My son has a 90 % Trane furnace; not sure of the air conditioner, but also think it is a Trane. The units are about 10 to 15 years old.

If he were to replace the air conditioner, in theory is there an advantage to replace it with a Trane? It's been my thinking to match brand units when possible.

Thanks,

Jerry
10/7/16

 

10-15 years old is not that old. Are they worn out ?

If you're replacing the whole system..... furnace and A/C.... then the replacement brand need not be Trane.

 

The state is Pennsylvania. The units are not worn out. My son was told his air conditioner was costing him money due to being inefficient. So, he was thinking of replacing it with a higher Seer rating. And no, I don't know the Seer rating. I'm guessing it is low compared to what is available now. So, I was wondering if it should be a Trane.

Is it important to match brand names for both units if only replacing the air conditioner unit? I know you stated if replacing both units, brands need not match. Can you explain in more detail for both cases?

Jerry

 

I'm not an expert in sizing and installation. I'm a service guy. My A/C is a Rheem and the furnace is a York. They aren't from the same company but work well together. I have the ability to replace my 20+ year old system... but for what.... a few dollars in energy savings.

I'll be running my equipment until it fails. The return on investment for high efficiency equipment just isn't there for me. If I was forced to replace the equipment then I would definitely opt for higher efficiency.

 

There are a few savings calculators out there. In the North your payback to replace a working system might be as long as 50 years. Much more cost effective to address insulation and air leaks.

http://www.lennox.com/buyers-guide/t...ngs-calculator

 

I agree with Pete and Astuff. In the Northeast, it's not cost effective to replace an older, working system with a more efficient new system. It will cost far more to replace the system than you'll save in energy costs (in a reasonable period of time). Furthermore, in my opinion, new systems are built cheaper and don't last as long as the older systems. My 25 year old Bryant (Carrier) A/C system has never needed any repairs other than bypassing the time delay circuitry. I plan on running it until it dies.

 

Some very good comments. I'm going to pass them on to my son.

Thanks,

Jerry