One more detail. The purchase price is 600k.

if you want the house use it to your advantage. your new offer should be 600k minus the highest hvac bid you recieve. get an estimate to fix everything right and deduct it from the price.

Long post - great drama for you HVAC geeks :) enjoy
I'm a six foot two inch 257 pound HVAC technician who does not "enjoy" being considered a "geek"! Thats as far as I got into reading your post. If this were a convention instead of a forum would you walk up to me and some of my fellow professionals here and call us "geeks"? Well, you might once. :-(

mr.havac, to improve your self confidence, I consider you to be a buff, burly, manly HVAC surgeon.

mr.hvac - I sincerely apologize . I am software engineer and "geek" is considered a compliment. My license plate is CPU GEEK ie computer geek. Now "nerd" is an insult in tech circles "geek" is a complement.

From wikipedia

"The definition most common among geeks themselves is: "one who is primarily motivated by passion," indicating somebody whose reasoning and decision making is always first and foremost based on his personal passions rather than things like financial reward or social acceptance. Geeks do not see the typical "geeky" interests as interesting, but as objects of passionate devotion. "

Sheppardk:

Don't let Mr. Havoc get to you.

Personally, I'm a self taught computer (Started with a TRS80 Model I back in 1980 (Trash80) with a whole 16k of memory.)"geek". I may not be in your league, but I do know a thing or two about back doors and circumventing security systems in some computers.

I'm also a "shade tree" mechanic who started with a one cylinder engine out of a "Cushman" ice cream scooter and can repair anything I have the instructions and tools for.

I'm a weapons "freak" who likes firearms.

I'm a "tree hugger", because if there ain't no oxygen, none of mens toys will matter any more.

I'm a "right wing nut" with more compassion for the human condition than the average Republican (Currently vote Independent.).

I'm an "Professional HVAC/R tech" because I took the courses, passed the tests, and was an independent contractor before the knees forced me into using 2 canes to walk safely.

I'm also the male of the species who has no problem with a moniker like "Fairyprincess" because I don't give a rats butt what others think of me as long as the women still like to run their fingers through my shoulder length naturally curly hair.

And last, but not least, I'm a "Mensa" who doesn't obsess about being a Mensa because I am the best looking guy on these forums and extremely humble about it.

You can call me what you want, just don't call me late for meals.

Peace; through power by shooting first.

Fairyprincess

Well FP,
I was a wondering. I guess you told us straight talk.

Don't worry about Mr. H. Let me post anything, and I will deflect his wrath. He has a problem with words, so what you say is not what he reads.

On to the question. The price has a lot of room to play with. It seems you have a concern with legal issues. And you live in the lawless capital of the USA?? All kidding aside, If you need more heat, do the job before moving in. I am not familar with the labor rates in Reno, but I would imagine there is a lot of lower pay labor available? If so the price is very high from the sounds of it. Any time you get a licensed PE involved, be prepared for conservative estimates. His training and license requires he compensates for all possible issues. This is not necessarly the way to go. Overkill is not desirable in HVAC. Proper designed ducts should not be felt beyond 12 inches from the grilles. The air movement should not make any noise. If it does, the individual register is adjusted wrong or too small. This could require adjustment at the plenum, or possibly at the grille.

The best solution for the real world is usually seperate systems for each floor. In N. Texas, many larger homes have even more equipment. Depending on the efficiency in Btu losses, the house could need from 4.8 - 7.5 tons. This depends on the climate. I assumed you were in a moderate climate, and not hot as hell during the summer. When I googled Reno, it seems you have more cold than hot. What does the current owner say about the heat in the basement?

I would be concerned about code violations, but most retrofitting HVAC is hit or miss anyway.

From what I read about your climate, I like the idea of radiant floor heat. Consider using solar water panels to preheat, or possibly use geothermal. Just because you are buying an expensive house, does not mean the HVAC needs to cost so much. Get more bids.

