My furnace went out and I have two very reasonable quotes. However, i’m having trouble making a couple decisions due to varying information and could really use some help!

The top two floors of my house are about 3400 sqr ft, I have a 1200 ft basement that I rarely use but may finish down the road. My current furnace that went out was a 80,000 BTU Lennox Pulse. I had one guy tell me if I want to finish my basement I should upgrade to a 100,000 BTU furnace – and yet another guy said that 80,000 BTU is still sufficient for my home.

1. Should I go with the more costly 100,000 BTU???

Secondly, the 00 quote was for a Lennox Armstrong. This is a good name brand and I know they have an excellent reputation. My second quote was for approximately 00 and this is for a temp-star 100,000 BTU furnace. Temp-star is not as well known, and reviews I’ve seen online indicate they have poor customer service. The Lennox comes with a 10 year parts warranty – the Temp-Star I have to buy an extended warranty that will go to 5 years which will cost approximately an extra 0. They are both a 95% efficiency furnace and would qualify for the energy efficiency tax credit.

2. Is it worth paying more to get a Lennox furnace? Or is a Temp-Star really just as good?

Lastly, one HVAC guy is telling me I should install a heat pump which will pay for itself in 5 years because it makes your gas furnace run less and is more energy efficent. The other HVAC guy is telling me I do NOT need a heat pump – that heat pumps are more for people who have electric or propane heating. He says gas is cheaper than electric and it would be cheaper for me to run my gas furnace than a heat pump. He added that heat pumps go out in 12-17 years and often require extra servicing and isn’t worth it in the long run.

3. Is a heat pump a good investment?

Thanks so much for your help! My house is officially down to 58 degrees today and I need to make a decision soon… but I know so little about this stuff it’s been overwhelming.
Thanks for all your input – I also should have mentioned with the larger furnace, I need to have a new flu ran out the side of my house (my current one goes through the roof and isn’t larger enough to accomindate the newer furnaces)

Best answer:

Answer by Jordan
Do NOT get a heat pump. They are useless in Michigan. It gets too cold outside for them to work properly. You need a high-efficiency gas furnace.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

This is a Florida Heat Pump GO60 that is ill. It does not cool the house.

Video Rating: 1 / 5

Have questions about how geothermal heat pumps work? This video should give you a good head start. Geothermal systems are simply one of the most environment friendly and cost efficient ways to heat and cool your home. With the government tax credit (up to 30% of the total investment), geothermal heat pumps have never been more affordable. Call Green Tree Heating & Air Conditioning today for more information at (402) 682-3630 or visit us on facebook at www.facebook.com or our website at www.greentreeomaha.com.

I live in the DC area and have a 25 year old split heat pump system that’s killing my electric bill and could go at any moment. I bought the house 2 years ago and plan on staying for another 5 or so (not my “forever” house). I’d like to replace it but the line-set is undersized (liquid line is only 1/4 or 5/16 inch). Had a load calc done and I need a 1.5 ton. After comparing price, warranty, and contractor (which I hear is most important) I’m down to choosing between the following:

Brand: Amana

Outside Unit: ASZ140181A
BTU: 18,000
EER: 13
SEER: 15
HSPF: 8.5
db: 70

Air Handler: ASPF183016
KW: 10

Warranty: 10 year parts, lifetime compressor, 2 years labor

Contractor: Locally owned/operated for 30+ years, great reviews, used by neighbors

Price: Lowest by 30%
————————————————————————-

Brand: Trane

Outside Unit: 4TWR5018E1
BTU: 18,000
EER: 13
SEER: 15.5
HSPF: 9.0
db: 76

Air Handler: ??? (can’t find the part #)
KW: 10

Warranty: 10 year parts, 10 year compressor, 1 year labor

Contractor: Large regional chain

Price: 30% higher than Amana
————————————————————————-

I know what you’re going to say – replace the line-set. Problem is I’d have to cut through several walls/ceilings and I’m REALLY hoping to not have to do that (both for hassle and cost). Both contractors took an extra day or two to do research and both say their unit will work with the existing line-set. I’m leaning towards Amana because of: lower price, quieter system, friendly local contractor.

Would I be making a good choice to go with the Amana? Are there any other brands that might be better suited to my existing line-set (heard Rheem might be compatible)? Any other advice for someone in my situation?

Thanks in advance!

Best answer:

Answer by diesel whales rule
if you are going from an r22 unit to r410 you must replace the lineset because the refrigeration oils are not compatable and will junk your new unit. let alone the improper size for the new unit

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

I was going to replace my 14 year old heat pump/furnace combo for a new one while the gov’t rebates are available, but every brand seems like it is terrible?

