Good video (I'm a HVAC engineer since 1972). An influence not emphasized enough: utility cost. In our area [Phoenix], which electric company supplies your power makes a HUGE diff. Broadly speaking, in all the analyses I've done, the most efficient units come with such a high initial cost penalty that they really don't pay back in reasonable terms. Incentives by either the power company or tax breaks don't really offset the premium costs; they're marketing tricks (and often the utilities are allowed to raise their rates overall to offset incentives). While I agree that the higher SEER of staged equipment is negated at high temps, the amount of time spent at high temps is much lower than you might think. The vast number of hours of operation are at a fairly low part load, at which point the staging is saving a lot. However, the push for higher efficiency is relentless, so the "new" concepts and tricks will expand with time. BUT, the most cost effective HVAC improvement: ceiling fans. If you have a hunnerd bucks to spend on saving money, spend the first $98 on ceiling fans, and adjust the stat upward. Comfort is about 90% the feeling of air flow on the skin.
Been a year since you posted. We live in Texas and that’s exactly what we did. We keep the thermostat at 74 and run fans including a wall fall in the living room for lateral air to compliment the ceiling fan. In summer we run a dehumidifier in the living room and we are extremely comfortable. Great post!
Good video young man! Been in the trade for 36 years and this is the real deal NO sales pitch and I’m not even asking for a thumbs up 👍. Inverter technology & ECM motors are superior to traditional single speed compressors and PSC motors with regards to comfort, period no questions asked. They don’t break down as much for one simple fact they don’t have or need a contactor and they don’t have the Jolt of lock rotor amps at start up. Contactors get pitted and can single phase an expensive compressor. With that said the real saving is NOT with SEER but rather with airflow and duct design. Most homes leak air out of the ducting into attics, basements & crawl spaces by as much as 50% and air delivery is reduced by 40% to 50% due to improperly sized ducting, return air grills & cheap highly restrictive supply registers. I can get much better comfort and energy saving out of an existing system regardless of SEER rating by simply 1. redesigning the ducting 2. Fixing or replacement of ducting and registers & grills and commissioning the existing mechanical equipment. The challenge is most technicians don’t know or don’t want to or are too lazy to educate themselves on airflow measurements and static pressure readings and how to interpret the information. 🎤
Thank you! I am guilty of not being interested enough in static pressure and airflow readings... I will need to educate myself more on it. But thank you very much for taking the time to explain inverter technology and the real cause of loss of efficiency. You spelled it out wonderfully and I hope many will see your comment! A thumbs up from me for sure! 👍👍👍😄
I would challenge that Inverters are better, they may be more efficient, but they are in my experience a burden, in areas were electrical power is not stable, surges will burn out the inverter circuitry and the expense to repair them will be thru the roof, in my area this is the case and I avoid inverters like a plague.
@@thomasjust2663 You are absolutely correct however I NEVER, NEVER, NEVER install an inverter system without a voltage monitor with a built in surge protector. My favorite is the Kool Guard Intelligent Voltage Monitor with Surge Protection. I educate my customers right from the start, if they aren’t willing to invest in a kool guard I won’t install the equipment because all you’re asking for is problems. I don’t even mark up the surge protecter and show then the price. I’m glad you brought up
In the business 41 years. That Intermatic AG3000 surge protector is standard for every install we do. Your cost analysis is spot on. When a customer calls for a second price for ac or a furnace and says they want the high end system, I tell them you will never get back the money you paid with savings and the service is usually more frequent and repair parts usually more costly, as you pointed out. Trane, Carrier and Lennox cost more, use repair parts that are usually are not on the truck and take at least 2 days or more to get. Pro Tip. Goodman gets bashed as junk but are cheaper to buy, use interchangeable parts, except for defrost boards in a heat pump, every tech can service them and, like any brand, it is only as good as the installer putting it in.
I’m a 40+ year HVAC&R tech. We were installing 2 stage air conditioners years ago they maintain comfort level much better and were super efficient (for the time) overall operating costs were about half, but at about twice the price or more. I sold them mostly on comfort. The one in our home lasted nearly 30 years the 90%+ furnace made over 30 years
@Monte Glover Thank you for sharing! Both of them making it to 30 years is really good! It's always nice to hear from people who not only have experience with the units but also had it in their homes and saw first hand how good or bad, inefficient or efficient they were. So thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment good sir, have a wonderful weekend!!
Just replaced my ECM blower motor (control module went out) and startup capacitor on my outdoor unit this summer. Saved myself a crap load of money simply by having the guys to dig into and diagnose something new rather than opt for a near 14 thousand dollar replacement I was quoted. Always take time to decide if repair or replacement is more cost effective over time!
My 1993 80% Coleman/Evcon HVAC system still limping along. Replaced igniter and flame sensor once and replaced fan and service connect on condenser. Never had scheduled inspections for any HVAC! DIY! 🎲👍✌ The snowman had a total meltdown when the sun came out
My AC went out I'm in Phoenix got an estimate for $15k for high seer 3 1/2 ton split system. I decided to install two DIY mini splits that had 3 air handlers each. I ran the lines down the duct work I already had. My bill dropped $200 a month in the summer because we only run the rooms we use. The total cost was $6500 in parts far cheaper and I got inverter high seer systems. That even included all the tools I needed and I got my 608 EPA license. All of that was still cheaper then hiring a contractor.
I have been thinking about this lately. I am buying a large house in Texas. It has 3 large AC units with a typical vented attic where the air handlers are. I was wondering if I could go ductless by using the current ducting as a conduit for the refrigerant lines and using those recessed air handler ducts. My question to you is: do those multi zone mini split systems require separate lines all the way to the air handlers or can one line be split for multiple zones as needed. The issue would be running a whole bunch of new refrigerant lines to the compressor unit.
Plus, now you are comfortable with making any repairs or replacements as needed. He was comparing a ducted system to a ducted system, but mini-splits are just SO much more efficient.
i got my electric bill down to around $7 a month. When I need AC I run a Midea window AC. I’ve got some solar panels in my yard that feed onto a battery system in my closet. And it feeds my house through a transfer switch. The Midea window AC usually costs around $500 but they are often sold at Bulldog liquidators for $100. Once in awhile, when it’s super hot like today, I flip some breakers back to the grid and run my central AC…only because one cool room isn’t enough when others are in the house too.
i got my electric bill down to around $7 a month. When I need AC I run a Midea window AC. I’ve got some solar panels in my yard that feed onto a battery system in my closet. And it feeds my house through a transfer switch. The Midea window AC usually costs around $500 but they are often sold at Bulldog liquidators for $100. Once in awhile, when it’s super hot like today, I flip some breakers back to the grid and run my central AC…only because one cool room isn’t enough when others are in the house too.
As SEER goes up the % saved becomes less per unit, about 3-4% each unit. If you pay for more repairs it negates any savings. Duct work has to be perfect or SEER can be cut in half.
Having both is a good idea, especially if you have a big house and spend most of your time in one or two rooms. You can keep those rooms 5 degrees F cooler than the rest of the house as needed. I also like having a mini-spit for backup, since I live in a hot climate. If the main unit breaks down in summer at least I can keep one room livable until it is fixed.
We put in a 16 seer single stage Diakin. Only need to run the AC a few months of the year most of the time, and also it came with a 12 year warranty. Since when run heat more than cool we do have an inverter furnace, I love how silent the furnace is, you barely notice when its kicked on. If I lived in Florida probably an inverter AC would be worth it for comfort alone.
I had a 14 seer installed when my 10seer 5ton compressor died. Expected a much better electric rate during the summer. I was wrong! $10k for a 14seer 5ton package unit. It saved me a whopping $20 a month on my electric bill! 😱. So overall you can expect a $5 drop in hot climates with every seer you go up. Maybe more now that the rates have doubled due to natural gas shortage and the factor they have not been doing any upgrades to the grids till its an emergency. I knew the rates where going to double last summer so i bought an 18kbtu 22seer solar hybrid mini split. And some solar panels max it could handle and run all day free. Had an electrician install a disconnect box so i could run the higher seer during some of the night. Then Installed it all myself because i have hvac and some electrical experience. It dropped my usage in half and kept my bill a little lower than it used to be. My kwh before was 2000-2200kwh after the install with 110° days 1000-1200kwh for the hottest month. $223 bill instead of the expected $450
Our 19 seer variable speed Carrier does an awesome comfort job. It has a 10 year warranty. That is good because replacing the inverter board is $6,000! Yep, a quote direct from the dealer.
