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frugalnotstingy

Getting a new furnace & AC

frugalnotstingy
9 years ago

Hi all!

We are in the process of getting bids to replace our existing furnace & AC. I absolutely have no clue when it comes to this so I just want to get your opinion about it.

Our house was built in 1987, about 2600 sq ft not including the semi finished walk out basement.

This is a bid from one company recommended to my husband by a couple of his co-workers:

A/C: XC14 (14 SEER, Elite Series) Model Number: XC14-042 (3.5 ton)
Furnace: EL195E (95%, ECM Fan, Elite Series) Model Number: EL195UH110XE60C
Thermostat: Use Existing Stat

Matching Indoor Coil: Lennox CX34-43C cased
Refrigeration Lines: Flush Existing
Humidifier: Re-hook Existing
New Return Air Drop and Boot with 5" MERV8 Filter Upgrade
Furnace PVC Pipes to go out back of home

What do guys thinks?

Thanks in advance!

Comments (14)

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago

    What is location?

    Admittedly not a fan of Lennox brand.

    What size and eff of furnace and AC are you replacing?

    How would you describe your home's building and insulation qualities?

    I find the furnace quoted size's very questionable.

    IMO

  • frugalnotstingy
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    We are in the Midwest. Our current furnace is 80% & AC is 3.5 ton, 10 SEER. He revised to bid from a 3.5 to to a 4 ton.

    We have batten board for siding. We are also getting new sidings in November - cement fiber on three sides & stucco on the front. Left side of the front house is all brick. Insulation seems to be adequate as our heating bills went down when we got new windows.

    Can you give me some questions to ask the next person coming to give us a bid? Thanks!

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago

    What size is existing furnace? You did not answer....

    The Lennox furnace quoted is single stage with high eff blower, size 110 KBTU. 95% eff. I think that's too large.

    I would suggest Lennox 2 stage var speed model E296v. 95% eff, 90 K size.

    You definitely should consider a high eff model two stage var speed blower.

    I would look at Carrier or Trane before Lennox.

    IMO

  • frugalnotstingy
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Sorry. No idea where to look for what the existing furnace & AC is. On the furnace itself it says "Lennox Conservalor III G16". Does that help?

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago

    No, need complete model number which should give you the size.

    Should be on data plate either on outside cabinet or inside control cabinet door.

    IMO

  • frugalnotstingy
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Deleted picture.

    This post was edited by frugalnotstingy on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 12:43

  • frugalnotstingy
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I looked inside the cabinet & it says the model # is G1604/5-125-1. Input 125 .00 BTU; type blower - direct; motor hp 3/4.

    I also found a repair receipt that says:
    Install Bryant 3.5 ton, 13 SEER AC with coil.

    I guess the furnace is original to the house but the AC was replaced in 2006.

    This post was edited by frugalnotstingy on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 12:47

  • cindywhitall
    9 years ago

    I would suggest you call the Bryant dealer and see if they can match a new Bryant furnace to that 8 year old ac.

    The experts will surely be back to tell you what you need in your quote and to stress proper sizing and that if you keep the existing AC that certain parts match properly in the new furnace.

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago

    That's an 80% 125 KBTU furnace, output around 100 K.

    Way oversized.

    No need for more than an 80 KBTU 95%+ eff furnace.

    IMO

  • frugalnotstingy
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    My husband was told that our AC is undersized that's why it can't keep up at summertime. Does that sound right?

    Tigerdunes, is a 2 stage variable speed still the way to go? We have a two level home & during winter, it gets really warm upstairs while downstairs is just right.

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago

    You need damper control for ductwork supply lines to downstairs and upstairs and have airflow balanced by HVAC dealer. That's the cheap method and may improve the temp differences between the floors.

    Better suggestion is for zoning controls to handle each floor individually from the other.

    You should insist on load calculation both heating and cooling before making any purchase. AC may or maybe not be undersized. Could be a question of poor airflow due to ductwork size/design, poor return size, poor attic insulation. All these factors should be looked at.

    IMO

  • frugalnotstingy
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Got a new quote today. Unfortunately, I didn't see tigerdunes' comment about asking for a load calculation in time. :-(

    This is from an authorized trane dealer. It is 1K more than Lennox one. Is it worth the extra money?

    Everyone seems to be quoting 100,000 BTUs.

    This post was edited by frugalnotstingy on Wed, Oct 8, 14 at 17:05

  • hvtech42
    9 years ago

    >Unfortunately, I didn't see tigerdunes' comment about asking for a load calculation in time. :-(

    I wouldn't worry too much about that. Ideally, you should hire a contractor who does a load calc as part of their standard procedure without being prompted. If they didn't do one from the beginning, who knows what other corners they would cut in your installation if you hired them? Having never seen their work, a load calc is one of the very few things you can base your decision on when picking a contractor.

    >Everyone seems to be quoting 100,000 BTUs.

    It seems they're trying to match the output of your current system which is a terrible way to size. At least it's better than matching the INPUT of your current system, which I have seen done and it is even worse.

    >This is from an authorized trane dealer. It is 1K more than Lennox one. Is it worth the extra money?

    Pick by the contractor, not the brand. So far, I don't like the sound of either contractor. The job the contractor does installing is FAR more important to the longevity of and comfort from the system than the manufacturer. The brands are pretty equivalent in terms of quality at each tier. Both Trane and Lennox spend a lot of money on advertising to get that name recognition, and you pay for that if you buy their equipment. Neither brand is known for being very friendly to the "little guy" which is why some contractors dislike those brands (particularly Lennox).

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago

    No more than 80 KBTU 95%+ eff Infinity furnace with Infinty controller.

    Same with Trane XV95 furnace using HW Prestige 2.0 thermostat.

    I wouldn't have Lennox in my dog's house.

    IMO