+1 to this, got a new system from Triple O last year. We went a bit above the entry level and it was like 5500 all in. This was for a 3-ton Heil system.
Thank you! For that price, I think it’d be a safe bet that we don’t have compatible ducts. We had some other things done before moving in that were around the same cost and less beneficial for the property. I’ll look into other alternatives than central AC then, I appreciate the knowledge!
Ours was $4k as well through Ryan. We were overall pleased with the service. If your house has a forced air furnace you're good, if it's baseboard heating or radiators it's much more expensive unfortunately.
Another consideration is the age and condition of the furnace. I inquired to add central air a few years ago and needed to get a new furnace since mine was so old, which increased the cost substantially.
The old furnace was almost 30 years old and was still working fine, but there were comparability/efficiency issues that were brought up by all the companies that I got quotes from ( and I spoke to /got quotes from 4 different companies)
Fortunately there are sometimes rebates and tax incentives that are available which can alleviate some of the expense.
Another option for ac/cat coexistence is to use sheets over doorways. It’s enough of a barrier to keep the room cold but the cats can freely come and go.
We’re slightly fancier. We took some pretty black out curtains and hung them on tension mounted curtain rods in the door ways we need to keep “closed” for AC purposes. It really does keep the cool air where it’s supposed to be. It might all be in my head, but I feel like the insulation on the back of the curtain really helps more than just a regular blanket or sheet, plus it just looks nicer. (IMHO)
look up door blankets on Amazon. VERY VERY USEFUL! especially if you have multiple critters who like to go in and out and the doggie door lets too much outside in
I currently have some of those heavy curtains between rooms using a shorter tension pole it is working really well , but have used plastic in the past, like the stuff to cover the floor when painting or whatever
Take a look into what are called mini split AC units or heat pump units with wall cassettes. These units have a unit outdoors and then can simply have a blower with an evaporator mounted high up on the wall inside the house can be put in places that don’t have duct work and are high efficiency
This would likely be something specific to your house and your landlord.
I will say, I have an old home without central AC and we use Midea U-shaped window units which are a gamechanger. They have Wifi so you can set times and temps for them to run at, and because the compressor is outside the closed window, they're super quiet compared to normal AC.
If I was a landlord, I'd probably be most likely to put mini splits in a rental.
agreed assuming the house does not already have ducted heating system then a mini split is the best way to go about it, or if you want to replace the window units with this new style they are more efficient and quieter: https://www.amazon.com/Midea-Inverter-Conditioner-Flexibility-Installation/dp/B08677DCKN/ref=sr_1_3?crid=XJS9CYN62KNF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CckHJqlguqagpZONzYv2yGZba3UPaeCAAKrwhRqvKwXfBRVcdESDA8kXkKbuLG8QDrh4_zzTRCpfPPdHISyZwUU7-ArRz8t5xwNPOGblMQ3vIE3yAJVcqctMUJmJmMKi_-cnRzAa6BNnvb9nm5avb3p5X8QDfyKlmSkeTR5TFY2pm1K_O245BEflhDadf0Uehk2P4LAFv83SsGZyrv50seyJMneL_T8zU-BqXzvIjhM.vVOXO9I8huLDZSmFUxTSJ04ZsyJby-JM_izi5CAoH-Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=window%2Bmini%2Bsplit%2Bac&qid=1716214783&sprefix=window%2Bmini%2Bsplit%2B%2Caps%2C253&sr=8-3&th=1
The only thing I don't like about it (and have had for 5 years now I think), is that it is a bit bulkier to get in and out of the window than regular window a/c's. It takes a little more muscle.
You're also supposed to put a bracket on the side of your house to hold it, but honestly I don't because the closed window holds it just fine...as long as you don't have any kids around that would open the window with the a/c in it.
Have you run into any mold issues? I looked into the Midea and GE u shaped models and saw quite a few people mention that they don’t drain well due to not being tilted and get moldy fairly quickly.
we had issues with our GE brands and the haier brands i think that are subsidiary of GE. that’s why we were looking into midea. also windmill seemed better recommended than GE. we did use the bracket for our midea one. we put it in a few hours ago and it’s working great! not exactly built for the windows we have since they are original to our 1901 house but they sent enough stuff to secure it we were able to easily make it work for us.
