Confused: Should I get a TAM 7 or TAM 8?

[BradDS]

My mother and I are considering a Trane heatpump for our residence. We were planning to get the XB14 with the TAM 7 air handler. Recently, I have read many reviews concerning the TAM 7. It seems that it is common for the TAM 7 to have leaking issues as well as other things. Is the TAM 7 considered a good air handler even when it has these common problems that Trane refuses to fix under warranty (as most say in the reviews)? Is the TAM 8 better sealed from leakage? How much more would the TAM 8 be compared to the TAM 7 and would the TAM 8 be a good match for the XB14? Also, is the XB14 a good unit in general? I've heard that it is a quality unit that has few issues. Also, would a labor warranty be worth the money?

I'm just a bit concerned about these things because once we choose, there's no turning back. A new heatpump is a big investment for us and we want to install a unit that won't be having any issues from day 1... I could really use some opinions on this from someone who knows about this sort of thing.

Also, does it matter if the air handler is matched with a lower capacity? For example, can you install a 2.5 ton unit with a 3 ton handler? A contractor that came to our house for testing said that we could and that it would provide a way for futureproofing in case we wanted to up the 2.5 ton unit to 3 ton to cool an added room or something. We are also having trouble deciding which tonnage to install. We currently have a 2 ton York unit installed that is failing and is currently not in use. The problem with that unit is that even when it was working, the bedrooms on the North side of the home were not being cooled/heated to the set temperature. With this in mind, I can only wonder if we do need a 2.5 ton. The problem with upgrading to a 2.5 ton is that we would have to have the contractor cut into the wall to allow for installation of a bigger intake.

This is all confusing and we are having trouble deciding on what to do since we are limited on options financially at the moment. Our unit currently does not work properly so we need to try to get a new unit installed as soon as possible (even though we have been without for a good 2 - 3 months with the help of a couple of window A/C's). If the TAM 8 is a good handler, we may get that one but only if it is compatible with the XB14 and only if it has no leaking issues like the TAM 7 has... :-/

[54regcab]

A bigger unit will NOT fix the uneven temperature problem on the North side of your house. In fact it will probably make it worse due to shorter cycles. Ductwork is the most likely culprit here and will require repairs/upgrades. HVAC contractors generally don't like messing with ductwork because it's labor intensive and not very profitable, the lowest bidder will almost never do it.

Air handlers are typically available in whole sizes, a 3 ton is a typically a good match to a 2.5ton condenser. All compatible condensers and air handlers has AHRI ratings. Since you are considering Trane, also look at the American Standard which is basically the same thing. Pricing discussions aren't allowed on the site.

[jtrammel]

There are also other brands that are just as good as a Trane if installed properly

[catmanacman]

The tam7 and tam8 are exactly the same except for the electronics if you are going to use a xb14 and a standard thermostat use the tam7 if you are going to use the xl950 communicating thermostat then you need the tam8 . As for the size most likely the reason for the bedrooms not being comfortable is the duct is to small if that is not corrected and they install a larger unit it wll make the problem worse not better.also don't fall for trap that a varible speed will fix it it won't the duct work will need to be addressed. One more thing Trane is offering 0 percent interest for 60 month on the xl units so if you get the xl15 I instead of the xb 14 it would qualify and yes get the 10 year part and labor warranty

[ArthurHagar]

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[jpsmith1cm]

ArthurHagar

This is the Ask Our Pro's forum. In order to post a response here, you must have verified qualifications and have been approved by the AOP Committee. You may ask a question by starting a new thread.

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