I hope responding on Sunday is not too late! I was cooking in the woods all weekend on cast iron and dutches. I have a Napolean 450RBI and absolutely love it. It has the infrared burner that is great for steaks and hamburgers. My is stainless steel with the cover. But the 450RBI is over $1200.00 dollars. So I'm not sure it fits your budget. You only mention your price restrictions but not your requirements for a grill. Do you want electronic ignition for lighting? Do you want stainless steel or regular metal finish? Do you want cast iron grates? How many are you cooking for? Enjoy the journey. eal51 in western CT

I agree with GrillMeister. I bought my first Genesis 3000 when Weber first started making them in the 80s. I had a traditional Charbroil, and the aluminum castings corroded to where the whole thing turned white. Also, the "H" shaped pressed-steel burner corroded to where I had very little heat control. And the chrome wire grills lasted maybe a year. The engineer in me really liked the Genesis design with the pipes for burners, the flavorizer bars and the porcelain coated parts. I did the math, and if the Genesis only lasted up to its warranty, it was cheaper to own the Genesis than to buy Charbroils like the one I had. That Genesis lasted over 10 years. I'm now on my second Genesis; a 1000, which is about 8 years old or so. (I found I didn't use the external burner) I've replaced the bars and grates with stainless parts. And this past weekend, I replaced the rails that the bottom tray slides on. Weber sent those to me at no charge. If I were buying a new grill now, it would be a Silver C. I wouldn't spring for the Gold, cause the SS lid is not that big of a deal to me. I can replace the bars and grates in stainless if I need to down the line. I wouldn't spring for the Summit series, 'cause it's a lot more money for something that is not much more functional. It does look cool, though... The Silver Weber is a great cooking machine.

chessie Is this a split system you are replacing or a package system? either way, I would go with HP with backup electric strip heat. why? you would rarely use nat gas backup based on your area/climate. obviously AC is more important than heating. and you do have reasonable electric rates. you also want a new system that qualifies for the HP HVAC tax credit of up to $1500. see below link for details on the tax credit. I can make a few recommendations if you like. IMO Here is a link that might be useful: Fed Govt Tax Credits for HVAC

I think you may have air in the line that has to be bleed out..... if you have bleeders in the lines just open them up till air comes out. if you have a quick fill and a purge atach a hose to the quick fill and upen the purge till you get all the air out.