Carrier Infinity, what makes sense....?

[InTheTrees]

I hope someone can give me some advice. We are looking at two different systems, one is a total Infinity product and the other is Infinity with Comfort series outside unit. Both are heat pumps. We live in Florida, home is shaded and area tends to stay moist.

System one - Qualifys for 1200.00 carrier rebate and 1500.00 gov
indoor unit-FE403-5KW
outdoor unit-25HNA936
SEER/HSPF- 17.2-8.8

System two - does not qualify for carrier rebate, does for 1500.00 gov
indoor unit-FE402-5KW
outdoor unit-25HCB530
SEER/HSPF- 15.75-8.60

Both units come with the Infinity contoller. I know per site rule we are not to post prices, but if it is okay I will say that the second unit is more than 700.00 but less than 800.00 more. If this is not okay, I will take out!

Is the first unit worth the extra cash?

Both units come with 10 year parts and labor.

[teaysvalley]

I would also consider the Performance series HP, 25HPA5 series. It is between the Infinfity series and the Comfort series. The Perfromance series will work with the Infinity controller whereas the Comfort series is not supported.

[tpa-fl]

It doesn't sound like the options were explained to you very well. The difference between the Infinity HP and Comfort HP is that the Infinity HP is 2-stage, the Comfort is only single stage. As long as the system's sized and installed properly, a 2-stage system spends most of its time running on the low stage. This means the unit will run longer, give you more even temperatures around the house, and better humidity removal. With the Infinity control, the system has a great dehumidification-only cycle that it runs when cooling isn't needed but humidity's still high, not too dissimilar from earlier this week with the remnants of the tropical storm. The Comfort series is just a simple heat pump with one speed - on or off.

I have 2-stage systems in my homes and can't really imagine being without them. First one was installed in 2001 (custom Lennox 2-stage), while in 2007 I had a Carrier Infinity installed at my other home. Quite impressed with the heat on the Infinity as well.

[tigerdunes]

in the trees

other nice possibilities.

keep in mind, while the Infinity systems with Infinity controller are nice and top of line, they are not absolutely necessary.

Look at the Performance 15 "H" mdl with VS air handler. should be less expensive.

1169031 Active Systems PERFORMANCE 15 PURON HP CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 25HPA536H30 FV4BN(B,F)005 36000 13.00 15.50 36000 9.00 21800

then there is the new two stg Performance 16 that has nice numbers.

3495708 Active Systems PERFORMANCE 16 PURON HP CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 25HPA636A30 FE4AN(B,F)005+UI 36000 13.00 16.50 37800 9.50

3495710 Active Systems PERFORMANCE 16 PURON HP CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 25HPA636A30 FV4CN(B,F)005 35200 13.00 16.00 37200 9.30 22200

of course these identical systems are also available from sister company , Bryant, who are usually less expensive.

your quote on the Comfort series w/Infinity controller would be a waste.

IMO
Good Luck!

[InTheTrees]

So then, would the Performance work with the Infinity controller? When I looked at the pamphlets, it stated that the Comfort was a one speed and did not support the Infinity, but I assumed the sales man would not sell me something that would not work......

I hope to get better humidity control with the Infinity, is it truly better or worth the extra cost?

I do have a call into the sales person, just have not heard back. Thanks for the help and suggestions!

[tpa-fl]

So then, would the Performance work with the Infinity controller? When I looked at the pamphlets, it stated that the Comfort was a one speed and did not support the Infinity, but I assumed the sales man would not sell me something that would not work......

The Infinity will work with any heat pump you throw outside, even a 30+ year old rustbucket...but it won't perform the way it should unless there's an Infinity heat pump outside.

For example, if you have an Infinity HP outside, the outside temperature determines how fast the indoor blower runs, to optimize the output temperature of the air. It also will intelligently manage the defrost cycles better instead of using a crude timer.

How old is your current system and how well does it work? How old is your home? The energy savings can very well make up the difference in possibly a short period of time. I ripped out a very poorly-installed system to put in the Infinity. The energy savings paid for the difference between a single-stage system & Infinity system in about 4 months. The energy savings ultimately paid for the entire system in just around 2 years. Granted, I had a very poorly installed system that this replaced, so it was a bit of an extreme difference, but the savings were well worth it.

Where are you in Florida? Unless you're in a small town, call around and get a few quotes. Usually there are more than one Carrier/Bryant dealer in a town.

At least in my book, it's worth the difference. But I'm geared a bit different than many people. I buy AC for comfort so it's getting comfort that I focus on, not price. Obviously there are limits to what is reasonable premium for premium comfort. It's not like it was 2x or more above the price of builder-grade junk. It's similar to cars. Sure, a Chevy/Geo Metro will get you from point A to point B, but it's a miserable way to travel. Consider heat pumps last about 15-20 years, the price difference spread over the years isn't that substantial.

