Residential HVAC techs here? Might need service/advice

I always know when it's hot where ya'll live.
Because your neighbors come to the mountains to cool off, where they proceed to snarl at the locals and drive like s--t.
 
I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I rarely do a multi zone off one unit unless someone insist. I do not like that method at all. The theory is you undersize the unit due to not needing all the zones on at once. But the code official requires you to size the whole system using a calculation which means a total btu unit must be installed. This is why I love Mitsubishi minisplits- for these conditions.
I was out on a quote today and tomorrow we are installing a Mitsubishi mini split. The unit in the attic delivers 600 cfms on six ducts which all are all are almost 40 feet each. People have come in and put three booster inline fans in and motorized dampers. BS. Waste of money. Best they could do today with current unit was 79 degrees in a bonus room.
I went with just a variable speed fan and a thermostat that had a “circulate” feature where it would run the fan at a low speed (no AC) for a percent of the time to keep air moving between up and downstairs. I liked it. It wasn’t a zoned system—that was the next plan of attack if the variable speed didn’t make a difference in the stratified temps.

I’m sold on the variable speed fan.

Now, Trane on the other hand, they were my go-to equipment. After several bad experiences, I’ve got to drop them. The last was the system I mentioned above. Less than 4 years old and I was called by the person who bought my house a couple years ago (yes, we had a new system put in and moved less than 2 years later! Still paying on the damn thing til October!) saying the compressor was dead...asking about warranty info. I was pissed, even though it wasn’t mine anymore!

Trane crapped the bed on a maintenance contract I had with them for the building at work. Let a leak go undetected and resulted in a $3,000 repair bill on one of the big rooftop units—this on top of the yearly $1,500 maintenance plan. THat contract is no longer in effect, to put it nicely.

Breaks my heart because Trane’s equipment appears to be good stuff, but I’ve had too many bad experiences all within the last 5 years.

I’ll be looking at York/Carrier next time around.

We’ve got a Mitsubishi wall unit at work in the server room. It keeps the room frosty, but it had a nasty issue a while back. Drain line clogged and condensation backed up into the fan. The unit proceeded to blow water all over the server rack for a few hours til things started to die from water and the IT guy took a look inside the room! Not a fun day.
 
I always know when it's hot where ya'll live.
Because your neighbors come to the mountains to cool off, where they proceed to snarl at the locals and drive like s--t.
I've been sitting outside on the carport reading some Jack London and the neighbor lady asked me why?
I told her it made it feel good going back in the house, I keep it set at 76.
 
Every mini split unit must have a preventative maintenance every year which includes a drain/blower clean. For that matter every regular (also known as unitary units) require cleaning. Unfortunately most, not all, never do the PM they get paid for. They get a check and the repair when it breaks. I went to a customer yesterday who said the PM employee for a company spent less than five minutes on site both visits this year.

I once put in some Trane home units. Loved them, have two 28 years old at home. But the HVAC division of American Standard, which owns Trane as well was bought about ten years ago by Ingersol Rand. That management group decided to sell more units they needed the price down. So they cut quality way down. It’s no longer hard to stop a Trane.

I sell what is best for my customers. I sell what I would buy. At this time I feel like that is Carrier products. Unfortunately most people don’t know that one company puts a butt load of names on a system that is always the same. Companies just buy a name you recognize in your kitchen and pay them a royalty. Those units are just former mobile home units dressed up with a kitchen appliance name.

The fact is every manufacturer has cut quality standards huge. There is no money in making something last and CEOs of companies only care about today, right now, keeping stock prices up, getting a bonus. Americans like cheap goods, not everyone but 90% and that 90% make the rules for quality.

You want quality in a comfort system you buy from a country who prides themselves on quality. That country is Japan. That’s why in minisplits I only install Mitsubishi. That stuff from Korea and China is dung. Korea makes Tranes minisplits thru a company called Gree. Hell Gree stamps tons of brand names on their junk.
 
Every mini split unit must have a preventative maintenance every year which includes a drain/blower clean. For that matter every regular (also known as unitary units) require cleaning. Unfortunately most, not all, never do the PM they get paid for. They get a check and the repair when it breaks. I went to a customer yesterday who said the PM employee for a company spent less than five minutes on site both visits this year.

I once put in some Trane home units. Loved them, have two 28 years old at home. But the HVAC division of American Standard, which owns Trane as well was bought about ten years ago by Ingersol Rand. That management group decided to sell more units they needed the price down. So they cut quality way down. It’s no longer hard to stop a Trane.

I sell what is best for my customers. I sell what I would buy. At this time I feel like that is Carrier products. Unfortunately most people don’t know that one company puts a butt load of names on a system that is always the same. Companies just buy a name you recognize in your kitchen and pay them a royalty. Those units are just former mobile home units dressed up with a kitchen appliance name.

The fact is every manufacturer has cut quality standards huge. There is no money in making something last and CEOs of companies only care about today, right now, keeping stock prices up, getting a bonus. Americans like cheap goods, not everyone but 90% and that 90% make the rules for quality.

You want quality in a comfort system you buy from a country who prides themselves on quality. That country is Japan. That’s why in minisplits I only install Mitsubishi. That stuff from Korea and China is dung. Korea makes Tranes minisplits thru a company called Gree. Hell Gree stamps tons of brand names on their junk.
Do you do service work up in boone? We had a 4 zone Mitsubishi installed back in 2012. 3 wall units downstairs and a ducted system upstairs. Wish the Hyper Heat system was available then. It’s still amazing that it can provide much heat down into the teens. Haven’t had it serviced in a couple years so is probably about time.
 
