The Office - HVAC decision

The more I looked into the subject of a ductless system, the more cornered I felt. At the onset, I was prepared to buy the unit and install it myself. Then, the more i read, the more i realized that if I did install it myself, I would basically have no warranty at all. Ok, fine. I agreed (with myself) to pay a professional HVAC technician to install it. That quickly led to the realization that the installer is also the vendor (one throat to choke - a good idea, actually). Well, maybe there are exceptions to that, but I could spend weeks finding that individual, so I've agreed with two basic givens:
1) A professional should - and will - install my 9000 BTU mini split ductless AC and heat pump
2) That professional will also go through the process of acquiring the recommended equipment

Having come to terms with those two facts, I then set forth to get quotes for installing this system. As everyone knows, a minimum of 3 quotes should be received before making a decision.

Quote #1 - called a well known outfit here in Phoenix area, Chas Roberts. The sales guy was pleasant and informed. He was off-schedule, meaning he came 3 hours early which might have been more convenient for him, but I schedule my days carefully and it's a bit annoying to have to move things around at the last minute. His quote, which never specifically stated the exact equipment to be installed, came in at around $2800. Wow! Considering the unit itself (undisclosed in the quote provided) probably costs about $1200 retail, that's a pretty sizable markup. So the extra $1600 must go towards warranty, the 3 hours or less it takes to install, and...??? Hmmm, think I'll look for a better price.

Quote #2 - called a really well known outfit here in Phoenix, Goettel (sp?). They were on-time and also pleasant. I think the rep was fairly new because he had to make a phone call to confirm some information. At the end of my very brief interview with him, I don't him not to bother writing up a quote. Now, remember, in this situation all electric will be provided exactly as they specify, slab will be in place and ready, all new construction and no working barriers. This is an 81 square foot space. Guess how much. Ok, I'll tell you; "somewhere between $7500 and $9000". Oh, c'mon now, it's air conditioning. A price like that makes me think I should get a fan and have two blocks of ice delivered every morning and in the winter, cashmere, lot's of it.

Quote #3 - called a local outfit. They were busy. Called again. They will call back. Called again. Called again. No answer. Called again, "we don't sell those". I'm estimating that quote equal to or in excess of my entire lifetime earnings.

Quote #4 - The guy answers his phone himself. He bids his own jobs. Shows up on time, reeking of cologne (because he is doing a job that morning in a cosmetics shop - whew! glad he explained that!) I think, he might actually do real work as well - which doesn't matter to me if he does or doesn't, but it does say something about him. Where did I find Aaron? Through a friend of mine who is a general contractor. Aaron looks at the space, tells me he only works with Fujistu Halcyon mini splits because they are the best. Informed, pleasant, able to respond quickly. Good. Good. Good. I got a feeling about this guy. So he says he'll have the quote to me via email later that evening. It shows up. It detailed, concise, specifies the exact equipment and the price is $2200. A quick trip to the BBB website and...

Winner! Winner! Chicken dinner!

Aaron at Infinite Cooling and Heating gets the job. I look forward to having them install my Fujistu Halcyon 9RL mini split system.


Now, one thing I have to say, and I'll elaborate a bit more on my next few posts. Budget. Oooh. That stings a little bit. (and one last time, I would be happy to install this unit myself, but the warranty... I check the retail price, it's about $1400-$1500, which means that, at most, I'm paying the contractor $800 for the work, that seems very fair to me.)