What is your location?

I will say up front that I am not a fan of the Lennox brand.

The AC condenser is low end and made South of the border. I would not have it. Upgrade to the XC14 and ask that it be on his dime, certainly the 1K upgrade price is ridiculous.

I would get more quotes from either Carrier/Bryant or Trane/AmStd. All better equipment. You are on right track though just not a good top tier brand.

IMO

This post was edited by tigerdunes on Mon, Nov 10, 14 at 8:12

Thank you. We are just outside Philadelphia.

"We get discounts via our Costco membership."

Is this HVAC contractor working through Costco? In general you should stay away from contractors who work through big box stores. The prices are high and the quality is usually low. You are better off working directly with a contractor that is authorized for a major brand. You have many contractors to choose from in the Philadelphia area.

It is about to get very cold which means HVAC contractors become very busy. It is not the best time to shop for an HVAC system. If your furnace is working well then I suggest you do some homework now and prepare for a purchase in the April time frame. The early spring and fall are when things are slow and rebates are available. You will get a little better pricing and more attention to details in your estimates.

X2

Absolutely agree with Mike...I do not recommend purchasing HVAC through big box stores including Costco...

As far as timing your purchase, you are probably on the edge as HVAC business picks up during dropping temps. Go ahead and get your quotes. Then you can decide what to do. You may still though be in the rebate qualifying time frame. Usually ends in November for qualifying equipment.

IMO

Agreed that I would stay away from the 14ACX, or any builder units in general. XC14 is quieter and better built. Personally, I don't see anything about Lennox equipment that would make me think of it as worse than other brands.

Just for hvtech

There are three considered top 3 HVAC brands-Carrier, Trane, Lennox as well as sister brands Bryant and Am Standard.

Lennox carriers a premium price. But they are a distant third compared to Carrier and Trane plus sister brands. That's my opinion. Don't care for the brand. Yes my bias.

TD

Got an additional quote. Local company referred to us by friends that are much more savvy than I. I think we're going with them and leaning towards the third quote. Company is also doing a home energy audit for free. Thoughts on this quote?

All carrier equipment

AC 3.5 ton 24acc642 performance 16 one stage
Coil cnpup
Furnace 59tn6a100v21 infinity 96 2 stage variable speed
Thermostat infinity touch
Aprilaire humidifier
$10345

AC 4 ton 24acb748 performance 17 two stage
Coil cnpup
Furnace 59tn6a100v21 infinity 96 2 stage variable speed
Thermostat infinity touch
Aprilaire humidifier
$11298

AC 4 ton 24acb748 performance 17 two stage
Coil cnpup
Furnace 59mn7a100v21 infinity 98 modulating variable speed
Thermostat infinity touch
Aprilaire humidifier
$11637

These are all good furnaces and AC condensers. The prices are high in my opinion. Have you missed the Carrier rebate window?

What is the size of the current furnace? I would think an 80K BTU furnace would be adequate for your size house in the Philly area. Is the contractor sizing it for the 4 ton AC? He should be able to get an 80K BTU furnace which has a 1400 CFM blower.

Thanks for the input!

How high would you say the prices are? We assumed they would be high given the company and their reputation. Given the other two guys we had out here, I think these guys are worth a little more.

He sized us for a 100k btu. We currently have a 90. Based on his calculations and our desire to finish the basement he thought a slightly larger Furnace would be best. He doesn't want us to finish the basement and then realize we don't have the power heat all three floors. Seemed reasonable to me. The guy was super technical and thorough.

Difficult for me to believe you need more than an 80 K high eff 95+% VS furnace. Insist on a load calc. Basements at or below grade carry small heating loads.

I would want the larger 4 ton blower in the 80 K size furnace.

IMO

"The guy was super technical and thorough."

If he did not do a load calculation then I would describe him as neither technical nor thorough. If he did a load calculation ask him for a copy so you can review it.

If you have a traditional basement then most of the walls are below grade. It takes few BTUs to heat the basement, and no BTUs to keep it cool in the summer. If you want good temperature control in the basement I recommend you set up a separate zone.

Do a search on the forum to get an idea of others have been quoted for similar equipment. I would think the prices for the quotes you received should have been in the $8K - $10K range.

This is a bad time of the year to be buying a new HVAC system. Contractors are very busy and they can quote higher prices. In addition the Carrier and other brands offer rebates during the spring and fall when business is slower. I recommend you wait until the March-April time period. This will give you time to learn how well your current HVAC system works.

Thanks for the responses and help! I did not see a Manual J calc so I'll call and ask. Our basement is a daylight basement so it's not all below grade.

Thanks again!