Thanks to everyone for your input. Based on the feedback from the pros so far, I see that next steps are as listed below. Please let me know if I've misunderstood or missed anything: 1 - Ask dealer to provide, in writing, load calculation support for a 2.5 vs 3 ton system 2 - Ask dealer to provide, in writing, that existing ductwork (both supply and return) is sized correctly to handle the additional CFMs provided load calculation indicates going up in size to a 3 ton condenser. 3 - Ask dealer to provide, in writing, that existing lineset is sized properly to manufacturer spec and ask dealer to warranty any future issues with lineset (critical parts are connections at each end) $1000 to replace is not advisable unless existing lineset is not properly sized. 4 - Get additional quotes on equipment noted in proposal #1 from other Carrier dealers (along with load calcs). Current dealer pricing is very high. Remove Greenspeed model 25VNA036A003 from scope given we have a gas furnace for the first floor (this is overkill) 5 - Existing proposal for backup heat model FC-2901N09 is satisfactory (9KW that is field convertible to 3 phase) Ask dealer to install staged heat strips and specify in proposal. 6 - Continue to use current 4 ton central A/C until it dies. Not necessary to replace at this juncture. 7 - Discuss lock out temperatures with installer to ensure proper energy usage. Some additional comments/concerns: @tigerdunes - in response to your last post, we are running emergency heat strip intermittently for heat. I have been turning the fan on upstairs to draw heat from the first floor furnace to keep temperature comfortable on second floor (around 68F) Thankfully, there hasn't been a need to keep emergency heat on constantly. @tigerdunes - thank you for suggesting additional equipment. In your opinion, is the incremental cost of the two-stage Infinity 25HNB636A003 (proposal #1) worth the investment vs. the lower priced systems you suggested? I'm trying to make the best cost/benefit decision since we do not have any plans to move from this home. If it were your home, what equipment would you choose? @mike_home - you noted early on that the proposal pricing for #1 seemed high @ approx $7K. Is there a price range that is more reasonsable for a 3 ton system provided everything else remained constant - same backup heat, infinity controller, using existing lineset? What about a 2.5 ton system? (i.e. $5-6K for 2.5 system is fair, an additional $500-$800 for a 3 ton system, etc) @mike_home - you recommended getting a 4 inch media filter. Dealer proposed upgrade to a Aprilaire 2210/2410 Air Cleaner for $300. Is this worth the additional investment or do you have another suggestion? @ryanhughes/tigerdunes/all - you indicated the existing VP 8320s could be reprogrammed and used. Since they are full touch screen models that appear superior to the SYSTXCCUID01-V Infinity controller proposed which isn't a touchscreen, I was curious to the advantages of replacing vs. using the existing ? What are the drawbacks? I'm very pragmatic about changing my filters every 3 months so I don't need a controller telling me to do so if that's the only advantage. @ALL - Should I only pursue Carrier dealers at this juncture for quotes on equipment? Since I have multi-speed Carrier 59TP5 Performance Series 95 gas furnace, I am assuming you all are recommending that I do not pursue Trane/Lennox or another manufacturer as it would create a mismatched system? This was the one point I didn't hear a lot of feedback on other than the Trane having true electronic demand defrost. Again, MANY THANKS to all of you for the invaluable advice.

