durability of system with R22 versus R410A?

[dlcphatch]

I am a home owner also trying to decide what system to have installed to replace our old gas furnance and add central AC. I have been thinking about three different options and figure out what is right for my house in Maryland (very near Washington DC) has been difficult. I have been thinking about getting a system that has R410A, but I have heard rumors that the higher pressure refigerant is put into systems that were historically designed for R22 and these systems will have more problems (maintenance and possibly safety issues) over their life cycle than a SEER 13 using R22. Is it better to go with a high efficiency furnace and a SEER 13 AC unit with R22 now and then plan to replace the AC unit 10 to 15 years from now when models using R410A have been designed for the higher pressure issues? If I go with R410A, these are the systems I have been considering. Also, we want to reduce our humidity in the house in the summer and increase it in the winter. Whole house humidifiers will do that right? Furthermore, are either of the systems below specifically designed for R410A issues to ensure durability and safety? Or, is it still the same technology for R22, but with R410A running through it?

Option 1: the Carrier 14 SEER Puron A/C unit and Carrier 58MXB060 - 12 93% efficiency Furnace with a carrier A-Coil.

Option 2: the Carrier 17 SEER puron infinity A/C and Carrier 58MVB060-12 Infinity Gas Furnace with Carrier A-coil and infinity control system.

Thanks,

KT

[shaac]

Carrier introduced the first Puron (R410A) units in the market in 1996. 10-years of operation have proven the Puron models to be the best units Carrier has ever produced. Carrier states that they have had fewer warranty claims for the Puron models than any other system. Definitely consider the R410A products. Infinity is the best unit Carrier produces. If your budget allows, the Infinity will definitely be better for you in the long run.

[duxinaroe]

The 410a systems are already designed for the higher pressures now. There is not a safety issue with the units.
The units themselves are different. It is two different units. If you want humidity control get the Infinity it is the variable speed fan that makes it happen.
and yes a whole house humidifier.
You do not have to have the infinity two-stage outdoor unit to reap the benifits of the indoor humidity control.
You should ask yourself how many months of the year am I cooling how many am I heating and then decide whether or not you need the top-of-the-line two-stage cooling unit.

By the way they should be offering rebates on the Infinity stuff right now, ask about it.

Dux

[coolguysfl]

For northern applications, it's difficult to validate an ROI on Infinity systems due to the low cooling hours.

I'd suggest you seek your contractors opinion about 15 SEER single speed and look at the Honeywell whole house dehumidification system as it serves as a complete fresh air system as well.

R410A (Puron) is the way to go.

Be sure to:

1) Get referrals
2) Demand permits
3) Get the extended warranty
4) Get a load Calc
5) Have the duct work evaluated
6) Upgrade your IAQ products

[dlcphatch]

Thanks. I appreciate your reply.

[dlcphatch]

Thanks for all your replies. I will look at honeywell as well. The IAQ aspect is confusing me as well. The air cleaners that use ionization also produce ozone. We do have mold, but it seems strange to create ozone (also a pollutant) in your home. I figured, I could balalnce that by adding outside air and heat reconvery, but all this is adding to the cost. It sounds like a system with low pressure drop works more efficiently, so that would lead me to ionization. Some people are saying that is over kill though. Our house is only 1,100 sq ft (in the mild/humid climate of the DC area) including the conditioned basement. The furnace and ductwork is in the basement already and feeds the main floor through floor vents. The return air is through an old grate in the center of the main floor. This seems to work well enough for heating, but for cooling, is this going to cause problems? Currently, there is no return air in the basement (other than the seams of the ducts etc), so I don't know how the humidity control would work in the basement if we don't add a return in the basement right? Then, if we return more of the basement air which may contain mold, then I want to catch the spores in a filtration system before it goes into the rest of the house. Our Radon level in the basement is 2 as compared to the EPA limit of 4. If I increase the air drawn from the basement, will I be likely sucking more radon into my basement? Any thoughts on any of this is welcome. So far, I am finding that I get varied information about these issues from the estimates I have received thus far. It is hard to decide who is right when they have a financial state in their answer to me.

Thanks,

KT