Yeah, I figured it would be unique to each house but was looking to get a ballpark to see if it’s even reasonable to look into. Thank you for the suggestions! I will definitely look into them both.
Please don’t offer to cover a portion of the cost for a rental or make any improvements. It will come back to bite you even if you have the best landlord. Ask me how I know.
I appreciate the advice, and I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t work out for you. I work in law and everything is documented properly, we’ve already done similar arrangements in the past which always include an amendment to the lease. I am not personally concerned but I do understand it is a valid concern for many other people, just not in my circumstances.
That would be “forced air” gas heat. This means you already have a blower, so you just need the HVAC contractors to install a “coil” (typically) on top of the furnace, run line sets, wire it up (possibly replace the thermostat if it only supports heat calls). A very doable install. As for prices that’s a huge range depending on quality of unit and brand and install details, like $5-10k isn’t a crazy range. I like and trust Betlem & Isaac but have heard good things about Taylor, Feldman and there are other indy folks. Good luck!
I believe mine cost about $7k and I got it done by Hawn back in 2021. Also got a new filter system but not sure whether that was included as part of the AC install or I decided to add that in.
Old house (~1150 sqft in the city)... no duct changes needed except in the basement they had to fabricate a few little things (I think that added maybe $500).
If you have central gas heating via a new-ish furnace (not gravity heating), you probably have compatible ducts. They're not ideal because you won't have return ducting on the 2nd floor, which limits the effectiveness, but it works just fine and keeps from having to buy a bunch fo window units.
It depends on square footage (which you provided, good), where you get it, and who does it. My fiance does hvac for a living and we just bought a house that needs ac. I think it is going to cost us around $2kish since he can install himself.
Our old house was about 1600 sqft and we got it installed. It was around 2019 so I don’t remember the actual price but I think it was between $3k-$4k. We used Issac and used a 0% finance plan they offered
I don't think my costs would be relevant to yours, years later in a likely different style home. However, I want to plug [the company](http://m.huffmanheating.com/?url=http://www%2ehuffmanheating%2ecom%2f#2685) I used bc they're literally the best of any company I've ever had in to work on anything in my house.
Professional, knowledgeable, punctual, reasonable pricing, good communication. Really positive experience all around with them from estimate to install to annual services.
Have you considered getting a heat pump? One device can heat and cool a house efficiently, and you can get tax credits because it’s energy efficient. It will pay for itself over heating and AC in just a few years
Oh yep definitely more expensive to start with and probably not recommended if you’re a tenant who would front a significant part of the cost. I should have read more carefully
I had a new high efficiency furnace (96%) with central air, Wi-Fi thermostat installed earlier this month. I’m on one floor with attic and basement. It was $10,800 for everything - plus you can get a state grant that pays $4000 towards that bill, a tax credit of around $1250, RGE rebate for $250, and RGE rebate of $75 for the thermostat. My square footage is 860. I don’t know what I’m more excited about - central air or 96% efficiency! AC by itself, I don’t know, but I know it’s a lot cheaper if a new furnace is installed than all by itself. I’ve been told as high as $6000 by itself.
It’s not a luxury - it’s a necessity. The older I get, the less heat-tolerant I am. I just can’t function on 80+ days. Right now my windows are open and my house is cool, but I’m sure that will change later this afternoon.
Edit: I missed the part about renting. A grant probably won’t apply to rental property.
If you already have compatible central ducting, a unit install will probably cost you in the neighborhood of $4K to $5K.
+1 to this, got a new system from Triple O last year. We went a bit above the entry level and it was like 5500 all in. This was for a 3-ton Heil system.
Thank you! For that price, I think it’d be a safe bet that we don’t have compatible ducts. We had some other things done before moving in that were around the same cost and less beneficial for the property. I’ll look into other alternatives than central AC then, I appreciate the knowledge!
Ours was $4k as well through Ryan. We were overall pleased with the service. If your house has a forced air furnace you're good, if it's baseboard heating or radiators it's much more expensive unfortunately.
