Lennox Furnace / AC Options for Townhome

[dengdeng]

Our A/C condensor died this week, and we need a new one before we melt in this New England heat.

We also have a 24 year old Lennox furnace that works well, but we are concerned that it could also die at any moment.

We got 4 estimates to replace the condensor / coil with the option of a furnace replacement. We narrowed it down to two based on reputation and availability.

Contractor 1:
Lennox ACX13 condensor + CX34 coil, with a G60UHV furnace option (cheap AC with variable speed furnace)

Contractor 2:
Lennox XC14 condensor + CX34 coil, with a G50UH furnace option (quieter AC with single stage furnace)

Both estimates are for the same tonnage and BTUs, and are comparable after factoring in energy rebates.

Other notes: Our townhome is about 1,200 square feet, with adjoining neighbors on both sides. None of the contractors performed a manual J calc, stating that it is not necessary, and should use the originally designed townhome calcs. We plan to move in 3 years, so long term savings is not a huge concern. We are more concerned with smooth, trouble free operation, better cooling, and resale value. We also like the idea of a quieter AC, and more efficient furnace operation.

Questions:
* Contractor 2 mentioned that we would qualify for a $500 rebate if we go with the XC14 for having seer/eer greater than 14/12. Could we get these ratings with this setup?
* Is the XC14 worth it for the quiet factor, better operation, and resale value?, or would we be just as happy with the ACX13.
* Is the variable speed furnance option of the G60UHV worth the extra cost over the G50UH. We did read some reliability issues on the G50UH on a consumer web site -- should we be concerned?
* Is it worth it to have them both quote an XC14 + G60UHV (better AC and variable speed furnance), or are we over engineering for our needs?

Thanks for any help!

[catmanacman]

i would go with the g60 furnace because of the 2 stage heat and varible speed blower the acx 13 condensors are not that loud they have the copeland scroll compressor but the xc is quieter also there is a acx14 condensor with a vs furnace can get 15 seer i would also go with a honeywell iaq t stat with dehummitify on demand

[t527ed]

xc14 with the g60uhv is a nice quiet and efficient system, of the systems you quoted it qould be my first choice.

if not that one i would go with the 2 stage heat and cheaper a/c for your location.

[badboyheel]

in regards to noise level from the A/C. depends where its located, if its on the side of the house away from bedrooms, patios, etc. xc14 is not as loud as thew acx. as far spend more money on the higher end equipment, depends on how long you expect to stay in the home. the higher efficiency equipment is something people are looking at when buying homes now, so those are just some factors to consider when making your decision.

[socalhvacguy]

i would go with the g60 furnace because of the 2 stage heat and varible speed blower the acx 13 condensors are not that loud they have the copeland scroll compressor but the xc is quieter also there is a acx14 condensor with a vs furnace can get 15 seer i would also go with a honeywell iaq t stat with dehummitify on demand

I would second looking at going with the 14ACX condenser, CX34 coil, and
G60UHV furnace. You can get it to 15 SEER 12.5 EER and save a good amount of money. The 14ACX should be closely priced with the 13ACX. The 14ACX will almost everyime have a higher SEER/EER from ARI than the XC14. The XC14 is great if you want the upgraded cabinet, 5 more year compressor warranty, and a quieter condenser, but it sounds like 14ACX will be the ticket for you. I have never had a customer complain that the 14ACX is loud.