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Posted: 8/28/2014 10:00:40 AM EDT
I set the thermostat at 81 whenever we are out of town for more than a day or two. Got back into town Sun. about 2PM and reset at the regular 78 degrees. Sucker ran non stop to around 8PM just to get it down 3 degrees to 78. My A/C guy came out and checked it Mon at 3PM. 3 ton air handler coils are very clean (we run a washable allergy gold filter) and the pressures on the outside compressor unit were "Perfect". It's a 20 year old 2.5 ton, 10seer Rheem system with a 20 year old Rheem 3 ton air handler. My A/C guy said a little larger air handler is what the genius's at TECO recommended back in the day.

House is a solid little 3/2, 1,380 sq.ft. CB with a white shingle roof custom built for a contractors mother in '58. Has 10" of rock wool in the attic now. A/C guy said get a free TECO energy audit and the $75 rebate coupon for another foot of good insulation to be blown in. Electric bill shows only 3kwh's higher usage than the same period last year.

6 hours to drop the temp 3 degrees blew my mind. I guess it's just hotter than hell but I have lived here since '55 and I am just used to it.
Link Posted: 3/4/2012 10:19:37 PM EDT
[#1]
Topic Moved
Link Posted: 8/28/2014 10:40:12 AM EDT
[#2]
Where to? I posted this for Fl. folks for any local feedback.

Link Posted: 8/28/2014 11:03:25 AM EDT
[#3]
Ours never takes that long to cool the place down and I have a 3 ton unit 12 seer with almost 1600 sqft.  However we now have a coil leak on our 12 year old unit. So it's either pay some $1700 to replace the coil and hope the compressor lasts or get a new system.
Link Posted: 8/28/2014 11:20:07 AM EDT
[#4]
I had my AC blower motor and module die on me last week.  6 days with no AC.  91 degrees inside the house.  $1k later cool 75 degrees.
Link Posted: 8/28/2014 12:26:35 PM EDT
[#5]
We've been pretty happy up until now with the cheepo Rheem. One capacitor, evaporator(not coil) and 2 relays in 20 years of service. Never touched the air handler except for a handful of coil cleanings thanks to the allergy gold filter that was recommended by the installer.
Link Posted: 8/28/2014 12:58:47 PM EDT
[#6]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
We've been pretty happy up until now with the cheepo Rheem. One capacitor, evaporator(not coil) and 2 relays in 20 years of service. Never touched the air handler except for a handful of coil cleanings thanks to the allergy gold filter that was recommended by the installer.
View Quote

I have a package unit by Trane.  Only 5 years 4 months old.  Then the motor went bad.  First company quoted me $1900.  Second one $1k.  Some of the AC companies out there make some mechanics blush.
Link Posted: 8/28/2014 3:29:15 PM EDT
[#7]
Our condenser coil just sprung a leak inside the radiator (not on an outer bend)

There goes $2k...
Link Posted: 8/28/2014 4:30:32 PM EDT
[#8]
Where do you get these reusable gold filters?
Link Posted: 8/28/2014 5:06:31 PM EDT
[#9]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Where do you get these reusable gold filters?
View Quote


The last two I bought for our lake place and my Moms home I got from a friend in the HVAC biz. I paid $40 for the 18'-20' one for the lake place 2 years ago. He gets them at a local HVAC whole seller. Make sure you get the Allergy Gold brand. There are copy-cats.

They are pricy but pay for themselves many, many times over in how rarely you have to have your coils cleaned.
Link Posted: 8/28/2014 5:52:21 PM EDT
[#10]
My one year old Goodman system can't keep up this month. Never makes it to 78.

Cooler inside than out, but that's it. 80-81 until 9 or 10.

Of course, t's trying to cool a 1920's wood frame with un insulated walls and a poorly insulated roof, baking in the sun.......
Link Posted: 8/28/2014 7:54:26 PM EDT
[#11]
Quoted:
I set the thermostat at 81 whenever we are out of town for more than a day or two. Got back into town Sun. about 2PM and reset at the regular 78 degrees. Sucker ran non stop to around 8PM just to get it down 3 degrees to 78. My A/C guy came out and checked it Mon at 3PM. 3 ton air handler coils are very clean (we run a washable allergy gold filter) and the pressures on the outside compressor unit were "Perfect". It's a 20 year old 2.5 ton, 10seer Rheem system with a 20 year old Rheem 3 ton air handler. My A/C guy said a little larger air handler is what the genius's at TECO recommended back in the day.