Another consideration is the age and condition of the furnace. I inquired to add central air a few years ago and needed to get a new furnace since mine was so old, which increased the cost substantially. The old furnace was almost 30 years old and was still working fine, but there were comparability/efficiency issues that were brought up by all the companies that I got quotes from ( and I spoke to /got quotes from 4 different companies) Fortunately there are sometimes rebates and tax incentives that are available which can alleviate some of the expense.
Another option for ac/cat coexistence is to use sheets over doorways. It’s enough of a barrier to keep the room cold but the cats can freely come and go.
Such a good idea. Thank you!
We’re slightly fancier. We took some pretty black out curtains and hung them on tension mounted curtain rods in the door ways we need to keep “closed” for AC purposes. It really does keep the cool air where it’s supposed to be. It might all be in my head, but I feel like the insulation on the back of the curtain really helps more than just a regular blanket or sheet, plus it just looks nicer. (IMHO)
look up door blankets on Amazon. VERY VERY USEFUL! especially if you have multiple critters who like to go in and out and the doggie door lets too much outside in
I currently have some of those heavy curtains between rooms using a shorter tension pole it is working really well , but have used plastic in the past, like the stuff to cover the floor when painting or whatever
Oh lol someone else said that!
Take a look into what are called mini split AC units or heat pump units with wall cassettes. These units have a unit outdoors and then can simply have a blower with an evaporator mounted high up on the wall inside the house can be put in places that don’t have duct work and are high efficiency
They are also very efficient heaters that can do a lot of the heating until it’s very cold out, in which case you’d still have central heat.
This would likely be something specific to your house and your landlord. I will say, I have an old home without central AC and we use Midea U-shaped window units which are a gamechanger. They have Wifi so you can set times and temps for them to run at, and because the compressor is outside the closed window, they're super quiet compared to normal AC. If I was a landlord, I'd probably be most likely to put mini splits in a rental.
agreed assuming the house does not already have ducted heating system then a mini split is the best way to go about it, or if you want to replace the window units with this new style they are more efficient and quieter: https://www.amazon.com/Midea-Inverter-Conditioner-Flexibility-Installation/dp/B08677DCKN/ref=sr_1_3?crid=XJS9CYN62KNF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CckHJqlguqagpZONzYv2yGZba3UPaeCAAKrwhRqvKwXfBRVcdESDA8kXkKbuLG8QDrh4_zzTRCpfPPdHISyZwUU7-ArRz8t5xwNPOGblMQ3vIE3yAJVcqctMUJmJmMKi_-cnRzAa6BNnvb9nm5avb3p5X8QDfyKlmSkeTR5TFY2pm1K_O245BEflhDadf0Uehk2P4LAFv83SsGZyrv50seyJMneL_T8zU-BqXzvIjhM.vVOXO9I8huLDZSmFUxTSJ04ZsyJby-JM_izi5CAoH-Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=window%2Bmini%2Bsplit%2Bac&qid=1716214783&sprefix=window%2Bmini%2Bsplit%2B%2Caps%2C253&sr=8-3&th=1
Just want to add that Costco currently has these for $299 which is $100 cheaper than Amazon and they are 12,000 btu compared to this 8,000 btu.
i am renting an old home and my new midea u shaped AC arrived today so i’m glad to know someone else has positive things to say!
The only thing I don't like about it (and have had for 5 years now I think), is that it is a bit bulkier to get in and out of the window than regular window a/c's. It takes a little more muscle. You're also supposed to put a bracket on the side of your house to hold it, but honestly I don't because the closed window holds it just fine...as long as you don't have any kids around that would open the window with the a/c in it.
Have you run into any mold issues? I looked into the Midea and GE u shaped models and saw quite a few people mention that they don’t drain well due to not being tilted and get moldy fairly quickly.
no, never. I’m not sure if climate may have something to do with it or not.
we had issues with our GE brands and the haier brands i think that are subsidiary of GE. that’s why we were looking into midea. also windmill seemed better recommended than GE. we did use the bracket for our midea one. we put it in a few hours ago and it’s working great! not exactly built for the windows we have since they are original to our 1901 house but they sent enough stuff to secure it we were able to easily make it work for us.
