Rudd brand heat pump?? Good, bad or??

Well got a quote for the cost to replace the heat pump. New A coil new out side Rudd brand heat pump and the lines flushed. 1 year labor warranty and 5 years parts. Both warranty's are better then the first unit I had put in but ouch the cost will be $3500. So what do you guys think is that about where it should be and the Rudd brand is it any good or are they all pretty much the same now days??
Thanks

(quoted from post at 08:24:21 07/07/12) Well got a quote for the cost to replace the heat pump. New A coil new out side Rudd brand heat pump and the lines flushed. 1 year labor warranty and 5 years parts. Both warranty's are better then the first unit I had put in but ouch the cost will be $3500. So what do you guys think is that about where it should be and the Rudd brand is it any good or are they all pretty much the same now days??
Thanks

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Old,

I had a big long post typed out then erased it.

I would have a quote from a Goodman dealer done before I would install a Rudd system with only a 5 year warranty. Goodman comes with a 10 year parts warranty. The copeland scroll compressors in Goodman are Limited Lifetime warranty.

One more thing, if you are changing from R22 to 410 gas the line set would be replaced not flushed. That is just my opinion.

Dave

Hello old: I can not make a comment on RUUD "Heat pumps" but a few years ago I spent several sessions on the internet reading Quality Reviews on Heating systems(furnace) and the Reviews and personal posts by home owners came across fairly high on Ruud systems as good quality and few problems... That may not be a direct referance to Heat pumps from Ruud but it did help me decide to buy Ruud due to 'quality' comments on Ruud Heating system... The written Guarenty and Reputation of local dealer in your area would be another thing to check out.. Good Luck..

I have been retired for a long time and don’t keep up with this stuff; but the last I knew Rudd was a rebadged Rheem unit. Both were decent units but I don’t even know where they are built now.

Most manufactures buy the compressors, Fan motors, Capacitor, valves, relays and circuit boards from other manufactures and just assemble them into a unit.

They have several models ranging from a builders model through the premium series.

Rheem and Rudd all use to all carry a 10 year extended warrantee on the compressor only, that was a parts only warrantee you had to pay Labor and the cost associated with Refrigerant handling and replacement.

What is the model number and seer rating of the unit? Is it a reciprocal or scroll compressor? Is the Refrigerant 410A or R22?

Rudd is supposed to be good.

I would replace the lines just to make sure.

We had a new 2 1/2 ton Combo Rheem installed in 2008. Nary a problem. Prior to that, we had a Ruud installed in 1981 and only had to replace both the fan motors twice. Not bad for a 27 y/o unit. Still worked when we got the Rheem. We replaced the Ruud because it was getting old and the new unit is more energy efficient. One odd difference, the old unit had 2 separate power supplies, one for the heat/cool and one for the heat strips. The new one has just one power supply. If you decide to get the Ruud, hope you have a problem free experience.

Old,Rudd is a very good make,but they also make cheap ones too.By the warrenty quote you give also means it is a entry level model with lower effencey too, costing more to run.But also maybe by going into a trailer changes the warrenty,might check that to see if it does.Anyway,GOOD LUCK because they know you are in a minor bind.

LINESET SHOULD BE REPLACED.............NOT FLUSHED!

We don't have any Rheem/Rudd dealers left anound here but they used to be decent. Unless you are in a major city that's too much for just a condensor and a coil. You've already had a burnout so those lines need to be replaced & since tth inside half isn't an approved match for the condensor there is no warranty from the manufacturer. Keep shopping. You should be able to get a complete Goodman, Amana, Frigidare, Nordine system with a ten year warranty for that amount. You could around here.

For that money you should be able to fund a ground water based geothermal. Pumped ground water cools (or heats) the refrigerant. to supply cold in summer, or heat in the winter. It is far more efficient than air to air, and the difference in cost if reliable well water is available (and a hill to run the waste water down and away). The last system I specified saves 600 per year on heating and cooling in central MN. Jim

Ruud is as good as anybody else these days. They have you by the short hairs right now, but I would try to get a couple more prices to keep things as honest as possible. Agree with the others that are saying replace the lineset. Unless there is something difficult about the routing between indoor and outdoor units, I can see almost no advantage to saving the few dollars that a new line set will cost and the upside is great as far as insuring that system is new and clean which will only add to the life span of the new equipment.

