Terence McCann

Just so you have the correct terminology the correct term for the outdoor unit is "condensing unit". A condensing unit has both the condenser and refrigeration compressor. A condenser is just the air cooled condenser minus the compressor. Have a look here: https://www.inspectorsjournal.com/forum ... oto&id=118 There is also the Preston reference book. Actually the best way to determine a manufacture, if most everything else is bleached out, is by the "looks" of the unit however that only comes with a lot of years of looking at 'em. You can always post a picture of the unit here and someone should be able to help tag it.

Is the attic in the garage also attached to the homes attic? If so any humidifier(s) in the home?

Dirty damned owls! Like thief's in the night.

I'm way past help Tom. I saw redemption in my rearview mirror about 500 miles back that-a-way. On a side note Iron Fireman was built here in Cleveland for a spell. I remember passing the factory, with my father, from time to time. It's a neat logo.

The way the bricks are installed it looks like it was bent from the get-go.

There are many things that go into to sizing a furnace & A/C unit. If you read through posts here you should be able to dig up some rule of thumb ideas but no one can address your situation from a computer. Time to put your dialing finger into action. With regards to the 15 year old furnace. How long are you going to keep the property, who pays for utilities etc. Again, something that none of us can advise you on. Good luck.

How many quotes/opinions have you received?

Funny stuff. What is an Owl a sign of? A drop in nearby rodent population?

Great pic Ezra! Were you on the boarders of any of the park systems?

How old is the home Erby? Electric furnace for backup? Finished basement?

I never pull a refer but I think from now on I should at least have a look-see.

During our first energy crunch heat pumps were in fashion due to the fact that you couldn't get natural gas (among a lot of other things). It made sense, up here, to run a heat pump due to that fact. Once natural gas was free flowing again heat pumps fell out of favor. In warmer climates heat pumps make sense, in cold climates, not so much.

Anything to back that up Marc? I'd be interested in reading the white paper. EDIT: I found it while surfing around. From Wiki: "The COP of heat pumps (300%-350% efficient) make them much more efficient than high-efficiency gas-burning furnaces (90-99% efficient), and electric heating (100%). However, this does not always mean they are less expensive to operate. The 2009 US average price per therm (100,000 BTU) of electricity was $3.38 while the average price per therm of natural gas was $1.16.[1] Using these prices, a heat pump with a COP of 3.5 would cost $0.97[2] to provide one therm of heat, while a high efficiency gas furnace with 95% efficiency would cost $1.22[3] to provide one therm of heat. With these average prices, the heat pump costs 20% less[4] to provide the same amount of heat. The savings (if any) will depend on the actual cost of electricity and natural gas, which can both vary widely".

Is electric cheaper than gas there Jim? It's always been my assumption that if you have to heat electrically then a heat pump will save money however if gas is available then it's better to just have a conventional HVAC system for cheaper operation (at least in this neck of the woods).

There is always something worse.

[:-yuck]

It's better to ask forgiveness than permission. There's not enough hours in the day to try and ask for permission to do my job. I'm going to make a run to Burger Blast while I'm waiting for permission to enter the attic. Anyone want a burger? I sure hope I get permission before night fall. Good Lord. If they make a big stink of it John give them 25 clams and a tube of caulk - or better yet tell them to piss off. You put the house up for sale, there will be inconveniences.

When I first got into this gig I went around to open houses, spoke to the realtor on duty and gave them a brochure. It was 100% exhaust and 0% horse power. Your mileage may vary (but I doubt it).

Carry/Chad - I'd be interested in hearing about the battery life. 8 AA is a lot of batteries. You can use rechargeable but I've never had much luck with them (power lasting for very long between charges).

Everyone knows that? 80% of the population (I'm feeling magnanimous today) wouldn't be able to extrapolate electrical deficiency/concern to equal shock or fire hazard.

HA! Labeling must have taken place, after lunch, on a Friday.

If the installing contractor was on the ball they put the suite number or address on the r/t unit. Unfortunately it doesn't happen often enough.

I've never heard of "oil tank insurance". Do you know what it covers/covered Jim?

Very good Tom - Santa was good to you. You have to get the x64 Professional upgrade for the elf (or talk to Chad). Merry Christmas.

Why Mike, can't compete with lumber?