Mother Phucker!

[Klash]

TweetDamn, when will I learn, to stop assuming people are competant at doing there jobs.

My wife and I got a house just 4 months ago. When we were looking at it, it crossed my mind the air conditioner unit looked smaller than usual but I chalked it up that a home builder would know what size unit a house would need. I didn't think anything of it until recently when my electric bill went up to 215 and my house wasn't staying below 80 degrees.

An air conditioner tech told me the unit is to small and we need a bigger unit but if we get a bigger unit, we're going to have to get a bigger furnace to utilize the bigger ac unit.

So my options are either not to replace the unit and keep my house at 85 degrees so the ac unit doesnt run 24/7 and pay an electric bill that should be representing a comfortable house or dish out several thousand dollars to stop wasting money, which I don't have. Maybe I have a third option, legal action.

Man I'm pissed!

[daved150]

TweetDAMN THAT SUCKS BRO!! I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO LEGAL ACTION. I JUST DONT KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING THERE...MAN, I WOULD BE PISSED ALSO!

[NATE]

TweetHome owners insurance????

[Klash]

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Home owners insurance????

Sometimes you get so pissed you miss the practical! I will check on that - good idea.

If that doesn't work I'm thinking what a-bomb suggest maybe neglegance on the builder responsibility or failure of disclosure by the prior owners.

Hopefully something will stick!

[daved150]

Tweet

Sometimes you get so pissed you miss the practical! I will check on that - good idea.

If that doesn't work I'm thinking what a-bomb suggest maybe neglegance on the builder responsibility or failure of disclosure by the prior owners.

Hopefully something will stick!

YOU BUY NEW CONSTRUCTION?? IF NOT, MAYBE THE APPRAISER SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THAT?

[Klash]

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YOU BUY NEW CONSTRUCTION?? IF NOT, MAYBE THE APPRAISER SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THAT?

No, that would have been the home inspectors responsibility but I didn't get a home inspector, because the house is 6 years old - I guess I should have.

That should be easy to prove. if the unit is sufficient for the cubic feet of your home then it shouldn't be a problem. Sometimes they use the units at the lower end of the "guidelines" and that could be the problem. if thats the case, it's all on you bro...sorry to say.

like if the unit is good for 2500- 2000 sq ft and your at 2k...then you lose.

one more thing to check is where your return is placed..it could be totally wrong and not drawing the hot air up into it...

moving your return or adding a second one will be on the builder or the sub, not you.

The a.c. tech said I had a 3 ton unit and according to him that is for houses up to 1500 square feet, my house is 1660 square feet with up to 10' ceilings (don't know if that matters but i would think so).

I would look at who makes my furnace and call someone who specializes in that brand and ask them to upgrade it. Alot of furnaces you can just take out the guts and replace them with better ones. I see this alot too. Most people around here it costs $900 to $1,200 to have the guts redone. This is much cheaper because you don't have the labor of actually disconnecting and removing and reinstalling the shell. That's what makes the process so expensive.

Thanks T-mann!

[NATE]

TweetThe a.c. tech said I had a 3 ton unit and according to him that is for houses up to 1500 square feet, my house is 1660 square feet with up to 10' ceilings (don't know if that matters but i would think so).




thats easy money bro- I'd contact your home owners insurance ( they may do all your dirty work for you)

[NATE]

Tweet

Sometimes you get so pissed you miss the practical! I will check on that - good idea.

If that doesn't work I'm thinking what a-bomb suggest maybe neglegance on the builder responsibility or failure of disclosure by the prior owners.

Hopefully something will stick!

That should be easy to prove. if the unit is sufficient for the cubic feet of your home then it shouldn't be a problem. Sometimes they use the units at the lower end of the "guidelines" and that could be the problem. if thats the case, it's all on you bro...sorry to say.

like if the unit is good for 2500- 2000 sq ft and your at 2k...then you lose.

one more thing to check is where your return is placed..it could be totally wrong and not drawing the hot air up into it...

moving your return or adding a second one will be on the builder or the sub, not you.

[a-bomb83]

Tweethmm.....he should have said something to you about that. or maybe you should have spoke up? either way, "should have" situations don't help you right now, so it doesn't matter.

i'd have to say buy the new furnace/ac so those bills don't keep getting higher, sooner or later, you will pay more in monthly bills than you would have with sticking out your current situation, imo. if you don't have the money now, which it sounds like you don't, take out a loan maybe.

then maybe, i'm no lawyer, you could sue for neglegance on their part...perhaps?

