Ravi

For what size home?

What size and efficiency is your existing furnace?

What size is existing AC condenser?

What mdl evap coil quoted? And yes it makes a difference.

How are the insulation qualities of your home?

You should know that NJ is one of the most expensive states to live including HVAC and obscene taxes.

Post back with info requested.

IMO

You could very well need only 60,000 BTU heating. Where in NJ are you and describe your home in detail (including square footage). What is the AFUE of that furnace? Well, not this past winter, but in seasons past, did your furnace run full time on the very coldest days. How old is it and what is the input?

I'm in Camden County w/2500 SF 2 story home which requires slightly less than 60K.

V

Worth your time to investigate a geothermal unit...it will provide heat and A/C in one unit, be very cost effective to run and easy to maintain, plus no ugly outdoor compressor. Don't know if NJ has breaks for geothermal, though they are certainly generous when it comes to solar.

Thanks for the replies....

Tigerdunes questions

For what size home?
---2700 Sq Ft 5 bedrooms

What size and efficiency is your existing furnace?
---100 000 BTU, I believe 80% - Seems to work well however a few rooms could use additional heat (possibly duct issues)

What size is existing AC condenser?
---3 ton, however when we looked at the house before purchase, I noticed a few window units around the house. The owner claimed she was attempting to save by not cooling the entire home (divorced)

What mdl evap coil quoted? And yes it makes a difference.

---I didn't even ask about the coil, ( I should have since I read about evap coils here...

How are the insulation qualities of your home?
---Just moved in a few weeks ago- Insulation seems moderate from the walls we opened up during a few upgrades

You should know that NJ is one of the most expensive states to live including HVAC and obscene taxes.
---I'm learning fast of how expensive NJ is...forced to move out of NYC (kids)

Veesubotee:

Town-Jackson NJ
AFUE?-AFUE of quoted furnace 95%
Furnace cycle-From the past month I noticed frequent cycles even with moderate temperatures in the night

Thanks again all

Ravi

I wouldn't make a move without asking for a load calculation in writing on the software letterhead. Room by room analysis.

This is a sgl strory or two story?

Age of home? You need to know the outside wall insulation rating, attic insulation rating, and crawlspace underfloor insulation rating. What type of windows?

Those window units bother me and are a symptom of not enough AC cooling in the summer. Sit up and take notice!

Ductwork should have a thorough inspection as to size of lines both supply and returns, leak test, insulation qualities of ductwork. Homeowners typically overlook the importance of a good ductwork system and most dealers don't care-they just want to sell you the equipment.

IMO

-Two story home with full basement (unheated) and there is no insulation if I'm in basement looking up at ceiling
-the home is 17 years old-

-I actually sat down with one contractor who entered the size of each room on some computer software, I didn't realize I needed to know the attic and wall insulation ratings or if he entered that information

-no leak test of duct work conducted nor insulation qualities of duct work-

-Of the 4 estimates conducted none brought up any of the issues you mention.

I am so confused maybe I need to call up for additional estimates...

Ravi

Underfloor basement ceiling should be insulated.

You should insist on a load calculation.

Kind of windows in home?

I have suspicion you are undersized in cooling and oversized in heating.

And you should have a thorough ductwork inspection with dealer addressing any concerns about hot/cold spots in your home.

IMO

Assuming you have the typical NJ 2-story colonial home, you should have R-30 insulation in the attic, and R-13 insulation in the exterior walls. Most HVAC contractors would know this.

I assume the furace is in the basement and the duct work is sheet metal. Since the duct work is in conditioned space it will not be insulated. The duct work which is exposed in the basement can be visually checked for leakage. You will not be able to inspect duct work inside walls.

I think your furnace should be no bigger than 80,000 BTU assuming a 95%+ efficiency. The 3-ton AC sounds a little small. I would think a 3.5 ton single stage, or 4 ton 2-stage would be the correct size. A proper load calculation will confirm the correct size.

It seems the contractors you have met so far either don't know how to do a load calcualtion, or are doing some gross calcualtion with incorrect results. Keep looking for a contractor who knows what he is doing.

Thanks all.... your input was helpful. I intend to call a few different HVAC contractors with the added knowledge from all of your replies I may come out ahead... will update