Christy
Pretty sure my downstairs a/c unit is dying. Do I need to replace both downstairs a/c and heater at the same time? Also should I replace the units for the second floor at the same time also? In this economy with three kids trying to watch every penny I can and send wisely. Also what does ice on the lines on the outside unit mean? Had the freon checked in March and supposedly both units were fine. Thanks for any help.
Answer
Hi Christy
It is a good thing having a unit for the upstairs and a unit for the downstairs. It helps control each floor much better as less dense heated air rises causing the upstairs to need more air conditioning capacity in the summer and less heating capacity in the winter. as long as their are 2 thermostats each run independently of each other. This is great because you can concentrate on just the problem unit at hand.
Ice on the unit means it is freezing up. as to why a unit freezes up check here http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkrnnDBpqKCoELqQbJRbMQrty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20110529074844AAhs60a generally you can check to make sure the filter is clean and the temperature is not set to cold and the rest is up to the tech.
That is great that you had the units checked in the spring! It is the best way to find problems before they occur. However sometimes things still happen and a leak can spring up.
As for your consideration for replacement...
how old is the unit? average life span is 15 years
Each system (if it has 2 independent thermostats) work separately of each other. so I would not worry about replacing the unit that is not causing problems.
If you do replace a unit replace the whole system of that unit. Furnace, coil, stat, lines, and condenser. The new units use the new refrigerant and are much more energy efficient. Some units have a tax rebate and even sometimes a electric company rebates for qualifying units.
Units efficiency is in SEER (seasonal Energy Efficiency Ration). it is like MPG on a car, the higher the number the less it cost to operate. Top brands are Lennox, Trane/American Standard and Carrier/Bryant. But more importantly than the brand is the quality of installation.
Use BBB to check the company's track record and look for a company that uses N.A.T.E certified technicians www.natex.org
If you have the room keep the old unit as sometimes parts from the old unit can be salvaged for repairs on the other unit you dint replace.
Other option is since you have 2 units you can just continue to repair them. The advantage is if one fails you will still have cooling/heating from the other unit so it will not be an emergency.
Also in the economy there are other things you can do to save money. You can use window int, blinds/ curtains in the summer to block out some heat. In summer set your thermostat to 78 and in the winter 68. Use fans only in the rooms that you are in to circulate air around you helping you feel cooler.
Good luck
Hi Christy
It is a good thing having a unit for the upstairs and a unit for the downstairs. It helps control each floor much better as less dense heated air rises causing the upstairs to need more air conditioning capacity in the summer and less heating capacity in the winter. as long as their are 2 thermostats each run independently of each other. This is great because you can concentrate on just the problem unit at hand.
Ice on the unit means it is freezing up. as to why a unit freezes up check here http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkrnnDBpqKCoELqQbJRbMQrty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20110529074844AAhs60a generally you can check to make sure the filter is clean and the temperature is not set to cold and the rest is up to the tech.
That is great that you had the units checked in the spring! It is the best way to find problems before they occur. However sometimes things still happen and a leak can spring up.
As for your consideration for replacement...
how old is the unit? average life span is 15 years
Each system (if it has 2 independent thermostats) work separately of each other. so I would not worry about replacing the unit that is not causing problems.
If you do replace a unit replace the whole system of that unit. Furnace, coil, stat, lines, and condenser. The new units use the new refrigerant and are much more energy efficient. Some units have a tax rebate and even sometimes a electric company rebates for qualifying units.
Units efficiency is in SEER (seasonal Energy Efficiency Ration). it is like MPG on a car, the higher the number the less it cost to operate. Top brands are Lennox, Trane/American Standard and Carrier/Bryant. But more importantly than the brand is the quality of installation.
Use BBB to check the company's track record and look for a company that uses N.A.T.E certified technicians www.natex.org
If you have the room keep the old unit as sometimes parts from the old unit can be salvaged for repairs on the other unit you dint replace.
Other option is since you have 2 units you can just continue to repair them. The advantage is if one fails you will still have cooling/heating from the other unit so it will not be an emergency.
Also in the economy there are other things you can do to save money. You can use window int, blinds/ curtains in the summer to block out some heat. In summer set your thermostat to 78 and in the winter 68. Use fans only in the rooms that you are in to circulate air around you helping you feel cooler.
Good luck
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
Title Post: 2 story house, separate a/c-heat each floor.?
Rating: 92% based on 925 ratings. 4 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
Rating: 92% based on 925 ratings. 4 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
No comments:
Post a Comment