Hi TD and thanks. We do have other gas appliances, and still are considering the gas generator backup so I feel that the dual fuel system is still of most interest. At present, one major dilemma is replacement of all of the ductwork, which was suggested by the Carrier dealer with the high prices, and the Trane dealer who miscalculated, waited weeks to give an estimate and did so only after I called them numerous times. They also have not yet gotten back to me with the corrected estimate. Also the latter really did not want to give me the equipment specs. The Lennox dealer has been very responsive. He initially recommended replacing only some of the ductwork, but thought we could leave the trunk lines alone for the most part. So one of the elements, which adds quite alot of expense, is whether or not to replace all of the ductwork. The Lennox dealer would be willing to do that, but it would add over 4k to the cost. Any thoughts on that? All the dealers commented on the adequacy of the duct system after a rather cursory inspection. When I questioned the Carrier rep. further he indicated that he could tell just by looking at a few spots that the ductwork was "too big in some lines and too small in others), and the branching from the main duct was not done properly. Also any thoughts on a good Lennox package? Is the package suggested by their bid adequate? It has I think a single speed (coil? compressor?) paired with a 15 SEER unit. He calculated that would give a 14 SEER used together. I have tried to find another Carrier dealer who services my area with no luck. The only other Carrier dealer is a national chain store. I had scheduled a visit for them to give me an estimate at the very beginning of this process; however, the appointment was cancelled with no follow-up. I called them back to reschedule and the earliest appointment that they have would be mid-June--I hoped to have installation complete by then! THe Lennox dealer said that had previously offered Carrier, but that the distribution center for our area was so unresponsive that they had many concerns about dealing with them because they had problems obtaining parts in a timely manner. The Carrier dealer also said that the distribution center did not carry some equipment such as the Carrier 14 SEER heat pump. Unfortunately, we live in a small town, and even the dealers from whom I am receiving estimates are in other surrounding towns--no one competent in our community! Thanks again for all of your help. Regards, Beth

Alright....in the middle of the change out. Air handler (Trane Tam7) and condenser (xl15i - 4 ton) is installed and now they are working on the duct work. Turns out main duct was internally insulated with a 1" fiberglass duct liner. Their plan is to keep this because it was done well and in good shape and then use 3" fiberglass duct wrap. Installer said it should give around an R11. Any reason to question whether or not internal insulation should be removed?

Well, after MANY, MANY load calculations, inspections, and load calculations, I have finally signed a contract. I wanted to post my decision back here for others to use in the future. I ended up going with an HVAC contractor that I have used for a number of years (about 12 years on three different houses). His pricing was middle of the road to slightly higher than most, but I do trust his expertise and his work. SECOND FLOOR SYSTEM After careful inspection of ductwork in both my attic (second floor) system and my main (first/basement) system, it was found that my returns were in adequate for the second floor system. He has proposed to add two returns from our central upstairs hallways to compliment the individual returns in each bedroom. Additionally, he recommended dampering all the runs and replacing two of the longest runs with a larger diameter duct. Additionally, he is replacing the leaking Carrier coil and condenser with a TRANE 2.5T XR15 (4TTR5030) A/C unit and 4TXCB031 coil. He will reuse the existing lineset (and flush, wash, rinse, and vacuum procedure). He assures me the lineset is in good shape and correct in size. We will also resuse the existing thermostat that currently runs the system (a carrier). He will also resuse the 6" Aprilaire media cabinet. Further, he will seal all ductwork with a brush on mastic. He is doing all this for $3774 which includes a 10 year parts and 3 year labor warranty. MAIN SYSTEM - FIRST FLOOR/BASEMENT The net outcome of all the inspections for this system was that (1) my A/C unit was oversized (2) my ductwork was poorly sealed and not dampered (3) I needed a "wrap" added to my furnace along with a second filter to allow adequate return air flow to the furnace. The other determination was this furnace was in poor condition and the blower motor needed replacement and the furnace did not burn cleanly and efficiently. It was repairable, however, I decided to replace it and pair my main system with a very new high efficiency VS furnace to take advantage of a 2 stage A/C unit for this level that could help drive out the high humidity levels in the house better. What I am purchasing for this system is: Trane 95% XV95 Furnace variable speed, 2 stage heating (TUHMC100ACV4A) Trane 4.0T XL20i dual compressor A/C unit 4TZCC008CC3HCA coil Trane Comfortlink II Thermostat (2) 4" pleated media filters (along with a furnace "wrap" for return air) Trane humidifer Dampering all runs for main system and balance all registers with CFM meter Sealing all ducts and returns with paint on mastic to prevent air leakage New Lineset This system qualifies for $500 federal tax credit and $400 Duke Energy credit 10 year parts (12 on compressor) / 3 years labor $11,225 In the end, I think we will have a system that not only works, but hopefully increases our comfort in the home. I'd like to thank everyone who helped me gather information and pointed me in the right direction to asking good questions and getting the real issues with this system (particularly Tigerdunes and Baldloonie). I doubt I would have made as wise a choice without your help. The systems will be installed in (3) days. (1) day for the upstairs unit and (2) days for the downstairs system. I'll post after the system is up and running with my opinions on how it works. Michael

I've never had one of these on my home until we moved into our new house and the previous owners never had them removed. For at least a month and a half now, I've had to crawl into my attic and go outside to correct various problems with our HVAC unit. It's an older unit, so I have done everything I can to make sure it's maintained well and that all of the vents, coils, etc. are clean and properly functioning...and STILL I had issues with my fan blowing low and hot air, system overheating, fuses blowing, etc. Finally, I got the idea to remove these load management systems, Duke Energy calls it a "power manager", from my home when I came home on a 100º North Carolina summer day and, not only is my upstairs unit blowing hot air, but my downstairs unit, where the dogs stay during the day, is blowing hot air, and all the vents seemed to have lost pressure . I go outside and see that both of the load managers are tripped, so I immediately call Duke Energy to have them removed. I have NOT had a problem since. They tell you it's safe, they tell you it's going to save you money, but in reality shutting off part of your system at THEIR free will, and allowing some 3rd party to mess with the electrical wiring in your home for THEIR convenience, cannot logically be good for your AC unit, your home's power grid, or for your longterm costs with parts failing after being subjectively shut off and on. HVAC's are not designed to be partially shut off and on at random, and it puts a huge stress on your system if it's having to go from keeping a home at 75º then sky rocketing to 80º+, then having to drop back down to 75º on a blisteringly hot summer day. I'd love to help the environment and save energy...but this has had to be one of the most frustrating experiences I've had with a utility company. There's nothing worse than feeling like something you own isn't working right, especially on an investment like a home. And, personally, the idea of choosing to save the "whopping" $32 annually that Duke Energy offers you, over the comfort of my family and pets, is idiotic. All I know is I have this life to enjoy, and it's not going to be with a bead of sweat rolling down the crack of my a$$ for $2.67 a month.