goodman hvac - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

msrini · 05-11-2009, 05:55 PM

hi,
i am changing my hvac system and have received the following quote from a contractor. please let me know if this is reasonable:

Goodman 3 1/2 ton 13 SEER Heat Pump $1,300
Goodman 4 ton variable speed air handler $1,000
electric heat pack $ 100
Aprilaire humidifier $ 450
line set $ 250
ductwork in order for larger system $ 300
misc material $ 200
labor, taxes, warranty $1,000
Total: $ 4,600

Thanks

westernhvac · 05-11-2009, 07:34 PM

Upgrade to a steam humidifier. It will work much better in heat pump applications.

As long as you trust the company doing the install, are sure that they will do the job correctly and will be around to honor their warranty money shouldn't be the deciding factor.

beenthere · 05-11-2009, 07:42 PM

Sounds too cheap.

Remco Air · 05-11-2009, 08:52 PM

Ask the Contractor for references, those prices don't sound right, might be a runner.

msrini · 05-11-2009, 09:05 PM

i am very tight on budget and am working with a licensed contractor on craigslist. the guy seemed to be honest and i just wanted to make sure the prices are reasonable. i have read a lot on these forums and i feel that there are very good suggestions from many members. i have been cheated by the guy who sold me the house and ever since i bought the house every appliance has been giving me trouble. i had to replace the refregirator, cooking range, had several emergency service calls for ac/heating ( have 2 infants 3 months and 1 yr) and had to face problems in winter. so decide to change the unit. though im low on money and cannot afford to go with a big company i want to replace things and make sure my kids dont suffer in summer or winter. hence working with this contractot on CL.

If you guys have any additional suggestions please feel free to comment.

thanks

**ChrWright** · 05-11-2009, 09:27 PM

Going with a cheap "craigslist guy" has its risks...

But hopefully if he's is truly licensed...and insured... then he knows what he's doing.

You can make a very sick house for yourself if you don't size the system right.

beenthere · 05-12-2009, 04:04 AM

Get other quotes.

gene2 · 05-14-2009, 07:13 PM

Buy Goodman ( or whatever name they want to call it) product if you want, be prepared for a possible replacement sooner than you would expect from a long established name brand unit. Carrier, Trane, York & Lennox units are the ones still performing reliably after decades of service. Initial design & installation are critical, the first few years look favorable to the cheap units, but the cheap had to cut something somewhere, that bites hard down the road when it is truly better to replace than repair. I chose Carrier because in every manual in the various schools for any brand refer to Carrier's research & engineering. They are arrogant but Willis sold the first economically viable comfort systems, many still in use. Trane, York & lennox make great competition in pursuing a better system.

Cheap units are corner cutting copycats, you get what you pay for if your lucky.

flashheatingand · 05-14-2009, 08:56 PM

You talking crazy talk? I call balderdash. Goodman parts are just as good as all the other guys. Carrier, Lennox, Trane, have their pro's & cons. If the equipment is intalled correctly, and, the duct work is set-up alright, It should heat/cool your home just fine. They also have a great warranty setup.

THOMAS RICHARDS · 05-14-2009, 09:20 PM

It doesn't matter what equipment you choose
what matters most is how it's put in
size the equipment right
size the duct right
install it right

NickTech · 05-15-2009, 07:09 AM

usually the corner thats cut in a furnace is the sheetmetal body. the better brands make a more solid, better built cabinet than a cheaper one but the parts inside seem to be the same. goodman has come along way since their crap from the 90's. but i agree with Flash and TR it's all about how it was installed and setup. $4600 sounds way to low. is this a side job from a friend? a legit company would charge more than twice that. i've never dealt with craigs list but i've heard some nightmare stories about them.

gene2 · 05-15-2009, 04:18 PM

I didn't mean to ignite a flame war, but I should have known better.

I didn't mean to knock Goodman or any other brand. Most of my experience of selling Goodman correctly sized & installed as I was taught & religiously practice was in the 90's, when the paint eventually peeled off the condensers after a few years, Heat Exchangers cracked on nearly every 90+ furnace and don't even try to repair a leak in the copper coils because the walls are very thin. The motors & controls are just as good as any other brand. I lost very few compressors. I was the second dealer in our area at the time to use Goodman. I had to go through a 4 hour interview with the branch manager covering my installation & design ability before being accepted. I was impressed at first of the durability after fixing the improperly sized & installed units the first dealer performed. I was getting really frustrated by his continued ability to abuse equipment, got worse when homeowners started calling for us to install the units they had bought, the final straw was when the heat exchangers started failing, Goodman accused us installers of improper converting to LP. Along the way, I took a lot of ridicule for selling "Junkytrol" as they quickly became known. When they bought Amana, the quality seemed to improve but have gone through a couple of major design changes over the years and long term durability is still questionable to me.

The cracked heat exchangers & Goodman's "official" response blaming the installer is what convinced me by 2002 to not sell any more of their product for now. We follow any manufacturer's installation & service procedure to the letter. Goodman was facing a class action in our area & it looked like I was being hung out to dry.

My personal home has a Janitrol gas furnace that has been very satisfactory for 16 years. It is the only one in my equipment roster, the rest have been changed out after at least one heat exchanger replacement.

I have no grudge, I have several associates that install Goodman successfully so far. It is a good product for the money. Thanks to the competition by Goodman & other lessor brands, Carrier now has at least as good a warranty. My clientele now trend to a name however. I have not ruled out ever using Goodman again when the application is correct. Our reputation is to provide the best solution to the need of the client. That can cover a lot of territory I've found.

Sorry to be so long.

72chevy4x4 · 05-18-2009, 05:51 AM

seems the OP is a drop in guy who is not a contractor of sorts....how many of you guys are shopping CL for the next sub?

Goodman has been good to me-a 3.5 split about 8yrs old. It's louder than other brands...but I didn't have the money for a carrier/york at the time.

newfy · 05-18-2009, 07:28 AM

that quote seem awful cheap to me, never itemized a quote for a customer like this guy did, Goodman is good equipment, just like everything else, install it properly & you'll get a good service life out of it. Get quotes from reputable HVAC contractors before you decide.

naptown CR · 05-18-2009, 09:13 AM

I don't know about the pricing but I would definately loose the humidifier hnless he lives in the desert and uses it properly. I have seen too many houses damaged by excess humidity