Good Luck however you go ahead,

Kirk

I have a Ruud Nat. gas fired hot air furnace and central AC. They've been in use 20 years.
I replaced the low voltage contactor on the AC probably 15 years ago. It was chattering. The condensate pipe on the furnace became plugged last year and I removed it and cleaned it. Had to use air pressure and I replaced the condensate pump with another Little Giant pump.
They're made by Rheem. Hal

Here in Missouri with all the rock and caves to get a ground as in geothermal set up will cost a guy 3 times this price and I have no way to come up with that much. This much as it is will have me hurting for a few years

In 2006 I had 3 ton trane system installed in the house in Indiana. All new system including air handler and lines. It was 7000.00 but worth every penny. Also comfortable and never paid an electric bill over 200.00 on 1700 square foot house. You can't do any better than that in Indiana. Heat strips didn't kick in unless outside was below zero.

The system uses your well water, not anything more, to cool the condenser. It can waste 20 gallons an hour of well water, but if a strong source of water (or artesian spring) is used it is cost free. You could even use that creek water through a sand filter to chill the condenser. Not complex at all, Jim

Wish the spring I have on the place was closer to the house but it is about 1000 yards or more way from the house.

Old, Where do you find a HVAC man worth his salt that tells you can use your old copper line? I agree with Dryal, replace everything. The new heat pump should use 410A. It has much higher pressures, 5-600 psi. Are you getting an old R22 heat pump that's been setting on a shelf, pre 2010?

Didn't you tell us that your old compressor fried, your shade tree HVAC company installed a second one and it fired too? Stop looking for the low ball figure and find a HVAC company that knows what they are doing. Using your old lines is like buying a new car and putting old used motor oil in it.

I would want a heat pump with a SEER of 15, uses 410A, 10 year parts and labor, and replace EVERYTHING!

You are only asking for trouble if you use your old copper lines. Your new lines better be silver soldered too.

I think the newer heat pumps also work in colder temps.

Did you check out to see how many times the company you are going with has been sued?

George

They still sell new out of the box 22 systems all day long, they only come dry charged with no 22 in them.. I put them in all day long. Rhuud brand is a good unit. We use Goodman.

How old are the R22 out of the box units?

Wasn't R22 ban Jan of 2010?

Isn't the price of R22 about $400/30 pounds?
I remember when it was $25/30 pounds

How much longer do you think you will be able to buy R22?

If R22 was ban, is it likely what you are buying is used recycled R22?

Isn't the efficiency of 410A better than R22?

Don't the 410A work better at a lower temps?

What's the warranty on your old R22?

What's the warranty on the new 410A?

Are you telling your customers all the facts about R22 or are they just looking at cost?

George

How old are the R22 out of the box units?

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Probably brand new. Since 2010 the manufactures have not been able to ship units charged with R22 but they can ship what they refer to as “Dry units” these units have no refrigerant ship with the unit but normally have a positive charge of nitrogen gas to keep moist air from entering the unit.

Wasn't R22 ban Jan of 2010?

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Not true R22 is in a phase down cycle see the following source

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/phaseout/classtwo.html

Isn't the price of R22 about $400/30 pounds
I remember when it was $25/30 pounds

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I haven’t bought any for a while but that sounds about right.
I remember buying it for 0.60 cents per pound.

How much longer do you think you will be able to buy R22?

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I think for quite a while, there are replacements being produced for R22 but right now they cost as much as R22 so there is little to be gained by using them.

The replacements have similar pressure temperature and enthalpy to R22

If R22 was ban, is it likely what you are buying is used recycled R22?

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One again not true please refer to the EPA site.

