Thanks TD. I will look into the L series to double check - and the 9kw strips. Thanks for the suggestion with the Performance series - the Carrier had already supplied that quote to me as well. But it had the Infinity heat pump as the outside unit with performance everything else. I've asked him to revise the quote - but it looks like the performance setup would be about $2-3k less than the infinity setup. I really do like the idea of the communication with the Infinity setup (like the stat too). I'm OK with the price. I think that number looks average comparing it to other threads on this board. I think my 2 Trane guys were pretty high, but they are the only 2 authorized dealers in town. Bryant Evolution quote came back more than the Carrier Infinity. Thanks for the advice. I might put up the final 2 quotes in a bit to get thoughts - the Performance setup vs the Infinity setup.

I understand your question on the heat side in northern climates. I represented Fujitsu for 12 years and covered the 6 New England States. Serious heating territory. I am no longer affiliated with any mshp manuf. What is actually happening in that territory is that people are buying mshp's for the heat. I told my contractors and consumers to "buy it for the heat. I'll give you the cooling for free". The heat savings are where the return on investment comes in. I have a friend who has a big old farm house overlooking Lake Champlain just south of Burlington, VT. He has oil fired radiant and a quad Fujitsu. With the specs on his system, he runs the mshp down to 15-20* and olny fires up the oil below that. As the vast majority of heat hours, even in VT, is above 20 he is running the mshp probalby 80% of the winter. He has over the past 5 years reduced his oil consumption by 70%. I don't know his dollar ot dollar savings but he says they are significant. He paid for the system in 3 years according to him. As to whether the single unit operation on a multi is efficient, I would say that while there may be a small penalty, it is unlikely that a unit would be run in that configuration for extended periods. If it is, then it is mis application. You have to understand the way people are living as a part of equipment selection. For instance, I put in a 24 dual for my upstairs bedrooms. I run the one bedroom this time of the year (100* today), but didin't turn the heat side on all winter. The 25 SEER/12HSPF unit downstairs runs every real hot afternoon in the summer and every day in the winter. That is the best combination for comfort and efficiency for my home and use. When I talk about the duct tests, it is going to become a part of the codes. It is in CA all ready. to replace a furnace or heat pump you have to have a third party come in and test the duct. New construction must achieve no more than 6% leakage. Retrofits must achieve 16%. These duct repairs are costly to do. I spoke with the local fellow who does these tests and virtually every house requires significant repair. The unitary manuf can put all the technology the want into their boxes. The problem is they cannot deliver it as the duct systems stink. Consider the national energy impact of that. It is a big issue that we have been sweeping under the rug for a long time.

Thanks for the comments tigerdunes. We've been over this quite a bit already. The pricing is average for the North East....labor rates tend to be quite high and the $600 rebate makes the price of the furnaces excellent. I obviously have two stage thermostats and the sizes of the furnaces were decided after heat loss calculations. I live in an older home in a cold climate and my calculations were within 10% of my contractor's. The calculation for my two floor unit came in at 75kBTUs. The contractor initially wanted to install a 100kBTU unit, but I talked him down to 80kBTU. The furnace for the renters below me is a bit large, but it was the smallest two stage available from American Standard. I thought about installing a 92% efficient 40kBTU single stage furnace with selectable motor speed, but as the 60kBTU two stage with variable speed motor was the same price after the rebate I went with that one.so that both furnaces essentially the same and to get the variable speed blower. I imagine having the second stage will also be nice on very cold mornings.

Thank you for your response @tigerdunes. I put the sizes below- and how I assume they figured out the load off of them them. They did all walk around the house. Daikin Energy Star DC96 60,000 BTU- Its a DM96VC (sorry typo) He counted the vents- measured the old furnace Trane Natural Gas - S9V2 77.600 BTU - He counted the vents, measured the old furnace and venting from the furnace American Standard Gold S9V2- 58,000 BTU, He measured the old furnace, took square footage, and insulation in ceiling/attic area. American Standard Platinum ZV modulating- 56,000 BTU same as other A. Standard- The furnace heating is for both floors- yet the gas insert we have purchased will be used when we are upstairs in the main living space- living room, kitchen area- it's about 800 sqft- we then have another 500 square feet upstairs of bedrooms that may not directly get heat from the insert. So assuming when the insert is on- the furnace will be lower than when I am in my downstairs office all day. The downstairs is not our main living area but is a finished walk out basement- where I have a home office I work 3-4 days a week out off. 1 side is fully open to the elements (north side) and one side is 3/4 underground. The furnace is located in a cabinet in the basement- and they will not be replacing ductwork but just fixing/adding/ removing the old that is need to be changed. For the Am Standard there is a comfort control progrmmable higher end thermostat and for the Daikin a Honeywell programmable. Not sure for Trane. What is a filter mediat cabinet? I am assuming they are replacing it- as they will be taking the old furnace out. No AC at this point- as we would have to upgrade our electrical panel- I know the Am Standard would leave room for it.. and I think the Daikin/Trane too if we wanted to add it on. Thanks so much for your reply.. I know nothing about furnaces...