Heating/Cooling Selection

[Creamer]

I am looking for a new heating and AC system as my 23 year old Bryant is starting to have some problems. I am looking for advice and please keep in mind I live in NE Indiana.

I have ruled out geothermal as we have Natural gas already. With the prospect of electric rates going up and the current cost of gas it is the lowest cost way to go.

Here is a summary of the features, sizes, and costs that have been recommended for my house.


View attachment Furnace comparison.pdf

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

[check]

Get the same brand again. They make good furnaces.

 

[shui5612]

File appears to be corrupt?

Honestly I don't know the brand that you had but I did a lot of research when installing my unit this past summer and I think your best bet would be something along the lines of :

Quiet compressor, minimum of 16 SEER HEATPUMP that works to say -12centigrade or so. Preferably a 2 stage unit, along with a 2 (minimum) stage gas furnace. If the unit you need is under 4 tons in size then a single stage will do for the heatpump.

The heatpump will save you a lot and you'll always have a small backup of heat and then the gas furnace for colder nights.

I would avoid the complicated variable cfm blowers and either get a single or two speed unit.. the infinity speed or x13 (York) equivalents might be problematic long term and the savings rarely justify the cost of the upgrade. (In my case it was 1000$ and the savings would be either minimal or none.

 

[jaxs]

A reliable installer is the most important part of the new system. A properly installed low end unit will out perform and out last a poorly installed upper end unit.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

I believe Bryant is part of the Carrier Corp. The heart and soul of heat pumps is the compressor. All the units 5 tons and below use one of 3-4 brands of compressors, all made off shore. So like jaxs said; installer is the next key to success. There are a lot of "fly by nights" in the small HVAC market. Pick an installer that has been in business a long time and has an excellent track record. Worth paying a little more. I just replaced my 25 year old gas furnace with a Lennox condensing type. Could not afford to get the matching heat pump last year so it is on this years budget. it is very efficient. All gas 2000 SF house except dryer. Gas bill all winter has been less than $100/MO.

Ron

 

[Creamer]

Sorry guys. The PDF opens for me. This format may work better.

 

[Creamer]

Sorry guys. The PDF opens for me. This format may work better.

View attachment 545598

The Trane dealer is the company I have worked with for about ten years. The couple who owned the shop just sold it to their technician who we have liked through the years so my initial thought is that it was his business to lose. The Frigidaire is from another shop that is a guy and his son. but the other three are from much larger businesses that I have not worked with but they have good reputations.

I know the Carrier is made by United Technologies which also makes Bryant. I have been happy with my Bryant but the only dealer in the area is one that sold it to me who I will never go back to again. I agree with the comments about the installer as after a year of my other one I paid another company to re-install the one I have and it has been great since. That is why i went to the reputable Carrier dealer for a quote.

K7LN - I understand your comments about complexity and that is my worry as well but even the technician I have been using says that the VSM would make a big difference in comfort. He is certainly not a salesman and a little bit of a hillbilly so if even he says it is worth it it got me thinking.

Shui - I am surprised at the recommendation of 16 SEER since you are up north and do not use your AC as much as someone down south would. How long is the payback for that upgrade? Aren't heat pumps a lot more expensive than just AC units? Your comments intrigued me.

SeaBee - What does the "condensing" type mean? How does it differ from a regular gas furnace?

thanks again for your comments!

 

[Creamer]

One other question does anybody have a humidifier on the furnace that works and if so what kind is it and what is the secret?

I purchased a humidifier on my last one and it seemed to make very little difference but was a lot of mess and upkeep - I finally turned it off. I have had two nephews who bought jet type humidifiers which sprayed water into the return duct but after about five years they gave up on theirs as well.

 

[teejk]

A reliable installer is the most important part of the new system. A properly installed low end unit will out perform and out last a poorly installed upper end unit.

That is key I think. A lot has changed in the 23 years OP's unit has been in service and a reliable installer will do a proper sizing of the replacement unit. Everybody knows that you can under-size a unit. Few people realize that you can over-size a unit. Latter results in short cycling (hot or cold) which leads to problems. My hvac guy (40+ years in the business) has always preferred the Ruud brand but I see that the opinions are mixed.

 

[Sigarms]

One other question does anybody have a humidifier on the furnace that works and if so what kind is it and what is the secret?

I purchased a humidifier on my last one and it seemed to make very little difference but was a lot of mess and upkeep - I finally turned it off. I have had two nephews who bought jet type humidifiers which sprayed water into the return duct but after about five years they gave up on theirs as well.

Steam humidifier.

The issue is maintenance as you're going to have to hard pipe a water line to the humidifer. The two top choices for parts and availability that your contractors would be familiar with are either Aprilaire or Honeywell. Personally, I'd only use a Aprilaire as Honeywell has had nothing but issues over the years with theirs. If your contractor offers Aprilaire, ensure that they know they need to run 220 to the unit as most guys only want to run 120. The difference is the 220 offers a higher output for steam and guys who only run 120 generally have to eat the upgrade because they only ran 120 to the unit and the homeowner isn't happy with the output.

Most guys install a bypass because they're cheap and make a nice "add on" at a low price. Bypass's don't do jack except make you think you're getting some humidity in the air.

FYI - PSC motors in furnaces are going to be going away in the near future. SEER ratings from all the manufacturers are limited with a PSC motors.

Looking at your file, I'd ask the Rheem and American Standard quote who is covering the extended labor? It's either in house or third party, and if it's in house, you're only limited to using that same company for warranty work.