Home HVAC cost?

volaredon said
W T F
I'm needing to replace the system I had put in in 99 at a cost of $3400. Now same equivalent will be $7900? Huh?
If I JUST had the AC portion done it's $5300.
I have a 100k btu 80% rheem furnace and 10 seer 2-1/2 ton ac. The condenser is shot, has a hole. Won't take freon. Main problem is the ridiculousness of the cost of r22.

If I put a 95% furnace in and 13 seer 3 ton, I'm looking at $8900. Upgrade to 14 seer add another $300. The guy who did the system in 99 is now dead .. the guy who I am talking to now is a neighbor's brother. New system will be rheem again.

I've only ever spent that much in a vehicle twice, thas double what I usually spend on a vehicle.
Does this sound typical? THAT MUCH increase in the same thing in this amount of time? I can't wrap my head around it. We've been sleeping in the camper in the driveway in hot nights for a couple of weeks now to get ac.
Oh yeah location might play a part, I'm an hour and 2 counties south of Chicago.

Yup, sounds about right, sorry to say.

I'm a commercial HVAC Tech (well, I quote repairs and service mostly now, and don't get my hands dirty much anymore unless the youngsters get-in over their heads), and prices on new equipment has increased dramatically the past few years. Your R-22 example is a good start, as right now R-22 sells for over $125/pound. Why? It's no longer made in the US, and no longer available for sale in new equipment. Remember when R-12 for your car used to be really expensive? Same thing.

But even though R-22 is no longer available, you can swap-in R-438a/MO-99 refrigerant (currently sells for around $40/pound), if you know what you're doing. If your Tech didn't mention this, ask him why (or why not).

Then again, your existing system is 25 years old, and since the typical expected lifespan on HVAC equipment is roughly 20 years, it's had a good run. (In Old School/1970's car terms, your system has 150k+ miles on it....)

The bitchy part of all of this is that while the costs on equipment has gone up, the quality has gone down. Again, in car terms, think about OEM parts that you used to buy, versus the Chinese knock-offs on Amazon. (It's not really that bad, but you get my drift...).

For the most part holes can be fixed, so if you know where it is (if your guy showed you), post a pic (or shoot me a PM), as I would be REALLY curious to see one that can't be repaired.