[T-Man007]

TweetHave your insulation checked. I went to Home Depot and rented the machine and bought the kind you spray in. I put about 16 inches of that stuff in mine and my bills dropped alot. If you have enough insulation, your home will stay within a tigher range of temperature. Of course, this also depends on your windows. Windows and door and the second biggest energy leakers. I replaced all but one of the windows with couble pane vinyl. Again, went to Home Depot and had a contractor put them in for me on the side. I also had a whole new door and side light put in and we added storm doors. I'm doing the last window soon. Just from the windows and insulation our untility bills dropped about 30% and that's with gas prices raising, so it made huge difference. We don't even have central air, we just have one of the removeable window units and it cools down the whole first floor. The basement stays cool. I too looked into the central air thing and they quoted me $4,500 to replace the funace and add central air but my house has a Lennox furnace and this guys wanted to put some piece of crap thing in there. Lennox is one of the best. I've done appraisals on homes with 30 year old lennox furnaces and the home inspector has told me it still runs better than a lot of the new crap out there. You get what you pay for with furnaces. It's like tires for your car, if you want it to last pay now. With that said, I would look at who makes my furnace and call someone who specializes in that brand and ask them to upgrade it. Alot of furnaces you can just take out the guts and replace them with better ones. I see this alot too. Most people around here it costs $900 to $1,200 to have the guts redone. This is much cheaper because you don't have the labor of actually disconnecting and removing and reinstalling the shell. That's what makes the process so expensive.

[NATE]

Tweet

Have your insulation checked. I went to Home Depot and rented the machine and bought the kind you spray in. I put about 16 inches of that stuff in mine and my bills dropped alot. If you have enough insulation, your home will stay within a tigher range of temperature. Of course, this also depends on your windows. Windows and door and the second biggest energy leakers. I replaced all but one of the windows with couble pane vinyl. Again, went to Home Depot and had a contractor put them in for me on the side. I also had a whole new door and side light put in and we added storm doors. I'm doing the last window soon. Just from the windows and insulation our untility bills dropped about 30% and that's with gas prices raising, so it made huge difference. We don't even have central air, we just have one of the removeable window units and it cools down the whole first floor. The basement stays cool. I too looked into the central air thing and they quoted me $4,500 to replace the funace and add central air but my house has a Lennox furnace and this guys wanted to put some piece of crap thing in there. Lennox is one of the best. I've done appraisals on homes with 30 year old lennox furnaces and the home inspector has told me it still runs better than a lot of the new crap out there. You get what you pay for with furnaces. It's like tires for your car, if you want it to last pay now. With that said, I would look at who makes my furnace and call someone who specializes in that brand and ask them to upgrade it. Alot of furnaces you can just take out the guts and replace them with better ones. I see this alot too. Most people around here it costs $900 to $1,200 to have the guts redone. This is much cheaper because you don't have the labor of actually disconnecting and removing and reinstalling the shell. That's what makes the process so expensive.

There are codes on insulation and window r-value....not saying that isn't part of the problem but i'd check on other things first. If it was an older home that then i'd check that first, this is a newer home, right?

[T-Man007]

TweetPS - if this was built this way then yes, you can go after the person who installed it. It should have had to meet code which means someone may have installed it illegally and you can get them for not disclosing that. You can also call you local building and planning department and have them check to see if there were permits pulled for the a/c. If there were, then ask them how it passed. You may be able to get the person who signed off on it. Either way, the building department and the builder don't want that kind of negative publicity so you can probably get it fixed for free or next to nothing. If they won't, take your story to the local news. That will get it fixed REAL fast. LOL

[Klash]

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PS - if this was built this way then yes, you can go after the person who installed it. It should have had to meet code which means someone may have installed it illegally and you can get them for not disclosing that. You can also call you local building and planning department and have them check to see if there were permits pulled for the a/c. If there were, then ask them how it passed. You may be able to get the person who signed off on it. Either way, the building department and the builder don't want that kind of negative publicity so you can probably get it fixed for free or next to nothing. If they won't, take your story to the local news. That will get it fixed REAL fast. LOL

Nice!!!!

Thanks for all the advice!

[kite]

TweetGood luck man

[supasaiyan99]

TweetGood luck. I'd do what T-man said and check how it passed inspection. Also get another quote from a different AC tech. If they both say that your unit is too small for your house then it's time to file a complaint with the builders!!!