We bought a 22 seer2 unit that also runs off of solar. It was manufactured by EG4, and I like it. Not real sure how much it's going to reduce the bill, but we are getting a second one because the house's central went out, and it'd be easy to cool and heat the majority of the house with these minisplits. One reason we haven't been able to tell exactly how much we saved is we were still running this behemoth 2 ton central unit that was dying. If you have solar and can afford it, I recommend it because of how much less the dying unit was having to work on some very cold nights. We live in Mississippi, so heating isn't as much of an issue as cooling. We will see this summer just how much it can save a person. I've read that minisplits can last a long time, so I think it will work out.
I went with their EG4 6000XP off grid solar with 12 400 watt panels and 15kw of DIY lithium batteries. Runs 2 mini-splits and a window AC in my shed. When batteries are flat it has transfer switch takes grid power to the units. I only use grid power from 6-11 am while the batteries charge.
I agree. We learned. Sick of computer fancy crap. It does cost more when it breaks. And I look and scour the Internet and peoples comments for everything today that is costly because I try to get some thing that is not going to break and yet save me enough money at the same time.
I’ll grant you that. The variable capacity units sure are quiet and comfortable. But those low grade consumer electronics are just itching to leave you hot under the collar! The surge suppressor is definitely good advice.
Since many of us are putting solar power in our homes, the inverter units are advantageous. They don’t have the surge of conventional central air systems so are easy to operate on solar . A 50 amp inrush is 12.5 KW ,a very large piece of the pie in even a large solar power system. I have two 1.5K BTU mini split heat pumps running on a 5KW Growatt inverter and,after observing their gentle demand,I feel comfortable adding a third. I have a two ton window unit someone gave me that I’ve never used and doubt the inverter could handle the starting amps.
Wish i'd seen this before I installed this trane high efficiency unit for 11K. My bills INCREASED this july. My humidity is also alot worse - and I live in a desert. So much resentment.
Hey! So that doesn't sound right 😢. I used to be an HVAC tech. Just wondering what is the square footage of your house? What seer did you get? Overall everyone's rates almost doubled because of the natural gas shortage. Electric companies are off-putting the cost to us now for their failure to keep our grid at an exceptable power supply.
This same lesson can also be applied to other things as well, like buying an electric vehicle, or even a hybrid vehicle. Often, the amount saved does NOT translate to a savings over the typical life of the vehicle. Even if a new hybrid cost $10K, the time to recoup is often far longer than it would take to recover the increased price.. As applied to home air conditioning, I had an issue with my home air conditioner last year; it was apparently low on refrigerant, after 16 years. The first tech that came out didn't even bother looking at the system other than the date of manufacture. Yep, that's right - didn't bother looking.. 3 quotes for low, medium and higher end units to replace the entire HVAC system; starting at about $15K up to 25K.. No advice; no check of pressures or even the power draw from the unit ; just outright replacement. Had another company come out, and they speculated it MIGHT be low on refrigerant, but their advice, surprisingly, was to sign on the dotted line, and here's three quotes - from about $17K up to $23K. Oh, and they'll finance .. YAY.. I asked about - well, from what I was experiencing, I suspected that it was low on refrigerant; their first thing, - it'll cost $1K to replace the Condensor fan; $5K to replace the compressor, or better just replace the entire HVAC system. Hmm. They did check the pressures and the power draw; suspect that it might be low on refrigerant, but won't - you know, first - put in some refrigerant, and see if there's something that could be fixed ? Anyways, they did eventually put in some very expensive, at least to me, refrigerant. He also suggested that I could save some money on the electrical by buying a new system ( ok- a few hundred a year, $23K should be recouped in like 40 years ), and that my choice in air filters might need some adjusting downwards, .. Anyways, still running this year; no significant issues but it's still warm out. I think the smart thing is to see if it will run a year or two longer; just replacing it because someone else, that is going to make money off the deal suggests it, is not smart financial thinking. Anyways.. History: A few years back, I did have a different company come out and check the pressures and replace a failed capacitor. He even suggested that the refrigerant might have been low, but suggested not to put in refrigerant at the time. I don't get it however; when I worked on HVAC in my Army days, we checked pressures, we performed basic checks like leak detection, power draw, etc, and if need be, put in refrigerant as needed.. Why are techs so inclined to just go with "let's replace everything" because it's XX number of years old..
After replacing a builder's grade, 10 SEER, 3.5 ton, 18-year-old, split, with a name brand, high SEER HVAC, we had problems with humidity and reliability. Our ten year warranty and annual service contract on the replacement paid for itself. Every major component had to be replaced, some parts more than twice. I fail to see where the economy is in the high SEER units when we had to run dehumidifiers in addition to the HVAC.
Just one comment on what I read amongst the comments to this video... Some people are conflating solar panel usage with mini splits and raving about the low cost. My experience in a northern US climate has been that simply installing solar panels that meet your annual energy consumption is a very good idea all by its self. One could say I air condition for free. Basically all of my electrical usage is covered by the panels. And I am insulated from rate increases by the utility company. I think there is a series of priorities that should be followed when spending your money on energy... #1 seal and insulate your conditioned buildings, #2 conserve/don't waste, #3 invest in solar hot water and PV panels, #4 buy HVAC equipment intelligently (as stated in this video). But question stupidly high priced high SEER rated equipment prices. I see much of that as simply price gouging. I don't really see huge price differences if purchased on the internet. (Less price gouging) One guy here mentioned a Carrier inverter board costing $6000 to replace via his dealer.... Ebay shows these boards in the $350 range. I own rental property and had to fix the A/C on one unit last month. A $6000 quote came down to $2000 when the technician began to understand I know how HVAC works and how prices on the internet run. He knew he was price gouging.
I agree. This reminds me of people that want to save money on gas and go out and buy a Tesla, haha. I know someone that bought a high efficiency washer, but now has to wash longer and with smaller loads because the new motor is not as strong.
My electric bill dropped by 40% when I installed a new 16 SEER system along with a new furnace. I believe that the old plenum was leaking air so I installed a new plenum and made sure to seal all of ductwork with mastic.
My old 3 ton 10 seer ran from around 10AM until after midnight (granted it had a slow coolant leak on the evap coil which didn't help). I replaced it with a 14.2 Seer 2 3.5 ton unit which is able to hold temp without running non-stop and I've seen nearly 30% savings (at least in KWH) year on year. The charts all said 3 ton, but my gut said that wasn't enough, turns out my gut was right!
Don't forget that they changed the ratings to SEER2 which now has to take into account the efficiency drop of actually moving the air thru the ductwork. So what was a 14 SEER is now like 13 SEER2.
What make an a/c efficient ? Motor, compressor ?. And why this ideas/ technology was available 20/30 years ago a motor is a motor and compressor well you know what I mean , thanks. Good video buddy😊
It doesn't matter what the SEER rating is if it breaks down all the time. Whatever you might save on electric bills will be rendered moot when you constantly have to pay for repairs!
I had to ask myself ; Where does energy get lost or wasted on low efficiency units? And one answer is in heating mode de-ice cycle, new units can de-ice in minimized time frame. And of course the slower fan speeds equals less air friction . But I also saw fixed speed units with excellent ratings, at the right temperature, one reason there are no losses caused by the inverter circuit board itself.
Buying a high SEER number ac with several $K doesn't mean that it can automatically save you from paying heavy ton of electricity bill if you turn your ac on with open window and off it with window close.
TL;DR For a new house or one that doesn't have AC, get a mini-split and it will save a lot. Even without the huge savings, the comfort leads to less stress and better sleep and it is worth it. A minisplit system is best IMO. It doesn't filter air... but it also doesn't create a bunch of holes in your ceiling for HOT, dirty air to come in through. You can also get one for like $500 and install it yourself. Now most people already have their indoor ducting and all of that, but if we are thinking of a new house, an efficient minisplit is the way to go. The fact that it is quiet is another HUGE bonus. You will never hear the compressor kick on from outside, you won't hear the ducts blowing air, etc. The comfort is MUCH more than you imagine. It isn't just that the temperature is going to be controlled better, but that your house is less noisy. You aren't having to speak up ever so slightly. You aren't going to be woken up in the middle of the night (even if you don't actually wake up, your brain still does) because your AC turns on and creates noise and cold air is blasted on you with a 20+ degree temperature difference. As far as affordability, most people could afford this, but they are too busy spending money on a car or something else like that. I'd rather have a beater with a nice house.
