ryanhughes, The Trane setup with 80% 2-stage Var and 13 SEER, plus indoor cased coil, new thermostat, equipment pad, 4" media filter and labor comes out to $6077. The Goodman setup with 95% 2-stage Var and 16 SEER, plus Cased Indoor coil, new thermostat, equipment pad, 16x25 MERV 11 Air filter and labor comes out to $6098. (Special friend discount) The EverRest setup, which I am not considering anymore. 80% 2-stage no variable speed and 13 SEER, plus coil, thermostat, CAP-100 filter and labor is $6957. TRANE vs Goodman. Trane probably has a better reputation, but in my scenario I may go with the higher efficient Goodman. I'm not 100% sure yet, but definitely getting there.

I was able to get info on the existing furnace from the data plate. It's a Carrier Model 58ss140-BC, Series 110, 167,000 BTU. The data plate said the blower is "157", whatever that means. The motor spec was 1/2 hp. Mfg date 1982. That's all I found on the furnace. I found next to nothing on the a/c. The data plates outside are gone. I could see where it was but there was just rivets. A single, long rectangular unit outside. Like I said, vintage 1974, from the builder. According to my mother, the quoting contractors guessed that the system was 4 or 5 tons. I don't know anything about who said what. Turns out the Lennox/Costco guy was the only one to quote an upgraded unit. He also quoted: Option #3B. $9,185. Platinum Package. A/C XC17-048 and 2 stage gas furnace SL280UH135 with variable speed and I-Comfort Communicating Controller. I'm having a hard time getting her to look at the Am Std quote because they didn't quote her an upgraded unit option and their basic units were only about $1,000 cheaper than the upgraded Lennox units. ($9,145 vs $7,945). About the house, I tried to describe it above. Built 1974. 3200 sq ft. and two stories. Attached garage. Full sun exposure--the property is not shaded. Brick exterior with not a whole heck of a lot of insulation. (I remember my parents being mad that the builder gipped them on the insulation.) High quality house though, expensive neighborhood. Stick framed over a full basement. Attic with pitched shingle roof. Colonial. Original single pane wood windows with storms windows, maybe a tad drafty. After being widowed with 4 kids in 1978, she never had the money to remodel anything and everything is pretty much 1974. Anything else you want to know about the house, please ask. This is all I could think of.

Thanks, for the replies. I specifically asked about the existing duct work, and all three said it's fine. Actually the noise is probably due to our trying to compensate for the temperature differences between upstairs and down... we have to mostly close the downstairs vents to push enough air upstairs to get the temperature half-way decent. Perhaps with the VS unit running longer, we could open the downstairs vents more and eliminate that problem. It sounds like 2-stage is out simply because it would be too big for our house. Regarding thermostat, he indicated the programmable Edge should provide everything we need and from what I've read, it should include ability to control humidity. But you raise some good points. It sounds like I need to verify a thermidistat is being included... is this a separate sensor, or part of the thermostat itself and I just need to ensure I'm getting the right model (perhaps TP-PRH)? Regarding dryness from outside air infiltration... our house is pretty tight, but this could be coming from the windows... I'm also looking to replace them with more energy efficient vinyl replacements, so that may help that situation as well. I think I'll hold off on the humidifier until the HVAC and windows have been replaced, and then evaluate. Regarding tigerdune's comment about 80% furnace... if I recall the discussion regarding this proposal, the 96 was required to qualify for tax credit. If I were to opt for the hybrid, could this qualify based on the heat pump rating alone? Thanks, Brian

lots of reasons. some you can solve by lateral moves, others not so much. so think of this. you work at pizza hut. a customer comes in and wants to eat there, but brings their own pizza. offers to pay you to cook it..but minimal payment for use of your tools expertiese ect. sounds crazy doesn't it. but to the pizza hut worker/mgr..it is insulting, cheap and not something they would be willing to do. so how to get them to do it...overpay them. where is your profit from what you saved online now? and hopefully, before they slid your pizza into their pizza oven..the didn't spit on it. why...cause its human nature. think about some wisea$$ comming to your job and expecting you do do whatever you do..for lesser cost, cause they got a deal. people want to save money..we get it. and online prices look so much better than actually paying for the things you don't see when you purchase your equipment from hvac installer. we have experience, insurances, support if things go wrong. even then for you online shopper... who warranties the equipment? sure you can go online & warrenty with mfg but that leads to second question...who services the unit? the guy you hired to install it? see...when you 'think' you know more than the company you hire..it leads to some very human responses. hvac company will charge you a premium price to install equipment you purchase from someone else. they will hesitate to do the work..then as things go wrong..you'll pay over and over for undercutting them in the first place. so..think it would be simpler to hire one company to do the discounted profit install and another to do any work later? ahhh in a perfect to you world. we talk to each other..and in my area we all know who will jack us, pick apart every move we make..and who has the faith in us to just let us do our jobs. we charge them accordingly. ever wonder why one bid is $xx higher than the other one..your personality tips us off. so we know going in..that it will take longer than usual due to interference. so pita charge is added. we call it different things, but it is the cost of doing business with someone questioning every move due to some half baked idea that they know more than us. sure you can hire some hack..save a few more bucks..but we make really good money going back and straightening out these jobs. really good money. what you save upfront...you pay in the long run times 2 or 3 times more. this company who agrees to do work on the side is stealing from the company owner by doing work on the side. want to hire a crook to do your install? think of what they risk by doing this..losing their job..and having a hard time in the hvac community cause now every owner knows they can't trust them.. hey but you got a deal! good techs, are paid well by their employers and would NEVER do this. a company that agrees to do an install of online equipment..is either the low ball guy who does it fast bad & cheap..or you lucked into a good company going through a slow time who needs the work. the latter being about as common as wings on a pig. install is as important as equipment. you'll read us commenting upon that over and over. good equipment & bad install..you get crap. problems over and over. I'm in the trades. While I don't do hvac, I am licensed and have experience. Even went to school for it. I go to heat pump association meetings & know all the players in my area.and how they all gossip like a bunch of teenagers. so last summer...I was ready for my central install. ran all my duct, inside conditioned space, built fur downs for duct. converted my linen closet into heating closet. platform installed & sealed, supply plenum ready to be installed. Return sealed & filter rack installed. I had heating system(ahu) delivered & we sat it in place, did all the electrical. did electrical & pad for condensing unit. ran copper lines. ran wire for tstat and had tstat installed. condenser delivered. because I can buy from my local supply house, the first company I called to do the start up was realate to supply house manager. (and start up was ONLY to braise the copper lines & check refrig charge..sub cool & super heat) first cost quoted to me for this hour and a half job $1000. break down that cost for two guys. next price..$1050 getting the picture yet? and keep in mind this was just for using torch, gauges & maybe a little 410. so I did it myself. took me an hour. in the rain. borrowed torches & tank of 410, used my own gages. paid my friend a couple of hundred for use of torches & the lb of freon I didn't use. but..see..I know what I'm doing. you..you really don't have a clue. folks will always buy online, but if you check back with them..or read posts later from them...then you hear the issues. we hear them all the time. but..do what you will..its a free country. I'm not losing work on this...just giving you the benefit of my experience with this. best of luck