Tampa area, so somewhat coastal. All of the quotes we have (6 units) have single stage circled/checked. The Lennox and Bryant quotes don't list model #'s they just say 14 and 16 SEER. I'm interested in how to look up which equipment is matched well. I don't think the better furnace is important to us, but are the differences in 4A7A4036L1 vs 4A7A6036J1 worth the cost difference.

Sorry forgot to mention, its a 12SEER 3ton Goodman CKL36-1K .

so I understand totally, what is the price difference btw the two systems listed? I would want a filter media cabinet and new properly sized refrigerant lineset for either of the systems. Don't overlook!

IMO

$1150 difference. $8600 for the 16

I would go for the single stage system with the furnace recommendation upgrade that I recommended along with filter cabinet and new and correctly sized refrigerant lineset.

IMO

Given your low heating requirements, have you considered replacing your furnace/AC with a 2 stage heatpump? Should be cheaper to buy and install and shouldn't be any more expensive to run. Plus, a 2 stage AC will dehumidify better.

generally , I always prefer nat gas heat over a heat pump unless there is an overriding reason like operating cost leverage between electric and nat gas. Since this is Florida location, heating not as important as AC cooling. I would stay with single stage system providing you follow up on my recommendation. Furnace with high eff blower, filter cabinet, and new/correctly sized refrigerant lineset.

good luck,

If the gas furnace is not replaced, then a air handler would need to be installed. Then you have to decide whether whether back up heat strips are need for a Tampa location. If they are then you have to add the cost of running a 220V line to the air handler. The air handler would probably cost the same as the furnace and possibly more.

The other thing to consider is the extra wear and team on running the heat pump in the winter. Probably not a significant issue for Tampa, but it is extra run time over the life the system. In my opinion you are better off staying with the gas furnace. The heating costs of the two are probably close to each other.

I've had 2 more quotes yesterday, both recommending the same equipment. Both said the closet is apparently not very large, and they want to stick with the furnace vs heat pump. Both of the new quotes are for Lennox which I am not very familiar with. Both are highly recommended installers with great reviews. When I look up the products they seem lower end of the product line. They have the exact same products listed. Thank you for the advice. What are your views on Lennox? This is for a 16 SEER.

Outdoor Unit Model Number (Condenser or Single Package) : 14ACX-036-230A**
Indoor Unit Model Number (Evaporator and/or Air Handler) : CX35-36B+TDR
Furnace Model Number : ML180UH070E36B**

I am sorry. Not a fan of Lennox brand and would stay away from it.

IMO

The model AmStd furnace equivalent that I would recommend is to Trane's XT80 model. Your AmStd dealer will know model number. This is nice furnace and more than adequate for your location.

IMO

The Lennox 14ACX condenser will achieve a 14 SEER rating with the proper air handler. That is the minimum SEER allowed in the south. I don't think it can achieve a 16 SEER rating.

How large is the closet? You don't want to install equipment and then not be able to service it properly because there is no room. The American Standard furnace is 17.5 inches wide. You should not have to go wider than that.

Quotes without complete model numbers are useless. Quoting 14 and 16 SEER does not mean much. Tell the dealer you need a complete model numbers to evaluate their quotes. If they refuse then drop them from your list.

The model AmStd furnace equivalent that I would recommend is to Trane's XT80 model. Your AmStd dealer will know model number. This is nice furnace and more than adequate for your location.

The Trane XT80 furnace has a variable blower motor that is very pricey when it comes to replacement. I replaced one of these last summer, the motor cost $975 plus tax. This was just the cost of the motor, not counting labor.

The Trane furnace I replaced this on was only 3 years old. While this motor was still under warranty you can only imagine what the price will do 10 years from now.

Once it's out of warranty, that is going to be an expensive furnace to maintain for a place like Florida that rarely needs heating. A furnace for Florida area should last longer than 20 years.

You can't operate that AC without a blower!

I am in the process of making this Trane repair video for my youtube channel located here.

Brands of furnaces I often sell with a comparable motor typically cost a fraction of what Trane charges.

Thank you, we have a 24 year old Carrier, and it is the blower motor that is giving us issues. Most are recommending a Lennox, they have provided AHRI #s and model numbers, so I'm just researching.

I'll take issue with Austin remarks about the blower motor on the XT furnaces. These high eff motors are not var speed and are very reliable and quiet compared to the old PSC AC motors. Replacements are unlikely and I disagree with the cost Austin is throwing around. Yes for a var speed but not the single speed that the XT has. Generally referred to as X13 model. This blower motor has been around for awhile and is very reliable. I would not purchase a single stage furnace without this type blower motor.

IMO

The motor in question is made by Genteq it looks like a variable speed motor to me. The model of the furnace in the soon to post video is an XT80 model. The video includes model & serial # of this furnace in question.

The video is complete, I should have it uploaded to youtube sometime today.

The video is clear as a bell... tiger takes issue with people who 'actually' work on this equipment. The furnace in this soon to be posted video was 3 years old at the time of failure. If 3 years is considered reliable, I'll take issue with Tiger's claims of reliability.

The video doesn't show just this one failure, nope. It shows several. I work on all brands all summer long. I'm not just here to tease the Tiger.

Once I finish uploading the video I will post it to this board. Then you can make up your own mind.

here you go.......

I service the Katy, Texas area. All Brands. I Repair, replace, retrofit, re-design, 1 stage, 2 stage, inverter. I can also help minimize failures and reduce your risk.

No one can prevent failures. You WILL ALWAYS NEED a good HVAC repairman.