I just bought the 30" freestanding Bertazzoni. I really do like it. I think the grade of stainless steel for the cooktop makes it easy to clean and I believe some of the forumites here are unhappy because of the poorer grades - that's my opinion. I live near the ocean and my Frigidaire that had a black porcelain top rusted. I haven't read about any of the appliances being 'lemon free' so I bought a 5 year warranty. The simmer burner does not go low enough but the power burner is more than enough for me and I often need to scoot the pan to another lower output burner. Meanwhile, I haven't been able to get used to the oven. The thermometer I purchased says the temperature is correct.

Maybe I should ask differently. Is this Performance unit paired / matched correctly for heat of SOuth GA? Do I need any else or changed? What would VS Handler do they the one listed in the specs will not? single stage vs 2 staged? Cost for Performance 15 all is $5700.00 high or average? Carrier Comfort Series: model 25HCC536A003- Heat Pump, model FX4DNF037T- Air Handler, model FB4-10-1- 10kw Aux. Heat, model TC PHP 01- Programmable Thermostat. The Comfort Series 15 is rated as follows: SEER 15.0, EER 12.5, HSPF 8.7. The installation includes the following: permit, properly sized 3" pad for the outdoor unit, new properly sized safety drain pan & safety float switch for the indoor unit, properly trapped condensate drain, flush & vacuum the existing refrigerant line set per Carrier's specs, electrical connections into new equipment, duct work transitions into existing supply & return duct work, labor, sales tax,. The indoor unit has the following features: Puron, environmentally sound refrigerant, Factory-installed Puron refrigerant thermostatic expansion valves (TXV), ArmorCoat coil protection. The outdoor unit has the following features: Sound level as low as 70 dBA, Scroll compressor, Internal thermal overload, Filter drier, Steel louver coil guard, Baked-on complete coverage, power paint, meets the Energy Star guidelines for energy efficiency. Carrier Performance Series: model 25HPA536H003- Heat Pump, model FX4DNF043T- Air Handler, model FB4-10-1 10kw Aux. Heat, model TC PFP 01- Programmable Thermostat. The Performance Series 15 is rated as follows: SEER 15.5, EER 12.5, HSPF 8.6. The installation is the same as stated above. The indoor unit has the same features as stated above. The outdoor unit has the same features as stated above with some additional features as: Extra Quiet Operation with the Silencer System II for sound as low as 68 dBA, External silencer muffler, Exclusive Silencer top design, Compressor blanket, Forward-swept condenser fan blade, Quiet shift defrost. These features all designed to make this unit super quiet.

southga why are you considering going up in size? how is current system handling this abnormally high summer temps? if someone told you more is better, you are being mislead. Bryant has recently reorganized their model numbers. In fact I believe you have been quoted the Legacy 15 model. Tell Bryant dealer you want the equivalent to Carrier's Performance 15, Bryant's Preferred 15. here are the Carrier numbers-one with the var speed air handler, one with the fixed speed air handler. 3405849 Active Systems PERFORMANCE 15 PURON HP CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 25HPA536H31 FV4CN(B,F)005 36000 13.00 15.50 36000 9.00 21800 1 3687527 Active Systems PERFORMANCE 15 PURON HP CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 25HPA536H31 FX4DN(B,F)043 36000 12.50 15.50 36000 8.60 21800 1 HRCU-A-CB either would do a nice job but the var speed air handler is no doubt the best choice considering your location/climate. IMO Good Luck!

Thanks again for your input. I think we've decided on a Trane. The Carrier our friend quoted was the base model 25HBC536A with FX4DNF037T and even at $3368 it'd be a few hundred more for permit and hurricane pad, which would make it close to the cost of the company who quoted 25HCC536 and 25HBC536 models. Also with our friend, we'd need to pay it all by check. we have the funds, but Carrier is offering zero percent for a year or so - minus well use thier money for a year! Both the Carrier Comfort and Trane XR15 seem comprable in function and effeciency, so then I had to decide which one looked better to me. That's a woman for ya! :) I'm going to try to get the company who quoted the 2 Carriers and the TRANE TWR536 with TEH3F4ZB $4150 to come down a few hundred and see if he'll include the $125 for the MERV 11 1 year filter. Is it common to ask for lower price on this type of service? The only company that even asked about our windows was the One Hour AC franchise that did the only load calculation. He factored our house needs 2.5 ton unit. We had the windows in a few months before the ac broke and there was not really a significant change in our electric bill. We did go from aluminum single pane 30 year old windows to impact laminated insulated glass vinyl windows. You could feel the heat coming in on the old - the new you can barely hear any outside noise and it's got a coating that helps block the solar gains. neohioheatpump - it's always hot here in Daytona! ;) I think we're only expected to not hit 90 today because it's raining.