What thermostat to go with?

[mehaly]

It seems like $400 is a lot to heat a house of that size - have you had an energy audit ( at least the blower door test ).

It will be interesting to see how much of a difference the new furnace will make i.e the old 84K vs the new 66.5K BTU ( is there a chance that the old system was way over sized ? )

Also I should mention that I have gotten, I think all the air leaks in the house taken care of, house was built in 38 by the way. It is 20 degrees or so out side right now and I watched the furnace that is getting replaced, or timed it rather, and it has only cylced on 8 times through out the day, to maintain 70. So I think that the new higher efficient unit will help cut the bills more.

[davyray]

Speaking only as a technically minded homeowner, I do my research on the internet, they try whenever possible to go with a local contractor.
But as to you pro's sensitivities, you need to realize that as homeowners it can be very tough to get reliable info on local contractors, and that many of the not so good ones charge the same rates as the really good ones.
And of course there is the problem of the installer blaming the manufacturer and vice versa. You guys consider yourselves top notch, and get offended when anyone questions you, but guess what? The mediocre guys do the same!

[Puzzler]

I don't get offended when someone questions me. Technicians who ask questions are learning. Homeowners who ask questions open up lines of communication, and usually are able to discern value in addition to price. I frequently think that if a person gets defensive upon questioning, that is because they don't have the answer.

(I have to put this caveat here, considering the history of the thread: yes, I do get offended if someone questions whether it is ethical or fair for me to charge enough money to cover my business costs. But for the most part, I love questions!)