Rose, Did those prices include the rebates? They appear "reasonable" based on the equipment quoted, but the ductwork add-on cost is high in my opinion. I strongly recommend the duct replacement/improvement if it is 25 years old and in poor condition (i.e., not well sealed if at all, falling apart, etc.). For that price, I would hope it includes sheet metal plenums and trunklines, sealed with mastic and insulated with R8 fiberglass insulation along well properly done R8 flex duct branches to the registers. It makes little sense to me to invest big bucks on equipment and combine it with an inefficient and/or improperly sized duct system. I think your approach is right to get more estimates and see where they come in to get a proper feel for the pricing in your market -- it truly does vary by area. If they are actually considerably lower (and you'd have to wonder what corners they'd be cutting), it looks like the contractor you seem to prefer is willing to work with you. I am sure you have read enough to know that finding the right installer is very critical in having a reliable, well-performing system. It sounds like you have found a good one by what you describe. I take it he/she did a load calculation based on the information they gathered and verified 3 ton is the proper size? Lastly, Trane is the right way to go in my opinion especially in an environment such as yours where the air is highly corrosive over time to the units. I visit Ocean City, MD somewhat regularly and it is very evident which units hold up better over time and still seem to be working well: Trane. Also, some great questions to be answered as provided by TD above. There are lots of details that need to be included on the written estimate. The above is a good start. This post was edited by ryanhughes on Sun, May 12, 13 at 11:07

Hello. My family and I just moved in to our first home this winter and I'm getting familiar with the new equipment. I admit, I'm a complete novice when it comes to HVAC systems although I can't quite wrap my head around the concept of how our HRV is installed to the electric furnace/heat pump duct work. Below is a picture of the setup in our utility room. I color coded the air flow: blue = cool outdoor air; yellow = ambient indoor air; and red = heated air. From left to right, the HRV ducting is: 1) outside exhausted indoor air; 2) incoming fresh outdoor air; 3) incoming indoor air; 3) inside exhausted fresh outdoor air. You can find a copy of the HRV installation manual here https://www.manualslib.com/products/Fantech-Vhr-704-3349523.html. It's clear that my current setup does not match any of the installation examples: 1 - fully dedicated system - No, my system piggybacks the existing furnace/heat pump duct work 2 - partially dedicated system - No, HRV indoor return is clearly connected to existing duct work 3 - simplified installation_1 - No, although HRV indoor supply is connected to furnace return, HRV indoor return in not. 4 - simplified installation_2 - No, HRV indoor supply is connected to furnace return, not furnace supply. Perhaps there is an alternative installation, however I don't understand why one would want to exhaust (HRV indoor return) newly heated air from the furnace supply. When I open the HRV door, I can feel the warm furnace air being exhausted from the home duct work, only to be sent outside. This is not a new construction. The home was renovated, including HVAC, in 2015. Any input would be greatly appreciated. And yes, the home was inspected by a professional. And we recently had an HVAC professional come to replace a defecting defrost module on our heat pump. These components were not evaluated.

I am thinking out loud a bit here but: you might consider a ceiling fan. In heating season, set to draw air up, at low speed (and possibly adjusting where the minisplits direct the warm air). The idea is cool air is drawn up, forcing warmer air down outside walls, and more consistent temperature throughout, including less feeling of radiant cool from cold surfaces. Can't say how much it would help in terms of comfort but I can say this for sure - would be a lot less expensive up-front cost and easily reversible if you don't like or can always just leave it. To me would be worth trying for a hundred or two bucks. A lot less than hydronic baseboard. (It won't directly lower heating costs but if you are uncomfortable at a given temperature, it's likely you're setting temperature point above what would be needed if more even throughout)

If your house has never had a central AC system then it important the HVAC contractor does a heating and cooling load calculation. The Mitsubishi model you posted has a rated capacity of 33,000 BTU. The capacity seems marginal for a 3,000 sq. foot house. You should ask to the installer how the size was determined. Sizing based solely on the area of the house is not the proper way to do it. Do you have the model numbers of the American Standard equipment? If the equipment size is larger, then it is not a fair comparison comparing prices. If you were not given model numbers then you don't have a valid quote in my opinion. The Mitsubishi heating and cooling efficiency seems to be a little better than the American Standard Platinum, but probably not enough that you would notice on your electric bill. I am not sure how well the Mitsubishi equipment holds up over time. Mitsubishi is know for their mini split systems, where as American Standard (which is Trane equipment) is know for its split systems. No matter which one you choose, you want a company who will do a good installation and be responsive if there are problems in the future.