Lennox, Amana, Tempstar, Trane- all the brands anyone recommend get terrible reviews everywhere I look. I’d recommend another brand, but I can’t find ANY brands that get good reviews? All the “name brand” are as bad or worse than the “offbrand”, and reviews all say “Lennox doesn’t make them like they used to” or “Trane doesnt make them like they used to”. Are there any brands that “make them like they used to” and make a decent heat pump? or should I just s tick with my old trane?

Best answer:

Answer by B-Notable
You could add Carrier and York to that list but I don’t like either one. That pretty much sums up all the manufacturers in the US. I don’t know why Trane is getting a bad rap they still make the best heat pump and I think their gas furnaces are just a little better than the rest. I would say to stick with a new Trane. Between the higher efficiency and the tax breaks you stand to save quite a bit.

Add your own answer in the comments!

An overview of some of the parts of a Trane heat pump condenser.

Video Rating: 0 / 5

Air Conditioners

Video Rating: 4 / 5

I have two questions 1 -I’m in the process of obtaining 3 quotes on a new HVAC system for our home. Carrier, Gibson and Bryant. I’ve read a lot of reviews from different people and based on their input, none of the 3 really stands out as #1. Which manufacturer would you recommend?
Question 2 – I’ve also read where many of the problems are associated with poor installation and that all current HVAC units are good but there are more issues because of sloppy installs. Another thing I read was that a good installer will also do an heat loss analysis to determine the proper size unit. So far only one of the 3 contractors has done this. Does this mean I shouldn’t consider the other two?

Best answer:

What do you think? Answer below!

Photo slide show and video clips: OMG this is one fine install here……NOT! Check it out. You are looking at a new Trane XB13 Heat Pump. I had to go and do a WARRANTY leak check. First thing is (yet again) these guys install the access panel and refridgeration service ports into the corner where you have to practically lay on your side to access the refer and HIGH VOLTAGE! Not too mention if you EVER need to replace a TXV or Reversing Valve, you will need to uninstall the unit and remove it away form the wall! (Yup these guys care more about speedy install than future service. Kind of the WOODEN nickel holding up the SILVER dollar if you ask me!) Then I could not believe when I saw how cobbled up that suction line was to the new unit! Clearly the installers were short on copper that day. Company pushes the installers so hard to “Git-er-Dun” that they don’t ever DARE leave the job to get the correct part! (Again, WOODEN nickel holding up the SILVER dollar!) Worse yet is no one in the office believed me about the suction line reducing form 7/8″ to 5/8″ back up to 7/8″. But as you will see here, photos and VIDEO speak a thousand words!!! So who was lying suckers??? Yeah, thought so! I hope to GOD that someone in this city of Phoenix will stand up and please enforce HVAC companies to pull a damn PERMIT and get their sh*t inspected! The quality of work by residential HVAC contractors is so bad that it’s an insult to anyone who knows better, just to witness this kind of …

Video Rating: 4 / 5

I am getting central heat and air the quote I have is for a Goodman system with a heat pump 13 sear rating. I have read some shaky reviews on Goodman how are there units and I wonder is a 13 sear rating good for Florida?

Best answer:

Answer by Dr. Strangelove
Call a Trane dealer and get a competing bid. SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) is how air conditioners are measured. The higher the number the better the unit. 13 is the minimum seer for units sold now, but you can get higher.

Give your answer to this question below!

A few Goodman Heat Pumps rattling away in back yards of Phoenix, AZ. These are not even what we call the NOISY GOODMANS! These are your average Goodman Heat Pumps. The last segment is a Rheem Heat Pump. It is so quiet in compare that you can only hear it run if you stand right over it.

We had two different companies come out and look at our unit and we need a new one. Hobson Air the Comfort Experts came out and did all the measuring and sizing and that is what they want to put in. However I dont know anthing about the brands of the company. So has anyone worked with Comfort Experts Hobson Heating and Air? Or has anyone purchased a amana heat pump and have a review. I live in texas and the heat pumps are the way to go due to the climate.

Best answer:

Answer by verdugo
http://www.openxtra.co.uk/articles/calcu…

Add your BTU’s at home… They all count and add up.
Make sure your home is insulated inside your attic. This can reject the outside temperature by 10 degrees, when is cold it won’t be too cold, and when is hot outside it won’t be too hot. Then, you should consider getting a gas unit, because your compressor only work on summertime, rather than using it all year long cutting the life of the unit in half. A carrier unit, because they are efficient and last about 25-30 years. Other brands won’t last as long. You should get the 410a refrigerant on it, because R-22 is not going to be around anymore after 2010. I feel that you should get the higher SEER possible, because you got a lot of money. lol
Oh by the way… What’s the brand Amana never heard of it.

Give your answer to this question below!