Great video as usual Jay. I am guessing that the warranty covers the parts only on the unit & not the labor cost involved? I can only imagine the wait time on some of those high efficiency unit parts because there is a delay in getting a particular filter drier in the US, and that's for an old Lennox model unit.
You are so spot on with this video. If money isn't an issue, go for the highest seer you can afford. But... good luck with the replacement costs of failed parts which will negate the energy savings your begging about to your friends and neighbors.
@@karmendimas5274 If your selling them they're great. As for the consumer, having to replace fan motors and boards that are 3 times the price of single stage units they're over engineered units for people who are looking to have bragging rights Stick to topics that you personally have history on like I do. Multiple homes with these democrat mandate pieces of crap.
Where I live in Sweden the cooling is only needed for a couple of weeks per year while heating is required most of the year. I’m currently studying to be an HVAC engineer or technician not sure which it would be closer to in US terms. In recent years the number of heaters have really increased a lot since using regular electric heaters or oil for heating is getting way too expensive.
SEER is figured over a range of operating conditions. EER is wide open full output at one operating condition. Both are BTU per hour divided by watts. SEER numbers were not on units a few decades ago. EER numbers were. So my 1985 AC that is 8.5 EER is not magically twice as costly as a 17 SEER unit when both are at full output. A 4 year old 12000 btuh mini split i have is decent 25 seer and a great 18 eer rating. There were lower cost units with rhe same 25 seer rating and a lessor 14 to 16 eer rating. My 18 eer unit i purposely wanted because it often is used at full output. In automobile analogy SEER us like a combined City highway idling traffic jam MPG rating. EER is like driving at 85mph as salesman and wanting to know that MPG rating. Modern AC units are more efficient at lighter Cooling loads. Old ones are usually bang bang control. Either on or off. An ancient R22 AC unit often lasts many decades. Newer units run higher pressures with r410a etc. The coils are thinner so less robust. The inverter boards and electronics are lese robust to power surges. I friends vacation cabin has a 1969 R22 3 ton Ac unit. I put a new fan motor and set of compressor wires on it a few years ago..
You are recommending high seer AC only for low noise and comfort. What about the environmental benefits due to lower power consumption? That's a solid reason for me to buy high-seer AC. And lower power consumption means they are more suitable for Off-Grid solar houses.
Hello 👋 good looking buddy so good to hear your voice ❤️ 😊 Jay little Arnold is taking in every word you say. Well I'm happy 😊 to say he is doing really well lately I can't believe the difference my vet is impressed by his improvement I took him Thursday to the doctor she checked him out and gave me a grin. So I knew before she said anything it was going to be good..I'm doing pretty good too for a ol dude I have been working on my jaguar I'm restoring man parts for those cars are as high as a Porsche or Rolls-Royce is what they told me when I got another key made for it..I've got a lot of work to do to it but going to take my time...well tell everyone I said hello and I love you all very much your like the son I never had buddy..God bless 🙌 you ❤️ all my dear precious friends..
Aloha David!! Haha good that I was able to not put Arnold to sleep with my monologue. 😄 And it's very good to hear that he is feeling really great! Sounds like you are both healthy and well and the Jaguar is keeping you busy. 😅 I am sure once you are done with it, it will be even better than in the past. That's wonderful! May the Lord continue to bless you with peaceful and fulfilled days! Be grateful and happy for everything. With a positive attitude things tend to just go better overall. Thank you for the comment and the greetings, blessings to you as well my friend, love and Aloha from the islands!!! 🤙🤙😎👨👩👦🌴🌴🌞⛱🦎
@@WordofAdviceTV thanks buddy 👍..what I'm going to do with the jaguar is well they are a unibody construction you know they don't have a solid steel frame under them like the old cars once did I think 2011 the Lincoln Town car and grand marquis and crown vic was the last year ford made a real car in my thoughts of it and gm quit in 96 I think it was with the caprice and Buick road master so I'm in the process of making a solid steel perimeter chassis for it and that way it will be so much stronger and rigid..I'm thinking about going with a very high grade aluminum because some of it is stronger than steel I've heard so it's a work in progress to make it and for it not to cut down on the ground clearance etc. 👍 I think I've got it down pat..lol. I love working with metal and wood etc. It's a 99 jaguar vanden plas xj8 it's the longest one of those cars I wish I could send you some pictures of it and me and Arnold I recently downloaded snap chat but haven't figured it out good yet but I'm working on it my good man..
Good video lm with you older is better martin from houston tx what did you thinking about new refrigerate and old r 22 tnks I watch your videos a lot tnks for you advice
I'll be replacing the fan motor on my 1998 a/c soon. The prices of the motors are all over the place. I want a brand new one. How do I make sure I'm getting a new one, not a refurbished one?
@@WordofAdviceTV Thank you. I suppose that even on Amazon the seller would need to answer. I was just worried about not getting a truthful answer from them. I suppose I need to take the chance, and hope they are being truthful. Thanks for doing what you do. I've watched so many of your videos! Next up: troubleshooting my refrigerator. I'll be going over your videos about that. The price of new ones is astronomical!
After careful analysis I came to the same conclusion regarding the HVAC issue. However what I can't find is info on a heatpump water heater over a conventional electric water heater. Do you have any advice on them?
Any money you save in electric costs will go back (and then some) into repairs since the higher SEER units are more complex and use high-cost OEM parts.
I would not recommend inverters, the way they create cold is exactly the same, there is no thermodynamic advantage, the only plus they have is they control the speed of the compressor motor, thru complicated circuitry that is very sensitive to power surges, in my opinion they are mostly marketing hype by the manufacturers to sell something new.
If you factor in the much higher purchase cost, and the higher potential repair costs of the more complicated system, it is unlikely you will save enough on your electric and gas bills to justify going for the highest "efficiency" heating and cooling systems. However, if you consider comfort more important than saving a few bucks on your utility bills, I submit that going with a two stage system is well worth the extra cost. They keep your interior temperatures closer to what you set on the thermostat, and in humid conditions they take more humidity out of the interior air. As with a lot of things in life, it's your choice. Do what's best for you.
I’ve read seer is basically btu/seer. 60,000btu/15seer = 4,000 watts per hour to run. My new 15 seer 5 ton heat pump is about 800 watts less than my old 1999 TRANE unit to run per hour. Doesn’t sound like a whole lot…though my old unit was a 4 ton and pulled 4800 watts when on.
@@WordofAdviceTV goal is to save money on the install and then save money over the years. 😂 the install I’m pretty sure I got hosed as the ac went out this past July 4th weekend and the only company that was opened of course charged a couple grand more than the local smaller place in town. Was shocked to find out I could have paid $1100 less and gotten an American Standard 16 seer vs this Sure Comfort by Rheem at $1100 more and was 15 seer. Amazing how when you’re cooking in the house you get desperate. Love your videos man!!
@leuCustomKnives Oh man... Sorry to hear about that experience. Yikes! There are special cases and you seem to have drawn that short stick. Well then, may you at least stay super cool my friend!! Have a fabulous weekend as well! Followed by an even more awesome week!
@@WordofAdviceTV either way I got financing from this large ac company when others couldn’t get it done. My house is definitely COLD now 😂😂 my master bedroom especially is freezing. Thanks Jay! (Hopefully I spelled your name right. Have a great weekend and coming week as well!
It appears to me that SEER ratings can be improved two ways. #1 Via multistage or continuously variable speed motors, #2 through large surface area coils at the evaporator and condenser. The #2 variable is static equipment which rarely fails. Consumers should be more cautious of the #1 methods as repairs are more frequent and costly.
You really need to find out how much you're spending on AC and do the math. Most people use a fairly constant amount of power apart from heating and cooling most months, and have a few months where little heat or AC is needed. You can get a fair estimate by comparing those months to the hotter ones. Replacing my 1981 unit with a high-but-not-that-high efficiency unit saved a bit less per year than I could earn in interest with the money in a CD, so it was best to wait as long as possible (until it totally broke down) to fix it. The old one did keep the humidity too low though and there was no way to adjust that.
