New A/C Unit

[zeke]

There's something to be said for window units. Bought our first 2 in 1972, big heavy Philco Fords, built like tanks. Paid $200 each-I think. Each gave us 20 years, run about 4 months out of the year. One thing I liked about those 2, the filter was just a piece of mesh, it got too dirty, just cut a new one. Came home one summer night 12 years ago, the PRC-made GE in my bedroom-kaput! I paid good money for it-$20 at yard sale. Got 300 days out of it. Installed my made in Thailand GE-which I had used for two summers before installing the PRC one. May, 2024, turned it on, 3 days later-OK, you don't owe me anything , paid $45 at a Goodwill. To Craigslist, found a Korean made LG, $80, the seller had it plugged in and running when I got there. We are in a hot spell here in Central NJ, abut 2 weeks in the high 80s, low 90s.

Got lucky and replaced a 20 + yr old 12,000 btu with a brand new 15,000 btu window unit in early spring. Compared to central it's loud but cools the whole mansion down. The carefully cultivated locust forest (bumble bee sanctuary) is a significant help. The canadian smoke and heat/humidity has kept me inside too much this summer.

When younger and living in sc PA, we never had air conditioning. Not so fondly remember pushing crete every work day in the summer.

 

[dockmurgw]

For some reason this thread reminds me of a blast from the past...during the Carter so called energy crisis. That time when the odd or even numbers on a license plate dictated what day you could buy gas. PSA's ran continuously during winter on the radio, "I will help my neighbor to survive, and keep my thermostat at 65". Screw that, 65 is too cold in for me in the winter, and all my neighbors survived.

 

[SMSgt]

Our S. FL AC is set at 75-76 year round. With ceiling fans, that's plenty comfortable. It amazes me to hear people say they turn their AC off during the FL "winter." I guess they don't really understand how a thermostat works.

 

[jbtrucker]

My dad worked hardware store so we had a widow unit in the living room for nights and another unit in the kitchen for days . My mom said when she was young my grandmother would hang damp bed sheets in the windows at night

 

[glenwolde]

We replaced ours (22 years old) in the townhouse we downsized too. It was $10,000 but it was a difficult installation of an entire system. We live in Texas. It will fail at the worst possible time. Plus when I called our AC guy that we've used for years he told me about the change-over to new refrigerants. Apparently the new ones run at much higher pressure and he said there were probably going to be issues with them at first. We got one of the last R410-A units in the warehouse.

I hope to live long enough to buy another one.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Having a spare window unit on hand-like having a spare anything-seems to have a talismanic effect, wards off problems and if you do have to switch units-there it is.

 

[mtgianni]

We have been married 49 years and put ac in a house for the first time in 2023. I bought a mini split for the front room and kitchen and did the install. Price to have it checked out, parts and a vacuum pump ran about $2000. IIRC, it's 24,000 btu's of cooling. We turn it on between noon and two pm and run it until eight or so at night.

 

[H Richard]

My Carrier all electric Heat Pump is near 20 years old, but I have it checked/serviced every Spring and Fall and it continues to go just fine. Has anyone put in one of the "High Efficiency" units and did it save you any amount of money?

 

[minconrevo]

The old green Rheem R22 units would last a long time, with regular maintenance. I got 40 years out of one. Replaced 2 fans and 2 capacitors over time. The newer refrigerants that are forced on us, by government mandate, operate on progressively higher pressures and are rough on unit lifespan.

I have a contract with my HVAC company to check the system twice a year. In the early summer to clean coils and check for proper AC operation. In the late fall to check for safe heater operation. I change my own air handler filter.