Which comes first??? HVAC changes-This is Long....

16 years ago

Hi All-

We own a 1.5 story 1800 sq ft. brick bungalow just outside of chicago. It has the original windows. We are looking at making some major changes to our household hvac system. All contractors have agreed that they can utilize our existing air conditioning unit. The changes proposed include replacing our 80% furnace with a 95% high efficiency furnace and replaceing our 45 gallon gas water heater with a tankless water heater. One of the reasons we are looking at these changes is to maximiize the energy credits before the end of the year.

I have some questions for anyone who has done some of these upgrades.

1. how should the contractors be ordered? Should the furnace be installed before the water hearter or vice versa? Should the plumbers come in first or the electricians?

2. I assumed that the tankless system would be placed next to the existing furnace, because the existing water heater is gas. The existing 220 line which is currtently used for the dryer is on the opposite side of the basement. Does it make more sense to run new electric or run new water lines? For those who have a tankless system, which unit did you buy and why?

3. One of the estimates for the new furnace system we got included a single stage furnace with a zoned remote thermostat package for the 2nd floor. There was no ductwork proposed, simply a retrofit of the existing ducts. The remote package is not cheap, but I like the idea that we could better control the heat/cooling on the 2nd floor. The 2nd floor is often 15 degrees warmer for most of the summer. Much of our every day living space is there. Has anyone had experience with these systems? Do you feel that they are worth the money? Did you find them difficult to configure?

4. Is a housefan a more cost effective alternative to a zoned system? I have done some research much on online on comparing this to a zoned system and camt seem to find a lot.

5. One estimate proposed an 80k btu, another 100k btu furnace. What should we consider when evaluating this difference?

Thanks for any conversation on this topic. We could use the help.

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Comments (4)

tigerdunes
16 years ago
curious

I would not purchase a tankless hot water heater from an HVAC dealer.

While I doubt it matters, you might want the tankless installed first.

where is current furnace and HW heater located? hot water heater is vented? codes may have changed since your last installation. you might want to check with governing authority as well as your contractor and see how if at all this would affect placement/location of new.

you certainly don't require a 100 KBTU furnace. if your home has reasonable envelope and insulation qualities, a 95% 60 KBTU might meet your requirewment. Keep in mind, more is not better.

zoning controls are nice and if ductwork modifications are possible, then temp differential should be tightened up considerably over what you are used to. of course, these controls and modifications come with a cost. adequate supply and return for upstairs should be evaluated.

IMO
zippyhvac
16 years ago
I'd think twice about the tankless water heater - standby losses aren't really as much as you might believe.

If you want cheaper hot water think about heat-pump water heaters. There are new models from GE and Rheem out this year, last year - I got the 30% tax credit on a $699 purchase, so cost was waaaay cheaper than most installed tankless systems.

A side benefit with my Airtap at least is that it runs off a standard 110v outlet, no chimney or fancy wiring required. According to my "Kill-A-Watt" meter, I'm paying about $10 a month for hot water, and my electricity costs 22 cents/kw.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rheem hybrid water heater
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thecurious1
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the info. gentlemen. I will be posting the completed bids to this thread tomorrow. ONe question I had not posted but would like some info on. We plan to use our existing air conditioner 2.5 ton we purchased from Sears 15 years ago. It works well, so there is no reason to replace it. Are the new A?C units that much more efficient? I guess I had assumed that all of the energy savings was on the furnace side. Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks.
thecurious1
Original Author
16 years ago
Well, here is the completed info. Thanks for any comments or observations.

Carrier 95% 2 stage with variable speed 58UVB080.
Carrier SBP- April air 560.
$4956.00

Rheem 95%2stage variable speed RGRM07. Carrier SBP-April air 560. $4243.00.

American Standard. 95% dual stage auh2b090, $3995.00 plus 300.00 for april air humidifier 500A

Trane XV-95 Gas Furnace # TUD2B080A93VA 95% 2Stage Variable Speed Furnace. April air 500 humidifier n/c $4650.00

I have two other question that have come up as a result of reading these threads.

1.we will be connecting this new furnace to an existing 2.5 ton a/c. Should we be including any upgraded parts for the a/c?

2.I looked at the Rheem hp40rh heat pump water heater. Have you had any experience with this?

thanks!!