A factor not mentioned here is variable electric rates. Where I live, there are four tiers of pricing, with the top tier being about $.15 per KW hour. In the summer months, any AC would spend a lot of time running at or near the highest speeds and when this happens, I would be consuming at the top tier rate, so when the electricity is most expensive, the AC is working about near its full delivery, so the high efficiency units are not saving that much money because they have to run in higher speeds. During the spring and fall, I am usually not using much electricity to be in the the highest price tier, so a multiple speed unit can be more efficient, but it is doing so during periods where I am paying less for electricity to begin with, so the savings are not as much as they could be if I were on a fixed rate pricing. People with tiered rate pricing should study how many hours their current system spends in the higher tier pricing. If the units are running at full speed much of the summer and the energy is being purchased at the top tier pricing, the savings will not be so great as the on line calculators suggest and they may never break even on the return on their investment.
Maybe you know the answer to this. I have a backflow preventor pvc pipe 1 inch, I want to add a 1 inch brass ball valve. I read that even if you use tape for the theads these still tend to leak. I also saw other guys use teflon tape with pipe dope on top to stop any leaks in other places. This is the way I am thinking of going. Do you have advice?
Have you tried using a sharkbite ball valve fitting? One like this: amzn.to/3TTXATT They work great!! Just read through some of the reviews. Otherwise, yes. I would do 5 revolutions at the end of the pipe and 10 revolutions further in on the threads with the teflon tape to make kind of a cone shape. Along with pipe dope it should hold. 👍
@@WordofAdviceTV Interesting on the sharkbite. It is odd that it talks about cpvc. My pipe is pvc for potable but I think would work the same. Plumbers are not big fans of sharkbite connectors so I kind of avoided them. It may be an alterative. I would also have to connect to a backflow preventor and there is no sharkbite for that male to female connection but for the valve it would work.
@Design Build Fix Review Yes, it would work the same. There are mixed feelings about sharkbite. 😅 Some say they never had problems and absolutely love them and others had a few that leaked and avoid them like the plague. I guess I have worked with more people that loved them so personally I am not against them. If they are put on right and none of the teeth get bent, it won't leak. But good luck with the repair!! May it go problem free for you my friend!
I am puting in a new furnace and ac system in. The hvac guy will put in a 95% efficient unit for only $500 more. Than the 80% efficiency unit. What is the best way to go as I hear the high efficiency units are much more expensive to service?
ROFLMBO They think the degree means they will never do normal labor ever again. The manager handled that so well. Most would go off on them. Not only did he not go off but he showed the degree holder that he himself is not above manual labor.
Haha that's a good point. 😄 That reminds me of the joke about Jaguars, the reason all of them have low mileage is because they spend more time in the repair shop than out of it.
"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws." (Cornelius Tacitus) I think this correlation also works between corrupt regulators and manufacturers . . .the more regulations bureaucrats make, the more opportunities for corruption by bribes they can expect from companies that are struggling to comply with the regulations.
I can remember when "seersucker" was a thin striped fabric. There are seer "suckers" alright, but in 2022 they are something different. Enjoy replacing that x13 blower motor.
I recently replaced my 35 year old PSC blower motor with an X13 and I love it! It's much quieter (slowly ramps up and back down), it's constant torque and is about 25% more efficient so it should pay for itself in a few years. Also, the cost was around $295 and that wasn't that much over a PSC (3/4 HP) motor. Best money I ever spent on my home!
i replaced my A/C about i guess 15 or more years ago and it cut my electric bill in half, i bought the exteneted warranty and had 1 break down after 1 1/2 years old and it covered everything after that had two break downs after each hurricne, first one the unit went under water and was lucky condo insurance paid for that replacement and the next time i had to replace the fan motor upstairs, my unit is an American Standard 18.6 seer and i like the unit a lot, i hope writing this does not jinx me :) i paid $3500 instaalled with warranty long time ago, i am dsue for a new unit soon i think i want to go up in seer again
…the cost to repair these units WHEN they break down. Once you start working on and studying most any kind of machinery, you’ll begin to see that old equipment was far and away better made. Once you replace it, you have jumped on the repair and replace treadmill. Your wallet will be out of breath!
If you live in a 3 month cooling climate vs 10 month cooling climate. If you save $100 a month in 10 month cooling climate: $1,000 annually. 3 month cooling climate: $300. Simple third grade math. Inverters cost more: Yes. There are more parts to inverters: depends on manufacturer. Some incorporate communication to make them work which adds to the parts and pieces. If you only buy a unit because of the name on the side of the box? You weren't informed properly as to what you are actually buying. I installed a Bosch inverter in Oct 2019. No problems, just ordinary maintenance. No parts, no failures nothing using this in a 10 month cooling season climate. Would I do it again: Yes. It has saved me an average of 4700 KWH's annually. At 15 cents a KWH = $705 more comfortable than I was before. 4.5 x 705 = $3,172 by now I've easily recouped the difference from a lesser system, to a better one.
When buying an AC unit look only at the EER rating, and only consider single stage units. SEER ratings are useless and don't represent actual performance despite government claims. HSPF ratings on heat pumps are also pretty much meaningless and actual economy pretty much follows along with the EER rating on most units. For minisplits I recommend the pre-packaged inverter units. They have more problems but are pretty much the only reasonable option for most people. I live in a cold climate where the government doesn't care about me. If you live in California or Florida where these SEER and HSPF ratings are targeted for then they may be more useful.
You can usually replace a programmed ecm blower motor with a fairly cheap off-the-shelf ecm motor, and just give up on automatic humidity control. If the humidity is off too much, you can manually change the blower speed (install a switch or just move the speed wire to a different terminal). I did that on my parents' condo seven years ago and it's been no problem. I change the blower speed just twice per year since our weather usually transitions quickly from rainy season to dry season. The generic motor was $150 vs. $650 plus whatever programming cost would be (both probably much less than today's prices).
Good video (I'm a HVAC engineer since 1972). An influence not emphasized enough: utility cost. In our area [Phoenix], which electric company supplies your power makes a HUGE diff. Broadly speaking, in all the analyses I've done, the most efficient units come with such a high initial cost penalty that they really don't pay back in reasonable terms. Incentives by either the power company or tax breaks don't really offset the premium costs; they're marketing tricks (and often the utilities are allowed to raise their rates overall to offset incentives). While I agree that the higher SEER of staged equipment is negated at high temps, the amount of time spent at high temps is much lower than you might think. The vast number of hours of operation are at a fairly low part load, at which point the staging is saving a lot. However, the push for higher efficiency is relentless, so the "new" concepts and tricks will expand with time. BUT, the most cost effective HVAC improvement: ceiling fans. If you have a hunnerd bucks to spend on saving money, spend the first $98 on ceiling fans, and adjust the stat upward. Comfort is about 90% the feeling of air flow on the skin.
Well said 👍
Don't forget that they're quoting a 10 year lifespan now. I have window units that have lasted longer than that. It's complete insanity.
Been a year since you posted. We live in Texas and that’s exactly what we did. We keep the thermostat at 74 and run fans including a wall fall in the living room for lateral air to compliment the ceiling fan. In summer we run a dehumidifier in the living room and we are extremely comfortable. Great post!
Good video young man! Been in the trade for 36 years and this is the real deal NO sales pitch and I’m not even asking for a thumbs up 👍. Inverter technology & ECM motors are superior to traditional single speed compressors and PSC motors with regards to comfort, period no questions asked. They don’t break down as much for one simple fact they don’t have or need a contactor and they don’t have the Jolt of lock rotor amps at start up. Contactors get pitted and can single phase an expensive compressor. With that said the real saving is NOT with SEER but rather with airflow and duct design. Most homes leak air out of the ducting into attics, basements & crawl spaces by as much as 50% and air delivery is reduced by 40% to 50% due to improperly sized ducting, return air grills & cheap highly restrictive supply registers. I can get much better comfort and energy saving out of an existing system regardless of SEER rating by simply 1. redesigning the ducting 2. Fixing or replacement of ducting and registers & grills and commissioning the existing mechanical equipment. The challenge is most technicians don’t know or don’t want to or are too lazy to educate themselves on airflow measurements and static pressure readings and how to interpret the information. 🎤
Thank you! I am guilty of not being interested enough in static pressure and airflow readings... I will need to educate myself more on it. But thank you very much for taking the time to explain inverter technology and the real cause of loss of efficiency. You spelled it out wonderfully and I hope many will see your comment! A thumbs up from me for sure! 👍👍👍😄
Wish you worked in my area!
