Contractors! Contractors! Contractors!
They seem to come in bunches! We'd been working on our own for a while now, when all of the sudden we've had three in a week. Last Monday it was attic insulation removal and decontamination, Thursday it was an estimate on the chimney repair, and today it was another estimate--air conditioning.
The nice thing about the A/C one is the more direct benefit we'd get from it, versus the repair-related work. The down side is that we're going to end up taking night shift jobs to pay for this all.
While sympathetic, the A/C guy seemed cool (pun intended) to my suggestion that they consider doing it for free as a tax-deductible act of charity.
Actually, we didn't get a specific quote since it was his first visit. We walked through the house together and discussed options. The main decision we'll need to make seems to be between a single system and a two-zone approach. The former would be slightly cheaper but cost a closet. The latter would cost more but the much smaller coolant piping could fit in a wall somewhere. We also discussed retro-fit friendly, high-velocity systems like Unico, but our desire to retire some day makes those unlikely. (Notice a theme here?)
The other thing it got us thinking about was registers. What does a bungalow-friendly cool air return vent look like!? J set in to do the research and actually found some good options, actually. We'll post some of our favorites in our virtual scrapbook soon.
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Comments
While considering the A/C alternatives, check out ACDirect.com. Their units are geared more to do- It-yourself installations. The initial estimates for our 1923 Bungalow were about $5000 for forced air heat and A/C from an HVAC contractor. I spent several months researching until I finally found this website. They provide LOTS of great information, and I found out that they have an in house design service. I sent them a floorplan of my house, indicated where I want to install the unit, and they sent me a schematic of where to run all of the ductwork, and the returns. I bought the unit, the condenser, all of the ductwork and registers for about $2600 and instructions on how to put it all together. It is supposed to arrive this week and the fun will really begin, started with maneuvering 130+ LBS into the attic without maiming myself, my spouse, or destroying the unit. I will let you know how it all goes. They also have tech support 7 days a week in case (or more accurately when) I run into any difficult situations.
Sean
Posted by: Sean | May 17, 2004 3:51 PM