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raj13_gw

Help with air conditioner quote

Raj13
9 years ago

Hi,

I need to replace my 20 year old system and got 2 quotes. Which one should I choose:

Quote 1: Bryant

Furnace - 315A variable speed
3 T Condenser and coil - 14 sheer single stage 116B
Total cost: $6500

Quote 2: Lennox
Furnace - SL280v variable speed
3 T Condenser and coil - 14 sheer single stage XC14
Total cost: $6000

Both have same warranty. Which one would you pick and why ?

Comments (12)

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago

    Need more details

    Location?

    Size living space of your home?

    Size of furnaces quoted?

    What size, age is existing furnace and AC?

    Evap coil model numbers?

    Thermostat quoted?

    Filter box quoted?

    New lineset or flush old?

    Post back.

    IMO

    This post was edited by tigerdunes on Tue, Oct 21, 14 at 6:58

  • Raj13
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Location is south LA,California
    Size of the house is about 1700 Sq. ft
    Existing furnace is 20 years old
    Coil - 3 T upwards ADP coil
    Thermostat - $120 both same
    Filter was 5" - $180, 1" included
    Lennox guys offered to replace my existing zoning control to Harmony III for $500 additional

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago

    Size furnace please both existing and quoted? Probably 70 K on quoted Bryant and Lennox furnaces.

    I would not have the third party ADP coil. A mistake whether Bryant or Lennox. You want the "ALA" matching Bryant coil.

    For the Bryant you would want the Edge Thermidistat. Anything else another mistake.

    Why do you have zoning control now?

    I personally think Bryant is better HVAC than Lennox.

    IMO

  • Raj13
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for your respnse. Bryant condensor model is 410A 14 seer.
    What is really want to know is which brand is more reliable - maintainance costs, repairs, unit quality, durability etc. Any thoughts on that. I know Lennox is a bigger brand than Bryant but not sure about maintainance and repair cost difference between the two ?

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago

    I already answered your question about the brands but too much missing info that i requested. As far as I am concerned, Bryant is better quality than Lennox.

    No third party coil. That is a red flag. No cheap thermostat on either nice two stage furnace. You will regret that.

    New lineset or flush job?

    I am done here until you provide answers about size of existing furnace and size of furnaces quoted.

    IMO

  • Raj13
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    sorry, was not sure what you asked. Let me try to answer it:

    Size furnace please both existing and quoted - Current furance is very old single stage old Day and night. No sure what you mean by size

    Condensor is 3T.

    I would not have the third party ADP coil- How do I check if third party coil ? It is not in the quote.

    Why do you have zoning control now? I have zoning now. I think it's called zone damper because it's very old system.

    btw, bryant is quoting 2.5 T not 3 T . Not sure if I should stick with 3T only ?

    New lineset or flush job? Not sure. Nothing in the quote.Says reconnect system to existing supply plenum and ductwork. Reconnect high voltage and low voltage. But I see pig tail, kill swith, gas switch.

  • mike_home
    9 years ago

    Raj,

    Furnaces are sized by their heat capacity. The sizes are in thounds of BTUs. Common sizes are 60K, 80K, etc. Your quote indicates no size. This is an incomplete quote in my opinion.

    Correct sizing is a key factor to a well designed system. A good contractor will do a heating and cooling load calculation for your house and climate. Most contractors are too lazy to do this and will size the equipment based on the size of the old equipment or the square footage of the house. This often results in over sized equipment. In the world of HVAC too big is just as bad as too small.

    Your quote above listed an ADP coil. I am not sure why you said it did not. You should get the proper size AC condenser. It is difficult to say whether 2.5 or 3 tons is correct. This is why you need a load calculation.

    The quote should specify if the lineset will be replaced. This is the copper tubing that connects the coil above the furnace to the condenser outside. If the lineset is easily accessible then I would recommend it be changed. If it is difficult to change and if it is the correct diameter for the new system then it could be reused if it is in good condition. It needs to be properly flushed because your new system will have a different refrigerant than the old system.

    If you system is properly sized and installed you will not have to worry about repairs for many years. Concentrate on first finding a contractor who will provide a thorough quote of a properly sized system. You can then field questions about specific models.

    FYI - Bryant is the same equipment than Carrier. These two brands along with Trane and American Standard are considered the top brands. There are a lot of mixed opinions on Lennox. Which brand you buy will not matter if is the wrong system for your house and improperly installed.

  • Raj13
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Oh ok.the BTU is 70000
    Yes, coil is ADP. Din't notice that earlier thought was standard. thanks
    If ADP is a deal breaker then Lennox guy is uing Lennox coil where as Bryant is using ADP coil.

    Ohter differences, Branynt is variable speed furance and multi stage condensor where as Lennox is variable speed furance but XC14 condensor.

    I will look for other contractors also per your suggestion.

  • mike_home
    9 years ago

    If you like the Bryant contractor tell him to add substitute a Bryant coil. It is not a big difference in price.

    A 70K furnace for a 1700 sq. ft.house in southern LA seems over sized. The winter design temperature is 45 degrees. You should be able to get a smaller furnace.

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago

    For Mike

    315 is a two stage and while it might be oversized, OP probably needs the blower rating for either a 2.5 or 3 ton condenser.

    No cheap thermostat deserved for this nice furnace. Should be the Evolution controller but at very least the Bryant Edge Thermidistat.

    I am really disturbed that a reputable dealer would allow a cheap thermostat to shortchange the capability of a nice two stage furnace. Unfortunately see too much of this to unsuspecting homeowners.

    IMO

  • Raj13
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    For $60 as quoted, I don't think I'll be getting a decent 2-stage thermostat. Lennox however is giving HW Pro 6000, which i believe is much decent.