md I would not have the AmStd Heritage 16. This HP has been problematic, has poor performance/eff numbers, and does not qualify for the Fed Govt Tax Credit. Now to the Carrier Performance 15 3258844 Active Systems PERFORMANCE 15 PURON HP CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 25HPA542A31 FV4BNF005 42000 12.50 15.50 41000 8.50 25000 You should request the "H" mdl Performance 15 over the "A" mdl you have been quoted. It has much better heating eff and EER. see below for comparison. 3257967 Active Systems PERFORMANCE 15 PURON HP CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 25HPA542H31 FV4BN(B,F)005 42000 13.00 15.50 42000 9.00 26600 both Carriers qualify for the tax credit. The Bryant quote is their Preferred 15 HP condenser which for all basic purposes is the same as Carrier's Performance 15. (if you didn't know Bryant and Carrier are sister companies same as Trane and AmStd). The main reason the Bryant is more expensive is because of the Evolution air handler and Evolution thermostat. Nice but depending on budget not absolutely necessary. The Performance 15 "H" mdl configuration would be my choice with a Carrier thermidistat. That dealer has quoted the "T" tin plated coil var speed air handler which is correct. I would have the 15 KW backup heat strip staged with perhaps two 7.5 KW strips. I assume the prices quoted do not include the tax credit-correct? Let me know if you have any questions. IMO Good Luck!

I would (at least) go with flushing the lines out, adding a 2 way liquid drier and a suction drier. pull a micron vacume to 400, lock the system in the A/C mode and run it a week, then replace the liquid drier and remove the suction drier. Was the cut in the aluminum coil? A repair kit for that will be permanent. I don't know what you mean by damage to the "condensor"- that is the outdoor coil section. It is possible the system ran while it was raining (heat mode) and if a lot of moisture is suspected, checking the oil in the compressor would help make the desicion on which course to take. Many american standards have a 10 year warranty on the compressor and coil, so doing the above first would be my choice. If the unit needs replacing because of moisture contamination and it's that bad, the best route may be to replace the whole system for the long haul. Green oil and clumpy oil in the compressor or lines will indicate this extreme moisture contamination and installing filters driers won't work.

A heat pump is a central a/c unit that also produces heat in the winter because it can reverse the refrigerant flow. Heat pumps produce cheap heat. They require aux heat when outdoor temps get to 32F or so. You can install a heat pump and still keep your fairly new (only 3 years old) oil furnace as back-up or auxillary heat when needed. Or you can get a new gas furnace to go with the heat pump. Either option is dual-fuel. Keeping the fairly new oil furnace, even though oil is at an all-time high, saves you the upfront cost of the gas furnace. Lots to consider. Good luck.

I agree that having nat gas heat for your home makes your home more attractive at time of placing it on the market. Trane use to underwrite their labor ext warranty through a third party. It was a good warranty unlike most of the third part warranties available that are problematic and just short of fraud in many instances. Be careful here. If you plan on selling your home, I see no need for an ext warranty. If you do decide on purchasing a warranty, you want to understand it along with exclusions and if it is transferable to your home's new owner. IMO