andfly

what mdl outside condenser and inside evap coil? post mdl numbers.

I do not recommend their low end base series. Legacy 13 SEER would be OK.

I do recommend a new and correctly sized refrigerant lineset.

Bryant is a top brand but mdls do count.

what is warranty?

IMO

thats a good price. It sounds like you have a reasonable price installer. I would ask about the upgrading the model. I would also ask about upgrading to a heatpump. Often this doesn't cost much and it provides another option to heat your home incase natural gas increases in price. Heat pumps provide very comfy and cheap heat when its above freezing.

well there is the HP proponent.

we have no idea where OP lives.

we have no idea how he heats.

we have no idea of his electric rates.

how do we know heat pumps can provide OP cheap heat?

just small details missing.

IMO

I think its worth mentioning. Often home-owners don't know that a heat-pump doesn't cost much more than the same model straight A/C. If the home-owner has extremely expensive electric it usually isn't worth it. If electricity is moderately priced or cheap its definitely worth it for the comfort and flexibility factor.

Longer cycles and warm heat are very comfy when its not too cold old. Heat pump heat's longer cycles usually create a more evenly heated room without cold spots. You won't dry your house out as much. Don't forget, when heating above 30 degrees f. - heat pump produces 3 units of heat for every 1 unit of electricity consumed. They are especially efficient above 40 degrees F.

Its a nice option to have for a few hundred extra dollars.

for a few hundred dollars? hummm...

to set the record straight

depending on model and dealer fairness in pricing, one can expect to pay minimum $500 more for a good quality heat pump over the same model in AC. Usually this also involves a new thermostat and outdoor sensor.

the cost of electric vs nat gas matters in helping to make an informed decision of straight AC vs heat pump.

heat pumps are not for everyone or every homeowner HVAC application.

IMO

also folks who have gas heat are not always
comfortable with heat pump heat as heating temp is less
with hp

just more fyi

best of luck

Its possible to add a heatpump without getting a thermostat that has outdoor temp sensor interface. I agree a new heat-pump model thermostat would be needed. During heating mode the thermostat would be set to Emergency when you want to run the gas-furance and heatpump mode when mild outdoors and wanting to run the heatpump.

Heatpump thermostats don't cost much money. It depends on each person's situation. Sometimes it can be difficult to run new wires to a thermostat from the furnace (which a heatpump t-stat would need). Other times its easy.

When its easy, and you have a contractor willing to install the heatpump for the same or little extra labor as the central A/C its worth it. Having the ability to heat your home using an entirely different method of fuel and heating is a nice option for a relatively small amount of money.

Unless you have expensive electricity, heatpumps are very competitive when heating during mild temperatures and probably more comfortable.

HPs probably more comfortable? hummm...

several hundred dollars to upgrade to a similar heat pump model from an AC model is simply not accurate for any quality unit.

and one needs a dual fuel thermostat to be installed. you could forgo the outdoor sensor but IMO that is the preferred method of handling the changover between gas and electric.

and of course you need an installer familiar with heat pumps, dual fuel installs, and dual fuel thermostats. In some areas this can be problematic.

electric rates and winter climate are important factors to consider when making a decision about a HP vs straight AC.

I notice OP has not even bothered to reply which is disappointing in itself.

IMO

Neo,

What is your definition of expensive electricity?

Total cost of electricity above 15 cents per kilowatt is expensive I think.

Currently what I"m paying is 12 cents per Kilowatt total. That isn't cheap. I'm paying about $10 total per MCF for natural gas before monthly serive fee. In my situation the heatpump is less expensive to run than my gas furnace when 35 and above outside. I really prefer the comfort of the heatpump in these situations also. Longer cycles equals evenly heated rooms.

I agree it can be hard sometimes to find installers familiar with dual fuel. Mine wasn't. Once we discussed it, everything was fine. The t-stat controls everything. Its not much different than having a cental air with a gas furnace.

I am paying about the same as you for natural gas, but I pay about 18 cent per Kilowatt-Hour. That's 50% more for the same amount of electricity.

With my rates, my 95% AFUE furnance is always cheaper to operate than a heat pump. You should not recommend people spend "a few hundred dollars" to upgrade their AC to a heat pump without knowing their energy costs. For some of us, there is no benefit.

18 cents per KW is expensive electricity. PRobably not too worthwhile to get a heatpump with that electricity unless doing it for comfort reasons.

I mention the upgrade to the heatpump so people can explore the idea. Many people don't think about this upgrade when replacing their central-air. If a person lives in an area with expensive electricity the installer would probably recommend against this upgrade.

There are people in the country who still have cheap or reasonably priced electric who would benefit by upgrading their a/c to heatpump.

Expensive and cheap are releative terms. If someone is considering a dual fuel system, then a calculation of the cost of each fuel needs to be done.

I also believe there will be more wear and tear on the condenser if you are using it both for heating and cooling. In my opinion, this should be factored into the return on investment decision.

Finally I don't understand why a heat pump should feel more comfortable than a furnace. If you have a forced hot air system, then how does the method on how the air is heated make a difference on how it feels to the occupants?

have to agree with Mike.

Blanket recommendation for a HP without having and analyzing the facts is very poor advice. Some of these subjective statements about comfort, cheap, expensive are also questionable.

IMO