New HVAC system

4 years ago

I am 14 year home owner looking to replace entire HVAC forced air heating and AC system in NY metro area. Natural gas.

Original system is from the 1990s, and really should have been replaced years ago. I replaced the furnace in 2007 with a cheap but efficient Goodman but I haven't been happy with it and haven't kept up on maintenance and it is starting to go. Approx 2000 SQ split level home built in the 1950s.

Choices are:

Contractor A -- neighbors used on identical house with good results. BBB B rating.Amana AMVM971005CN97% Condensing Furnace. 100,000 BTU Modulating Gas Valve, Variable Speed ECM Blower Motor16 SEER 2.5-ton Condenser and 2.5-ton Evaporator CoilAmana ASX16031116 SEER; High off compressor CAPFA3626D6

Older Consumer reports reviews aren't great for AMANA but I understand great warranty now.

Contractor B. Do not know anyone here who has used but BBB A+ rating.

TRANE S9X1 FURNACE

1 Trane's RunTru 13 SEER A/C condenser.1 Trane S9X1 Series 96% single stage gas fired furnace with ECM blower.1 2-3 Ton Trane Aluminum Convertible Cased Coil -

Looks like more of a budget system but more reliable brand.

No word on BTUs from orig estimates on contractor B. Trane gets better CR reviews but looks like single stage v variable from contractor A.

Pricing is close between the two.

Any input I could get would be great.

Featured Answer

mike_home

4 years ago

What are the current sizes of the furnace and AC condenser. I am skeptical you need a 97% efficiency 100K furnace and only a 2.5 ton condenser. The contractor B quote is incomplete in that has missing equipment model numbers and sizes. Natural gas and electric rates are very high in the NYC area. Over sized and under sized equipment will waste energy. Correct sizing and a good contractor are the most important things.

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Comments (9)

wdccruise
4 years ago
Note that the Amana AMVM97 is the same as the Goodman GMVM97 and Daiken DC97MC (Goodman and and Amana are Daiken brands). Goodman is very widely distributed so you may find more dealers and lower prices.
pony trekker thanked wdccruise
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sktn77a
4 years ago
"I replaced the furnace in 2007 with a cheap but efficient Goodman but I haven't been happy with it"

What do you mean "not happy with it"? Functioning, reliability?
pony trekker
Original Author
4 years ago
Noisy, ineffective in the single digits.
mike_home
4 years ago
Heating a split level home built in the 1950's with a forced air system can be challenging. The fault could be with the duct work and not the furnace. Make sure the contractor you choose is inspecting the duct for proper sizing and leakage. You can buy the best furnace but the performance will be limited by duct work issues.
pony trekker
Original Author
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Ducts are in the wall and it would be a nightmare to replace them. They aren't great. I bumped into one in my crawlspace early on, and knocked it down. Luckily it was in a place I could replace it myself. As far as replacing others and to the upper level, it would be probably cheaper to knock the whole house down and put up a new one.
sktn77a
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
"I replaced the furnace in 2007 with a cheap but efficient Goodman"

Was the original furnace noisy and ineffective at single digits? Was it the same size as the Goodman?
pony trekker
Original Author
4 years ago
It was ineffective and inefficient when it did work.
mike_home
4 years ago
Start by examining the main duct coming from the furnace and all the exposed duct work. Verify the sizing can handle the maximum air flow for heating and cooling. Verify the return and the filter can also handle the air flow. I agree it is impractical to replace duct work in walls. The main duct and return are usually the biggest problems.
pony trekker thanked mike_home