Carrier Infinity or Trane Trane ComfortLink II thermostat

[mixer440]

From what I see people around here prefer the Carrier Infinity over the Trane ComfortLink thermostats.

Infinity
--better handling humidity

Trane
--better Electronic defrost demand

It also looks like you need to go with the full top of the line Trane equipment in order to get the full communications between all the pieces, but on the Infinity thermostat it works with some of the mid-range equipment.

Am I correct ? Any other differences ?

[duckman06]

From what I see people around here prefer the Carrier Infinity over the Trane ComfortLink thermostats.

Infinity
--better handling humidity

Trane
--better Electronic defrost demand

It also looks like you need to go with the full top of the line Trane equipment in order to get the full communications between all the pieces, but on the Infinity thermostat it works with some of the mid-range equipment.

Am I correct ? Any other differences ?

While I don't have much expersinse with Carrier, I do with Trane equipment. To answer your question, Trane offers XL20 I & XL16i with fully commicating furnaces and air handlers. I am not a fan of the XL16 dues to humdity control not being as good as the XL20.

Is the carrier commicating? While I have heard from a good friend of mine that infinity control does a great job with Carrier products. What are the model numbers of the systems you are looking at being installed in home?

Commicating systems are a great product if your budget will allow. Model numbers of equipment will be great if you have them. Then we can look at systems to see if proper (apples to apples) comparison is right Between the two.

[mixer440]

....... Model numbers of equipment will be great if you have them. Then we can look at systems to see if proper (apples to apples) comparison is right Between the two.

Thanks Duckman06, I'll take any advice

Carrier: Infinity 59TN6080, Infinity 16: 25HNB648 4 ton
Trane: XV95 TDH2B060, XL15i 4TWX5036 3 ton.....or instead the XL16i

I'm a bit worried about the Carrier not having the same type of defrost control as the Trane (excessive defrost negating the savings)

Portland, Oregon

[SkyHeating]

Mixer, i am in Portland Oregon and would love to come to your house and take a look at your current system. In Portland a 95% furnace can be a bit of overkill with a heat pump. We often put in a Trane XV80 with a Trane XL20i to get the best of both worlds. Since our portland climate has only a week or two at most below 30 degrees, there is not point in spending the extra money on a 95% when it can be much better spent on an XL20i.

Also in Oregon the state tax credits have recently changed and the XL20i qualifies for a lot more money than the XL15i and in most cases an XV80 gets better numbers than an XV95 because the XV95 has a secondary heat exchanger causing more restriction.

Send me an e-mail Travis at Skyheating.com and i will give you a quote on some Trane options and ensure a proper manual J load calculation is performed as well. Ask around on this forum, you will see our work is top notch and check out our YouTube videos.

Also based on your model numbers you are getting quoted a 4 ton carrier and a 3 ton trane heat pump. One of them is wrong because thats a 25% difference in size and that is not a good thing.

[duckman06]

Mixer, i am in Portland Oregon and would love to come to your house and take a look at your current system. In Portland a 95% furnace can be a bit of overkill with a heat pump. We often put in a Trane XV80 with a Trane XL20i to get the best of both worlds. Since our portland climate has only a week or two at most below 30 degrees, there is not point in spending the extra money on a 95% when it can be much better spent on an XL20i.

Also in Oregon the state tax credits have recently changed and the XL20i qualifies for a lot more money than the XL15i and in most cases an XV80 gets better numbers than an XV95 because the XV95 has a secondary heat exchanger causing more restriction.

Send me an e-mail Travis at Skyheating.com and i will give you a quote on some Trane options and ensure a proper manual J load calculation is performed as well. Ask around on this forum, you will see our work is top notch and check out our YouTube videos.

Also based on your model numbers you are getting quoted a 4 ton carrier and a 3 ton trane heat pump. One of them is wrong because thats a 25% difference in size and that is not a good thing.

Mixer, call SkyHeating! This gentleman knows his stuff. After talking with Travis via the site on tech related issues and reading many posts to help homeowners like yourself with good sound advice, he would be a good choose for you.

[catmanacman]

sky im curios as to why not the xc 80 with the 20i

[motoguy128]

Good question, the communicating controls add more control over airflow and a prettier touchscreen. But you're not really in a humid climate so maybe the benfit to cost ratio is minimal.

Probably the best advantage of Carrier is again humidity control and when you go with zoning, since it's modulating. Not sure about the newest Trane, but Carrier doesn;t need an outdoor temperature sensor for dual fuel because it uses the sensor on the outdoor unit.

Got room for geothermal, I think that's Sky's specialty. You can do dual fuel on geo too.

[SkyHeating]

sky im curios as to why not the xc 80 with the 20i

XC80 is not stocked locally and can take months to get. I have only sold two because most people don't like waiting.

[motoguy128]

I had the same problem when you want a VS 40k furnace or one of those taller coils for slightly higher SEER matches.

[mixer440]

motoguy:

That blew me away when I saw what Trane needed for a Geothermal in there pamphlet at a local hardware store: something like 30 or 40 vertical feet or just a football field. The pond/lake idea was interesting. Let's see, cost of unit + installation = two human lifetimes for payback or maybe one if the cost of fuel triples. Just having fun here.

skyheating and the group:

The reason for the difference in BTU between Carrier and Trane is the amount of CFM needed for that 4 ton HP. The carrier 2 stage HP's are only in full sizes and I'm not sure if I can get by with a 3 ton based on the Heat/Cooling Load.
You guys are the experts though.

(Note to the moderators: Sorry this thread has gotten a bit OT, but there's a lot of good information)

[SkyHeating]

Maybe you posted this data someplace else but I have not seen it yet, what is your heat loss/heat gain as specified by the two contractors?

[mixer440]

Here's one that I used. Posted with the permission of a HVAC Pro member. Sorry about the size, I'm having a hard time posting a larger one.

[energy star]

Don't even install a furnace. Just go for the heat pump. That would be an AIR to AIR heat pump. Not geothermal. Not worth the cost at all. If sky says his temp does not get below 30 degrees, and you had 4128 heating degree days the whole 2012 year, why? How many of those heating degree days were 45 to 55 degree's? I bet many! The air to air is perfect! The air temp at least 50% of the time is the same temp as the earth (Heating) Then to top it off, you had 442 TOTAL cooling degree days in 2012! Again, I ask why?
I know you're not talking Geo, but it's soooooooooooooooo over rated. As far as a furnace, save that money and just get a high efficiency heat pump. Dump the whole furnace idea. If you live in Portland, it's all you need!

[motoguy128]

In a mild climate geo payback over air to air gets harder...but those tax crefits level theplsyong field as bit. A he air to air at 45f isnt far behind geo. But geo still kills it in cooling, hot water generation capability and service life. Also no outdoor unit.

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