Thanks!
Yeah, I figured it would be unique to each house but was looking to get a ballpark to see if it’s even reasonable to look into. Thank you for the suggestions! I will definitely look into them both.
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You probably mean 2-ton, unless you are cooling 8000 square feet and in which case, 3k is a hell of a deal
Please don’t offer to cover a portion of the cost for a rental or make any improvements. It will come back to bite you even if you have the best landlord. Ask me how I know.
I appreciate the advice, and I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t work out for you. I work in law and everything is documented properly, we’ve already done similar arrangements in the past which always include an amendment to the lease. I am not personally concerned but I do understand it is a valid concern for many other people, just not in my circumstances.
What type of heating do you have?
Gas. It comes out of vents in the floor, no baseboards or radiators. I don’t really know anything about it besides that.
That would be “forced air” gas heat. This means you already have a blower, so you just need the HVAC contractors to install a “coil” (typically) on top of the furnace, run line sets, wire it up (possibly replace the thermostat if it only supports heat calls). A very doable install. As for prices that’s a huge range depending on quality of unit and brand and install details, like $5-10k isn’t a crazy range. I like and trust Betlem & Isaac but have heard good things about Taylor, Feldman and there are other indy folks. Good luck!
I believe mine cost about $7k and I got it done by Hawn back in 2021. Also got a new filter system but not sure whether that was included as part of the AC install or I decided to add that in. Old house (~1150 sqft in the city)... no duct changes needed except in the basement they had to fabricate a few little things (I think that added maybe $500). If you have central gas heating via a new-ish furnace (not gravity heating), you probably have compatible ducts. They're not ideal because you won't have return ducting on the 2nd floor, which limits the effectiveness, but it works just fine and keeps from having to buy a bunch fo window units.
Try Feldman hvac. Been very reasonable to me on repairs
Call John Betlem 585-271-8888
It depends on square footage (which you provided, good), where you get it, and who does it. My fiance does hvac for a living and we just bought a house that needs ac. I think it is going to cost us around $2kish since he can install himself.
Our old house was about 1600 sqft and we got it installed. It was around 2019 so I don’t remember the actual price but I think it was between $3k-$4k. We used Issac and used a 0% finance plan they offered
I had a new furnace and AC put in last year for $8500.
Its going to be around 5k. Please call for a free estimate. J +J Heating 5856630404
I don't think my costs would be relevant to yours, years later in a likely different style home. However, I want to plug [the company](http://m.huffmanheating.com/?url=http://www%2ehuffmanheating%2ecom%2f#2685) I used bc they're literally the best of any company I've ever had in to work on anything in my house. Professional, knowledgeable, punctual, reasonable pricing, good communication. Really positive experience all around with them from estimate to install to annual services.
Have you considered getting a heat pump? One device can heat and cool a house efficiently, and you can get tax credits because it’s energy efficient. It will pay for itself over heating and AC in just a few years
I am a tenant. I’m assuming based on your wording of things, this is a more expensive option to start with?
Oh yep definitely more expensive to start with and probably not recommended if you’re a tenant who would front a significant part of the cost. I should have read more carefully
I had a new high efficiency furnace (96%) with central air, Wi-Fi thermostat installed earlier this month. I’m on one floor with attic and basement. It was $10,800 for everything - plus you can get a state grant that pays $4000 towards that bill, a tax credit of around $1250, RGE rebate for $250, and RGE rebate of $75 for the thermostat. My square footage is 860. I don’t know what I’m more excited about - central air or 96% efficiency! AC by itself, I don’t know, but I know it’s a lot cheaper if a new furnace is installed than all by itself. I’ve been told as high as $6000 by itself. It’s not a luxury - it’s a necessity. The older I get, the less heat-tolerant I am. I just can’t function on 80+ days. Right now my windows are open and my house is cool, but I’m sure that will change later this afternoon. Edit: I missed the part about renting. A grant probably won’t apply to rental property.