The duct work is in the attic. And given the history of oddities of my house, I'm sure it has been leaking since day one, 18 years ago. Eventhough the Trane dealer did the Manual J and the Goodman did not, they both came up with similar equipment recommendations. Especially considering the original equipment seems to have been oversized at 110,000 btu or something like that. So, the Goodman dealer was not quoting an exact replacement. The Trane rep said they would use the existing lines to the outside after cleaning them out for all systems quoted. The Goodman rep said they would use the same lines for all but the 95% furnace. I did not like the fact that they would run the new line down the side of my house eventhough encased. It would seem to me that it would be an open advertisement that there might be copper under there, and leave us exposed to theft. Is it standard to run replacement lines outside the house? I have siding and brick so it's not a straight shot to the ground. Would having a few extra bends be an issue? I guess I should get another quote or two, just to be sure. If I added another brand in the mix, which should I consider? I've read alot about Bryant, but there don't seem to be that many certified Bryant dealers in the Atlanta area. Since we plan to be in the house for a while, I want to get the best quality system I can justify. Both dealers have good reviews on online review forums and with the BBB.

Since the duct work is in an unheated space, you should seal it.

I assume that the reason that they wanted to change the lines was because the size was different. I wouldn't worry about theft - if they want copper, they will take the entire unit.

That's as much advice as I can give. If you need to keep it low cost, go with the Goodman.

Goodman quality has improved. BTW, they bought Amana's HVAC stuff, not the other way around. But they are still low priced equipment with no dealer standards. Trane stuff is still better built and definitely pricier. You'll have to decide which you want for your house.

Correcting duct issues is critical to good operation. Duct sealing of a leaky system can work wonders on the utility bill.

95% furnace not worth it your area but going dual fuel would be very wise.

I also do not like running support lines on the outside of the house.... yes it's easier but just looks tacky. Your only other option is to open up the inside walls and you might have to hire that out as a separate job or DIY if the AC contractor doesn't do that type of work.

It seems like your second contractor is doing a much more thorough job for a reasonable price difference. The Trane XL15i has a good reputation based on my own research.

You might consider getting a home equity loan to help float some or all of the cost of the new system which will make it easier to afford.

Thanks to everyone for the input. I'm still conflicted on what to do. Right now I'm between the Goodman 16 seer with 95% furnace or possibly Trane XL15i/XV80. Perhaps I can leave the registers as is to save a few dollars. I'm getting another quote from a Carrier/Trane/Amana dealer on Monday. I'll see how that comes out and go from there. Again thanks for the input.

In my opinion, a new system is not worth a penny no matter what brand if you have duct issues. I put more into the checking ducts making sure they look good and marking down what I think can be improved if anything. Brand of equipment, manual j, whatever you name it, Checking the duct in my opinion is top priority if it is accessible.

I went into 3 attics today. 2 had small issues and 1 was ok. The small issues will be fixed and the cost is minimal when the new system goes in if they choose us.

I will say the Trane XR15 is a more close comparison to a goodman 16 which the XR15 cost less than the XL15i. You may want to ask about the XR15 if you are considering comparing a trane model that is a more budgeted A/C

It is my opinion the most important part of buying an air conditioning system is the contractor who installs it. With that, a Professional who believes in what they sell will more than likely install it better than a company who will sell you anything that you want.

I am not a big fan of companies that sell many different brands.

classicdave, thanks for your input. I'll be interested to see if the 3rd company checks the ducts without prompting. Each of the contractors I'm looking at have good internet and BBB ratings. I'm willing to look at various configurations. My gas and electric bills combined average about $270 - $290 monthly with the current system and recent utility rates (gas rate will be going down from .99 per therm to .64 per therm). So, I wonder how much total we would save with a new system. This weekend I'm going to do an online review using the past year's usage. Luckily it is still warm in Atlanta, althought it will be heating season shortly.

dinny,

you are in a perfect area/climate for a HP plus you can take advantage of your reasonable electric rates.

my choices would be a high eff HP with 80% VS gas furnace backup or even just a high eff heat pump with VS air handler and electric backup. either way, you do want a qualifying tax credit HP. for the most part, you have relatively mild winters except for those ice/snow storms that come through Bama.

IMO
Good Luck!

I had a trane xr14 hp 3.5 ton with matched coil that is rated 15 seer installed in June , love it. I live in Fl temps 90-93 last month, elect. bill $143 all electric home 1832 sq ft. It is tax credit qualifed. I did plenty of reseach online plus four of largest banks in this area use Trane and I didn't see a goodman at the other banks. Oh and check cons. reports July 09 , top brands Trane, Rheem, Carrier.

Thanks for all the input. We've decided to just replace the heater for now. Here's what we're getting. New Trane TUH0100C948 Furnace (95%)(not variable speed), mechanical air cleaner, new return box (properly sealed), and upgrade insulation to R30 blown in. Price $5,000. This should qualify for the max tax credit of $1,500. We'll deal with the A/C later. Thanks to everyone for their help.

I think you have a good plan. The insulation will help you out summer and winter. Sounds like you went with a little better furnace. This way you can stretch out your cash and plan for the A/C cost.

Just FYI... they will be very busy in the early summer with service calls for A/C. You will probably get a better install job if you call them before the cooling season starts.

I have a 3 year old Tempstar set that is a loud, obnoxious, KWH eater that will be replaced by a Ruud system next week. Of course this was the bottom of the bucket builders grade model, but I still would not touch Tempstar,Goodman,Heil, and a couple others that are up and down my block and the one next to me.