Advice on a new HVAC unit

[mlmpetert]

I did like buster and got a heatpump from a guy who sold them on craigslist to make extra money on the side, and then got another guy to install it as sidework. I got a Carrier, because my mom has had good experience with hers, but also because the warranty follows the unit and it doesn’t matter who installed it or where you got it. Carrier only sells to their certified installers, so you cant really get them like you can other brands, that’s why it doesn’t matter where it came from or who installed it.

I got a new 3 ton 13 seer heatpump with air handler, coils, and the thermostat Buster has for 2100. I could have gotten a 14 or 15 seer variable speed unit for a couple hundred more but my house is only 1500 sq feet so it wasn’t really worth it. Also my place only had central heat but not air before I moved in and my return is inadequate for what I am doing now, and to put a new return or add a additional return it would have been real expensive. Either way everything runs great and my house is cool. So even though you need duct work it might not really be worth it.

I can give you the email and number of the guy I bought the system from, he is in the DC area. Let me know.

Also something else to consider in addition to your energy credit is a medial deduction. I was diagnosed with an allergy to dust mite, which 99% of people have. So it is recommend that I have air conditioning in my house to combat my allergy, along with a circuit breaker to provide power to my ac unit and other things like non-fabric couches, blinds (not drapes), hardwood floors, and some other stuff. So if you, your wife, or dependents have an allergy to dust mites or something else like mold you can possible take a deduction for this stuff. It’s a tough deduction to get because you have go over 7.5% of AGI, but anything over that amount can be used to reduce your income. So if you can afford it and someone in your family is suffering from allergies you could do a bunch of updates to your house right now. Plus any other medical expenses you have this year can add on to it. Also one thing im not sure about is if the expense increases the value of your home you may have to reduce it by the value your home increased. But I think that’s a little trickier than it sounds.