Aboutjohn t. borgman Expertise I work days, so I can only answer early in the day or later in the evening, I live in Oregon. I have been so good at all the other area's of hvac, I am probably the only hvac guy that does not know oil. ( lol ) I am very well versed in gas, electric and heat pumps and will only answer residential applications. I have been known the past decade or so, by my employers as the guy you send when no one can figure it out. Trouble shooting is my special. I understand the physics behind air flow, refrigerants and electricity. I understand programmable t-stats, zone controls, economizers, fossil fuel kits and the engineering thought process in the wiring and construction of residential equipment
Experience I was lucky enough to start in this field over 25 years ago as an installer, for a company that installed the best duct systems I have ever seen, even to this day. The best ,as far as understanding the way air really flows through a duct system, from the return air to the very last supply register . They also had great pride and the duct work was put in, not only to last 50 years, but to look exceptional. Then as I started doing service work, I was again fortunate that I found a 3 year engineering class being put on be a man that was the educational director for the Entire united states for a society called " the Refrigeration Service Engineering Society " And for the next 3 years I schooled at night and practiced what I learned during the day, a great advantage over schooling and then trying to remember it years later.. Versed in duct design manual J heat gain/loss calculations. Also experience in wine rooms and indoor swimming pool hvac & humidity controls
Publications I have 2 inventions that have gone through the process and been recorded at the National Institute of Standards and Technology from start to finish and thus been invited to national innovation workshops by the dept. of Commerce and the dept. of Energy. They are waste heat recovery devices that N.I.S.T approved as valid and am currently looking for marketing partners to get this product into the hands of consumers and make a BIG difference in Energy savings for every Household and Eatery and take a big bite in the the peak hours power consumption that face our Utilities companies.
Education/Credentials factory training in Lennox ,Rheem, Ruud ,Trane, Tempstar ,Carrier, Day&Night, Payne, Bryant, Coleman, Intertherm, Ultra boilers, Unico, Mitsubishi,Sanyo, Taylor, Nicewonger, . Associates degree in Refrigeration Engineering. Certified with Energy Department, Check-me Program, have N.A.T.E. certifications in gas, a/c & heat pump. Teach and apprentice at every company I work at.
My 20 year old Rheem 3.5 ton and 3 ton central system are about to stop running.
I live in Texas and would like to know your opinion on the above brands, which is more reliable? I am considering SEER 14 system with the new 410 refrigerant, Thanks.
Answer Charlie,
Carrier is also bryant day&night, and payne, all the same equipment with the same parts. That is what my company sells and it is good equipment. Trane and Lennox are high end dollar wise but also good, Trane has 10 year standard warranty. But way more important than which of the better equipment you buy, is how it is installed. If done correctly you can rest assured of 20 plus years of comfort with regular maintenance. Goodman is a contractors middle of the road model that is getting better every year and Amana is a no, from a tech point of view. Too many issues and parts that can only be replaced by factory oem parts.
When talking to potential contractors ask them to describe the installation process as far as the copper and evacuation process. If they don't stress the importance of a good evacuation and comment on changing the oil on a regular basis, pressure testing with as much as 450 psi nitrogen and charging be sub cooling stay away from them. Those 3 things will change a compressors life from 20 plus years to 5 to 10 years.
