HVAC Quotes

HVACHelp2013

10 years ago

We live in Massachusetts and are in the process of replacing the furnace and air conditioner that heats and cools our first floor (approx. 1250 square feet) and the finished portion of our basement (approx. 400 square feet). We are not currently making much use of the basement, and hence, we usually keep the vents down there closed.

We have gotten three quotes. We eliminated one company because the salesperson did not seem very knowledgeable and he provided us with very little information. The other two companies were very close on price, and "seem" to be competent based on online reviews (for whatever they're worth, which I know probably is not a whole lot). I have potential issues with both quotes, and while both salespeople answered my questions, I don't know enough to know if what they say is right.

Company A: $13K
Equipment
Furnace: Lennox SLP98UH070V36B (70,000 BTU)
Condenser: Lennox XC17-030-230 (2.5 tons)
Thermostat: Lennox IComfort Wifi Thermostat

Calculations
Total Heating: 30923 Btuh
Total Cooling: 22074 Btuh

Issues
- The salesperson did not do a legitimate calculation. He looked around, but did not take measurements, etc.
- The furnace seems too big. I asked him about it, and he said that 70K BTU was the smallest available for the Signature modulating furnace (which seems to be right). Should we be considering downgrading the furnace to Elite to get something less "powerful"?
- The AC may be too big? The other quotes we got both suggested 2 tons (Company A suggested 2.5). But as you can see below, even Company B calculated 2.84 tons. The issue is that we have a room with a lot of skylights that according to Company B is responsible for nearly 1 ton of his calculation.

Company B: $12K
Equipment
Furnace: Bryant Evolution 987MA42060V17 (59,000 high fire, 24,000 low fire)
Condenser: Bryant 116BNA024000 (I believe this is 2 tons?)
Thermostat: Honeywell Pro 6000

Calculations
Total Heating Required Including Ventilation Air: 39,381 Btuh
Total Cooling Required Including Ventilation Air: 34,031 Btuh (2.84 tons)

Issues
- I notice that Company B suggested a very high-level Evolution furnace, but only a Legacy model air conditioner. Is that normal, or are they trying to unload stock?
- It seems odd to me that they are using a Honeywell themostat with the Bryant equipment. I asked him about it and he said it would be fine, but I thought I had read that in order to truly take advantage of modulating furnace, you would want fully compatible thermostat.

* * *

On the whole, I'm inclined to go with Company A. The quote is a bit more, but I like that everything is top-quality models and the thermostat is designed to go with the system. My only reservations are that the salesperson's calculations were not legitimate and I'm concerned we may be oversizing both the furnace and the AC. Then again, maybe they are reasonable based on Company B's calculations?

Thoughts?

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Comments (4)

mike_home
10 years ago
I don't know if I trust either set of calculations. Which size furnace and AC do you currently have? How well did it perform in heating and cooling on the the coldest and hottest days? Did the equipment run for long periods of time, or did it run in short bursts?

Why did company B quote a 2 ton AC when the calculation indicated 2.84 tons? Did they not believe their own calculation?

I strongly recommend getting the Evolution controller. I have concerns about a contractor not quoting the appropriate thermostat. There is no excuse for this.

You can pair a Legacy condenser with an Evolution furnace. It is a way of saving some money. There is not a lot of benefit of getting a 2-stage Evolution condenser since it a 2 ton size. You should ask for a quote so you can make a decision on whether you want to spend the extra money.
HVACHelp2013
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks for your response.

We have only been in this home for a few months, so we don't have much data to help us.

In response to your questions:
- I'm not sure about current sizing. I will check, but at least with respect to the furnace, it may not be helpful. The furnace is a 20+ year oil furnace, but we have gas (there is a converter on it).
- The current system seems to run for short cycles on heat.
- Same for cooling: it seemed to struggle a bit, but that is partly because our kitchen has lots of skylights, and has a bit of a greenhouse effect.
- I asked Company B about the 2 ton AC when he had a 2.84 calc. He explained that nearly a ton of the cooling calc came from the kitchen area with the skylights, and that it would be very difficult to keep that room cool. He thought the 2 ton AC would be enough to cool rest of first floor, but explained that it would be tough to cool the room with skylights on a very hot day.
- Should I ask about upgrading to a 2.5 ton?
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tigerdunes
10 years ago
What size both heating and AC are you replacing? I would bet you are oversized now.

Any problems as far as heating and cooling with existing system?

Don't care for either quote.

Big difference in load calculation especially on heating.

You want to be sized correctly especially on heating based on your location.

And I don't know any good Bryant or Carrier dealer that quotes a high end furnace without the Infinity/Evolution controller.

And never a fan of Lennox.

IMO

This post was edited by tigerdunes on Tue, Dec 17, 13 at 16:13
mike_home
10 years ago
I agree that cooling a room with skylights is challenging, but the rest of the first floor should be well below 2 tons. I would proceed carefully on this. A better option may be to add an additional vent in the room with the skylights and stay at 2 tons.

I suggest getting a another quote since both of these contractors have done some questionable things with their proposals. The quoted prices seem high for the equipment you are getting.

Can you wait until spring? It is most busy time of the season for HVAC. This results in poor responses and high prices.