Thanks, Ryan. I forgot to mention that my house, which is rectangular, is situated so the the garage corners face SE and SW and the bedroom corners face NE and NW. Helps with the sun. Except for one spot the sun never directly comes into the house due to those wide overhangs. Prior to the leak, the current system kept the house cool unless we topped 100 which happens during the summer. This summer is shaping up to be very hot and dry. I am on an averaging billing system for my gas/electric from CPS, our local utility company. In the winter, they average around $90 and during very hot summers can go as high as $125.00 The Ruud consultant/contractor has given me three bids. Bid 1 is $6946 for a complete heating and AC 16 SEER 3 ton Ultra1 2 speed condenser, 4 ton evap. coil (RCFM Hm48), and 70,000 BTU furnace (Model UGPRO7E) with a new thermostat as this unit won't work off the power company's. Bid 2 is $5206 for a complete system Ruud 14 SEER 3 ton system (don't this this has the 2 speed condenser though). Bid #3 is $4116 and is for a 14 SEER 3 ton condenser/coil and keep the present furnace which is still working. If the furnace goes out later, it can be replaced with new one. Both bids 3 & 3 leave the free power company thermostat in place. All bids include a new 3/4" plywood bas for the furnace, an E-Z filter bas , setting and leveling A/C pad, upgrade PUC Sch 40, inspection and resealing all existing air duct and adding an a AC grill & boot in my sewing/ironing room adjacent to the laundry room by tapping into the laundry room duct. I can get a Guardian Air filter with either system for an additional $626. Is it worth it? I passed on the UV light. Only the 16 SEER qualifies for the $375 Energy Star rebate from the electric company and he will match it. If I go the 14 SEER route, he has a $300 coupon in the yellow pages. Plus, he's offering zero financing for 12 months. I have the money in savings, but might just put it in a six months CD at higher interest and pay off everything on month 11. The Ruud guy said unfortunately, he finds the duct work in San Antonio to be of poor quality. So I will definitely have that checked. Are there companies that only evaluate this or should I trust the AC contractor's evaluation. The Lennox guy is coming next week. I'll call Trane and set up an appointment next week. My daughter-in-law's mother has had them for years and had very little problems.

Just set the thermostats to the temps you want. You want upstairs cool at night for sleeping? Set the up thermostat to your desired sleeping temp and downstairs to high enough so the AC does not run until your program wake time when you have a lower setting. If it gets too warm upstairs, you will just have to find a downstairs temp that allows the upstairs system to keep up. That will be trial and error. If you need to keep some area cool for the cats during the day, choose the downstairs because that will cost you lots less. The cats will figure out that they need to be downstairs to get coolness. Consider improving your energy efficiency so you don't need to run the AC as much. Get an energy rater and find out if you need to seal off your living space better from the attic and other outside air. Find out if you need better attic venting. Find out if more insulation would help.

Well itÂs time for another: The new Goodman, managed by a whole lot smarter people, so as typical the new head of manufacturing, Bill, had to show immediate results in the form of increased profits, so as it goÂs the first and easiest place to have a short term success is to reduce labor costs. Now remember, Bill is of this new breed of self proclaimed manufacturing geniuses that could live 10 life times and still never achieve the level of success as Harold Goodman. So to get back on track, the first coarse of action was to change the way they hire people, so as you guessed they went to temporary labor from a temporary labor source. Every time I went over there on a service call, I saw fewer people that I knew and a whole lot of new faces. The people that I had seen over the years were all suddenly disappearing. As this was taking place, I was receiving phone calls at all hours to assess and repair pre mature stamping die failures. They would bring a temporary worker in and put him or her to run a progressive die, with practically no experience. As you can imagine the beating that the dies took was becoming evident as seen on the finished parts coming off of them. Then to make matters worse, they decided to operate their coil fin dies with a water soluble lubricant rather than the recommended lubricant that is recommended by the fin die manufacturer. Well it seemed as if quality and production were suffering, so rather looking for the manufacturing experts that can put the wheels back on the track, they chose to hire these alleged new, cheep wizards of manufacturing from India as well as the United States. So, I found myself teaching these people all that they needed to know to perform their jobs. Apparently, these highly accredited Indian,Bangladesh and U.S. universityÂs left out of their manufacturing engineering curriculum anything that had to do with manufacturing equiptment. So you ask, what credentials do they need to earn these positions? Well guyÂs I am sorry to say that all of you out there as well as my self that are shop and hands on trained people mechanical experts in or relative fields are no match to these types of people that tout there college degreeÂs as their merit badge of superiority over us. And the use of these new wave manufacturing terms like lean manufacturing, kaisan , six sigma, black belt mba, iso 9000 and so on. These goofy inadequate engineers end up taking these kinds of correspondent courses and then for some reason believe that they carry the same credentials as a Harold Goodman. So letÂs start to add all this up so far, we have Bill from the looser company, we have inexperienced temporary seasonal labor and we have some inadequate manufacturing engineering people. I have more to come so stay tuned because as Bill paves this type road to the companies alleged success the competition starts to pave the same type of road.