paul

what is your location?

you are replacing a 3 1/2 ton?

these are my minimum specs for a new HP system. both outside and inside units should be replaced to have a properly matched system.

15 SEER, 12.5+ EER, 9 HSPF
best matching VS air handler
full BTUs in both cooling and heating for your rated size
R-410a refrigerant(same as Puron)
scroll compressor preferred
electronic demand defrost preferred
thermostat with "dehumidify on demand" feature
staged backup heat strips
new and correctly sized refrigerant lineset

you want a thorough inspection of your ductwork system. size, overall condition, supply and return lines, insulation qualities, leak test, etc.

any hot/cold spot issues in your home should be addressed.

I would only use authorized dealers for the various brands that provide quotes. see mfg websites.

I would look at Trane/AmStd,Rheem,Carrier/Bryant

what size heat strip do you have now?

generally, I think for a premium sgl stg HP condenser like the XL15i that a price of $2k/ton is a good price. Of course, the fed govt tax credit will come into play.

There are only two thermostats that I would have for this system. Trane's 803 (identical HW equivalent) or HW VisionPro IAQ with outdoor sensor.

I always recommend a new and correctly sized refrigerant lineset.

This system will come witha 12 yr warranty on compressor and 10 yr on parts.

You might consider a whole house pleated filter media cabinet.

I will assume the heatpack is the heat strip. what size?
I am not clear what a power kit is.pls clarify.

post back.

IMO

Thank you very much, Tigerdunes. We live in the Eastern part of PA. You are right. the heatpack is the heat strip, rated 15Kw. The power kit (that I looked up on the internet) is some kind of heat source inside the air handler. The thermostat in the proposal is a TCONT802 programmable, which imo is not really needed. A simple digital thermostat is adequate.

We also got a proposal for a 3.5 Ton 15 SEER Rheem Classic Series, 3.5 ton Air Handler with X13 motor for about 1K less. I have to choose between those 2 systems. I was told that Trane is better ? Again, thank you.

paulpa

it always bothers me that homeowners want to purchase quality HVAC equipment but are willing to take shortcut and save a dime on the best control for that system. if good humidity control is a concern, then look at my recommendations for thermostat. at the very least Trane's 803 or exact identical Honeywell stat 8321 would be my choice. The HW VisionPro IAQ would provide even better control with the "dehumidify on demand" feature as well as management of your heat strip.

I also would suggest a staged heat strip. Trane offers two sizes, a 7/12KW unit and a 10/15KW unit.

I would also recommend a good whole house pleated filter media cabinet with changeout lasting up to one year.

I would want a better explanation about the power kit and its function.

IMO

Is the price quoted include the $1500 tax credit?

Hello all,
So far I've learned alot. Remembered when I had the York system installed, I was so ignorant and used the same company that installed the previous system when the house was built (I was a Luxair).

The price is what I have to pay the installer. The tax credit will be claimed later at the time of filing. Not sure if the quote is adjusted (higher) knowing the credit is available.

Since I do not know all features of an advanced thermostat, I assume it is simple a comparator. In heating mode, if the ambient temp. is lower that the preset temp, the heat is on. And in AC mode, when the room temp. becomes higher than the set temp. the AC is on. When the 2 temps. are equal, the system stops.

How does a controllable thermostat control the humidity?
Is it an option to have either a 7/12Kw or 10/15Kw with a system, let's say XL15i.

7 and 10 (in 7/12kW and 19/15Kw) indicates the number of stages. When used a 7/12Kw and when used a 10/15Kw. The 10/15 is more expensive and larger than a the 7/12?

Is it correct to understand that a themostat (VisionPro)
controls how many stages in the heat strip needed for a given temp.?
Thanks, (esp. tigerdunes for your help)

A controllable/communicating thermostat controls humidity by having a humidity sensor in addition to its normal temperature sensor. It will communicate with the blower controller and run the fan at a low speed in order to remove more humidity. But it will balance this against the desired cooling setpoint so that it doesn't get too cold.

As for staging, the thermostat will turn on heat and 'wait' to see if the unit can supply enough heat to raise the temperature. If not, it turns on the first heat strip. If this doesn't work, it adds the next one.

The same is true for multistage cooling.

Get some more bids. I learned alot from the different contractors and you would be surprised how much the price and what they are going to do will vary. I like Trane so bought 3 of their units.