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| Hello, we live in a 1500 sq. ft. house in New Jersey. My HVAC system is about 25 years old, so I am looking to replace it and take advantage of some of the state rebates. I received a few quotes, and narrowed it down to these two:
Quote 1 - Luxaire System:
Quote 2 - Carrier System:
How do these two quotes compare? I'm leaning towards the Carrier system due to the price, but can't find much information on the A/C unit they are quoting. Any feedback would be appreciated. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| You have posted the furnace model number for the Carrier AC condenser. Can you correct it? |
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| The correct part number for the Carrier AC is CA16NA036. |
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- Posted by tigerdunes (My Page) on Fri, Dec 16, 11 at 7:18
| Engine You should recheck the Carrier AC condenser mdl number. Don't believe that's correct. Have you asked for a load calculation? My first observation is that you are being oversized both heating and cooling. IMO |
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| I apologize for the incorrect part number, here are the corrected numbers: Quote 1 - Luxaire System: Quote 2 - Carrier System: The numbers I got from the contractor doing the manual J were 32379 Btuh for heating and 22921 Btuh for cooling. However, all my ducts run through a vented crawlspace, and I was advised not to insulate them due to the possibilty of the water pipes freezing down there. Would this impact the sizing? |
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- Posted by heatseeker (My Page) on Fri, Dec 16, 11 at 10:15
| Luxair- run rabbit run go with carrier. |
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- Posted by tigerdunes (My Page) on Fri, Dec 16, 11 at 10:24
| engine I don't understand dealer's sizing versus the load calc. And to be clear, your ductwork in attic is not insulated? And dealer is comfortable and will stand behind installing a 95%+ condensing furnace in an attic install for a NJ location? You need some other opinions on the above. IMO |
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| tigerdunes, The dealer that did the load calc suggested a 60k btu if I went with the Infinity system, but 80k btu for the Performance series. I have a downflow system, the return in the attic is insulated, but the ducts that run through the crawlspace feeding the registers are not. The furnace is located in a first floor utility room. |
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- Posted by tigerdunes (My Page) on Fri, Dec 16, 11 at 11:10
| Engine And where does dealer plan on installing new furnace? The furnaces quoted are both 95% eff condensing furnaces, Luxaire and Carrier. And you still have not posted the correct Carrier AC condenser? The supply lines should be insulated. Any reason why they aren't? Post back. IMO |
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| The new furnace would be located in the utility room as well, which is part of the house that is heated and cooled. The AC Condenser is CA16NA03600G. I called the dealer, they said this is similar to the 24ABC6 series? Not sure why the lines arent insulated, it looks like it was designed to use the losses from the ducts to prevent freezing. Could I insulate both the pipes and ducting in the space? |
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| "The dealer that did the load calc suggested a 60k btu if I went with the Infinity system, but 80k btu for the Performance series." This statement makes no sense to me. An 80K furnace is oversized reqardless of the number of stages or whether it is variable speed or not. Even a 60K at 95% AFUE is oversized. I don't get a good feeling about this contractor. The CA16NA036 condenser and 24ABC6 series are builder's grade models. I recommend you spend the money to upgrade to a better model. I assume the crawl space under the house is fully enclosed and insulated. How cold does it get in the crawl space in the winter? |
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| It didn't make sense to me either, unless it was done to get a rebate. Haven't called them about it yet, I plan on doing so sometime next week. The crawl space is vented and open to the outside air, so it does get cold down there. I actually just recently added more insulation due to cold floors in some rooms. I've only lived in it for a couple of months now, so I'm still learning - should these vents be closed in the winter, or would it lead to moisture problems? |
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| It is bad practice to oversize equipment in order to qualify for a rebate. I would think you would not have to vent the crawl space in the winter. Does the area feel damp? |
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| The area doesn't feel damp, and there is a vapor barrier covering the entire floor. I guess I will just cover the vents for the winter and re-open them when it gets warmer. |
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| The job of th hvac guy is to install the most efficient system possible. code requires duct to be insualted in unconditioned soace.have pipes insulated to protect from freezing and or dump a supply in the crwal.to suggest not to insulate??I would be concerned, insulate the crawl space ceiling.I install 90+ furnaces in attic all the time, over 20 yrs in north jersey.Need to know how to do it properly. |
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