"If I did have a warranty that I was unaware of, would they pay for a new unit?" - No. If you had a warranty on the heat exchanger, they would only pay for the heat exchanger part. You would pay labor. "I plan on getting at least 6 quotes and let me get this right.... I need to get each one in writing and it must include all warranty info and model number and I should ask about ductwork. Ductwork is part of the installation cost..right? so when they qive me a quote for installation I need to make sure that they are actually checking the ducts and they need to show me diagrams? If they act wishy washy and not spend time explaining things to a woman then they could be taking advantage and be careful." - Yes, yes, yes, yes. You need no ductwork diagrams. You need to know the condition of your ducts that tie into the new unit (one supply duct and one return duct), if any repairs need to be made to the tie-in, and the cost is to be included and written on the quote (there should be no issue with the tie in, you are just covering all bases). Remember, that quote is the only thing that you have that states what the contractor says he will do for what you are paying. It doesn't matter what he says, it matters what is written on the quote. I don't understand what you mean by a hybrid. A "gas-pack" is a gas furnace, a/c system, and blower in one outdoor box. There is no indoor unit with a gas-pack. If it had an indoor component, it would be called a "split-system". If the unit is on the ground outside the house, I would go out to the unit with each contractor and have them show you the ductwork tie-in and any other issues. Take care.

Thanks for being so prompt tigerdunes! OK. I spoke to my hvac company and they did indicate that I would not get much of a rebate ($50 for the performance series- what a joke!) unless I get the infinity ($1000 + $1500 tax credit). Unfortuntely, I don't think I can count on the tax credit so this is a big $1500 deal. My upstairs is about 2300 sq ft with an area open to the main floor (large area about 30X20). The existing system worked ok. During very hot days (90+), I had to close the doors in my bathroom (where there is a 12x12 return) because it is above the garage; closing the door kept it cooler. The other bedrooms also get hot because we get full southern exposure but the temperature seemed ok. Again, if I left the bedroom doors open, the air would escape and if I kept the doors closed, it got really cold(BTW I also have a 20x20 return in the hallway upstairs). The same goes for the heat. I would say that I like to keep my a/c between 73-75 (I have an old honeywell mercury-based thermostat - which I know is not very accurate) and during the winter, I like to keep it between 70-73. This seemed comfortable. You are right - my system has a built-in component for an electronic filter system which is not used. I use regular filtrete filters and replace them every 3 months. For the upstairs unit, I do not use a filter. Instead, I have filters in the 12x12 and 20x20 returns. My a/c guy told me that I could get the Infinity system 80% with a 58CVA furnace + infinity control for $9200. Since I am not sure that I can get the tax credit, it would cost $8200. Is this still worth it? My furnace still has about 8 years to go!? He did tell me that a dual fuel heat pump system would cost about $10,300! Is this what you mean by a heat pump condenser or is this just a specific component within the infinity package? I really want to do the right thing but I do not want to waste money. I pay about $2400/yr for electricity and about $2000 for gas. For such a big place, I am not sure if this is too high or if I can really save that much with an infinity system. What do you think?

Are you replacing a 2 ton unit that ran well during its day, or has one or more contractors conducted a (real) heat calculation (manual J) to determine your sensible and latent cooling needs? I hope you're not upsizing based on a contractor's 'experience'. Higher SEER ratings mostly depend on a large or oversized coil which by nature, does not dehumidify as well as smaller ones, all else being equal. Since you didn't comment on your present source of heat (furnace or air handler), I'll assume that it is a single stage unit and you are not replacing it. Again, many units depend on having a variable speed air handler or furnace to attain that SEER. Also, a variable speed unit will enable the a/c to run slower when necessary to remove humidity, when controlled by a proper thermostat or in some cases, by the addition of a humidistat. If you have a 'hair' problem, I would use a low MERV, non-restrictive filter and change it frequently. Low cost insurance. I would give preference to a contractor who presents a detailed quotation (and heat calc). V

tropical with an electric bill like that, obviously something is wrong. could be the AC, might be something else. I would cut the AC off, get a reading from your meter both now and two hours later. get the difference. this should at least confirm if it's the AC or another appliance pulling abnormal amount of electricity. what size is existing system and it's age? so your heat strips are defective and you have been without any heat for the moderate winters you have? you need an HVAC pro to perform a load calc for cooling and heating. you do want a new system that meets the tax credit qualifying standard of 13 EER and 16 SEER for a straight AC system. IMO