I think 3 weeks sounds like a long time, but If I had to drop a lot of ceiling, then replace it, the job could take that long.

If you have access to underneath the floors, installing radiant below the floor will probably be a cleaner install. If you use radiant, the original system will be too large, and will need to be reduced.

Trying to retrofit a smaller house with radiant heat or a different system is difficult, but retrofitting a large house is a pain in the A**. Good luch with your project.

This is one estimate. On my PDA so excuse my typing. thanks

We propose to furnish and install:
Demo of existing duct work.
One (1) Lennox 92% high efficient gas fired furnaces.
One (1) Honeywell T8000 thermostat.
New thermostat wiring.
All necessary ventilation for the furnace. The furnace will be vented out the side wall.
All necessary electrical and gas piping reconnection. The electrical will come from the panel and the gas will come from the existing furnace closet.
One (1) complete supply and return air systems including eight (8) supplies and one (1) return.
The furnace will be installed with drains.
All necessary sheet metal modifications for a complete installation.
Air balance.
Start-up.

TOTAL AMOUNT FOR YOUR INVESTMENT: $13,591.00

13 for a furnace and ductwork? Either/and
1. Too expensive.
2. Union labor.
3. A lot of ductwork needs to be done.
4. High heat loss/air infiltration throughout house.
5. ??
There has been a lot of discussion in the biz these days about leaking ductwork. Typically, a house will lose 20% of effiency (read $) to ductwork, whereas 5% is recommended. 20% (according to recent article in ACHR News) means the effiency of a 16 SEER system is reduced to 12 SEER. Most of the installers who know about this problem still fail to fix leaks correctly. (Seal the pipe, not the insulation.)
Curious about your insulation and climate.
We are installing a system for a homeowner in Georgia: The system consists of an air handler, a 10KW heat strip, and a condensing unit (no heat pump). You don't get much heat from 10KW, but this is the only source of heat. He can do this because his house is well insulated.

jrldh, who the %$#& was talking to you?

Thanks! I find this so frustrating. I am happy to pay a fair price, for good work or even above for top notch work, but it seems that people are looking to score a big one.

1. Too expensive.
[KS] Yes. I have one more estimate coming on Monday and will get more. Based on what I have read in the forums I could tell this was way high
2. Union labor.
[KS] No idea
3. A lot of ductwork needs to be done.
[KS] All the ducts for this space, but it is only 1 level and 1200 sf.
4. High heat loss/air infiltration throughout house.
[KS] It is a finished basement with onlly two windows and very well insulated.
5. ??
[KS] Well it is a am additional furnace in a new space so it needs ventalaltion, power, gas, etc.

For 13K we would install a complete system (VS 90% Furnace, HP, Vision Pro tstats, Aprilaire filters, 2 zones, and rework the ductwork. We would do the job to your satisfaction in a week to 10 days. We would not collect a $ until the job was done.
According to manufacturer's surveys over the last few years, we have a customer satisfaction rating that ranges from 97 to 99%. We have competitors who complain that we leave too much money on the table. We have been in business for over 25 years. We seldom advertise. We rely on our reputation, word of mouth, some well placed mailers, clean vans, and the YP to generate sales.
Our salesmen and our service techs take good care of our customers.
Sorry to brag so much. As you can see, I am proud.
But maybe these examples will help you decide what you will settle for when you choose who will work for you.
Remember this: It's your show.

Hello,
For Dallas, I am cheap. Few people will do cheaper. I have a new customer, that is keeping me busy. I gave a rough quote of $1000 for labor and parts on a system that was stolen and the lines removed. It will be a 3-ton, with electric heat. I am looking for a used system. Expecting to pay less than $500. Total cost including new electric to furnace probably in the $1,400-1,700 range. This is a one day job, if all goes well. One man, one day. No homeowner. No warrantee, other than the system works when I am done.

Your job if done in Georgia would cost $5000 to $8000.