New Trane Central Ac and Furnace System

by Anonymous
(Dallas)

I just had a complete central air units installed yesterday (April 2011). I live in Dallas where cooling means more than heating. It costs 7,000 even for everything. Here is a list of what was installed for a single story 2000 sqft house.


  • Trane XR13 4 ton AC condenser.
  • Trane XR80 5 ton 1 stage with 4 speed blower.
  • New matching evaporator coil with the new R-410A refrigerant.
  • Trane XR13 4 ton AC condenser.
  • New return and supply plenums, all sheet metal construction with exterior wrapped insulation.
  • New manual air dampers at each supply duct.
  • New electrical disconnect and wiring (located outside by the condenser).
  • Added an extra return air duct, grill and filter to double existing volume of return.
  • New drip pan with overflow float switch (cut off system if drainage get blocked - keeps ceiling from getting water damage).
  • New concrete pad.
  • New programmable thermostat.



Did all the work required to rid and clean system of old coolant, hauled away old central air conditioner and did a relatively good job cleaning up.

This new central ac system is so much cooler and has better airflow than the old one and should be more efficient. I really wanted the sheet metal plenums with EXTERIOR insulation and the manual dampers.

This should really pay off in the long run for comfort and health. Next time I should just have to replace the AC condenser. Furnace later. All in all I think I got a good deal and I'm pretty sure the work is A+. I paid a little extra for the plenums, dampers and for Trane products.

One reason I went with this contractor instead of the others is, this contractor continually offered top notch material, construction and products without me having to ask.

The others would match the packages and price only after asking for the better stuff. This really spoke about the quality of work I could expect, and the contractors doing the work matter more than the brand name.

But since I could get the best brand name products with top notch quality workmanship, it really was a no brainier. I actually spent just a little more for this company than the slightly cheaper one for the same work.

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Rating
star 		Certainly far from A 5 rating! NEW
by: Anonymous

Had a new Trane whole house furnace and AC installed last August in our garage apartment which is rental property. New tenants moved in in Nov. This summer I saw 2 window AC's. My tenants are not ones to complain. I spoke with them and they had to use space heaters (!!) in the bedrooms in the winter as very little heated air came through the bedroom vents but other vents worked fine and this summer the window units were installed by them for the same reason ---too little cool air came out of bedroom vents. Rest of apartment seemed to be fine. NOW, what could be the problem? Both are 4 ton units. He has been here 3 times and each time he says it's fixed : first time he added freon, next time he did something inside the unit itself and third time he said a part had been "recalled" (?) and when it came in he would install unit. I think this is ridiculous for 2 units to be having this issue when units are less than a year old?!?? What could be going on??
Rating
star 		very dissapointed NEW
by: Anonymous

expected better very disappointed with system
Rating
starstarstarstar 		Trane unit great: installation sloppy NEW
by: Anonymous

See title. The installers failed to fix the outdoor unit to the base and left some exposed wiring. The contractor took less than five hours to install the entire replacement heating and air system and it is a Trane unit.

The unit itself is significantly quieter than my previous unit, and seems to be more efficient. Overall, I am extremely pleased with the mechanics but a little disappointed with the installation
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Electric costs after 2 summers NEW
by: Dallas Trane

I am the original poster about my new 4 ton Trane AC unit install for a 2000 sqft house. I'd like to update those who are interested on the savings due to the higher SEER efficiency. As I wrote I purchased this new Trane unit in April 2011. So I've had all summer 2011 and now all summer of 2012 to collect my electric bills and see how much if any savings are due to this new unit. The new unit is a SEER 14 - 14.5 depending on all the parts installed. The old unit was a Goodman (1996) performing around 8 SEER or so (just a guess). The following is a list of the highest electric bill for each summer. I have gas heat, so our electric bill is very little in Fall, Winter and Spring.

2006 (Aug) = $342
2007 (Sept) = $266
2008 (July) = $293
2009 (July) = $242
2010 (Aug) = $273
------------------
2011 (Aug) = $238
2012 (July) = $168

This year I saw an incredible savings. 2011 was one of the hottest summers on record. 2011 almost beat 1980 for hottest summer. DFW had 65 days at or above 100 and had 40 consecutive days at or above 100. Even with those hot days the highest bill was still below the lowest bill before the new unit. 2012 is a more typical summer. Even with 2011's record highs, the average high bill was still almost 30% less than with the 15 year old Goodman.

FYI August 2012's bill was only $152 and it was a typical Dallas August, with several 100 degree days. So for an average summer I should see around a 40% savings from the old unit.

I am more than pleased so far with the performance of the Trane, my house can actually cool below 80 on a 100 degree day (which it couldn't before). So I get complete comfort plus get to pay less for it. A win win so far in year two with the new unit.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		2 Story Residential 2700 Sq. Ft
by: Collierville TN

Used Conway Services in Memphis. Replaced outside units (2), inside coils and furnace (complete system installation) with the latest Trane 13 SEER. Replaced the thermostats,pans, fixed broken ducts, opened up new return (ceiling upstairs) which in itself immensely increased the amount of airflow. No more pilot lights either, as they use electronic ignition nowadays. The efficiency of the systems today is MUCH better than when the house was built over 20 years ago. Two days and 3 workers to finish the job. They worked about 9-10 hours each day. Service is excellent. Warranty is good. $11,652.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Who I hired
by: Anonymous

@ TC,

Wow, I believe you are being taken to the cleaners! I hired...

[Total Air and Heat Co.] (972)-233-0013 They are the Homedepot Contractor.

I got their name from the book 'Best Pick Reports' that I get in the mail. It is a blue trimed booklet that lists all kinds of contractor services.

I also got a quote from [A #1 Air]. I then negotiated the price and services between the two to get (what I believe) a low price for some very good products.

I am an architect, so I am familiar with many of the brands out there. I work with engineers and they write in their specs to only accept Trane, Lennox, or Carrier. With Trane being the best.

Another company that the city inspector said does a great job besides those two is [Avery Co.]. They are currently running ads that give you a whole lot of bang for your buck. I have not dealt with them, so I can only tell you what this inspector told me.

Good luck!

Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Who did the work on the 5 ton Trane unit?
by: TC

You talk about all the great work and how well your Trane unit works. I just got a quote for $15,000 for a 5 ton Trane unit with blower and evaporator (inside unit) and 2 additional new returns and two supplies. I have sticker shock. I'm also in the Dallas area. Can you say who did your work? Thanks ... TC
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Nice details
by: Joe

Thanks as well. Your detailed list of items will make shopping a little easier. Not sure what 'plenums' or 'dampers' are, but I'll google them.

The price seems good and inline with other quotes I've heard from friends.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		thanks
by: Anonymous

thanks for the detailed info. i now have a much better idea on what to look for and a better idea on pricing.

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