Does anyone have experience with buying HVAC hardware online? In particular, buying Goodman from retailer name removed? I understand the warranty issues, but you can save a "load of Benjamins" doing it this way.

 

It will cost you more to install it! Also it is Goodman! Which is on my list of least desirable units.

 

I did a heat pump replacement at my house. Whoever said you can't stop a Trane is wrong. I will say that I didn't determine the problem I would experience along the way that cost me time and money but I am an experience A/C guy from the Navy so I wasn't worried about the process of installation. The biggest problem I had was lack of a plenum for the new unit to sit on. The old plenum was to small for the new air handler. So I had to make one. Pulling the new line set was a real joy also. All in all I'm very happy with the install. The fact I did it myself just makes it that much better. The warranty is definately an issue. I honestly believe that it is sad when they force you to have a person do the install who is sometimes less knowledgable than you perform the install. All you pros know that you have really smart pros and some not so smart pros. In any case, you have to do it all correctly whether you are a pro or not. If you fail to perform the install correctly you will most likely be the reason the new unit fails. The unit I installed was SSX160361 + AEPF42601 + HKR-10C + TX3N4. It cost just about $3000 with the lineset and delivery. It's a 16 SEER R-410 unit when used with the Parker TXV kit.

 

Any money you save will likely be minimal if you mess up even one detail when placing your order. Pay the extra, be a little safer with a competent company and let them worry about the details, incidentals and everything required to put in a furnace.

It doesn't really pay to provide your own equipment unless it's specialty only and you had to track it down with the help of a St Bernard and a bomb sniffing rat from Iraq.

 

Well, despite anything you may see on the Goodman website about possilby longer warranties, when you buy on the graymarket, the only warranty will be 5 years, PARTS ONLY, and you may have to go through the dealer you purchased from to get parts. NO LABOR covered.

There will be someone willing to install it, but most better contractors will not, because you will tend to expect the installer to warranty the labor on any failed parts, which of course he CAN NOT because you did not buy the equip. from him.

Are you doing the install, or trying to find someone to do it?

 

If Goodman equipment is purchased off the internet you will not have a warranty through Goodman.

This is directly from a Goodman warranty:


Neither warranty applies to, and no warranty is offered by Goodman
on, any unit ordered over the Internet.

 

You had torches, 15% silver solder, vacuum pump, nitrogen, gauges, oh and you got a permit with that too? Don't want the pesky permit people looking at you funny.

Next how are you going to file for a tax credit? Got to have an invoice from a licensed contractor when you submit. Maybe it didn't qualify anyways so no big deal.

ps
thank you for your service!

 

I do have a question about legality of DIY A/C work. Is it against law or not if you do the A/C work for your own home ? How about replacing a major house wire (for my own house) without using a licensed electrician, or... Comments please...

 

Only thing that is against the law is dealing with the refrigerant. Everything else you should be good to go.

 

clocert...it does depend on the area though. Some places require only Pro's to do any sort of electrical work other than the most minor things, like changing a fixture or a switch. And some areas require ANY gas work to be done by Pro's. Also, though it might not be illegal exactly, many things require permits and inspections no matter who does it.


As to the A/C thing....hey experts..what about the thing about R410(?) that you don't have to be EPA licensed? Not that I plan on doing anything..but I've seen it come up before. Of course I realize it should be done by a Pro and everything set correctly.

 

Regardless of R-404 not being regulated in all areas, we do not differentiate in our support of diy installs here.
Some areas do not allow diy installs with 404 and as hard as it might be to believe some people do not always tell the truth about what they are working with!

 

LOL Greg yer kidding..people sometimes lie?

Understood that no advice will be given..but is it legal? PM me if you'd like..I just wonder.

And btw...404? Was that a mis-type? Never heard of 404.

OH..and I just got one of those mass mailings about "I have a great deal for you because the manufacturer wants to get these out of the wherehouse" things. Trying to push the older units for R22(?) but promising to fully support them with a service contract for the next 20 yrs. Hmmmmm?

 

Opps!
I mostly work in commercial refrigeration and R-404 is the refrigerant of choice for low temperature equipment.

 

Yeah I get those ads too from local, but somewhat obscure HVAC contractors. Usually the units offered are the older generation 10 SEER condensing units that can be cheaply changed out without having to buy a new coil or lineset. Also from the same HVAC folks, the offer of a "free" furnace with every new A/C purchase. Must be either a really low grade furnace or the price of the A/C is jacked up really high (or both!).

 

You can buy whatever you want online and sometimes you will have good luck but I have been doing this a long time and Goodman has made a lot of claims of quality improvement over the last couple of years (they finally admitted they were selling junk and said they improved it after the merger with Amana) but still when I am forced to put one in due to a customer that just wants something cheap I end up having to go back on various problems. I don't know what the percentages are or exactly how often it happens but it seems like every time to me so I sut tell people that we don't sell them.