Carrier has a nice Infinity system, but they have a control to go with it, which means leaving the power company in the dust. This will also likely be more than $6k. I personally like Trane/American Standard and suggest you get a quote for one of these. Rheem/Ruud is some nice equipment; I wouldn't hesitate looking into another system from Rheem/Ruud. Having ducts sealed and checked would be a very wise thing to do. Make sure you put in the proper-size system--very important! Have a company come out who will evaluate your ductwork and do a load calculation to determine sizing.

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.

Ruud makes good equipment. I like Trane as well, so I'll wait to see what the Trane guy suggests. For future contractors, make sure they size the system properly rather than go off the old size because the old size may not be correct.

I personally like 2-stage units if budget allows because I like the idea of longer run cycles in low stage for more humidity removal (not sure of how much of an issue humidity is in your area). A nice 14 SEER system would be a nice system as well. I would make sure the system uses R-410a refrigerant (I believe the 16 SEER uses it, but I'm not sure which 14 SEER models you're looking at. Do you have the actual model numbers of the condensers by chance?). With the ECM motor of that furnace, you may get around 15 SEER out of the condenser. The Ruud quote sounds like it's complete and covering all necessary aspects of the installation (including sealing ductwork) at a decent price. Any more questions, feel free to ask. Oh, and I'm not sure "upgrade PUC Sch 40" means.

I forgot to mention the air cleaner. I personally think they're a good idea. I'm not familiar with Guardian. Perhaps you could ask for one from Honeywell (F100) or AprilAire (2200) and see what the price difference is. It's important to make sure that your ductwork system can handle the added pressure drop. I like the idea of having better filtration (especially when you can run the fan 24/7 on a low speed with the ECM motor) and having to change the filter less often. I think $626 is a bit much for this upgrade, though. I guess they have to make money somewhere.