House is a solid little 3/2, 1,380 sq.ft. CB with a white shingle roof custom built for a contractors mother in '58. Has 10" of rock wool in the attic now. A/C guy said get a free TECO energy audit and the $75 rebate coupon for another foot of good insulation to be blown in. Electric bill shows only 3kwh's higher usage than the same period last year.

6 hours to drop the temp 3 degrees blew my mind. I guess it's just hotter than hell but I have lived here since '55 and I am just used to it.
View Quote


Last Friday my drain float switch shut the system down while I was out (my bad).  It was 86 degrees inside when I got home.  I had the drain cleaned and system up and running at 3:30 pm.  I run my system at 77 and it was 10:30 when it shut down.  7 hours to drop 9 degrees.  I got home at 6:30 tonight and it was 78, so it was not holding the 77 I had set.

It's hot out there folks.

Just Sayin!
Link Posted: 8/29/2014 6:03:53 AM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
I set the thermostat at 81 whenever we are out of town for more than a day or two. Got back into town Sun. about 2PM and reset at the regular 78 degrees. Sucker ran non stop to around 8PM just to get it down 3 degrees to 78. My A/C guy came out and checked it Mon at 3PM. 3 ton air handler coils are very clean (we run a washable allergy gold filter) and the pressures on the outside compressor unit were "Perfect". It's a 20 year old 2.5 ton, 10seer Rheem system with a 20 year old Rheem 3 ton air handler. My A/C guy said a little larger air handler is what the genius's at TECO recommended back in the day.

House is a solid little 3/2, 1,380 sq.ft. CB with a white shingle roof custom built for a contractors mother in '58. Has 10" of rock wool in the attic now. A/C guy said get a free TECO energy audit and the $75 rebate coupon for another foot of good insulation to be blown in. Electric bill shows only 3kwh's higher usage than the same period last year.

6 hours to drop the temp 3 degrees blew my mind. I guess it's just hotter than hell but I have lived here since '55 and I am just used to it.
View Quote


Remember you are cooling everything in the space down again, not just the air.

Educated service techs dont calulate the operating condition of a system by the pressure alone, they use subcooling and superheat.

I bet that filter is restrictive on your older air handler. Never in my plus 45 years have I see a washable filter thats worth a dam.
Link Posted: 8/29/2014 7:46:52 AM EDT
[#13]
I have always been under the impression that you use more energy and run your AC harder if you turn it off and on throughout the day. So if you want you place at a nice 72 degree while you're there but when you leave it is at 80 degrees then it has to work overtime to cool it back down.



I have a programmable thermostat and have it set up like this...




0600 - 75F

0900 - 76F

1700 - 74F

2200 - 72F




I noticed y doing so my energy bill was lower. Before I simply would run it at 72F and turn it off when I wasn't home and I had higher energy bills.  
Link Posted: 8/29/2014 8:02:38 AM EDT
[#14]
three years back, I replaced the old A/C with a new 16 Seer unit.  I also replaced all the windows with double pane top rated windows.  Added more blown insulation in the attic, and some in the walls.
My electric bill dropped almost $100 a month.  It comes on now and then, but the house really holds temp now.
Link Posted: 8/29/2014 8:46:36 AM EDT
[#15]
CVO replied:
"I bet that filter is restrictive on your older air handler. Never in my plus 45 years have I see a washable filter thats worth a dam."


Not trying to be a dick but what in your honest opinion is MORE restrictive? A cheepo disposable filter and really dirty coils or a quality electrostatic filter and really clean coils?

By the way, How much do you charge for a pretty much all labor cost coil cleaning? $150-$350 ?  Pretty good racket huh?
Link Posted: 8/29/2014 10:40:31 AM EDT
[#16]
My electric bill hit $285 this month and the hunt camp bill was $115, I'm looking forward to cooler weather...
Link Posted: 8/29/2014 10:51:42 AM EDT
[#17]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
CVO replied:
"I bet that filter is restrictive on your older air handler. Never in my plus 45 years have I see a washable filter thats worth a dam."


Not trying to be a dick but what in your honest opinion is MORE restrictive? A cheepo disposable filter and really dirty coils or a quality electrostatic filter and really clean coils?

By the way, How much do you charge for a pretty much all labor cost coil cleaning? $150-$350 ?  Pretty good racket huh?
View Quote



You use the filter in the system that it was designed for, and I can bet it wasn't setup for your washable electrostatic. The decrease in superheat alone on a cap tube system far out weights  the cost saving of cleaning the evap coils.

