Help! - I have bids for 4-ton unit from one company, a 5-ton unit ...

HOMEOWNER CRIES FOR HELP...

posted: September 8th, 2008 - 2:04pm

QUESTION:
I have bids for 4-ton unit from one company, a 5-ton unit from another. They say the size is a toss-up. Both are Lennox 15GSCX package units.

The bid for the 5-ton unit is a bit lower, but the guy bidding the 4-ton says I need more return air and included adding a 2nd inlet. The 5-ton also has a larger furnace section.

Is is true that oversizing AC units causes excessive cycling and higher costs?

ANSWER: Ask each and every company for their calculated heat gain and heat loss values--not only will this make it easier to advise you, but it will also show if they truly did a load calculation.

What is the approximate square footage of your home?
Where do you live?
What size unit did you have before?
Did the previous unit cool and heat adequately?

If only one mentioned the return air issue, then I would be very careful with the other contractors. No system will perform well with poor ductwork, and sometimes the system will not provide 4 or 5 tons of cooling if the ductwork is undersized and in poor condition.

Lots of things to consider when finding the right contractor.