I like the heatpump with propane. Having the propane is nice for the gas oven/range and incase its extra cold as a backup. Straight electric might me the same price or cheaper than propane but that all depends how expensive the propane is and the electric is.

I would go with quote 4 because its the most reasonable price. I"m assuming you don't need a 120,000 btu furnace, so you might want to ask contractor to size that down.

You definitely have the right idea by going with a heatpump. Having the propane is worth it since you already have the tank and piping into the house in my opinion.

Merrie.

It would help to know your electric rate and cost of propane?

Have you checked with electric utility to see if they offer a special rate for Straight HP system and heat pump in a dual fuel system.

BTW, what size furnace/eff and AC are you replacing?

Post back.

IMO

I can't believe that your home requires a furnace (58MVC120)with a maximum output of about 115,000 BTUh. There are some PROs who would argue that a 3-stage furnace is not a true modulating furnace. More than likely, it would never reach high fire, so you'll wind up with a high priced 2 stage unit.

As a comparison, I'm in NJ, near Philly. My 24 year old, 2500 SF house has a calculated heat loss of 60,000 BTU.

V

For S. Maryland, are you near the water?

Agree that if you are thinking HP, you should get a quote for a smaller furnace.

Did you have a ManualJ or heat load analysis done? Point being that 120,000BTUs may be too much. Or some simple things like more insulation might help.

Quote 1 is a very nice system at a reasonable price. You must buy the Infinity controller in order to get the Carrier rebate. I also think you could downsize to the 100K BTU furnace (58MVC100). I would also ask about getting a 4 inch media filter and the 10 year Carrier labor warranty.

You need to calculate your propance and electricity costs in order to determine if it makes sense to have a dual fuel set up. I would be interested in seeing the temperature set point for this system.

Merriebeth

I agree that the 120 KBTU furnace is most likely oversized.

Drop to the 100K model

Again I asked several questions.

It would help to know your electric rate and cost of propane?

Have you checked with electric utility to see if they offer a special rate for Straight HP system and heat pump in a dual fuel system.

BTW, what size furnace/eff and AC are you replacing?

Post back.

IMO

Thanks for everyones input. The deal is we feel confident we need a 5 ton unit given the size (I misquoted, it is 3300 sq ft) and the location/layout of the house. The matching furnance is 120btu in most cases so that justifies the need.

Can I throw another in the mix?

Amana ASZ18, 5 ton 18 seer, Amana 115 btu, 2 stage gas, AMV9. $8786. Why so much lower? Is Amana that different than Carrier? Their warranties seem solid. Thanks for more input.

The furnace is oversized.

Drop down to the 100 KBTU MVC mdl.

Be aware the Carrier HP mdl quoted is a 4 ton mdl.

I would take Carrier Infinity over Amana every time.

IMO

I asked about being near the water due to salt water exposure. If near the water then you might want to look at something like Trane.