HVAC advice?
3I had the plumber out today to put the swamp cooler to bed for the winter and turn on the heater. He found a crack running the whole length of the heater and was not able to turn it on for me. Might be possible for it to be welded, but it would be unlikely to succeed as the metal is quite old and brittle. The plumber says it’s been at least a decade since he last saw one of these units available for install. My house is 105 years old and God knows how long this heater’s been here. I’m probably going to have to upgrade to a modern system . I wish it had held out for one more winter, the house will be paid off by next summer. I’m going to have to do something for heat, unless it’s a very mild winter space heaters really aren’t going to cut it. I’m one of those people that needs a coat if it’s under 70. I’ll be calling a bunch of HVAC conversion people to get estimates. I’ve lived in this house most of my life, I don’t have any experience with modern HVAC systems. My house is very small, I do have updated windows but the house is not weather-tight and isn’t going to become so. Anything I need to be wary of or look out for?
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Well, no one else has stepped up (they’re all off shopping), so I’ll offer some advice. I seem to recall that you’re in Arizona. In most states, there’s a place where you can look up the license of a contractor, and you should absolutely start with that. Does your plumber recommend someone?
That looks like it’s a gas heater, but I’m not sure which kind. Is that propane, or natural gas? You keep saying HVAC, but you don’t really need to add in Air Conditioning (you said swamp cooler, and in the desert, those work well enough).
I’ve been remodeling off and on for years (although not lately), and the most important thing about anyone is licensing (and insurance, which goes along with the license).
You might ask your neighbors, too, you know.
@Shrdlu West Texas desert. My swamp cooler’s going to need replacing next year, thats around $500 with a couple hundred annual maintenance. Most hvac places want to do a combo, so I’m going to price both and just the heater. One place is advertising an off season special of a free furnace with a.c. install. That’s one I’m planning to get an estimate from. Checking on the license is a good plan, I was ripped off by the last contractor I hired. I only know a couple of neighbors, this is a Spanish speaking neighborhood and my Spanish is not good enough for more than hello. This is also a poor neighborhood, afaik nobody’s converted or updated. A couple of my friends have converted, I’m planning to get their referrals. I was just thinking like maybe there’s a type of unit or thermostat or whatever to avoid.
@Shrdlu The current unit is natural gas.
@moondrake At least West Texas is still weather I understand; probably why I thought you were in AZ. I used to have a swamp cooler in Palm Springs; it had a hard time keeping up when it got truly hot (115 or so), but would always manage to get it down to 90, which was not unpleasant. The swamp cooler added humidity to the air, rather than removing it, in the way that air conditioning does, and it was nice, to be honest.
You might as well go with the combo system, if it isn’t too painful, since you say your swamp cooler needs replacing too. Honestly, if you get something decent, it will probably (not to sound too macabre) outlast you. The only thermostat style I’d stay away from is ANYTHING that has the word “smart” associated with it. If it needs or wants an internet connection, just say no.
I replaced mine when I bought the house, in 2006. I don’t recall what it was before, but I have a Honeywell, which is programmable, and it does what it’s supposed to.
@Shrdlu Not macabre at all. Thanks!
I’d get an estimate from local hvac people and then get estimates from big box retailers. A lot of times they’ll match the pricing of the local guys, but you get warranty through the big box retailer. At least that way you don’t have to worry about Joe Schmoe ac guy disappearing two months down the road.
I have absolutely no idea about the type of system you use out there. In Florida we use regular HVAC systems with electric heat seeing as it doesn’t get very cold, and our AC systems are basically gigantic dehumidifiers.
@RiotDemon Thanks. Good point on the reliable backup and warranty from big boxes, I wasn’t even going to consider them.
biggest expense is going to be installing the vents. Before I downsized, I had to replace mine in my old (and small house) and remember it not being too horrible, but I already had the venting in place.
That being said, you should also read reviews on Angies list, Yelp, google+ etc, but take them with a grain of salt. Lots of fake reviews. I look for things that say something substantive. I rarely use it to make a decision, per se, but I do use it to find places to consider, and to maybe eliminate someone. Trust your gut to a point.
If they place is not a hole in the wall, you can check with your local BBB too, to see if they have complaints and are members.
Finding someone reputable and who has been in business awhile is worth a few dollars more.
And support your local business. Most big box retailers contract local but often at a rate that barely break even but they take them so their competition doesn’t.
And don’t hesitate when you narrow it down to ask for references and see if you get any
@Cerridwyn I have some vents for the swamp cooler, but I don’t know whether or not they’ll be able to use them for the new system. I agree with your position on the big box stores, however unless I can get very reliable supporting information on the locals, if the big box store’s bid is competitive I’ll probably go with it, purely due to having been deceived and ripped off by the last contractor I hired. It’s undermined my confidence in safely choosing local contractors. I am going to get bids from the two that did my friends homes, as that’s a referral I can rely upon.
@moondrake The contractors that are subbed out by the big-box stores tend to be meh. Typically they are the “I just got my license” or “I ran off all my old customers so this is the only way I can get jobs” that will work for their minimal rates.
In general, HVAC equipment is interchangeable by specs. The difference is in the installation/workmanship.
In many municipals, this level of work will require permits. Some may want to make it an option for you, as it is an added cost, but this should be brought up in the initial consultation. If the contractor is unwilling to pull one, run away; that’s indicative that they’re not confident of their own work being up to code.
@narfcake
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ve never seen a unit like that. Looks like great advice above.
Seems like all contractors I’ve used need watching to see if they know what they are doing or so I can give advice.
The only knowledgeable contractors we’ve used are the granite countertop dudes from Home Depot. Everyone else act like it’s the first time they have done it…
@daveinwarsh Damn singing, banging, and cursing contractors!
My 2 cents…
We are in an older home - built in 1936 - did not originally have ac but had radiator heat from a coal furnace. Over the years there have been a lot of modifications built in and added to the house to add AC and central forced air heat. Think ducts added in the walls between the studs. Did not work well. The AC and heat failed a few years ago and we have lived on window units for AC but replaced the forced air furnace after two years of plug in heaters in many rooms. I don’t recommend that either.
Our current thought is to use mini split systems where they are needed. My suggestion is to see if that might be a solution for you. Install is very flexible and not very invasive at times. Very efficient. Sold by big boxes as well. I suggest Mitsubishi.
I suggest looking it over and if it might be a fit call the area rep for Mitsubishi. They can suggest a good installer. Same process can work for any equipment company you choose.
Good Luck. Rusty
@rustyh3 @moondrake might be a little creaky, but to call her rusty is a bit mean isn’t it?
@therealjrn
Rust is kinda rare in the high desert.
@moondrake might be a little dusty from the non-stop wind tho.
@f00l
I’ll only say this: Don’t play games with the heater. My wife and I almost died from CO poisoning a handful of years ago from an issue with the heater. Find a reliable company and listen to their advice.
i always find the best contractors through word of mouth. ask everyone you know. be wary of big box store contractors… they get paid to do the job as cheaply as possible… fuck quality