As far as $350 to clean the coils, that sounds cheap if done the correct way.


BTW, you could probably get away with a good pleated filter, as long as your return air isn't undersized.
Link Posted: 8/29/2014 3:18:13 PM EDT
[#18]
I keep mine at 78 while we are out. Seems like it runs forever to get back down to 75 when we get home.
Link Posted: 8/29/2014 5:50:37 PM EDT
[#19]
We recently placed the original A/C that was installed when the house was built. It sucked coming out of pocket but our bill has dropped over $50 since then. I wish I would have done it years ago.
Link Posted: 8/30/2014 6:37:36 AM EDT
[#20]
Guys I work with are telling me this has been one of the hottest years they can remember.  I believe them. From about 10am on all I want to do lately is hide indoors.
Link Posted: 8/30/2014 9:10:21 AM EDT
[#21]

Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


Guys I work with are telling me this has been one of the hottest years they can remember.  I believe them. From about 10am on all I want to do lately is hide indoors.
View Quote



Yep. This year seems exceptionally hot for some reason. Maybe it's because I'm fatter than last year.

 



A/Cs are working hard and failing left and right. We've had problems at work with a new system, and it's hard to get them out there. There very busy.
Link Posted: 8/30/2014 9:29:58 AM EDT
[#22]

Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


Guys I work with are telling me this has been one of the hottest years they can remember.  I believe them. From about 10am on all I want to do lately is hide indoors.
View Quote




 
I think we're going to have a hard winter this year.
Link Posted: 8/30/2014 10:44:39 AM EDT
[#23]

Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:





 
I think we're going to have a hard winter this year.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:



Quoted:

Guys I work with are telling me this has been one of the hottest years they can remember.  I believe them. From about 10am on all I want to do lately is hide indoors.


 
I think we're going to have a hard winter this year.




 
Hard as in...?
Link Posted: 8/30/2014 4:08:02 PM EDT
[#24]
As in for a Miami native in the panhandle being frozen.
Link Posted: 8/31/2014 9:44:14 AM EDT
[#25]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I have always been under the impression that you use more energy and run your AC harder if you turn it off and on throughout the day. So if you want you place at a nice 72 degree while you're there but when you leave it is at 80 degrees then it has to work overtime to cool it back down.

I have a programmable thermostat and have it set up like this...

0600 - 75F
0900 - 76F
1700 - 74F
2200 - 72F

I noticed y doing so my energy bill was lower. Before I simply would run it at 72F and turn it off when I wasn't home and I had higher energy bills.  
View Quote


This.

I have mine set up similarly, you don't want more than 4 degrees between hottest and coolest. I let mine go to 80 during day, 530pm down to 78 and then 76 at 830pm.

Obviously change it to your schedule, but more cooling once it is dark.
Link Posted: 8/31/2014 9:47:11 AM EDT
[#26]
Are the coils in the outside unit clean?
I just moved into a new house ( built in 2000 ) the outside coil was really dirty, grass, dirt, etc. also as the A/C tech pointed out the dryer vent comes out of the laundry room right behind the A/C unit which also added to clogging the coil. It's not working as hard, but runs a lot due to the high temps outside.
Link Posted: 8/31/2014 9:47:35 AM EDT
[#27]
Double tap.
Link Posted: 9/1/2014 1:50:58 PM EDT
[#28]
I had the same problem. A/C would run all day and house would end up at 80+ degrees. It wouldn't cool back down until the sun went down. I ended up buying a $90 attic exhaust fan and it fixed the problem by removing the superheated air from the attic. With that fan installed the house would stay at 75 degrees and the A/C would cycle on and off as it should. House was comfortable and electric bill was lowered.
Link Posted: 9/7/2014 10:31:21 PM EDT
[#29]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
I had the same problem. A/C would run all day and house would end up at 80+ degrees. It wouldn't cool back down until the sun went down. I ended up buying a $90 attic exhaust fan and it fixed the problem by removing the superheated air from the attic. With that fan installed the house would stay at 75 degrees and the A/C would cycle on and off as it should. House was comfortable and electric bill was lowered.
View Quote



This sounds like a great idea. What attic fan did you get? Does it mount on a gable end? Thermostatically controlled?
Link Posted: 9/7/2014 11:21:11 PM EDT
[#30]
i pulled my central heat and air out, shortly after moving in. i then installed a large attic fan, in the laundry room, to pull air through the house. house is quite comfortable, and my electric bill dropped about $250/month.  
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