Correct Recommendations (for a complete HVAC Newbie)??

[bri070102]

Hi,

Husband & I have just bought my first home (built 1971, in Greater Toronto Area.) Our furnace is original to the house and we've only lived there June through present (so went through much of summer but none of winter.) I believe our A/C is a 1991 unit (no idea on specs) except the person who came in to give a quote thinks it's older.

Anyway..wondering if you can tell me your thoughts on the quote (mainly if it's the right size etc for my home):

1. Furnace: Carrier Infinity + infinity thermostat --> 60,000 BTU

2. A/C: Carrier 11 Seer, 1.5 tonne

About our house:

- Raised bungalow
- windows distributed at front and back of house (on East and West sides)
- during the summer, our A/C just did not cut it...was extremely warm upstairs as sun beats in heavily during the day plus perhaps improper venting...?? (note: our contractor did not really assess that issue...just that we could add a vent closer to the ceiling in one of the bedrooms)
- main floor is 1300 square feet, 4 bedrooms, l-shaped living/dining, kitchen w/ walkout to deck/backyard
- basement has a separate front entrance, windows are full size...so about half height of basement is underground
- basement square footage is approx 900 sq feet (as the 2-car 400 sq ft garage takes up some of the bsmt)
- oh, the house also has a good working humidifier + electronic air cleaner

Is there anything I should be asking about/looking for when comparing quotes/service levels, etc...? Do I need the 2 speed variable stuff? Can just buying a great thermostat help make a not as fancy furnace run more efficiently?

Thanks so much - I appreciate your help. (and sorry for this long post!)

[coolwhip]

I would say that system is undersized. If your in the market for new equipment make sure that your HVAC contractor does a manual J load calculation to determine heat loss and heat gain. This will enable them to choose the correct size equipment to meet your comfort standards. The only way you will keep the upstairs cool like the main floor is to have a seperate system or have a zoned system with a remote sensor on the second floor. I am not sure though if Canada uses the manual J calc. Someone here probably knows though. Good luck!

[smokin68]

1st, a good t-stat is a must, as this controls your entire system. 2nd,you really need to have a load calculation done.This will determine the size system you need, no guess work. Good luck.

[key]

heat load calculation I agree with, but why have you choosen Carrier???? It is good equipment...but do you really want to pay for the TV commercials? I am assuming you are dealing with Direct Energy....

[fl1]

Ther's a lot more to the Infinity System,than TV ads.It's the only one using the 2.5 version of the GE ECM motor,and advanced logic and control to go with it.Nice ad,huh!!