I would challenge that Inverters are better, they may be more efficient, but they are in my experience a burden, in areas were electrical power is not stable, surges will burn out the inverter circuitry and the expense to repair them will be thru the roof, in my area this is the case and I avoid inverters like a plague.
@@thomasjust2663 You are absolutely correct however I NEVER, NEVER, NEVER install an inverter system without a voltage monitor with a built in surge protector. My favorite is the Kool Guard Intelligent Voltage Monitor with Surge Protection. I educate my customers right from the start, if they aren’t willing to invest in a kool guard I won’t install the equipment because all you’re asking for is problems. I don’t even mark up the surge protecter and show then the price. I’m glad you brought up
@@victorsr6708 does this apply to the AC unit and/or furnace?
In the business 41 years. That Intermatic AG3000 surge protector is standard for every install we do. Your cost analysis is spot on. When a customer calls for a second price for ac or a furnace and says they want the high end system, I tell them you will never get back the money you paid with savings and the service is usually more frequent and repair parts usually more costly, as you pointed out. Trane, Carrier and Lennox cost more, use repair parts that are usually are not on the truck and take at least 2 days or more to get. Pro Tip. Goodman gets bashed as junk but are cheaper to buy, use interchangeable parts, except for defrost boards in a heat pump, every tech can service them and, like any brand, it is only as good as the installer putting it in.
I’m a 40+ year HVAC&R tech. We were installing 2 stage air conditioners years ago they maintain comfort level much better and were super efficient (for the time) overall operating costs were about half, but at about twice the price or more. I sold them mostly on comfort. The one in our home lasted nearly 30 years the 90%+ furnace made over 30 years
We can't run the ac in California. Saving alot of money 💰
Know the difference between the Titanic and California? The Titanic had its lights on when it went down..
@Monte Glover
Thank you for sharing! Both of them making it to 30 years is really good! It's always nice to hear from people who not only have experience with the units but also had it in their homes and saw first hand how good or bad, inefficient or efficient they were. So thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment good sir, have a wonderful weekend!!
@@lnk4328 omg I shouldn't laugh but that's funny
The most informative non-biased AC video I’ve found. Thank you. We are shopping for new a HVAC system - Thank you!
Just replaced my ECM blower motor (control module went out) and startup capacitor on my outdoor unit this summer. Saved myself a crap load of money simply by having the guys to dig into and diagnose something new rather than opt for a near 14 thousand dollar replacement I was quoted. Always take time to decide if repair or replacement is more cost effective over time!
My 1993 80% Coleman/Evcon HVAC system still limping along. Replaced igniter and flame sensor once and replaced fan and service connect on condenser. Never had scheduled inspections for any HVAC! DIY!
🎲👍✌ The snowman had a total meltdown when the sun came out
I always enjoy your videos. Great info and low BS. Thank you 😊
Thank you Michael!! Glad you like videos. Have an amazing weekend! 👍👍
My AC went out I'm in Phoenix got an estimate for $15k for high seer 3 1/2 ton split system. I decided to install two DIY mini splits that had 3 air handlers each. I ran the lines down the duct work I already had. My bill dropped $200 a month in the summer because we only run the rooms we use. The total cost was $6500 in parts far cheaper and I got inverter high seer systems. That even included all the tools I needed and I got my 608 EPA license. All of that was still cheaper then hiring a contractor.
I have been thinking about this lately. I am buying a large house in Texas. It has 3 large AC units with a typical vented attic where the air handlers are. I was wondering if I could go ductless by using the current ducting as a conduit for the refrigerant lines and using those recessed air handler ducts. My question to you is: do those multi zone mini split systems require separate lines all the way to the air handlers or can one line be split for multiple zones as needed. The issue would be running a whole bunch of new refrigerant lines to the compressor unit.
@@michaelmurphy6687quite confident they are individual. Look into DIY mini split systems on HVAC direct. That's where I got my systems last year
Plus, now you are comfortable with making any repairs or replacements as needed. He was comparing a ducted system to a ducted system, but mini-splits are just SO much more efficient.
i got my electric bill down to around $7 a month. When I need AC I run a Midea window AC. I’ve got some solar panels in my yard that feed onto a battery system in my closet. And it feeds my house through a transfer switch. The Midea window AC usually costs around $500 but they are often sold at Bulldog liquidators for $100. Once in awhile, when it’s super hot like today, I flip some breakers back to the grid and run my central AC…only because one cool room isn’t enough when others are in the house too.
i got my electric bill down to around $7 a month. When I need AC I run a Midea window AC. I’ve got some solar panels in my yard that feed onto a battery system in my closet. And it feeds my house through a transfer switch. The Midea window AC usually costs around $500 but they are often sold at Bulldog liquidators for $100. Once in awhile, when it’s super hot like today, I flip some breakers back to the grid and run my central AC…only because one cool room isn’t enough when others are in the house too.
As SEER goes up the % saved becomes less per unit, about 3-4% each unit. If you pay for more repairs it negates any savings. Duct work has to be perfect or SEER can be cut in half.
Thank you for explaining it simply and plainly AD! Much appreciated!
Honest video!!
If you truly want to save money, just buy mini split and install yourself.
Having both is a good idea, especially if you have a big house and spend most of your time in one or two rooms. You can keep those rooms 5 degrees F cooler than the rest of the house as needed. I also like having a mini-spit for backup, since I live in a hot climate. If the main unit breaks down in summer at least I can keep one room livable until it is fixed.
This guy know what he talking about!. I’m agree 👍
We put in a 16 seer single stage Diakin. Only need to run the AC a few months of the year most of the time, and also it came with a 12 year warranty.
Since when run heat more than cool we do have an inverter furnace, I love how silent the furnace is, you barely notice when its kicked on. If I lived in Florida probably an inverter AC would be worth it for comfort alone.
I had a 14 seer installed when my 10seer 5ton compressor died. Expected a much better electric rate during the summer. I was wrong! $10k for a 14seer 5ton package unit. It saved me a whopping $20 a month on my electric bill! 😱. So overall you can expect a $5 drop in hot climates with every seer you go up. Maybe more now that the rates have doubled due to natural gas shortage and the factor they have not been doing any upgrades to the grids till its an emergency. I knew the rates where going to double last summer so i bought an 18kbtu 22seer solar hybrid mini split. And some solar panels max it could handle and run all day free. Had an electrician install a disconnect box so i could run the higher seer during some of the night. Then Installed it all myself because i have hvac and some electrical experience. It dropped my usage in half and kept my bill a little lower than it used to be. My kwh before was 2000-2200kwh after the install with 110° days 1000-1200kwh for the hottest month. $223 bill instead of the expected $450
Our 19 seer variable speed Carrier does an awesome comfort job. It has a 10 year warranty. That is good because replacing the inverter board is $6,000! Yep, a quote direct from the dealer.
We bought a 22 seer2 unit that also runs off of solar. It was manufactured by EG4, and I like it. Not real sure how much it's going to reduce the bill, but we are getting a second one because the house's central went out, and it'd be easy to cool and heat the majority of the house with these minisplits. One reason we haven't been able to tell exactly how much we saved is we were still running this behemoth 2 ton central unit that was dying. If you have solar and can afford it, I recommend it because of how much less the dying unit was having to work on some very cold nights. We live in Mississippi, so heating isn't as much of an issue as cooling. We will see this summer just how much it can save a person. I've read that minisplits can last a long time, so I think it will work out.
I went with their EG4 6000XP off grid solar with 12 400 watt panels and 15kw of DIY lithium batteries. Runs 2 mini-splits and a window AC in my shed. When batteries are flat it has transfer switch takes grid power to the units. I only use grid power from 6-11 am while the batteries charge.
Best way to save on your energy bill is to buy solar(if you live in a sunny state)
Love an honest man.
Thank you Larry! Appreciate you stopping by, have a fantastic weekend!!
