There is nothing wrong with going with Lennox. Lennox makes a great product in my opinion, with a broad range of accessories available (if you're looking into air cleaners). That match has outstanding numbers: 13 EER (excellent), 15 SEER, 8.75 HSPF, 34,800 btu's cooling (a tad bit low, but if he is sizing the equipment according to Manual J/S also, he would have hopefully taken this into consideration and deemed it sufficient to cool your home), and 35,000 btu's heating. This isn't a variable-speed air handler, but it is a high-efficiency air handler that should do a fine job. If humidity control is a concern, you may want to investigate the options of a variable-speed blower and a thermostat designed to control blower speed. A properly-sized system should do just fine with humidity control, however.

Thank you. I will question about a variable speed blower. Is a electric demand defrost, compared to a timed defrost, something that I should be considering? Any thoughts on having my neighbor install this unit?

1. I prefer demand defrost to avoid unnecessary defrosts which bring on that expensive electric heat and aren't very efficient. It appears the XP14 uses demand defrost--good.

2. With regards to the variable-speed blower, it would be good to have, especially when set up with a VisionPRO IAQ thermostat to control humidity. Ask your dealer about this thermostat if interested in good humidity removal (again, a properly-sized system should be able to handle humidity fine; the controls will just enhance things). The variable-speed blower is also preferably in that it can vary its speed to maintain proper airflow (should the ductwork system be slightly undersized, filter get dirty, etc.). 12 EER, 14 SEER, and 8.5 HSPF with the variable-speed blower.

3. Do you trust your neighbor? Will he stand behind his work with a labor warranty that most companies will provide (1 or 2 years)? Can he get parts as easily as established dealers? Think about the long run when considering your neighbor. Of course you could always have another company make repairs down the road if something comes up, however. The big thing is making sure you have confidence in his installation capabilities.

banjo

what area of country do you live?

what are electric rates?

here are my personal specs for a new HP system.

15 SEER,12+ EER, 9 HSPF
matching variable speed blower
R-410a refrigerant
full BTUs both cooling and heating for rated size
electronic demand defrost preferred
scroll compressor preferred
stat or control that has "dehumidify on demand" feature like the Infinity or HW VisionPro IAQ
staged backup heat strips

my personal favorites are Carrier Performance 15(Bryant Preferred 15) and Trane XL15i HP(AmStd Heritage 15)

I am not a fan of Lennox HPs but if it had to be Lennox, then the XP14 is a good choice. I think your choice of using a neighbor for the installation is a questionable strategy. what exactly are his qualifications? Is he a Lennox dealer? Will it affect wattanty?

IMO

I am in south eastern PA. I do burn wood during the cldest part of winter and the heat pump does not run (only the circ fan). During the summer we rarely use the AC and have a dehumidifer in the basement. We use electric for everything and are monthly bills have nor been above $200. The neighbor has not installed any HP with the new freon and needs to get proper range gauges. That is enough for me not to use him. Tigerdune I was wondering you are not a fan of Lennox. Thanks

1169031 Active Systems PERFORMANCE 15 PURON HP CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 25HPA536H30 FV4BN(B,F)005 36000 13.00 15.50 36000 9.00 21800 1

1384033 Active Systems XL15I WEATHERTRON TRANE 4TWX5036A1 4TEE3F48A1 36000 12.50 15.00 36000 9.00 23000 1

1292429 Active Systems XP14 SERIES LENNOX INDUSTRIES, INC. XP14-036-230* CBX32MV-048*+TDR 35800 13.00 15.00 35200 8.75 21200

banjo

here are three 3 ton HP system configurations with matching var speed air handlers. performance/eff numbers provided from AHRI HP directory and as you can see are very close to each other. If I needed a three ton system, all of these would be solid choices and probably I would let the price, warranty, dealer experience/reputation on HPs and R410a frig dictate my decision. you do want a stat that has "dehumidify on demand" feature.

IMO

Lennox heat pumps can sometimes be low on the heating output (as can Trane), but the XP14 matchup as you have been quoted is fine with heating (almost a full 3 tons--many systems don't get the full nominal capacity for either heating, cooling, or both).