As i understand it, the Bay Area has relatively mild winters and summers... several questions first...is summertime humidity a concern?....what exactly are you looking for?...what size furnace and efficiency do you have now?...what size AC condenser do you have now?...

QT #1 what size furnace quoted?...

QT #2 what size furnace quoted?..what size AC condenser quoted?

For now, I will concentrate on those quotes. Admittedly not a fan of Lennox brand and not sure what your budget is as far as QTs #3,4,5 since they are more expensive.

anything said about filter box cabinets and thermostats?

post back.

IMO

Can you say more specifically where you are located in the Bay area. Some places are hotter than others. I would think the 2.5 ton condenser would be sufficient but it is difficult to determine without a load calculation.

Post prices of all of your quotes if you want opinions on which is the best value. Also what is the age of the house, how much insulation is in the exterior walls and attic, and how would you rate the windows?

Thank you for advising me.

tigerdunes: No, humidity is not a concern. I am looking for a good quality furnace that heats up the house and a good quality A/C that cools the house without paying tons of electric bills. I do have a 1984 Payne furnace (not sure about the tons) and no A/C. So, I'm installing a new A/C.

What do you mean for what size? QT #1 says 3 tons furnace and condenser. Is that what you mean? QT #2 only tells me it's a 2.5 ton condenser.

Do you mind letting me know why you are not a Lennox fan? In terms of budget, I am willing to pay a little bit more if it's good quality and good value.

QT#1: Nothing said about filter. I emailed the contractor and asked but have not heard back yet. We are using the existing thermostat I have.

QT#2: 4 in media filter and new thermostat. Thanks for your help!

Thank you for advising me, mike_home.

mike_home: I live in Newark, CA, which is close to Fremont, CA. None of the contractors have ton a load calculation. They came to my home and then just tell me what I need after I give them the square footage of the house.

QT #1: $6,900 ($1,250 extra if I get a Trane XR 95 furnace 95% efficiency)

QT#2: $8,250

QT#3: $9,400

QT#4: $9,700

QT#5: $9,500

Furnaces are sized according to BTUs and efficiency, cooling by tons...

I like QT #1 best, however I would upgrade to the XT80 model furnace probably 60 K size. I can't believe you need more than 2 1/2 ton AC condenser with best matching Trane evap coil. Upgrade price on furnace should be no more than several hundred dollars.

IMO

All: I just got another quote from the same guy offering me Rheem after I clarified his quote.

So, quote #6:

Rheem: 96% 2 stage variable speed furnace (Rheem model R96V)

Rheem 16 seer a/c (model RA16)

The net price (after rebate) is $8,950

I am looking for the best quality and value. Any advice is GREATLY APPRECIATED. Thank you.

mike_home:

Ooops...my quotes were wrong. I forgot some of them excluded $650 permit fees. Here are my final price:

QT #1: $6,900 ($1,250 extra if I get a Trane XR 95 furnace 95% efficiency)

QT#2: $8,250

QT#3: $9,400

QT#4: $10,350

QT#5: $10,150

QT#6: $9,600

Thank you for any advice I can get.

tigerdunes: Why do you like QT #1 the best? What is reasoning? Just want to know so I can learn this process. Thanks.

I laugh whenever I hear people saying that they want the "best quality for the best price"... Don't WE ALL?

Since it's subjective, you will never find confirmation of what you are seeking. A wise person will understand this and then make a logical choice based on the limited volume of intel that they can collect in the timeframe they have. For me, that was about two weeks as my old system was still functioning correctly. Our new systems were installed last week so look up my posts on here for more details (if you like)

One question nobody on here has yet asked is ... "Where are you planning on installing the furnace? Higher efficiency units may be unwise in an attic so...

I recently put in a 80% Lennox (in the attic) as well as a 96% Lennox (in the crawlspace) each with a significantly more expensive A/C condensor for about 30% LESS than your quotes so while prices differ based on installation and location, I can tell you that my 3-ton SL18XC1/SL280 (80% furnace) was $7,100 after rebates. My SL18XC1/EL296 (96% furnace) was $7,350 installed & that INCLUDED the new S30 icomfort T-stats & the 5" Merv 11 Filtration cabinets in each system.

As a comparison I did get a comparable Trane Quote of the same price for a XR14 system so, at least in my market, the Trane & Lennox Signature Series were comparably priced. In fact, the Trane dealer bumped their system up to a XR17 for the same $7,500 price point in an attempt to win the business.

for OP...I try to balance price and quality of equipment with a homeowner's needs...I like value...the Trane quote is best if you upgrade the furnace to the XT80 model...if you want higher efficiency furnace, then the XT95 furnace... both properly sized...I suspect 60 K...don't believe you ever told me the size and eff of existing furnace...that would be helpful...

while above poster installed Lennox system and shared his pricing, it should be noted that pricing varies depending on location and competitive marketplace forces and California is vastly different than say the Southeast...

IMO

For those of you claiming that it cost "so much more" for installation in Cali vs. the Southeast.... How do you explain that the installed price for the Trane equipment is almost the same in Cali as it is here in the Southeast?

Since the costs of the equipment ITSELF will not vary by region, the difference HAS to fall to the prices that the installer/contractor has to charge to be able to remain in business. I use to run a business so fully understand that some must change more than others in order to make up for... taxes, operating costs, less efficient processes, subcontractors, etc.

The 80% Lennox furnace is $2,500 more than the equivalent Trane unit. If so, then could the cost for labor REALLY be 3 or 4 fold .... but only for the non-Trane dealers?

If the Trane dealer can be competive then the other dealers need to know that they would need to "sharpen their pencils" in order to have a chance at your business. Have you informed the other dealers that the Trane offer is SO much less $s yet?

PS - Having said all this and not wanting to mess with the additional footwork, if I were you, I would have just bought the Trane as they do have good equipment and they ARE the lowest price. Even if the others did come to the table with more realistic quotes, what would that really give you other than more choices at the same price point?

I find it interesting that decisions this day and age are still related to price and brand but neither of which will have much of any bearing on what kind of service you will get if the unit breaks down.

Is Trane, Lennox, or Ruud, Rheem or any other manufactured brand going to come to your home to fix your system when it breaks down? No, they will not.

This job falls to your installing contractor. Are they only in business to sell new units? Do they know how to repair a unit when it breaks? Do you know for sure?

You can go and look at reviews of any major brand of HVAC equipment and it's about nearly a 60% chance your trip down this road will end in failure to one degree or another within 3 years or less. If you only choose a HVAC contractor on price or what you think is a "good deal"... realize this is exactly what I hear when people call me to fix a broken unit that I didn't install.

There is no super special never break down HVAC system. They all break. How do you think I make a living? Most HVAC companies today are only interested in people who can sell, not those who know how to repair.

Do your homework, rely on a proven HVAC contractor. Gimmick chasing leads to heartache.

"Since the costs of the equipment ITSELF will not vary by region..."

I don't think that is true. There could be big variations in equipment cost across the country.

Most homeowners don't know a bad HVAC contractor from a good one. All they know is brands and prices.

Thank you for everyone's advice.

tigerdunes: I only know my furnace is 1983 Payne, 64,000 BTU. I can't find the other information.

Quote: Most homeowners don't know a bad HVAC contractor from a good one. All they know is brands and prices.

Most HVAC systems break down several times over the course of their lifetime. Who fixed it?

Obviously, if you jump from company to company then you probably won't know who to call... will you?

Ah, the little thing we call "Service Provider". Air Conditioning and Heating is a service industry whether you like it or not.