When we first moved down south and bought a house, the property needed quite a bit of repairs and renovation.
- One of the bathrooms and the kitchen required complete remodeling.
We replaced all of the appliances, fixtures and drain pipes. We originally hoped to replace the heating/cooling unit within the first year. However, we had so many other upgrades taking priority that we put it off for almost five years. It was a gigantic packaged unit that made a tremendous amount of noise every time it started up. The unit was situated outdoors and was obviously very old. The outer cabinet showed signs of rust. During the summer, despite the high heat and humidity, the system managed to keep up with temperature control. The winters in our local area are typically quite mild. One year, we experienced a record-setting cold snap. In heating mode, the unit struggled. It froze several times. We ended up purchasing an electric heater to supplement it. Other than that, we were satisfied with the performance of the packaged heating/cooling unit. Our first sign of any problems with it were when it supplied warm air in cooling mode. I called for repairs and fully expected the HVAC contractor to recommend replacement. The contractor found a refrigerant leak. He explained that the unit was too old to find new parts for it. He suggested that we try refilling and recharging the system and see how long it would hold up. The total repair only cost $200. It lasted a year. The following summer, the system once again produced only warm air. I decided not to invest into another repair. It seemed more cost-effective to invest into a new heating and cooling unit.