resqguy
01-23-2010, 07:11 PM
I live in Western NC where we have fairly moderate climate. This past Dec and early Jan have been colder than normal and on a few days our heat pump was overwhelmed and became ineffective. In the summer we only use AC about 60 day per year max, usaually much less.
I would like to replace our contractor grade HP unit for a better one and add a gas furnace as backup for the colder days.
We got a quote on a Trane system that I think might be overkill. We were quoted an XV95 (61K/95K btu) with
an XL15i. The new furnace was to be integrated with our existing Arzel Airboss zoning unit and reuse the current coil (FCX3600C). We don't currently have natural gas but the gas company is set to have it brought in from the street. The contractor would have to run about 25 feet of gas line through an open ceiling (web trusses) to the meter. The vent would have to be run about 10 feet to get to an ouside wall. The contrator would also replace all the lineset.
The quote was for about $ and didn't include any of the Clean Effects or any t-stats. I think the unit is sized right because they did extensive measurements.
I think the price is too high but I was also concerned that I wouldn't get my money's worth due to the lack of utilization (if I lived in a Northern state it would be a no brainer). I was wondering what other configurations I should look at that will provide reliable heat and AC with a budget of around $. I would prefer a system with emphasis on the HP but with a good furnace. Reliability is a priority. Perhaps the XL15i with a different furnace?
I like what I hear about Trane and want to stay with a good brand.
The tax credit is not really a consideration since we were also looking at a new water heater. I don't want to make a model selection based on that. I hope I'm not bending the rules by stating my budget. I'm not looking for a quote I just want to make sure I'm getting a fair deal.
I would like to replace our contractor grade HP unit for a better one and add a gas furnace as backup for the colder days.
We got a quote on a Trane system that I think might be overkill. We were quoted an XV95 (61K/95K btu) with
an XL15i. The new furnace was to be integrated with our existing Arzel Airboss zoning unit and reuse the current coil (FCX3600C). We don't currently have natural gas but the gas company is set to have it brought in from the street. The contractor would have to run about 25 feet of gas line through an open ceiling (web trusses) to the meter. The vent would have to be run about 10 feet to get to an ouside wall. The contrator would also replace all the lineset.
The quote was for about $ and didn't include any of the Clean Effects or any t-stats. I think the unit is sized right because they did extensive measurements.
I think the price is too high but I was also concerned that I wouldn't get my money's worth due to the lack of utilization (if I lived in a Northern state it would be a no brainer). I was wondering what other configurations I should look at that will provide reliable heat and AC with a budget of around $. I would prefer a system with emphasis on the HP but with a good furnace. Reliability is a priority. Perhaps the XL15i with a different furnace?
I like what I hear about Trane and want to stay with a good brand.
The tax credit is not really a consideration since we were also looking at a new water heater. I don't want to make a model selection based on that. I hope I'm not bending the rules by stating my budget. I'm not looking for a quote I just want to make sure I'm getting a fair deal.