central air

**CYVADER** · 04-08-2008, 08:44 AM

so i bought my first house last fall and it doesn't have central air, and has baseboard heat. i like the heat but have to have central air. we got our first bid last night from a licensed and bonded company to do everything including removal of our current boiler and baseboards for just under 7 grand. i think this is very reasonable, but was wondering if anyone else has done this recently and about how much they had to pay. we don't have an upstairs, but it's about 1700 sq. ft. upstairs with a full finished basement. i could probably save some money by tearing out the old unit myself and selling the copper, but i'm getting a little tired of having to do projects myself and would really just like to pay someone to do it all. thoughts?

**CYVADER** · 04-08-2008, 08:44 AM

also, thanks in advance for any help.

**acs4isu** · 04-08-2008, 08:53 AM

"No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater... than central air."

Sorry for no help, but I love that quote

**jtdoyle1** · 04-08-2008, 09:01 AM

At first blush that seems fairly reasonable to me. Don't forget to look into any rebates from your utilities company or tax breaks:

MidAmerican Energy Company
Iowa Incentive Programs

**CYVADER** · 04-08-2008, 09:04 AM

that includes a 250 dollar rebate

**ffelknirznarf** · 04-08-2008, 09:07 AM

buy one or two window air conditioning units. when you buy your next house, buy one with central air.

**CYVADER** · 04-08-2008, 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by ffelknirznarf

buy one or two window air conditioning units. when you buy your next house, buy one with central air.

i have 3 window units but they suck. the house is all redone already and has a huge swimming pool, hottub, built in bar and pool table. pretty much everything a guy wants in a house, just no a/c. i figure that i ought to be able to get at least that back out of it if i ever have to move, so it should be a decent investment.

**keepngoal** · 04-08-2008, 09:12 AM

Originally Posted by ffelknirznarf

buy one or two window air conditioning units. when you buy your next house, buy one with central air.

I would agree with this if you plan on moving in the next 5-8 years. If this home is the one you plan to stay for longer than 10 years, go for it.

-keep.

**C.John** · 04-08-2008, 09:12 AM

Is your existing boiler/base board system in good shape? If so, perhaps you could look into a mini-duct AC system. It uses a flexible duct system that can be retrofitted into a finished home without major remodeling. LINK to an example.

I've seen it used on either HomeTime or This Old House before.

**ffelknirznarf** · 04-08-2008, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by ISU BET

i have 3 window units but they suck. the house is all redone already and has a huge swimming pool, hottub, built in bar and pool table. pretty much everything a guy wants in a house, just no a/c. i figure that i ought to be able to get at least that back out of it if i ever have to move, so it should be a decent investment.

how old are your existing window units? it could be they are simply worn out. i replaced some a few years ago with modern ones and was really happy with them. since your house is not really large and on one level i would expect them to work really well.

**CYVADER** · 04-08-2008, 09:23 AM

1 is old and doesn't work that well, the other 2 are less than 2 years old. don't get me wrong-they work, but they are loud, run constantly, and i can't use them in the basement. usually basements are cooler in the summer, but mine was pretty warm last fall and no way to cool it.

**pulse** · 04-08-2008, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by ISU BET

so i bought my first house last fall and it doesn't have central air, and has baseboard heat. i like the heat but have to have central air. we got our first bid last night from a licensed and bonded company to do everything including removal of our current boiler and baseboards for just under 7 grand. i think this is very reasonable, but was wondering if anyone else has done this recently and about how much they had to pay. we don't have an upstairs, but it's about 1700 sq. ft. upstairs with a full finished basement. i could probably save some money by tearing out the old unit myself and selling the copper, but i'm getting a little tired of having to do projects myself and would really just like to pay someone to do it all. thoughts?

I had central air (and a new furnace) put in a couple of years ago for about the same amount. Sounds reasonable to me. One of the best things I've done with the house too. Window units don't cool the house as evenly, you can get a programmable thermostat, and its obviously much quieter now. I love it.

**BKLYNCyclone** · 04-08-2008, 09:25 AM

Originally Posted by ISU BET

so i bought my first house last fall and it doesn't have central air, and has baseboard heat. i like the heat but have to have central air. we got our first bid last night from a licensed and bonded company to do everything including removal of our current boiler and baseboards for just under 7 grand. i think this is very reasonable, but was wondering if anyone else has done this recently and about how much they had to pay. we don't have an upstairs, but it's about 1700 sq. ft. upstairs with a full finished basement. i could probably save some money by tearing out the old unit myself and selling the copper, but i'm getting a little tired of having to do projects myself and would really just like to pay someone to do it all. thoughts?

It's a bargain... We just added central air to a 2100 sf apartment on Central Park West and it cost our client $90k for two compact air handlers, two tiny condensers and maybe 30 feet of small custom ductwork. Prices are insane out here. We typically estimate HVAC at $10k a ton in the city. ($8k a ton for commercial)

**CYVADER** · 04-08-2008, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by pulse

I had central air (and a new furnace) put in a couple of years ago for about the same amount. Sounds reasonable to me.

was there quite a bit of extra work involved after they were done? i realize i will have to replace a lot of base trim from where they remove the baseboard heaters, but what else can i expect to have to do once they are done?

**TxCycloneFan** · 04-08-2008, 09:34 AM

Originally Posted by ISU BET

1 is old and doesn't work that well, the other 2 are less than 2 years old. don't get me wrong-they work, but they are loud, run constantly, and i can't use them in the basement. usually basements are cooler in the summer, but mine was pretty warm last fall and no way to cool it.

the de-humidifying effect is worth it as well. go for it. You'll be happier in the long run, plus it should increase the value of your home when/if you sell it.