vaandjay

the basement is finished and is used as living space? basement is at or below grade?

on the Trane, I would get an upgrade price on the two stg VS XV95 both 60K and 80K model. has a load calc been performed for heating?

IMO

I actually had 5 contractors come out and if any did load calculations, it would be a surprise to me. I used an online calculator and figured that keeping the AC at 2-ton is appropriate. The dying 88k btu 90% Weathermaker has been fine too, but I don't think I'd want to go below 80k.

The basement is below grade in the front but it's a walkout basement. It is perpetually cool/cold. We never need AC there in the summer but often need a space heater in the winter even though there's insulation where possible.

I have emailed the Trane contractor to get a price on the 2-stage furnace and will let you know when I get an answer. Thanks.

vaanjay

there is no need for your basement to be cold. homeowners don't realize that basements used for living space at or below grade with even average insulation properties have small heating loads. Problems like you mention usually indicate poor ductwork sizing/design issues. ask dealer for recommendation to improve. now is the time to address.

IMO

Thanks for the suggestion and I know that the basement ductwork is poor. I'll let you know the Trane info when I get it.

No word on the 2-stage XV95. When he was here, he said that it would be significantly more (near $1,000). So I'm looking at the Carrier and Trane quotes above.

I also just got a Bryant quote:
$6,327 (after tax credit) for Evolution 3-stage 95% (80k) with a 16-SEER AC and coil CNP2P3621ATA.

Any final thoughts?

Thanks for your advice.

vaandjay

what mdl AC? that's a very nice furnace. it would need the Evolution controller!

IMO

I guess the controller would add several hundred dollars to the bottom line. The Bryant 2-ton AC is the Preferred line (one stage) 126BNA024.

vaandjay

Evoltion controllers are pricey. ask dealer about cost.

did you hear back from Trane dealer on the two stg VS XV95? it should not be more than $750 and that would be a heck of a system as well as the Bryant.

IMO

Thanks. The Carrier quote has essentially fallen through. The contractor apparently was quoting me for a 93% non-tax credit eligible model (MEC), though he never mentioned it previously. I don't think he was trying to trick me, but it means I wouldn't be eligible to save $1,000 or more on the furnace. Even if the AC qualified, I prefer getting a 2-speed furnace at 95% for the tax credit along with a lower SEER AC (not a very high SEER AC with a non-tax-credit eligible furnace).

The Trane dealer will get back to me with his bottom line on the XV later tonight. I'm leaning towards going with him with either the XR or the XV because I have more faith in him and his company at this point.

The Bryant controller puts the price a little beyond what we'd like to spend considering that we don't plan to be in the house past 5 years. Also, it took a week to get an estimate and it's hard to get return calls, so I don't have faith that they'd really get the items installed next week.

Thanks for any additional thoughts.

Well the Trane dealer said he'd charge $1,095 more for the two stage XV. Since I no longer have a tax-credit eligible offer on the Carrier furnace, I will probably take the one-stage Trane and AC for $6,900 ($5,700 after the tax credit is figured).

I am waiting on one last bid from the Bryant seller but since I've had problems getting return calls from him, I won't wait past tomorrow morning to hear from him.

I would get a couple more quotes. We just got a quote for a 4 ton 15 seer Goodman for $6750 with a $1500 tax credit if we purchased before Dec. 31st. so cost really would be $5250.This unit has the newest 410a instead of the older freon models of R-22 . We currently had a Trane which the compressor only lasted 7 years installed new in 2003. Needless to say we are not happy right now with Trane, even though the big unit that just went never gave us any problems up until now. The smaller 2 ton unit has capacitors going all the time. They just don't make them like they use to.

Bkpie: Unfortuantely, we need to replace the furnace now due to a cracked heat exchanger. Otherwise, I'd get more quotes.

As for the existing quotes: The Carrier dealer wrote that the 58MEC (Performance Boost 90, 80000btu) qualified for the tax credit when paired with the 17 SEER APA7 2-ton A/C. I think he meant that the A/C qualified when matched with the furnace; I still don't think the furnace itself qualifies.

I've asked for one more quote from this dealer--for a one-stage Carrier Comfort 95 (58HDX) with a 14-SEER 2-ton A/C. I realize that the A/C wouldn't qualify for the tax credit, but it might make sense to save the money because we plan to move in the next 5 years.

Thanks to all who posted. In the end, we decided to go with the Trane quote--mainly because the dealer was consistently responsive and considered excellent all around, even if not cheap. If we were to stay in the house 10 years, we'd get a two-stage furnace, but the cost difference was too much for us to justify getting it.

As for the independent contractor, it seems that getting model numbers, including a coil number, in a written estimate was too bothersome. We were going to spend more than $9,000 on his equipment (furnace, A/C, humidifer, hot water heater), but he never actually spelled out the model numbers. When I asked him to do so, the responses ended. Perhaps he was too busy, perhaps I asked more questions than his regular customers, perhaps something else interfered. Either way, if he can't provide a bid with model numbers and a coil number, I won't use him.

Thanks again.