Yeah, the whole system is getting changed out.
I had quotes in the $11-13k range for a 5 ton carrier/trane system. My father in law just got a new top-of-the-line trane system and he's quite unhappy with it. The thermostat gives him fits all the time, and the unit might not even be programmed correctly because it never seems to be keeping up. I've also found out a lot about these companies that I never cared to know before - like who own who, and all that jazz.
My options were to 1) replace the compressor, for about $1500-$2000. This would have gotten me a year warranty, and kept the same (degraded) efficiency. Since my current system was a 13 SEER when I got it new, it's now probably down around 11 (you can figure you loose a SEER every 3-5 years).
2) I could replace the outside condenser & compressor unit, and I might have been able to convince someone to do it - but by the time I was done, I'd be around $2500-$3000. They don't like to do that because of coil matching. Of course, you can match the inside coil with a new system (higher efficiency), but now you're building a Frankenstein. Probably not a good idea.
3) Replace the whole system - getting a new condenser and evaporator (both outside and inside units). For my setup, since I have natural gas, I can only get a 18 SEER max unit, but that's quite expensive. So I went with a 15.5.
Out the door price for me for the whole new system is right around $5900. Not exactly what I was looking to spend my money on, but it's a two-speed, two-stage setup so it'll save money and keep the house even more comfortable. But at half the cost of a carrier system... well, that's just crazy talk.
