To be clear, this will be propane or nat gas fueled furnace?

I will comment on the Trane. Not a fan of the Lennox brand and since the Armstrong quote is higher than Trane, I doubt you would consider .

Just so you know, both the Trane furnaces are oversized based on the heating load calculation. And be certain you are aware the XV95 will require a two stage thermostat to keep you from running on high stage whether needed or not.

I would want a box filter media cabinet on any system you select. For Trane, their Perfect Fit model.

While the XB13 AC condenser is Trane's low end entry level model, I do not consider it builder grade. However, I would at least move up to the XR13 model.

IMO

Thanks Tigerdunes for the feedback! That is helpful!

Yes, this would all be natural gas (we have to run a line from the road but it seems worth it).

Curious why you say the Trane furnaces are oversized - could it be because they are taking into account the bonus room? Could this significantly impact the energy efficiency?

Do you think the Armstrong furnace is worth the extra money? This company told me that Trane sometimes tries to get too fancy with components and they are proprietary or hard to replace if something breaks.

Thanks!

Your last statement from the Armstrong dealer is nonsense.

The XV95 is high eff, has two stages of heat around 36 on low, 56 on high. Requires 2 stage thermostat which is important.

The XC95 modulates between a range of 40-100% of output.

Smallest available for both is a 60 K BTU.

So according to your post, load calc for heating is around 40 K.

Not sure the XC95 is worth an extra $600. Did dealer offer a thermostat for the XV95. Again it will require a two stage model.

IMO

I just asked them about the 2 stage thermostat for the XV95. I liked what I heard about the Nest Learning Thermostat. Seems to offer some of the convenience of the internet control without the huge price tag. Would that handle the 2 stage set up?

The first generation Nest could not handle 2-stage equipment. Some people have had good success with the Nest, others have had problems. There are better choices out there. The learning mode is a gimmick in my opinion.

OK, I heard from the company offering the Trane system. He would insist on a 2 stage thermostat as well.

He did say that this is the smallest unit they carry so it is oversized for the size of the house but he thought the first stage would meet be close to our size most of the time and then the higher stage would be available when we were heating both zones (the bonus room and the main house) to meet the larger need. Does that make sense?

I'm surprised the choices seem so limited that we'd have to go significantly oversized because while our house is on the smaller side of houses being built new these days, I didn't think it would be so outsized. Is that due to the extra insulation reducing the heating need?

I'm just worried about the impact of this on energy efficiency and comfort (we live in a drafty 1100 sq foot apartment right now with a 50 year old GE furnace that is surely way oversized and it gets really cold, heats up fast then gets really cold again during normal winter weather (not extreme cold)). Was hoping to leave such behavior behind!

Would it be worth it to put in the XC 95 fully modulating furnace on the idea that it could adjust more smoothly given the system is oversized? It apparently has 60 speeds to choose from...

What Mdl thermostat did dealer recommend for the XV95?

I want to check behind him.

You'll be running on low stage most of the time if the correct thermostat is installed. However, it's like buying something you will rarely use-the high stage. Frankly your situation points out a gap in Trane furnaces based on size. I have seen this before and this gap exists in other brands as well. If you want to pursue this and get a furnace closer to your load calc, then look at Rudd/Rheem. I really wouldn't fret over this but it's something you need to know.

The idea of the XC95 is you use what you need based on demand. Of course you see that comes with a higher price. Your decision of course but if Trane, I would stay with the XV95.

IMO

Just so I understand: Do you mean the energy savings from a more properly sized unit versus running in the low stage of a too large unit would not be that significant?

Why would you stay with the XV95 - do you think the extra speeds don't make that much difference?

Thanks for all your help!

OK, got some answers on the other comments:

On the media cabinet: We custom build a cabinet that a perfect fit media filter fits into. This is already included as we really need a good filter when selling a customer a unit that uses the constant fan mode.

Besides the Nest thermostat, they offer:
We use a honeywell model 6000 with wifi.