I agree. We learned. Sick of computer fancy crap. It does cost more when it breaks. And I look and scour the Internet and peoples comments for everything today that is costly because I try to get some thing that is not going to break and yet save me enough money at the same time.
I’ll grant you that. The variable capacity units sure are quiet and comfortable. But those low grade consumer electronics are just itching to leave you hot under the collar! The surge suppressor is definitely good advice.
Oh boy…. It’s like car manufacturers with the start/Stop… it barely saves a few bucks but wears out your starter, which cost thousands to replace.
Since many of us are putting solar power in our homes, the inverter units are advantageous. They don’t have the surge of conventional central air systems so are easy to operate on solar . A 50 amp inrush is 12.5 KW ,a very large piece of the pie in even a large solar power system. I have two 1.5K BTU mini split heat pumps running on a 5KW Growatt inverter and,after observing their gentle demand,I feel comfortable adding a third. I have a two ton window unit someone gave me that I’ve never used and doubt the inverter could handle the starting amps.
Wish i'd seen this before I installed this trane high efficiency unit for 11K. My bills INCREASED this july. My humidity is also alot worse - and I live in a desert. So much resentment.
Hey! So that doesn't sound right 😢. I used to be an HVAC tech. Just wondering what is the square footage of your house? What seer did you get? Overall everyone's rates almost doubled because of the natural gas shortage. Electric companies are off-putting the cost to us now for their failure to keep our grid at an exceptable power supply.
Sorry for your Trane wreck!😢
i've heard the HE units dont do a good job at removing humidity
This same lesson can also be applied to other things as well, like buying an electric vehicle, or even a hybrid vehicle. Often, the amount saved does NOT translate to a savings over the typical life of the vehicle. Even if a new hybrid cost $10K, the time to recoup is often far longer than it would take to recover the increased price..
As applied to home air conditioning, I had an issue with my home air conditioner last year; it was apparently low on refrigerant, after 16 years. The first tech that came out didn't even bother looking at the system other than the date of manufacture. Yep, that's right - didn't bother looking.. 3 quotes for low, medium and higher end units to replace the entire HVAC system; starting at about $15K up to 25K.. No advice; no check of pressures or even the power draw from the unit ; just outright replacement. Had another company come out, and they speculated it MIGHT be low on refrigerant, but their advice, surprisingly, was to sign on the dotted line, and here's three quotes - from about $17K up to $23K. Oh, and they'll finance .. YAY.. I asked about - well, from what I was experiencing, I suspected that it was low on refrigerant; their first thing, - it'll cost $1K to replace the Condensor fan; $5K to replace the compressor, or better just replace the entire HVAC system. Hmm. They did check the pressures and the power draw; suspect that it might be low on refrigerant, but won't - you know, first - put in some refrigerant, and see if there's something that could be fixed ? Anyways, they did eventually put in some very expensive, at least to me, refrigerant. He also suggested that I could save some money on the electrical by buying a new system ( ok- a few hundred a year, $23K should be recouped in like 40 years ), and that my choice in air filters might need some adjusting downwards, .. Anyways, still running this year; no significant issues but it's still warm out. I think the smart thing is to see if it will run a year or two longer; just replacing it because someone else, that is going to make money off the deal suggests it, is not smart financial thinking. Anyways..
History: A few years back, I did have a different company come out and check the pressures and replace a failed capacitor. He even suggested that the refrigerant might have been low, but suggested not to put in refrigerant at the time. I don't get it however; when I worked on HVAC in my Army days, we checked pressures, we performed basic checks like leak detection, power draw, etc, and if need be, put in refrigerant as needed.. Why are techs so inclined to just go with "let's replace everything" because it's XX number of years old..
After replacing a builder's grade, 10 SEER, 3.5 ton, 18-year-old, split, with a name brand, high SEER HVAC, we had problems with humidity and reliability.
Our ten year warranty and annual service contract on the replacement paid for itself. Every major component had to be replaced, some parts more than twice.
I fail to see where the economy is in the high SEER units when we had to run dehumidifiers in addition to the HVAC.
Just one comment on what I read amongst the comments to this video... Some people are conflating solar panel usage with mini splits and raving about the low cost. My experience in a northern US climate has been that simply installing solar panels that meet your annual energy consumption is a very good idea all by its self. One could say I air condition for free. Basically all of my electrical usage is covered by the panels. And I am insulated from rate increases by the utility company. I think there is a series of priorities that should be followed when spending your money on energy... #1 seal and insulate your conditioned buildings, #2 conserve/don't waste, #3 invest in solar hot water and PV panels, #4 buy HVAC equipment intelligently (as stated in this video). But question stupidly high priced high SEER rated equipment prices. I see much of that as simply price gouging. I don't really see huge price differences if purchased on the internet. (Less price gouging) One guy here mentioned a Carrier inverter board costing $6000 to replace via his dealer.... Ebay shows these boards in the $350 range. I own rental property and had to fix the A/C on one unit last month. A $6000 quote came down to $2000 when the technician began to understand I know how HVAC works and how prices on the internet run. He knew he was price gouging.
I agree. This reminds me of people that want to save money on gas and go out and buy a Tesla, haha. I know someone that bought a high efficiency washer, but now has to wash longer and with smaller loads because the new motor is not as strong.
My electric bill dropped by 40% when I installed a new 16 SEER system along with a new furnace. I believe that the old plenum was leaking air so I installed a new plenum and made sure to seal all of ductwork with mastic.
So you didn't pin down just WHERE the savings came from.....it could be from several sources
Thanks again for this information.
My old 3 ton 10 seer ran from around 10AM until after midnight (granted it had a slow coolant leak on the evap coil which didn't help). I replaced it with a 14.2 Seer 2 3.5 ton unit which is able to hold temp without running non-stop and I've seen nearly 30% savings (at least in KWH) year on year. The charts all said 3 ton, but my gut said that wasn't enough, turns out my gut was right!
Love your comparison. Kinda like having to pay $1200 for an oil change on a Maserati! Enjoyable ride till you need to maintain or repair!
Don't forget that they changed the ratings to SEER2 which now has to take into account the efficiency drop of actually moving the air thru the ductwork. So what was a 14 SEER is now like 13 SEER2.
This is good info and confirms what I was thinking.
Excellent video! Thanks for sharing!
What make an a/c efficient ? Motor, compressor ?. And why this ideas/ technology was available 20/30 years ago a motor is a motor and compressor well you know what I mean , thanks. Good video buddy😊
It doesn't matter what the SEER rating is if it breaks down all the time. Whatever you might save on electric bills will be rendered moot when you constantly have to pay for repairs!
I can only agree with that statement! 👍
lol, you act like EVERYONE's system is 'breaking down' lol, not true! so yes, there is a benefit to those higher seer ratings
I had to ask myself ; Where does energy get lost or wasted on low efficiency units? And one answer is in heating mode de-ice cycle, new units can de-ice in minimized time frame. And of course the slower fan speeds equals less air friction .
But I also saw fixed speed units with excellent ratings, at the right temperature, one reason there are no losses caused by the inverter circuit board itself.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Nathan! Have an awesome weekend!
nice video keep it up mr jay
Thank you good sir! May you have a marvelous weekend!!
Buying a high SEER number ac with several $K doesn't mean that it can automatically save you from paying heavy ton of electricity bill if you turn your ac on with open window and off it with window close.
TL;DR For a new house or one that doesn't have AC, get a mini-split and it will save a lot. Even without the huge savings, the comfort leads to less stress and better sleep and it is worth it.
A minisplit system is best IMO. It doesn't filter air... but it also doesn't create a bunch of holes in your ceiling for HOT, dirty air to come in through. You can also get one for like $500 and install it yourself. Now most people already have their indoor ducting and all of that, but if we are thinking of a new house, an efficient minisplit is the way to go. The fact that it is quiet is another HUGE bonus. You will never hear the compressor kick on from outside, you won't hear the ducts blowing air, etc.
The comfort is MUCH more than you imagine. It isn't just that the temperature is going to be controlled better, but that your house is less noisy. You aren't having to speak up ever so slightly. You aren't going to be woken up in the middle of the night (even if you don't actually wake up, your brain still does) because your AC turns on and creates noise and cold air is blasted on you with a 20+ degree temperature difference.
As far as affordability, most people could afford this, but they are too busy spending money on a car or something else like that. I'd rather have a beater with a nice house.
