Carrier System Quote and Furnace question

16 years ago

My furnace went this week. It's a 17 years old carrier Model 58SSB so it's lived a long life already. Technician came out one day and repaired it replacing the circuit board and the pilot assembly for $800. It was was working when he left, but it died again the next morning and I was told the inducer motor now had seized. Another $350 plus $100 in labor. The service company is now offering to credit me that whole amount toward a new furnace. A Carrier Perfomance 80 Gas Furnace CTA 110-112 for roughly $4,000 in total.

If I relace my AC unit too they are suggesting a 3 Ton unit 95,000 BTU Carrier Perfomance Series AC unit with new Perfomance Series Evaporator Coils for another $5300.

It's the first quote I've gotten but they've had my business for a long time and have seemed compentent up until this week. The whole thing with furnace breaking the day after it was repaired has shaken me my faith.

2 questions - do the quotes seem fair? And did the first repair on my furnace end killing the inducer or is it likely that the first repairs were necessary to begin with?

Thanks for your help

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Comments (4)

garyg
16 years ago
The only way to tell if a quote is fair is to get more quotes for comparison.

Post model numbers of condenser and a/c coil to verify SEER/EER and btu rating.
morriscountynj
Original Author
16 years ago
Choice Number 1
94% AFUE / Carrier
Two stage gas furnace 58MVB080-114
80,000 BTU/H
Carrier Condensing Unit 24APA536 / 14 SEER
Carrier Coil CNPVP4221
36,000 BTU / 3 Tons
Roughly $8,500

Choice Number 2
80% AFUE / Carrier
Two stage gas furnace 58CTA110-112
110,000 BTU/H
Carrier Condensing Unit 24APA536 / 14 SEER
Carrier Coil CNPVP4221
Roughly $7,000
36,000 BTU / 3 Tons

Any thoughts would be welcomed. Is a higher efficiency furnace going to offsett the fact that it's less BTU's?
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tigerdunes
16 years ago
morris

I would not purchase a new furnace without a var speed blower.

I would not purchase an 80% AFUE gas furnace unless I had reasonable electric rates and paired with a heat pump. If you don't have reasonable electric rates, then go with the highest eff gas furnace available.

I would not purchase a Carrier Infinity gas furnace without the Infinity controller.

And finally, you should insist upon a written heat/cool load calculation.

IMO
Good LucK!
garyg
16 years ago
That combo of condenser and heat pump is rated at 35,000 btu cooling (almost a full 3 tons), 12.95 EER, and 15 SEER. It is a Performance 15 Puron. Those are excellent EER and SEER numbers.

As for the gas furnace, higher efficiency means less fuel waste and doesn't have anything to do with btus. I would question the big difference in the size of the gas furnace between the 2 choices (110k versus 80k is a huge difference). Your original post mentions 95k btus. These numbers are all over the place. Anybody do a heat gain/loss calc?

There is a 15% savings in gas consumption between a 94% and 80% efficient furnace. The 94% does not qualify for the $150 Federal Tax Credit (must be 95%). The a/c system qualifies for a $300 Federal Tax Credit (15 SEER, 12.5 EER min) plus another $50 for the variable speed fan in the air handler.

Best to you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Federal Tax Credits