Is this too much hardware?

[MsJoy]

My 1500 sf house, 2 floors, Good installer says:
Carrier 16 Seer 2 Spd HP
Variable Speed handler
change to 2 zones
Is it worth saving $1000 each to cut back to 14 Seer 1 speed HP
and/or stay with single zone?

[beenthere]

I thought you said it was 1700 sq ft.

Do you mean 2 16 SEER units.
Or 1-16 SEER unit zoned.

[MsJoy]

its 1650 less the closets and storage
1 16 Seer , 2 speed heat pump, zoned
:o

[gator8]

You have not given enough information. I owned an 800 sf home that ran through 1000 gallons of oil per season in 4500 degree days. You can't project energy savings without some notion of what your energy cost is over the useful lifespan of the gear. So you can't make informed choices without that data. If you save 10 % off of a $300 yearly expense, it's not the same as saving 10% from $3000 yearly cost. At $3000 yearly energy expense, better equipment will pay back even if you finance it so long as you live there for a while.

[dash]

its 1650 less the closets and storage
1 16 Seer , 2 speed heat pump, zoned
:o

If that's Infinity with Infinity zoning ,it's well worth it,IMHO.

[beenthere]

If your looking for comfort. I doubt you'll have a complaint going with the Infinity 2 stage and zoning.

[tigerdunes]

msjoy

what size Carrier Infinity 16 HP?

has your dealer performed a Man J heat/cool load calculation?

what size are you replacing?

has ductwork been checked as to size, condition, supply/return?

:)

[MsJoy]

I am replacing 3 ton with 3 ton and certainly the infinity 16 will do a great job.
A york 15 Seer will give me better heat at a lower install cost here in Boston area.
I calculate the saving to be about $100/year for each SEER number so payback is a while after the jump from 10 to 14 or 15.
This is like buying a car without being able to drive it :)

Thanks to all of of you