Great video as usual Jay. I am guessing that the warranty covers the parts only on the unit & not the labor cost involved? I can only imagine the wait time on some of those high efficiency unit parts because there is a delay in getting a particular filter drier in the US, and that's for an old Lennox model unit.
You are so spot on with this video. If money isn't an issue, go for the highest seer you can afford. But... good luck with the replacement costs of failed parts which will negate the energy savings your begging about to your friends and neighbors.
*bragging*
Yup.. It's all a matter of perspective. 😅 Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment Alan, have a phenomenal weekend!!
you act like everyone who has these are going to be breaking down all the time, not true, talk about sensationalizing!
@@karmendimas5274 If your selling them they're great. As for the consumer, having to replace fan motors and boards that are 3 times the price of single stage units they're over engineered units for people who are looking to have bragging rights Stick to topics that you personally have history on like I do. Multiple homes with these democrat mandate pieces of crap.
@@aland680 LOL, IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?? LOL TRY HARDER,
👏😍👍🥰 watching from Philippines 🇵🇭
Where I live in Sweden the cooling is only needed for a couple of weeks per year while heating is required most of the year. I’m currently studying to be an HVAC engineer or technician not sure which it would be closer to in US terms. In recent years the number of heaters have really increased a lot since using regular electric heaters or oil for heating is getting way too expensive.
SEER is figured over a range of operating conditions. EER is wide open full output at one operating condition. Both are BTU per hour divided by watts. SEER numbers were not on units a few decades ago. EER numbers were.
So my 1985 AC that is 8.5 EER is not magically twice as costly as a 17 SEER unit when both are at full output.
A 4 year old 12000 btuh mini split i have is decent 25 seer and a great 18 eer rating. There were lower cost units with rhe same 25 seer rating and a lessor 14 to 16 eer rating. My 18 eer unit i purposely wanted because it often is used at full output.
In automobile analogy SEER us like a combined City highway idling traffic jam MPG rating. EER is like driving at 85mph as salesman and wanting to know that MPG rating.
Modern AC units are more efficient at lighter Cooling loads. Old ones are usually bang bang control. Either on or off.
An ancient R22 AC unit often lasts many decades. Newer units run higher pressures with r410a etc. The coils are thinner so less robust. The inverter boards and electronics are lese robust to power surges. I friends vacation cabin has a 1969 R22 3 ton Ac unit. I put a new fan motor and set of compressor wires on it a few years ago..
You are recommending high seer AC only for low noise and comfort. What about the environmental benefits due to lower power consumption? That's a solid reason for me to buy high-seer AC. And lower power consumption means they are more suitable for Off-Grid solar houses.
Hello 👋 good looking buddy so good to hear your voice ❤️ 😊 Jay little Arnold is taking in every word you say. Well I'm happy 😊 to say he is doing really well lately I can't believe the difference my vet is impressed by his improvement I took him Thursday to the doctor she checked him out and gave me a grin. So I knew before she said anything it was going to be good..I'm doing pretty good too for a ol dude I have been working on my jaguar I'm restoring man parts for those cars are as high as a Porsche or Rolls-Royce is what they told me when I got another key made for it..I've got a lot of work to do to it but going to take my time...well tell everyone I said hello and I love you all very much your like the son I never had buddy..God bless 🙌 you ❤️ all my dear precious friends..
Aloha David!! Haha good that I was able to not put Arnold to sleep with my monologue. 😄 And it's very good to hear that he is feeling really great! Sounds like you are both healthy and well and the Jaguar is keeping you busy. 😅 I am sure once you are done with it, it will be even better than in the past. That's wonderful! May the Lord continue to bless you with peaceful and fulfilled days! Be grateful and happy for everything. With a positive attitude things tend to just go better overall. Thank you for the comment and the greetings, blessings to you as well my friend, love and Aloha from the islands!!! 🤙🤙😎👨👩👦🌴🌴🌞⛱🦎
@@WordofAdviceTV thanks buddy 👍..what I'm going to do with the jaguar is well they are a unibody construction you know they don't have a solid steel frame under them like the old cars once did I think 2011 the Lincoln Town car and grand marquis and crown vic was the last year ford made a real car in my thoughts of it and gm quit in 96 I think it was with the caprice and Buick road master so I'm in the process of making a solid steel perimeter chassis for it and that way it will be so much stronger and rigid..I'm thinking about going with a very high grade aluminum because some of it is stronger than steel I've heard so it's a work in progress to make it and for it not to cut down on the ground clearance etc. 👍 I think I've got it down pat..lol. I love working with metal and wood etc. It's a 99 jaguar vanden plas xj8 it's the longest one of those cars I wish I could send you some pictures of it and me and Arnold I recently downloaded snap chat but haven't figured it out good yet but I'm working on it my good man..
Good video lm with you older is better martin from houston tx what did you thinking about new refrigerate and old r 22 tnks I watch your videos a lot tnks for you advice
I'll be replacing the fan motor on my 1998 a/c soon. The prices of the motors are all over the place. I want a brand new one. How do I make sure I'm getting a new one, not a refurbished one?
Before buying you could reach out to the seller and just ask them directly. That would be the surefire way.
@@WordofAdviceTV Thank you. I suppose that even on Amazon the seller would need to answer. I was just worried about not getting a truthful answer from them. I suppose I need to take the chance, and hope they are being truthful. Thanks for doing what you do. I've watched so many of your videos! Next up: troubleshooting my refrigerator. I'll be going over your videos about that. The price of new ones is astronomical!
After careful analysis I came to the same conclusion regarding the HVAC issue. However what I can't find is info on a heatpump water heater over a conventional electric water heater. Do you have any advice on them?
Any money you save in electric costs will go back (and then some) into repairs since the higher SEER units are more complex and use high-cost OEM parts.
I would not recommend inverters, the way they create cold is exactly the same, there is no thermodynamic advantage, the only plus they have is they control the speed of the compressor motor, thru complicated circuitry that is very sensitive to power surges, in my opinion they are mostly marketing hype by the manufacturers to sell something new.
100% true!
If you factor in the much higher purchase cost, and the higher potential repair costs of the more complicated system, it is unlikely you will save enough on your electric and gas bills to justify going for the highest "efficiency" heating and cooling systems. However, if you consider comfort more important than saving a few bucks on your utility bills, I submit that going with a two stage system is well worth the extra cost. They keep your interior temperatures closer to what you set on the thermostat, and in humid conditions they take more humidity out of the interior air. As with a lot of things in life, it's your choice. Do what's best for you.
I’ve read seer is basically btu/seer. 60,000btu/15seer = 4,000 watts per hour to run. My new 15 seer 5 ton heat pump is about 800 watts less than my old 1999 TRANE unit to run per hour. Doesn’t sound like a whole lot…though my old unit was a 4 ton and pulled 4800 watts when on.
Yup.. Like I said in the video, if the goal is to save money, then may as well just get a "builder grade" air conditioner.
@@WordofAdviceTV goal is to save money on the install and then save money over the years. 😂 the install I’m pretty sure I got hosed as the ac went out this past July 4th weekend and the only company that was opened of course charged a couple grand more than the local smaller place in town. Was shocked to find out I could have paid $1100 less and gotten an American Standard 16 seer vs this Sure Comfort by Rheem at $1100 more and was 15 seer. Amazing how when you’re cooking in the house you get desperate. Love your videos man!!
@leuCustomKnives Oh man... Sorry to hear about that experience. Yikes! There are special cases and you seem to have drawn that short stick. Well then, may you at least stay super cool my friend!! Have a fabulous weekend as well! Followed by an even more awesome week!
@@WordofAdviceTV either way I got financing from this large ac company when others couldn’t get it done. My house is definitely COLD now 😂😂 my master bedroom especially is freezing. Thanks Jay! (Hopefully I spelled your name right. Have a great weekend and coming week as well!
It appears to me that SEER ratings can be improved two ways. #1 Via multistage or continuously variable speed motors, #2 through large surface area coils at the evaporator and condenser. The #2 variable is static equipment which rarely fails. Consumers should be more cautious of the #1 methods as repairs are more frequent and costly.
Can you do some videos on water purification/softening systems?
Very good !
I'm going towards an inverter (only for me)
I will not install one!
