What part of the Lennox 12 year parts, labor and compressor warranty don't you like?!?

I would ask Lennnox folks for a 14.5 SEER or better to meet energy star requirements and get a rebate / tax credit if offered. Sounds like that would still come in under your higher estimate and would save you energy costs too.

What was the size of the old condenser? The Carrier is 3.5 tons, the Lennox is 3 tons. That is part of the price difference.

Are you really getting a 12 year labor warranty with the Lennox?

jake - your reaction mirrors mine. The Lennox quote seemed to offer similar equipment, better warrantee, and a 35% cost savings.

mike - thanks for pointing out the difference in tons. How much of a cost difference would that account for?

My old condenser was 3 ton. Do you think for the size of my place 3.5 tons is better? I could ask for a quote on a 3.5 ton unit.

I did find another minor difference between the units, sound level 76 dB for Lennox and 75 dB for the carrier.

The 12 year warrantee is through the install company. I think Lennox comes with 10 and the installer extends it. They have been around for a long time, so I think it's legit.

dano888:

I received a 10 year parts and labor on mine and it's from the manufacturer. I tried to poke holes in it and I couldn't. All seems legit to me. That's a big deal because often the big cost of any repair like that is the labor.

An oversize unit is not typically a good thing. On all but the hottest days it will cool without dehumidifying... which leaves you with cold clammy air. If a 3 ton worked for you in the past, go with it this time.

Seriously though, consider a higher SEER unit since you have a little money to work with. The higher SEER made a big difference in my electric bill.

jake - thanks for the advice. Good to hear others have good experience with Lennox.

I will ask for a quote on a higher SEER unit. My wife and kids have allergies so we never open the windows and run the AC quite a bit. The increased efficiency will probably mean more to us than to others in a similar climate.

I've been told that our place is between 3 ton and 3.5 ton. Our old unit was 3 ton and ran almost continuously if it was more than 80 outside - could have been that it was an old unit though. I tried some online calculators, and it's all over the map - any recommendations on reliable BTU calculator?

dano888, you need to perform a Manual J. Here's a decent calculator to get you started. http://www.loadcalc.net/

Although realize perfect sizing doesn't matter nearly as much for a variable speed or two stage unit vs. a single stage, which is basically just an on/off device.

For the allergies, I recommend the Aprilair 5000. I measure no ozone at the ducts and a negligible amount near the actual Aprilair filter.

This post was edited by bsmith on Wed, May 14, 14 at 10:17

bsmith - thanks for the link to perform Manual J. I've played with the numbers a bit and actually seem to fall between 2.5 and 3.0 ton. My old was a 3 ton, so I'll go with that. Also, thanks for the Aprilair recommendation!