooling.
-Son of an HVACR business owner
Got a recommended local place coming out to give an estimate tomorrow.
DeleteGoing to ask about the self install and contractor hook up for warranty purposes.
Going to insist on a 3-ton because the 2-ton struggled almost since day one.
We don't wanna do a self install unless the installer is asking WAY too much.
Overcooling...
DeleteEven if we don't do it, I want to be able to crank that bitch to 60 and have a reasonable expectation of it getting there in a couple hours max.
For the past two summers we had it set at 76 and it lost ground all day and was 78 to 80 by sundown and we were thankful if it made the set temp by dawn.