🍺🍺🍺🥃🥃
May it serve you well and have none of the problems others talk about!! 😄
@@WordofAdviceTV that's why I wouldn't install them for anyone but me.
You really need to find out how much you're spending on AC and do the math. Most people use a fairly constant amount of power apart from heating and cooling most months, and have a few months where little heat or AC is needed. You can get a fair estimate by comparing those months to the hotter ones.
Replacing my 1981 unit with a high-but-not-that-high efficiency unit saved a bit less per year than I could earn in interest with the money in a CD, so it was best to wait as long as possible (until it totally broke down) to fix it. The old one did keep the humidity too low though and there was no way to adjust that.
What about geothermal / ground source heat pumps?
👍👍👍 well said
Thank you Harry!! 👍👍👍 May you have another fantastic weekend good sir!!
A factor not mentioned here is variable electric rates. Where I live, there are four tiers of pricing, with the top tier being about $.15 per KW hour. In the summer months, any AC would spend a lot of time running at or near the highest speeds and when this happens, I would be consuming at the top tier rate, so when the electricity is most expensive, the AC is working about near its full delivery, so the high efficiency units are not saving that much money because they have to run in higher speeds. During the spring and fall, I am usually not using much electricity to be in the the highest price tier, so a multiple speed unit can be more efficient, but it is doing so during periods where I am paying less for electricity to begin with, so the savings are not as much as they could be if I were on a fixed rate pricing. People with tiered rate pricing should study how many hours their current system spends in the higher tier pricing. If the units are running at full speed much of the summer and the energy is being purchased at the top tier pricing, the savings will not be so great as the on line calculators suggest and they may never break even on the return on their investment.
Agreed 100%👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏👏
Glad to hear you agreed! Thank you for stopping by Carlos, have a fabulous weekend! 🤜🤛🤙👌👍
Is SEER computed differently in the US than Europe?! I never saw a SEER above 9 for ACs sold in Romanian shops.
Im in the us and i've never heard of SEER
Maybe you know the answer to this. I have a backflow preventor pvc pipe 1 inch, I want to add a 1 inch brass ball valve. I read that even if you use tape for the theads these still tend to leak. I also saw other guys use teflon tape with pipe dope on top to stop any leaks in other places. This is the way I am thinking of going. Do you have advice?
Have you tried using a sharkbite ball valve fitting? One like this: amzn.to/3TTXATT
They work great!! Just read through some of the reviews.
Otherwise, yes. I would do 5 revolutions at the end of the pipe and 10 revolutions further in on the threads with the teflon tape to make kind of a cone shape. Along with pipe dope it should hold. 👍
@@WordofAdviceTV Interesting on the sharkbite. It is odd that it talks about cpvc. My pipe is pvc for potable but I think would work the same. Plumbers are not big fans of sharkbite connectors so I kind of avoided them. It may be an alterative. I would also have to connect to a backflow preventor and there is no sharkbite for that male to female connection but for the valve it would work.
@Design Build Fix Review
Yes, it would work the same. There are mixed feelings about sharkbite. 😅 Some say they never had problems and absolutely love them and others had a few that leaked and avoid them like the plague. I guess I have worked with more people that loved them so personally I am not against them. If they are put on right and none of the teeth get bent, it won't leak. But good luck with the repair!! May it go problem free for you my friend!
Yea it saves money
I am puting in a new furnace and ac system in. The hvac guy will put in a 95% efficient unit for only $500 more. Than the 80% efficiency unit. What is the best way to go as I hear the high efficiency units are much more expensive to service?
Buy a labor warranty.
ROFLMBO They think the degree means they will never do normal labor ever again. The manager handled that so well. Most would go off on them. Not only did he not go off but he showed the degree holder that he himself is not above manual labor.
Inverter is good because it does not have to cycle. But thats about the only benefit.
well if you do not use it, you save alot..after that..how comfortable do you want to be.
Haha that's a good point. 😄 That reminds me of the joke about Jaguars, the reason all of them have low mileage is because they spend more time in the repair shop than out of it.
"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws." (Cornelius Tacitus) I think this correlation also works between corrupt regulators and manufacturers . . .the more regulations bureaucrats make, the more opportunities for corruption by bribes they can expect from companies that are struggling to comply with the regulations.
Very sound reasoning! Thank you for shedding light on the dark side of regulations!
I can remember when "seersucker" was a thin striped fabric. There are seer "suckers" alright, but in 2022 they are something different. Enjoy replacing that x13 blower motor.
Lol thank you for the extra bit of trivia Sam! 😅
I recently replaced my 35 year old PSC blower motor with an X13 and I love it! It's much quieter (slowly ramps up and back down), it's constant torque and is about 25% more efficient so it should pay for itself in a few years. Also, the cost was around $295 and that wasn't that much over a PSC (3/4 HP) motor. Best money I ever spent on my home!
i replaced my A/C about i guess 15 or more years ago and it cut my electric bill in half, i bought the exteneted warranty and had 1 break down after 1 1/2 years old and it covered everything after that had two break downs after each hurricne, first one the unit went under water and was lucky condo insurance paid for that replacement and the next time i had to replace the fan motor upstairs, my unit is an American Standard 18.6 seer and i like the unit a lot, i hope writing this does not jinx me :) i paid $3500 instaalled with warranty long time ago, i am dsue for a new unit soon i think i want to go up in seer again
@@butchs2337 -- when you finally replace it I would recommend you go with one that uses R32. It's not a blend and it's patents free.
…the cost to repair these units WHEN they break down. Once you start working on and studying most any kind of machinery, you’ll begin to see that old equipment was far and away better made. Once you replace it, you have jumped on the repair and replace treadmill. Your wallet will be out of breath!
insulation, windows, and doors are much more important than the seer of a unit.
I disagree. My unit is super energy efficient. I live in Florida and my power bills are quite good
If you live in a 3 month cooling climate vs 10 month cooling climate. If you save $100 a month in 10 month cooling climate: $1,000 annually. 3 month cooling climate: $300. Simple third grade math. Inverters cost more: Yes. There are more parts to inverters: depends on manufacturer. Some incorporate communication to make them work which adds to the parts and pieces. If you only buy a unit because of the name on the side of the box? You weren't informed properly as to what you are actually buying. I installed a Bosch inverter in Oct 2019. No problems, just ordinary maintenance. No parts, no failures nothing using this in a 10 month cooling season climate.
Would I do it again: Yes. It has saved me an average of 4700 KWH's annually. At 15 cents a KWH = $705 more comfortable than I was before. 4.5 x 705 = $3,172 by now I've easily recouped the difference from a lesser system, to a better one.
"money is not a concern" 🤣🤣🤣
All these big wig fancy HVAC techs on UA-cam always recommend the expensive brands
Not “rating”, ratio. Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.
I’m buying a Bosch when my house is ready!
Sounds like a great choice! May it serve you well! 👍👍👍
👍👍
Thank you Theo!! 👍👍👍
Love that joke at the end. My experience is that people with college degrees tend to be dumber than people without them.
It is unfortunate but sometimes it really does seem like that's the truth! 🤦♂️
When buying an AC unit look only at the EER rating, and only consider single stage units. SEER ratings are useless and don't represent actual performance despite government claims. HSPF ratings on heat pumps are also pretty much meaningless and actual economy pretty much follows along with the EER rating on most units. For minisplits I recommend the pre-packaged inverter units. They have more problems but are pretty much the only reasonable option for most people.
I live in a cold climate where the government doesn't care about me. If you live in California or Florida where these SEER and HSPF ratings are targeted for then they may be more useful.
Luv the joke 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
no more glasses.
YES! It's been wonderful! 😄
SEER is ... Ratio not Rating. Can you read, it's on the label.
Replacing ecm motors(that break all the time) and other parts from high end units costs way more than basic ac system.
You can usually replace a programmed ecm blower motor with a fairly cheap off-the-shelf ecm motor, and just give up on automatic humidity control. If the humidity is off too much, you can manually change the blower speed (install a switch or just move the speed wire to a different terminal). I did that on my parents' condo seven years ago and it's been no problem. I change the blower speed just twice per year since our weather usually transitions quickly from rainy season to dry season. The generic motor was $150 vs. $650 plus whatever programming cost would be (both probably much less than today's prices).
Great advice, thank you!