what is going on is the system is going into defrost which is normal operation of a heat pump. when it goes into defrost what happens is the system actually reverses and goes into the air condioning mode but the heat strips are suppose to kick on to keep cold air from blowing in the house. it sounds like your heat strips are not turning on and it is blowing cold air in the house. they need to check the strips and see if they are working properly. then they need to make sure that the strips are calling during defrost. the heat strips are deffinately your problem. the only thing is that if the unit has not been running and as soon as you turn it on it goes in to defrost something is wrong there too. it should run for a little while before it goes in to defrost not right away. you could have a bad board or defrost sensor also. or the board could be your whole problem it is going into defros to much and the board is what turns on the strips during defrost. teel the technician exactly what you told me and they should know exactly what to check. good luck

Re: Aeroseal, he said the reason for the duct cleaning is because if there is dirt in the crevices the Aeroseal is sealing the sealant could be dislodged when the dirt moves during normal air flow of furnace. I asked about mastic duct sealing vs. Aeroseal since most (but not all) of my ducting is exposed and he said the problem is it can't get everything which is true, the ducting is hanging from the upstairs ceiling so you definitely can't get to the area between top of ducting and wood subfloor and also where two lines are running very close to each other I don't think you could get mastic in there. And as I said most but not all of my ducting is exposed, it has drywall over it in a couple of rooms so if there were leaks in there they would remain. So the theory behind Aeroseal sounds good but execution, who knows? I need to do more research into it. The next step for my situation is they're going to send a tech out to run diagnostics on the furnace and A/C. This guy's general opinion of the ducting is the house is too big for a single system no matter how big the furnace is. He says ideally it would have been broken out to two systems but it is what it is...

Is the fifth estimate from Hoffacker, which I think I suggested earlier? Their price on the Evolution system is fair for being a top-end system, and I assume it does not include the tax credit. Did it qualify for a Bryant rebate? I assume the Lennox complete setup qualifies for the tax credit as well. I believe you said this quote was from Hottel. It is a nice system, and I suggest having them include a thermostat that can control humidity in the house at no charge to compete against the Bryant if you go this route. I am confused why the Carrier quote would be less expensive with a 95% furnace, or did I misread that? I'm not opposed to the 80% furnace idea since you're in a townhome and townhomes typically don't require much heat (especially if you have two units on either side -- do you?). Plus, venting would pose an issue most likely. Did the companies look at your ductwork and evaluate it prior to proposing the new systems? If you plan on living in the home for another 10-15 years, and you can now get the additional furnace as part of a complete, new matched system with a good warranty for $2000-$2500, then it's certainly worth considering. However, the other argument is that you could see another 10 years out of the Lennox furnace (or could not). I assume the Lennox furnace has been reliable so far in the past. I agree with the XC14-030 and matching coil as a replacement if you do elect to keep the furnace. It's a tough call. If you did go with the full replacement, I'd pick the Bryant Evolution system. You were quoted their best outdoor unit. Make sure you get the CNPVP3617ATA tin-plated coil (ATA). If it's Hoffacker I'd be very surprised if they didn't plan on using this coil anyway. I think their sales rep that I was familiar with is no longer with them actually, and I didn't know this before recommending them. But, they are a good company and I'm sure you got another knowledgeable rep. Now I apologize for my small essay. :)

Here is another tidbit, The furnace was set on low fan speed, when i complained that I had little air movement they upped it to medium. It still was not to par with my old 5 ton furnace at 2000cfm, so they set it on high. Is it normal to have the 4 ton furnace set on high? It is a 2 stage furnace and compressor and when it is on, it is loud, especially at full speed. Any ideas? Did I need a 5 ton and was sold this in error? I am in need of advise. Thanks to all in advance. also, i clocked the cycles last night and it is at 6 cycles per hour. The outside temp was about 78 and inside set at 75. Please help. A/C Cycle 1020 off 1025 on 1034 off 1039 on 1048 off 1054 on 1102 off 1109 on 1118 off 1123 on 1132 off 1138 on