All 4 ton systems

The Carrier Performance 17 system has two stage compressor.

The Carrier Comfort 16 and Trane XR16 are single stage condensers.

I like the Carrier Performance 17 system. You should ask if seacoast shield is available unless you have inland location. You want the Carrier Edge Thermidistat. I assume this is a 10 KW heat strip. May be too large depending on your location.

IMO

I suggest spending the extra $300 and get the Carrier 2-stage condenser. A single stage 4 ton unit is likely to be over sized. The 2-stage will give you the benefit of a better size match on the low stage and better dehumidification. The high stage gives you some extra cooling. This comes in handy when you have a large gathering on a hot day.

What size are you replacing? Ductwork can handle 4 tons of cooling? Adequate amount of returns?

IMO

We have to add some ductwork and some returns because a couple of the rooms far from the air handler are always hot. We are replacing a mismatched system--4-ton air handler that may have been original to the house and 3.5-ton compressor. I have been in the house 4 years and just learned my a/c system is mismatched in brand and size.

The air handler can be bigger than the condenser provided the blower is set to the proper speed. You can match different brands. The problem is you don't what the rated efficiency would be.

Tigerdunes makes a good point about the duct work. The supplies and returns have to be sized adequately otherwise you are causing more problems than your are solving.

I had a new quote today from a guy that seemed to do a very thorough inspection-he spent 2 hours examining my home and attic. He determined the ductwork is inadequate, which we knew because the master bedroom is always hotter than the rest of the house. He recommended a 4-ton Lennox XC25-048 variable speed compressor with the compatible Lennox air handler and 10KW heat strip, a 5" filter cabinet, UV light, and iComfort wifi thermostat. He will be removing the air handler from the attic, installing the new handler in the garage, adding returns in the dining room and master bathroom and adding vents in the master bathroom and an office. There will be a 5 year warranty on labor from a 3rd company, but he said he can perform the labor if we request and he will bill insurer directly. 10 year warranty on parts. He quoted $12,000 total. Does this seem high? Is the Lennox XC25 overkill?

not necessarily overkill except for the pricing which of course is absurd.

Still like the two stage Carrier Performance 17 as a much better value as long as ductwork modifications are made. More bang for the buck. You do want the Carrier Edge Thermidistat and I would recommend a filter cabinet. I would inquire about the seacoast shield unless you are inland. I do not recommend a 3rd party ext labor warranty. If you are interested, ask Carrier what they offer. Usually cost is around 10% of purchase price.

Here are the numbers. Lennox has the higher SEER.

7019483 Active Systems CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING PERFORMANCE SERIES PURON AC CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 24ACB748A**31 FV4CNB006L 1400 1120 48000 13.50 17.00 1 RCU-A-CB 350 Yes

5947377 Active Systems XC25 SERIES LENNOX INDUSTRIES, INC. XC25-048-230-** CBX40UHV-048*+TDR 1630 1050 810 48500 13.50 21.00 1 RCU-A-CB Yes 286 Yes

Probably new and correctly sized lineset will be required. Keep the old, strip it clean, and take to scrap yard to redeem.

IMO

This post was edited by tigerdunes on Thu, Jul 3, 14 at 11:25