jenni

these are my minimum specs for a new HP system. both outside and inside units should be replaced to have a properly matched system.

15 SEER, 12.5+ EER, 9 HSPF
best matching VS air handler
full BTUs in both cooling and heating for your rated size
R-410a refrigerant(same as Puron)
scroll compressor preferred
electronic demand defrost preferred
thermostat with "dehumidify on demand" feature
staged backup heat strips
new and correctly sized refrigerant lineset

you want a thorough inspection of your ductwork system. size, overall condition, supply and return lines, insulation qualities, leak test, etc.

any hot/cold spot issues in your home should be addressed.

I would only use authorized dealers for the various brands that provide quotes. see mfg websites.

I would look at Trane/AmStd,Rheem,Carrier/Bryant.

...

for Florida location/climate and high humidity, I would not purchase a new system without a var speed air handler. None of your quotes had that.

my personal choice would be the Trane XR15 you were quoted with a var speed air handler rather than the 4TEH.

see below.

3519776 Active Systems XR15 WEATHERTRON TRANE 4TWR5036E1 4TEE3F40B1 37400 12.70 15.00 36200 9.00 23400

8KW heat strip should be sufficient.

I would ditch the Rite-Temp thermostat and install HW 8321.

IMO

the quotes you listed first from your friend were a good price. If you know him well and friends are happy with his work you should most definetly go with him.

I"ve heard trane's are better near salt-water coastal environment but I'm not sure. Variable speed fan is an improvement over non-variable speed but the non-variable speeds are pretty energy efficient too.

The $3376 price your friend quoted for the carrier is an amazing low price for all the stuff included. What line carrier is that (performance, comfort, or base)? Is it the 15 seer model?

Thanks.
Tigerdunes -
If scroll compressor is preferred, then we should go with Carrier right? Trane's is Climatuff Compressor, which I don't think is scroll?
I'll ask our friend about the 4TEE3F40B1 and why he didn't recommend it.
We would change out our t-stat - I just didn't know which one to look at, thanks.

neohioheatpump -
I just don't know why none of the 11 companies that gave us estimates didn't quote variable speed for our home. We are in a high humidity area and about 4 miles from the beach.
The Carrier $3376 was Comfort series I think. I may have wrote the model down wrong, I thought he said 25HVC536, but I think it should be 25HCC36 - I'll check with him tonight. And yes, all are SEER 15.

Side note -
On the Amana quote we got last night, he did quote a 3 ton 14 SEER with variable speed blower to get to 15 SEER $4885 compared to the $3976 for the 3 ton 14 SEER with high efficiency blower. I think the way he did the math, for us to make up the $900 difference, it would take over 10 years. I don't know excatly how he figured that out.

jenni

Trane's Climatuff compressor for a three ton XR15 may or may not be a scroll compressor. Trane's compressors are proprietary and in fact are highly regarded in the industry. Whether it is scroll or not should not be a concern or an issue.

I would prefer the Trane three ton XR15 system with VS air handler over the Carrier Comfort system.

IMO

I'll mention that since you have replaced your windows and will double your attic insulation 'soon', a 3-ton replacement may be too large. In a choice between a two-stage compressor and a variable speed blower, I would pick the blower.

I'd stay away from the Amana. I would go with either the trane or carrier from the first guy. Thats an amazing price for the Carrier. If your trying to save money I would go with that carrier quote in a second.

You might want to consider going down to 2.5 tons if your adding more insulation. Do you notice a big difference with the new windows? How did your old 3 ton do?

Its not a bad thing to run constantly at 2.5 tons. You would have lower humidity. Running constantly is better than stopping and starting I would think too.

I've been to daytona in March before, and it gets surprisingly warm there early in the season. Your new AC will save you alot of money in electricity.

jenni

I am going to take a contrary view to the above post. Unless your old windows had holes in them and were without the old type storm windows, new DP windows while nice and look good do little to reduce your cooling load. I would not go down in size without a written load calculation in hand. For Florida, I do not want to be in a borderline situation for cooling. While I do prefer the Trane over the Carrier, by all means please get the VS air handler.

IMO

Thanks again for your input.
I think we've decided on a Trane. The Carrier our friend quoted was the base model 25HBC536A with FX4DNF037T and even at $3368 it'd be a few hundred more for permit and hurricane pad, which would make it close to the cost of the company who quoted 25HCC536 and 25HBC536 models. Also with our friend, we'd need to pay it all by check. we have the funds, but Carrier is offering zero percent for a year or so - minus well use thier money for a year! Both the Carrier Comfort and Trane XR15 seem comprable in function and effeciency, so then I had to decide which one looked better to me. That's a woman for ya! :)

I'm going to try to get the company who quoted the 2 Carriers and the TRANE TWR536 with TEH3F4ZB $4150 to come down a few hundred and see if he'll include the $125 for the MERV 11 1 year filter.

Is it common to ask for lower price on this type of service?

The only company that even asked about our windows was the One Hour AC franchise that did the only load calculation. He factored our house needs 2.5 ton unit. We had the windows in a few months before the ac broke and there was not really a significant change in our electric bill. We did go from aluminum single pane 30 year old windows to impact laminated insulated glass vinyl windows. You could feel the heat coming in on the old - the new you can barely hear any outside noise and it's got a coating that helps block the solar gains.

neohioheatpump - it's always hot here in Daytona! ;) I think we're only expected to not hit 90 today because it's raining.

so have you made a decision? Is it going to get installed. When does heating season start in Daytona?

jenni

it is quite apparent you are getting extraordinary pricing. you do want to make certain Trane 10 yr parts warranty will be in effect. with that said and unless this is strictly a budget decision, you are making a mistake not getting the VS air handler. why not take advantage of the special pricing you are receiving.

Sorry. Had to say it.

IMO
Good Luck!

If a properly performed load calculation determined that your home only requires 2.5 tons of cooling for the peak summer conditions, then installing a 3 ton unit doesn't make much sense. Bigger is not better, either for comfort or efficiency. Granted, 1/2 ton is not a large difference, but many ductwork systems are undersized to begin with, so it could be that 2.5 tons is the better match. With the new windows, did the 3 ton unit ever run short cycles (which are inefficient) during days where the temperature was not extreme?