My air conditioner broke! Buying a new HVAC in 2022.
July 2022, at the peak of a 99 – 106 degree heat wave, my central air conditioner broke. I learned that there are a lot of differing thoughts on the best solution for our little 1100 sq ft home:
- 2.5-ton vs 3-ton condenser and coil
- 80% vs 96% efficiency natural gas furnace
- Smart vs traditional thermostat
- Replacing what’s broken vs the whole system
I told one of the repairmen about all of the conflicting information I was getting. His simple explanation:
“because that’s what they have in stock”
Due to current supply chain issues, nobody could mix and match what I wanted. So I ended up going with my third cheapest option. 3-ton 16-seer condenser, 3-ton coil, 96% efficiency gas furnace, and a smart thermostat.