Help me buy a central HVAC system - best price / reputable source for drop shipped system

Its tremendously frustrating that I can't just go to the local parts house and buy the stuff I want like the contractors can. I understand why it is that way, but it is frustrating.

I needed a transformer a couple years ago and had to rig up a doorbell transformer to get my AC working again because the parts house wouldn't sell me one of the hundred they had sitting on the shelf.

Some of these online vendors seem pretty suspect. Lowes and Home Depot will sell goodman units direct, but their pricing isn't great.

Go with a Carrier. I don’t recommend the super high seer models, as I don’t think you’ll ever recoup the upfront costs, and they’re more expensive to repair. 14-15 seer is efficient enough for me.

I have some friends who have licenses who I guess I could probably go through, but I don't like bothering my friends with crap like this.

Alpine Air Products. These guys are Awesome!

LINK

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Why don’t they allow regular hvac units to be bought?

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Because they don't want to piss off their good customers - the contractors / installers who re-sell it to you at a markup. The sellers also don't want to deal with the accompanying bullshite of someone buying a whole AC unit and then boggering the install all up and trying to return busted shite or bothering them about the basic how-to's. It's pretty hard to mess up a refrigerator or window unit installation. A central HVAC system is tougher.

Mini splits are also much easier to install than central units and come with a taillight warranty, so there's no risk for the seller there.

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f you know a mechanical engineer they have access to the upstream suppliers as well

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I'm one of those trashy un-licensed mechanical engineers

Thats good to know. I didn't think they sold HVAC to the public, I didn't even bother calling them. Thats a real solid option

if you end up switching gasses, make sure to acid flush and pull a damn good vacuum, its mostly common sense shite

NG furnace, very very low efficiency

I'm putting in the most regular stuff I can get. Smallest furnace, and considering going down to a 2.5 ton AC as well. The house is pretty leaky and I'd almost prefer the AC just run non stop all day every day at lower amps than start and stop 50 times a day like the 3 ton does. I added a 1.5 ton mini split to the living room last year which makes that room very dramatically more comfortable but it kinda screwed everything else up a little bit.