Have you ever thought about changing the central air conditioner?

jkk04 · Feb 21, 2024

hube2 said:
We are talking about air sourced heat pumps in the OP.

Do not replace your central AC if it is still running and the only reason you want to replace it is AC. For AC only you will not see any real savings over what you have. Savings is realized by using it for heat.

If you need to replace the AC because it is at the end of its life, then replacing with heat pump is a good idea.

I have a 24k BTU ducted heat pump. There is no savings for AC in the summer, but in the winter I am paying 20% of what I was with my fuel oil fire furnace.

I really need only AC in the very hot Northern California summer season.
During the winter season, I have had a Lopi wood stove since I moved to a rural area more than 40 years ago.
No cost for firewood because I can get it as much as I want every year from my property and selling the left over.
Also, it makes such a comfortable and warm environment for the entire house with no comparison between the electric or gas heater.

hube2 · Feb 21, 2024

jkk04 said:
I really need only AC in the very hot Northern California summer season.
During the winter season, I have had a Lopi wood stove since I moved to a rural area more than 40 years ago.
No cost for firewood because I can get it as much as I want every year from my property and selling the left over.
Also, it makes such a comfortable and warm environment for the entire house with no comparison between the electric or gas heater.

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You didn't say why you were looking at heat pumps.

Like I said, if the AC unit is working I would not replace it. You're not going to see much in the way of savings. If and when the AC needs to be repaired I would be doing my own cost analysis. Will the repair cost more than replacing? If I repair it then how long can I expect it to keep running and is that time worth the cost? Same thing I do when I decide to repair a car or it's time to look for a new one.

I have been going over the same thing with my daughter. They have central AC and a fuel oil furnace. They need to replace their furnace, it's like 75 years old. In their case it makes sense to replace both the furnace and the AC even though they just had the AC repaired last summer. But until they are ready (have the money) to replace the furnace it does not make financial sense to replace the AC at this point. They can't DIY it so for their house it's going to be in the $20k range to do the upgrade.

seville009 · Feb 21, 2024

JJT said:
We had the same issue here with the two south bedrooms being too warm while the rest of the house was nice and cool. The fix for us was to leave the fan on 24x7, that equalized the entire house.

I actually leave the fan on all of the time that either the heat or a/c is running for the same reason as you. I only turn the fan off when I have the windows open on pleasant days.

ultrarunner · Feb 21, 2024

jkk04 said:
I really need only AC in the very hot Northern California summer season.
During the winter season, I have had a Lopi wood stove since I moved to a rural area more than 40 years ago.
No cost for firewood because I can get it as much as I want every year from my property and selling the left over.
Also, it makes such a comfortable and warm environment for the entire house with no comparison between the electric or gas heater.

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Nice cord wood... how is the market and curious the cost delivered or picked up?

jkk04 · Feb 21, 2024

ultrarunner said:
Nice cord wood... how is the market and curious the cost delivered or picked up?

The price of the live oak firewood per cord is around $400 with no delivery but pickup only. (firewood guy charges much higher)
Live oak tree firewood is the best, the densest, and heavy wood, burning very hot and not much ash left in my experience.

No comparison to the soft firewood like walnut, maple or even almond.

ultrarunner · Feb 21, 2024

Agreed… growing up dad had dozens of friends begging to come and clean up any toppled live oak on the property.

All changed with the burn bans and prohibition on installs of wood stoves and fireplaces.

The last time I needed to clear some oak it included me delivering and stacking cut and split green live oak for free and told mom I would rather cut sections and let it rot…

No one here in my part of the SF Bay Area had central or window A/C but as the old gas furnaces wear out they are all going to heat pumps with the benefit of A/C albeit from floor registers.

Peak A/C also corresponds with top tier PGE electric rates… at around 50 cents kWh

wilso · Aug 29, 2024

gillrich said:
thinking about it now. are old system is completely useless.

Absolutely, upgrading can make a big difference! If your system is outdated, it is better to consider new central air options. Also, for immediate relief, you might want to check out AC repair services. I had a good experience with the guys from air conditioner repair in Sacramento https://alphamechanicals.com/aіr-conditioning-repair/ They can ensure your current unit runs efficiently until you make a change.

Midniteoyl · Aug 29, 2024

Switched out 20y/o AC with a MrCool Universal 2/3 ton central air unit a few years ago and saw ~$100 drop for cooling, and more than that for heating, which was propane w/ wood stove back-up previously and now the heat pump with wood stove back-up. I've only had to run the stove once since due to -10f or so cold.

This is the '3rd Gen' version, they are on the '4th Gen' versions now:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FF2QHJG/ref=dp_iou_view_item?ie=UTF8&th=1

geteh · Aug 31, 2024

hube2 said:
We are talking about air sourced heat pumps in the OP.

Do not replace your central AC if it is still running and the only reason you want to replace it is AC. For AC only you will not see any real savings over what you have. Savings is realized by using it for heat.

If you need to replace the AC because it is at the end of its life, then replacing with heat pump is a good idea.

I have a 24k BTU ducted heat pump. There is no savings for AC in the summer, but in the winter I am paying 20% of what I was with my fuel oil fire furnace. Switched out 20y/o AC with a MrCool Universal 2/3 ton central air unit a few years ago and saw ~$100 drop for cooling, and more than that for heating, which was propane w/ wood stove back-up previously and now the heat pump with wood stove back-up like cup size swimwear. I've only had to run the stove once since due to -10f or so cold.

My central AC unit is 22 years old. The last time we used it in September, it was still working perfectly. I have read some articles that say that the life expectancy of central AC units is approximately 15 years. It is a Trane, 4 ton, 13 SEER unit. My fear is that it is going to die in the middle of July when the temp is 94 and the HVAC contractors are deluged with calls.

So, should I count myself as lucky that it lasted 22 years and buy a new one before it breaks?

Thanks