advice on which unit to buy and whats worth the price?

8 years ago

I recently purchased a bank owned and fixing it to live in ( do not want to rent or flip). i removed boiler and every room furnace because they were old.. and i am replacing a 5 ton lenox/tran a/c-funace unit. The house is 5000 square feet and i am going to get two units for each half . I have been quoted for heil, carrier, goodman, and bryant. after my research i found carrier has the best reputation so will go with 80% efficient (cant do more because attic not conditioned and neighbors advised me not to condition it because decrease life of the roof) gas furnace 2 stage variable speed carrier infinity vs performance.

1. any inputt on the manufacturer people say brant and carrier same, goodman is ok, heil not sure?

2. variable speed 2 stage vs multispeed single stage ?

3. do i need humidifier? and if so should it be steam?

4. a/c units infinity vs performance is there that significant of a difference? ( i know must match the furnace with a/c so i think the gas furnace will be the limiting factor in which one will go with either infinity or performance.

thank you to all inputt i am learning so any advice is appreciated

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

energy_rater_la
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
what part of the world is this taking place?

climate info needed.

instead of this: he house is 5000 square feet and i am going to get two units for each half"

you should invest in load calculations, for sizing of system, ductwork

& ductwork design.

avoid rule of thumb contractors, and ones who replace by what was

installed.

will you be making improvements to the house? air sealing? duct sealing?

insulation?

lots of variables in your situation.

and by the way, install trumps brand. invest in the proper sizing & install.

best of luck.
mike_home
8 years ago
I would not install a furnace and duct work in an unconditioned attic if I could avoid it. That is the worst place to put it in my opinion. You can install a high efficiency furnace in an attic if the installer does it properly. It has nothing to do with the shingles.

Does the 5000 sq. feet represent the living space? What does two units for each half mean?

To answer your questions:

1. You are going to get a lot of opinions on manufacturers. Some posters will say the manufacturer does not matter, others will say there are big differences. The truth is some where in the middle. Proper installation is very important. The best furnace on the market which has been improperly installed will never work correctly. Carrier/Bryant and Trane/American Standard are regarded as the best. Seach this forum for Goodman problems. Heil furnaces might be a good value. On some model the furnace will be replaced if the heat exchanger fails during the first 10 years.

2. I think a 2-stage furnace is worth the additional cost. It can be quieter and more comfortable. There is some energy savings but it is small.

3. If you are replacing windows and making the house tighter then you probably don't need a humidifier. Low humidity is caused by air leaks. Steam humidifiers are supposed to be the best.

4. Some of the Carrier Infinity and Performance models have an overlap of features. The differences will vary between any two models. You can install an Infinity furnace with a Performance condenser, and vice versa. You have to always verify it is a approved AHRI match.
Related Discussions
Need some phrag buying advice, which vendor for this plant?
Q
Comments (9)
Another place you might inquire is Carolina Orchids. He doesn't have that particular one listed but he doesn't have all of them listed. He will be on the pricy side but the plants are fabulous - you will get what you pay for. I purchased several from him last year and all were multiple mature growths and have bloomed their hearts out this spring. Here is an example of the quality - here are two pictures of Phrag. Grande 'Glenn's Pride' I don't remember what I paid for it but I've been completely happy with it and the others from him. Brooke - thumbnails are clickable
...See More
Need advice on which walker to buy
Q
Comments (10)
Just a thought. When my mom's resisted a suggestion from me, I find she is much more receptive if the same suggestion comes from a healthcare professional. On top of that, there is a wide range of walker styles, and they should be adjusted for the individual's height and needs. I would really hesitate to just pick one up for him, without getting the right advice from someone who knows how to fit them. In your shoes, I'd try to have him schedule a dr's appt. while I was visiting, and I'd accompany him (giving the dr. a call ahead of time to voice my concerns). That way, if the dr. prescribes a walker, your father may be more inclined to use it. You can talk to the dr. about what's right for your dad's specific needs. Then, you really should take your father to a good medical supply store, so he can try different styles, and so they can properly fit the one he buys to his height. And they should instruct him on using it properly. Truly, the medical supply store staff is one of the best sources of info, I find. I go to a really good one in my area where they're always willing to answer all your questions. Don't know about the insurance situation for your father--but for my mom, having the dr's prescription meant that her insurance picked up the cost of her walker. So that's another thing you might want to look into. Know what you're going through. My mom never wants to accept any changes at all--but once we finally cajole (or insist, as the case may be--LOL) her into them, she usually is happy with things that make her life easier. Good luck.
...See More
HELP: Need your advice on which brand of air conditioner to buy
Q
Comments (8)
Let's look at the products... Amana GSC is the low end line, same as a Goodman branded unit. 10 year all parts warranty is a plus. If you like the Amana dealer, ask about the ASC13 instead. Much nicer built unit. Rheem/Ruud UAND-048 is probably the nicest unit and my choice. If the JAZ version, high & low pressure protection and compressor start assist. 10 year compressor warranty, 5 year parts. Westinghouse FS5BD is a nice unit as well. Probably the quietest of the bunch with a "swept wing" fan blade. 10 year compressor warranty, 8 year parts, 5 year quality pledge which gets you a new unit if the compressor dies plus some labor for the swap. The Carrier quoted is the low end of their line too. It and the Amana should be the lowest price based on the equipment. 5 year parts warranty. The Trane is the cheaper of their 2 13 SEER units. It will be big, possibly a bit noisier than most. The rest have Copeland scroll compressors which is the state of the art. The Trane will have the old reciprocating design made in Mexico. Only 5 year compressor & parts warranty. There's a summary of the equipment. But the previous post on quality of the job is very important as well. Too many dealers don't properly size (they oversize) and don't always set up the equipment well. So pick a great unit but make sure you feel you are getting the best dealer too.
...See More
All fridge/freezer units..........worth it?
Q
Comments (13)
We have the 30" Thermador individual columns and would do it again in a NY minute! Yeah, they look pretty, blah blah blah, but what is really attractive is all that storage space! Holy cow. Granted, because they're built-in the storage is shallower, but we find that we don't lose much in the back .... You bet it cost significantly more than a combined unit (side-by-side, french door, etc.) but this was one of those non-negotiables for us, and in fact, that was pretty much what predicated the whole kitchen reno. (Sure, there were other factors, but ever since we had children we've been dreaming about separate fridge / freezer units.) We did look at the less expensive stand alones but turns out what we couldn't afford was the space: we just didn't have the extra foot of room (for the 36" units), and we didn't want to do a 36" fridge with a 24" freezer -- we wanted the max from both the units. (When we were looking Northland was still a dirty word -- it's my anecdotal understanding their quality has since improved.) We love and use all the storage, and in fact are horrible consumers because we even have a set of 24" fridge drawers. We try and make ourselves feel a little better by remembering they're all energy star .... (We keep our children's snacks and drinks, lunchtime foods in the drawers. Oh yeah, and beer! Our eldest [he's four] can open the drawers himself which we think is terrifically handy.) Anyway, my ultimate answer to your question is: Yes, they are worth it.
...See More

advice on which unit to buy and whats worth the price?

Comments (2)

energy_rater_la

mike_home

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US