I'd get a manual J just to see what you are dealing with. And ditto the high electric rate comment above. If Man J says you need 8 tons, then you know where you are at. But if the house stays cool in the summer and you are using NG, I'm not sure why it matters. If you are undersized on the heating size, that is fine. You have a good backup. This is the way I look at it (that doesn't mean it is right), you want to use HP, when it is above 30 degrees or so. Your 5 tons should do a good job down to that. If your backup was expensive, you'd want to HP down to 15 or so. Then, your undersized system would be a problem. But since you are just using HP for milder weather, you are fine - on the heating side. The HP gets less efficient as it gets colder regardless of size of unit. So you never really need the extra capacity, because you switch over to your good backup. As Tigerdunes said, if your electric rates are high, your backup might make sense at 40 degrees. In that case, your HP is doing very little. By my math, with my system, 35 degrees is my switch over at $.10 a KWH and $1 a therm. If you are $.15 a KWH and $1 a therm (therms are pretty constant nationally), then your switchover will be closer to 40 degrees.

I have a GE Cafe double oven range--it's all gas, but it has the same stainless steel top. We've had it installed for a little over a month and haven't had issues with scratching, but we have been careful not to scrub it with anything abrasive. One thing I wanted to mention, we had an issue with the install because the back of the range will not get totally flush with the back wall. The way it's designed, there is a small gap at the back, so it doesn't slide all the way in. We were able to minimize the gap by running the backsplash a few inches below the top of the range, but it's still apparent if you look closely.

Dear Melfy, A 36", 600 cfm hood over your 36" Berta range will be fine with the amount of heat your Berta puts out. As far as I can tell on the web, Bertazonni hoods come with internal blowers (this is the most typical form of blower and it is what I have). When I got a hood last Fall I looked at Berta hoods. I loved the look -- a lot of style, as you would expect for such a fine looking range! In the end I didn't get a Bertazoni vent hood because I couldn't find one that was 24 inches deep (they all seem to be 20 inches deep) with 8" ducting. That said, I have several friends with 20" deep vent hoods with 6" ducting over their pro-style ranges and they report that they are satisfied with the noise level and capture. I'll let other Berta owners weigh in, but I'm wondering if because of the near counter depth and sleek styling of the Berta the shallower, 20 inch hood works fine? Increasing the size of the vent from 20 inches deep to 24 inches deep and 6" to 8" ducting is going to put you into a considerably higher price range. If you don't do a lot of pan searing and other grease and smoke producing cooking on your range, the Berta hood may be fine for you. (Personally, I think my vent is a bit overkill. But I do love having the capture area for those 3 to 4 times a month when I cook meat.)

"The enamel chipping has been well described due to frequent use of the high heat self-cleaning function." i don't think anyone, including Wolf, knows why the enamel is breaking down and I can't think of anyone who has had the issue, who has blamed it on cleaning too frequently. The chipping has been talked about on this forum for the last 10 years and if Wolf could fix it, surely they would have. Some have speculated it might be from any use of the self clean. It has shown up after only one self clean. I only used mine 3 or 4 times in 4.5 years but it did show up after the last clean. Some have never used the self clean though and had the enamel degrade. "f you're going to use that function frequently and not take the time to clean out minor spills on a regular basis with simple methods like a sponge and mild soap and water, then you shouldn't buy this wonderful range." So you blame the customer for an obvious manufacturer's defect? The manufacturer designed this range with self clean so you should be able to use the self clean whenever you want to. What usage pattern do you define as frequent? How many times should you be able to use the self clean? How many times is too many? How do you explain the people who haven't used the self clean? Nothing in Wolf's use and care manual mentions this or gives any such restrictions or warning. The interesting thing is that we stay in beach condos where the self clean is run almost every week that they are rented, on very inexpensive ovens and they have been fine over the years we have stayed there. Over many years and ovens, I have never had an issue with the self clean degrading enamel. I never gave it a thought. Surely an oven at Wolf's price could at least meet the same level of functionality as an inexpensive brand. Anyone who is considering Wolf products with a blue interior should read the comments posted here themselves to get an idea of how these problems develop. There are law suits over this. I would agree the oven bakes well and I loved it for the 4.5 years that it was intact and posted on this forum about how great it was. A champion of Wolf I was. I was quite shocked and dismayed when it happened to me. Even more so when I experienced the "superior service" from Wolf. The kicker is they don't even stand behind a replacement liner IF you choose to pay their unknown price to repair. The warranty on the new part is for one year. Real confidence on their part. If someone does want to buy this oven, I would not run the self clean at all even though some still have the problem without running it. Periodically wipe a damp paper towel over the bottom looking for tiny blue shards hopefully finding any damage before the warranty is gone. Buy the longest extended warranty you can without exclusions on the enamel. Consider the Wolf all gas if you want Wolf as it does not have the blue liner.