Bryant/Trane/Rheem Advise

[chapin]

We need to replace our 25 year old Bryant gas furnace and air conditioner.
We live in a 2,400 foot ranch home in Michigan. The house was built in 1982.
It is well insulated, however, we seem to have uneven heat in different rooms and have tried adjusting some dampers. Our bedroom is colder than the rest of the house. We just moved in three years ago. We are planning to retire in 8 years and do not plan to move again. We are looking for energy efficient appliances.

We are considering 3 brand options for the furnace:
1. Bryant Evolution Plus 90i model 355AAV or Plus 90t model 352AAV
2. Trane XV90 series
3. Rheem Prestige Series 90 Plus Modulating Gas Furnace

Any advise or experience with these brands or models in regards to reliability? Serviceablity? Warrenties? Functioning in a ranch home? Functioning in an area where cold and warm weather fluctuate on a daily basis?

We have not had a load calculation done yet, but looks like we should. Anything else we need to consider like other options or questions to ask?

We will buy the same brand a/c unit to go with the furnace we choose and from what I have read so far a scroll compressor is the better way to go. Any advise on a/cs welcome as well.
Thanks for your help.

[chillbilly]

All installation variables being equal,
Bryant Evolution hands down.

[BaldLoonie]

For a cold climate like Michigan, the Rheem Mod with the matching stat will deliver comfort the rest can only dream about!

What does the Evolution/Infinity control do to enhance heating? Certainly nothing that can beat 13 stages of heat and a blower that maintains a toasty constant 65° temp rise throughout the whole firing range!

http://www.johnmills.net/ht/modchart.jpg

[chillbilly]

The Evolution offers controlled discharge temps that compare equally or better with anything out there.
It also offers zone check status for multiple zones, more programmable options than Rheem, better status monitoring options, more control settings and a better advanced monitoring system. JMO

[|HvacJack]

You arent going to get 90% effcientcy if the duct work isnt desgined properly. Dont waste your money. I'd go Rheem though.

[BaldLoonie]

The Evolution system has supply & return sensors and can be told what temp rise to shoot for? What else does the Evolution do to enhance heating comfort on a single zone system? OK, I admit the Mod stat won't tell you the RPM of the inducer :D

Look at the chart! From about 35° out on colder, the Mod will modulate so its output nearly perfectly matches the heat loss of the house. The 2 stage will still be cycling which isn't as comfy.

I've sold oodles of 2 stage units and customers comment on the comfort over a single stage. But it wasn't til the Mod came out that customers started to rave about their furnaces :)

[dash]

The Evolution system has supply & return sensors and can be told what temp rise to shoot for? What else does the Evolution do to enhance heating comfort on a single zone system? OK, I admit the Mod stat won't tell you the RPM of the inducer :D

Look at the chart! From about 35° out on colder, the Mod will modulate so its output nearly perfectly matches the heat loss of the house. The 2 stage will still be cycling which isn't as comfy.

I've sold oodles of 2 stage units and customers comment on the comfort over a single stage. But it wasn't til the Mod came out that customers started to rave about their furnaces :)

Nice chart,where it matches the loss of the home,but is that accurate for every home???Still advantage Mod for comfort.

[beenthere]

The Mod for heating comfort.

Your uneven room temps may be caused by an over sized unit, or poor duct work, or a combination of both.

[ampulman]

I'm also considering Carrier, Trane and Rheem Mod. On recovering from an 11 degree setback, does the Mod immediately fire on 'top' speed or does it have to modulate through the 13 steps?

AM

[chapin]

Can anything be done about poor duct work in an older home without tearing out everything? What kind of professional should we call to check this out and do this kind of work?

[BaldLoonie]

dash, the chart is for 80K heat loss, 90K Mod and 100K 2 stage. It would look similar for other paramters.

The special wall stat tells the furnace what to fire at. It starts on high and drops down to where the stat tells it to. Never really sat and checked it. On a warmup, I would think it would stay towards the top of the firing rate. Every one we've sold has been on a programmable control and had not one complaint about a long warmup.

Really neat on a cold day to be around one. I was in a friend's basement for a while, with very sensitive ears, you can tell it changed firing rates due to a minute change in blower speed! Would be neat if the stat told you what rate it was on but that would probably be a headache. Customers sitting there watching it then complaining it didn't do what they thought it should :D