Every mini split unit must have a preventative maintenance every year which includes a drain/blower clean. For that matter every regular (also known as unitary units) require cleaning. Unfortunately most, not all, never do the PM they get paid for. They get a check and the repair when it breaks. I went to a customer yesterday who said the PM employee for a company spent less than five minutes on site both visits this year.

I once put in some Trane home units. Loved them, have two 28 years old at home. But the HVAC division of American Standard, which owns Trane as well was bought about ten years ago by Ingersol Rand. That management group decided to sell more units they needed the price down. So they cut quality way down. It’s no longer hard to stop a Trane.

I sell what is best for my customers. I sell what I would buy. At this time I feel like that is Carrier products. Unfortunately most people don’t know that one company puts a butt load of names on a system that is always the same. Companies just buy a name you recognize in your kitchen and pay them a royalty. Those units are just former mobile home units dressed up with a kitchen appliance name.

The fact is every manufacturer has cut quality standards huge. There is no money in making something last and CEOs of companies only care about today, right now, keeping stock prices up, getting a bonus. Americans like cheap goods, not everyone but 90% and that 90% make the rules for quality.

You want quality in a comfort system you buy from a country who prides themselves on quality. That country is Japan. That’s why in minisplits I only install Mitsubishi. That stuff from Korea and China is dung. Korea makes Tranes minisplits thru a company called Gree. Hell Gree stamps tons of brand names on their junk.
My wife’s uncle works for United Refrigeration. He gave me the breakdown of who owns what—there’s essentially only 2 or 3 manufacturers for AC’s nowadays. All of it is rebranded and sold as a different flavor. That’s why I’ll look at York and Carrier, knowing that York will be cheaper but essentially the same guts as a Carrier. The unit I replaced at my old house was the original York that lasted 17 years!
 
Do you do service work up in boone? We had a 4 zone Mitsubishi installed back in 2012. 3 wall units downstairs and a ducted system upstairs. Wish the Hyper Heat system was available then. It’s still amazing that it can provide much heat down into the teens. Haven’t had it serviced in a couple years so is probably about time.
I do some work in Boone. I am getting slammed currently in this heat wave. Wall units are a beotch to clean. It takes special equipment and set up time. I usually do PM work during crossover season unless a repair is involved so the customer can save on the labor of a second trip. PM me if I can help after the summer heat wave.
 
My wife’s uncle works for United Refrigeration. He gave me the breakdown of who owns what—there’s essentially only 2 or 3 manufacturers for AC’s nowadays. All of it is rebranded and sold as a different flavor. That’s why I’ll look at York and Carrier, knowing that York will be cheaper but essentially the same guts as a Carrier. The unit I replaced at my old house was the original York that lasted 17 years!
Carrier and Payne come off the same assembly line. Carrier branding has more advertising dollars in the product, Payne has almost no cost in advertising. Payne branding doesn’t go up in energy rating but on the lower SEER units it’s the same product except a condenser cover and a nameplate.
 
I’ve been doing this for 30 years. I rarely do a multi zone off one unit unless someone insist. I do not like that method at all. The theory is you undersize the unit due to not needing all the zones on at once. But the code official requires you to size the whole system using a calculation which means a total btu unit must be installed.
Sell them a VAV system. For their HOUSE. :D
 
Sell them a VAV system. For their HOUSE. :D


I work 12 buildings 4 floors each, all but 3 have 7 package units on the roof zoned thru the floors from top to bottom. Countless damper motors, recirc. Motors and reheat coils....

Why do you hate his customers??
 
I work 12 buildings 4 floors each, all but 3 have 7 package units on the roof zoned thru the floors from top to bottom. Countless damper motors, recirc. Motors and reheat coils....

Why do you hate his customers??
Exactly: more sh!t to break!!! Hence my comment about keeping system simple (single units with zoning).
 
Exactly: more sh!t to break!!! Hence my comment about keeping system simple (single units with zoning).

With dampers?? ... ah, no.

Single unit with high seer, natrl gas heat, proper sized duct runs, clean filter, proper coil cleanings .... done.
 
With dampers?? ... ah, no.

Single unit with high seer, natrl gas heat, proper sized duct runs, clean filter, proper coil cleanings .... done.
I was subsequently corrected about a zoned system above. I don’t have any boots on the ground experience with them.

Now the system I described that we ultimately went with that included a variable speed fan to circulate between cooling cycles: I’ll stand by that system.
 
I was subsequently corrected about a zoned system above. I don’t have any boots on the ground experience with them.

Now the system I described that we ultimately went with that included a variable speed fan to circulate between cooling cycles: I’ll stand by that system.

Fan on feature is great. Especially, vari speed. I leave my fan on ON all the time during the day. Can't sleep with it though.
 
I have Carrier at the house, the Home Depot I work at put in 16 Tran Voyager units five years ago, cools great.
 
Damn I’m pissed. My upstairs AC went out yesterday and the part is three business days out. Now to decide to upgrade or repair this unit. I’ve spent a whole $500.00 on my two units and they are 27 years old. Hate to take out an American solid unit for today’s trash but the motor seal is leaking grease so that will be next. I have three units to put in this week and a butt load of service work.

The bad is all four bedrooms are upstairs. The good is I just put a Mitsubishi in the basement and the downstairs has it’s own unit. No more heat pumps in this house. I’m going gas if I change it out or zoned ducted Mitsubishi of three units on one outdooor unit. Sucks to be a mechanical contractor working on your own unit for no money.
 
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