Decision about which central air to install

10 years ago

Greetings. I need advice. I live in an old townhouse and I have decided to install central air. I got several qoutes. But one of the qoutes the person told me that because I have asthma I should not install a two-stage central air but a variable speed unit. He said the variable speed unit is the one people like me should install. When he came to my home he told me I needed the two-stage and then when he emailed the quote he said the two-stage was more expensive and I did not need it. I do not know what type of central air to purchase. Can you please help me with your advice. The person wants to install a Heil DX 1300 variable speed. Also he said I should not install a Goodman. I like this person and I really want to hire him but he is not giving me a clear explanation.

Comments (5)

tigerdunes
10 years ago
What is your location?

How do you heat now? Ductwork system is in place already?

Post back.

IMO
ionized_gw
10 years ago
Are you aware that, as an aggregate, asthmatics are worse off in air conditioned homes? You need to be very careful about how your system is installed and maintained to keep that from happening to you. Another way of saying it is that you need a system that is much better than average in collecting dirt and growing microbes,. The cold coils need to be protected very well from soiling and cleaned regularly. Good filters on the return and easy access to the coils for cleaning are paramount.

Have you read "My House is Killing Me", by Jeffery C. May or some of his other work? I encourage you to do so before you invest in central air so you can make the right choices.
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stoveguyy
10 years ago
So townhouse is hot, humid now? Been that way forever? So how do you cool, dehumidify it? Wishful thinking?
juliekcmo
10 years ago
My opinion is that a quality basic system by a good manufacturer and experienced installer, with a nice 5 inch filter box is money better spent than a variable speed blower on the furnace. Unless your area has high humidity, and it is high even when it's not all that hot out.

A 2-stage AC unit will tend to have overall longer run times as it will run on part load initially. This longer run time does offer the filter a longer time to filter the air circulating in your home. A 2 stage unit may be a good choice in areas with high humidity, especially if it is high when the temperature is not all that hot. It helps avoid that cold clamminess that can result from not pulling out the humidity.

But overall, I would go with the most qualified installer, all things being equal.
MeloAir
10 years ago
The best advice so far in this thread has been to "go with the most qualified installer." The information was limited but in my opinion, he could have done more to address the issues and offer some viable solutions. As far as brands go, they all do a good job making equipment. Goodman is no exception, they are A+ BBB rated, ISO 9001 and 14001 certified and have the highest residential market share in the United States. I do agree with him that a variable speed blower can address some humidity issues, but there are other options as well that may work better. It may take a combination of products i.e. correct filter and ERV for example.

Here is a link that might be useful: Humidity Control