[InTheTrees]

We are replacing an 30 yr old FHP. The unit works but the water supplies are always leaking. There are two FHP's one upstairs and one downstairs, we are only looking to replace the one upstairs, but when both are running we get very little water coming out of the taps and the well runs nonstop.

We have not moved into the home so it is tough to know about the savings we will see with a new unit. We are planning on staying in this home for at least 20 years, if not longer.

and we live in the middle of no where, so dealers are in short supply.

[lamrith]

The Performance HP does work with the infinity controller, it is what we ended up having installed. From what I was told the only difference between and infinity HP and a Performance HP is the 2 speed scroll motor vs Std 1 speed, they both use the same infinity controller board in them so the Infinity thermostat reads them both and runs at optimum. The Comfort HP does not have that ability.

Our Installer actually recommended dropping down to the Performance HP and using the savings to upgrade and buy the Infinity purifier, said that it really helps the air quality and was a better use of $$ with a limited budget.

[bartdude]

MIght also look at the new 25HPA6 2 speed unit. Getting some really nice performance with that unit!

[simplyrollin]

You cant go wrong with Carrier, but I would at least get the 25HPA5, or maybe step up to the 16 Seer 2 stage for even better humidity control.

[dash]

The Infinity air handler and comtrol will work to dehumidify as well as cool,even with a single stage outdoor unit,but it will dehumidify better with a two stage(Infinity) outdoor unit.

Worth the money in comfort,plus most run the indoor stat higher with it,due to the reduced indoor humidity,which saves on the power bill too!

[InTheTrees]

The Infinity air handler and comtrol will work to dehumidify as well as cool,even with a single stage outdoor unit,but it will dehumidify better with a two stage(Infinity) outdoor unit.

Worth the money in comfort,plus most run the indoor stat higher with it,due to the reduced indoor humidity,which saves on the power bill too!

So, which is more worth the money, total Infinity or combo unit? What do you mean by "run the indoor stat higher", do you mean the inside temp can be placed higher because of the lower humidity?

The rebate expires today so need to make a choice, sorry for sounding so confused..........

[jid1877]

So, which is more worth the money, total Infinity or combo unit? What do you mean by "run the indoor stat higher", do you mean the inside temp can be placed higher because of the lower humidity?

The rebate expires today so need to make a choice, sorry for sounding so confused..........

The lower the humidity, the more comfortable you feel at higher temps.

The Infinity two stage will be for better comfort and humidity control.

[tigerdunes]

in the trees

I think you should consider your budget, the price difference vs what I believe is a marginal difference in comfort and operating savings with the two stg condenser.

what size are you replacing?

if you do select the sgl stg condenser and VS air handler(not Infinity mdl), you do want the Carrier Edge thermidistat.

IMO
Good LucK!

[InTheTrees]

I think we have made our choice, and I want to thank everyone who chimed in! This will be hopfully our last home and we want to be comfy, so we are going to go with the Infitity system (completely).

THANKS AGAIN!!

[tpa-fl]

I think you'll be very satisfied with the choice, particular the upgrade to 2-stage. After it's all said & done, drop us a line and let us know how it's working out for you. With the Florida heating season upon us (lows below 70F), you might get to see how well the heating control of the Infinity works before the cooling/humidity removal. :)

[dash]

The lower the humidity, the more comfortable you feel at higher temps.

The Infinity two stage will be for better comfort and humidity control.

Yep, that's what we know,and what customer find out very quickly.

[GTGoose]

in the trees

other nice possibilities.

keep in mind, while the Infinity systems with Infinity controller are nice and top of line, they are not absolutely necessary.

Look at the Performance 15 "H" mdl with VS air handler. should be less expensive.

1169031 Active Systems PERFORMANCE 15 PURON HP CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 25HPA536H30 FV4BN(B,F)005 36000 13.00 15.50 36000 9.00 21800

then there is the new two stg Performance 16 that has nice numbers.

3495708 Active Systems PERFORMANCE 16 PURON HP CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 25HPA636A30 FE4AN(B,F)005+UI 36000 13.00 16.50 37800 9.50

3495710 Active Systems PERFORMANCE 16 PURON HP CARRIER AIR CONDITIONING 25HPA636A30 FV4CN(B,F)005 35200 13.00 16.00 37200 9.30 22200

of course these identical systems are also available from sister company , Bryant, who are usually less expensive.

your quote on the Comfort series w/Infinity controller would be a waste.

IMO
Good Luck!

---------------------------------------------------

Hey Guys...I know this is an older thread but I was hoping someone could help me identify the model number of the Bryant's HP that compares to Carrier's 2-stage Performance series HP (25HPA636A30)??

As "tigerdunes" mentions, Bryant is the sister company to Carrier but on Bryant's website it shows their Preferred Series (266ANA) as only a single stage and not a 2-stage.

I'm looking to purchase a new HP and from every thing I have been reading on here, I have decided that I definitely want a 2-stage HP.

Any help is appreciated!!