Isn't the efficiency of 410A better than R22?

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Not at higher Ambient temperatures

Don't the 410A work better at a lower temps?

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Not sure what your point here is but R410a is normally used as a medium temperature refrigerant intended to be used in things like air conditioners.

What's the warranty on your old R22?

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No warrantee on the refrigerants only the equipment. Since I am out of the business can not address the new warrantees but you can Google some of the big manufactures and check the warrantees on the “Dry Units”.

What's the warranty on the new 410A?

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?

Are you telling your customers all the facts about R22 or are they just looking at cost

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I am not sure who you are addressing here but I sure cant answer that one.

George"

R410a is not a magical cure refrigerant, the lubricating oil that is used in the 410a sealed units is very hydroscopic, some tests have even proven that POE oil stored in a plastic container will absorb some moisture in a new sealed bottle. Moisture in a system will react with the oil and will deteriorate the motor windings and in some cases cause sludge formations that can plug up a system.

Carless installation practices that might not matter in an R22 system can spell sudden death for an R410a system, special care must be taken, things like purging nitrogen while brazing, pulling a deep vacuum verified by a micron gauge and the use of filter dryers.

Actually not only does R410a require higher operating pressures which can result in stress on the components but if you study the performance curves of the refrigerants at higher ambient temperatures R410a’s performance actually drops off.

Having said all that if I need a new unit it would be 410a but you can be sure I would make sure the installation was up to snuff because asfar as I am concerned, that is more important than what brand you use

"Having said all that if I need a new unit it would be 410a but you can be sure I would make sure the installation was up to snuff because as far as I am concerned, that is more important than what brand you use."

I agree with you 100%. Been trying to get that point across with OLD. Get with the professionals who know what they are doing and not go for the low ball figure and the guy who wants to cut corners by using the old lines. You need someone who will stand behind their produce, be licenced, bonded and insured too.

My standard for professionals is they need to look like pros too, nice trucks, uniforms, grandpa, father & son business, no law suits. I realize not everyone will agree with me on all these points.

AND THAT'S IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT HEAT PUMPS

George

I worked for carrier for many years no on would put a carrier unit on their house at the factory I worked at we all had rheem or rudd they are consider the work houses it air conditioning the one on my house is 16 years old and still going strong the last i heard the were being made in fort wayne

The problem is in this global manufacturing climate and you don’t know when manufactures change where they build a unit or where the parts that go in the unit were built.

Many we think that are USA brands have components in them that are manufactured all over the globe.

In the last 20 years you don’t know what you are getting, old name brands have been bought up and the name being used even though there is no ties what so ever with the original manufacture.

To name a few, Whirlpool, Fraser Johnson, Frigidaire, Fedders and many more. It sure makes it hard to keep up with who is who.

Fedders which was a USA company and made good units 35 years ago is out of business but a Chinese company bought up the name and sell AC’s under that well known old brand name.

In 1988, Rheem became a wholly owned subsidiary of Paloma Industries of Nagoya, Japan, the world's largest producer of gas appliances

Rheem, Rudd, Weather King, and Heat Controller are all made by Rheem the lesser known brands often have less features and are only made in the builders line. Most of the time the higher ends of the line have additional features, such as High and Low level pressures witches, Start Kits. Thermostatic expansion valves, higher efficient coils, scroll compressors, etc.

Even if the builder’s models may share a cabinet and look the same from the outside the premium units may have features that add to the longevity of the unit.

I am mot sure but the last I knew Rheem was headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It manufactures a lot of the residential stuff in Fort Smith, but some components were manufactured in, Mexico, Brazil and Singapore.

The point I am trying to make is that it may be misleading to go by the reputation of a brand name based on the reliability of the units built 10 years ago,

I understand the point of the world market and not know who what when or where things are made and that does effect how good or bad it maybe. About all I am sure about this unit that is or will be ordered for me has a better warranty then the one I got 5 or so years ago from one of the oldest company in the HVAC in this area and I have since found out they are about as good a company as a box of used cat little