Hey fellow Arizonans.

I will be replacing two heat pumps on my house probably around April.  Trying to get ahead of the curve and price them out now.  Pretty sure I know the specs I need and if anyone is in the business just a ballpark idea of what this costs would be nice.

Installation is easy with access to the compressor slabs from the street and one handler in an exterior closet and the other in a closet in the garage.  No attics, no tight hallways, no issues getting at anything.  I am replacing 21 year old Trane units.

I have done some research and believe the following will suffice.  3.5 ton units.  Would prefer a modern variable or two stage system.  Would like a higher seer like 16-20 and a real brand name.

Don't do any serious math just give me ballpark installation for units like this so I'll know if I'm being led to the slaughter.  Thanks guys.

Two-stage = twice the maintenance, and higher SEER will never pay for the premium.

We had a new 5-ton Train package unit put on by CFR Mechanical  last winter.  Got several quotes but Chris was the best.

Thanks.  You know I am baffled by how to calculate cost savings versus seer.  Looking at the first price quote I have it seems like the cost difference between seer levels above 15 is pretty high and looking at online calculators I am hard pressed to see the value of higher than 15 unless electric costs go up or I'm on a 20 year plan.  So I get you on that and may stick with 14-15 seer.

But from what I can tell the two stage has some distinct advantages.  As in the AC can run at a lower level and run longer which reduces hot spots and requires less power to continue versus turning on and off more often.  Not sure what to believe there.

About $1000 per ton is a reasonable estimate, skip the 2 stage and use the money for doors or windows

OK, so I understand, a 3.5 ton unit should be about $3500.  I'm assuming you mean without installation and a pretty low seer unit cause my first quote (actually second as I replaced on in my previous house) is much higher than this.

Also, how did you know I need to replace all the glass windows and doors in my house?  ESP?  

Best brand is a Trane /American standard and worth the additional cost . If you have an all in one unit it is cheaper than a 2 piece with an air handler . Make sure you use an ROC company and register it for the warrantee . All in 1 units are about $1000.00 a ton 2 piece is about 10% more. just went through it and discovered you need to get at least 5 quotes to get the best price and quality installation .
Check with Thumbtack and Home Adviser . As to windows they will save you money ,but it will take almost 15 years to recoup the cost of the new windows .

I have quotes for Trane.  Like the brand.  I am assuming all these prices everyone is giving do NOT include installation.  The first quote I have for a Trane 3.5 ton 14 seer 1 stage system is $7800.

BTW I know the windows aren't really a cost savings unless I look at the long view.  But they LOOK horrible and I need to replace them anyway for aesthetics and if I ever wish to sell.

FYI, Trane and American standard are one in the same . American standard and Trane are the same ,both an Ingersol Rand  company . American Standard is slightly cheaper but the same unit just branded differently for distribution. If you check with Thumbtack and Home Advisor you can get quotes from ROC ac contractors .if it is an all in one package heat pump you should be able to get a 3.5 to 4 ton American standard heat pump installed for around 5500.00 or less . This is the perfect time to do this as the AC guys are slow just b4 Xmas . Get as many quotes as you can and compare them .

That is interesting to know.  Yeah I'm going to get a few more quotes.  My system is currently a split system with compressor on a cement slab and air handler in a closet on one side and the garage on the other.  Guess it is going to stay that way.  So far the pricing offered is like $7800 for a Trane 14 seer 1 stage system.  A Goodman 14 seer 1 stage is $6700.  These include all taxes and removal of old stuff etc.

I was hoping to wait until April when I return with a large check from sale of an overseas property but if it makes a big difference I could do it now.  Or I could wait and see if they last another year and do it next winter.

Any of the guys you hear advertising on the radio will be 20-25% more than anyone else (have to pay for all that radio chatter)

14 vs 16 SEER: the way that math is supposed to work is you divide one number by the other so, 14/16 = .875 so 12.5% more efficient.  So if your summer A/C bill is $400 for 6 months then the higher SEER would save you .125*6*$400 or $300 a year.

Your current system is probably about 10 SEER if it's old enough to be worth replacing.

That sounds pretty much in line for what I got this last January.  I paid $6705 out the door for a 4-ton 15 SEER York system, the install/removall, rearranging some of the ducting, and a 10 year extended warranty.  I get 2 years of free checkups/tuneups, and any and all labor/parts costs are covered by the warranty.  If any of the rooms in the house are too cold/too hot ask them to look at the ducting, the original builders usually do a pretty poor job installing the ducting and it made an incredible difference in my house after the rearranging of the ducting.  The York replaced a 10 SEER Goodman that had trucked along for 14 years.

I had options of 14 and 15 SEER systems from Rheem, Heil, Goodman and York, with pricing in that order.  The difference between the most expensive and least expensive was about $300, but I wanted the extended warranty.  The extended 10 year warranty for the York was $550, but the same warranty for the other 3 cost $850, so the numbers worked out in favor of the York.  I could not have been happier with the new system this year.

Thanks.  Yeah I'm getting pretty close numbers in all the quotes.  Have decided it isn't rocket science and I'm going to wait until one dies.  Hopefully that's after me.  

I hear ya, and $6700 is a lot of money, especially around the holidays.  The one thing I wpuld caution is that if you're pretty sure it's going to crap out on you and you try to stretch it, it'll probably crap out on you in the middle of August, the same time everyone else's breaks or gives up the ghost. Installation crews are usually 3-4 guys, who will be out on other jobs so it might be a week or more before a new one can be installed.

Good points.  I actually have no reason to believe they are about to die and since I have two systems I could go a few days even in august with just the one.  So I'm waiting.  Maybe I get another year or 3.

Sounds about right.  Even going from some rattly, single-pane, shit aluminum frame windows to double and triple pane low E glass in PVC casement throughout made a barely noticeable dent in energy cost.

I've always been of the opinion that good exterior window screens and interior window coverings will do as much or more than the low E windows, especially on south and western facing windows.

Tag for later.