Need help with final decision

[shaum76]

Folks:
need your help with my final decision...
I'm down to final 2 choices:

The higher cost option from a good local installer "Glazar Bros":
Trane
XR80 Furnace, 100k btu, 80% AFUE
XR11 Heat Pump, 3ton, 11SEER, 9.5 HSPF
Touchscreen thermostat
humidifier
Permit included (and chimney liner if inspector requires it).

The lowest cost option from "Tom DelFera heating and cooling" (anyone heard of them?):
WeatherKing
furnace: 80% 100k btu
AC: 10SEER 3ton
Honeywell thermostat
humidifier.
He says Permit would be upto me and suggests not getting one.

Essentially: the higher cost option is about $1600 more
for a Trane XR system with 11 SEER heatpump and permit.

anyways... these are my final 2 choices and I want to make a decision asap... and am looking for some guidance.

background:
I'm located in Delaware and the Raised ranch house is about 35 yrs old and If I move in a couple years, its probably going to be rented or sold.

[chapmanf]

checking my sanity - is that the same capacity furnace quoted in both packages, even though one package has a heat pump? if you have the hp, do they think you will need 100,000 btu/h auxiliary? how hungry is the house?

you should wait for somebody smarter than me to have an opinion, but i am sort of curious about that point.

-Chap

[shaum76]

because when the furnace kicks-off (at temperatures below 35f) then the Heat Pump is not running.
i.e furnace is a back-up and does not run along with the HP.

[billva]

sounds like the second co. doesn't have much faith in thier work if they suggest to forgo a permit.

spend the extra and have it done right.

as for the 100k furnace, it is sized to work in the design conditions for your area and the heat loss of the home. the heat pump will be locked out somewhere below 35(?) degrees. so yes, you will need a full sized furnace for the days when outdoor temps. hit the design conditions.

did you have a load calc. done?

[BaldLoonie]

Both of them scare me.

The Trane dealer says chimney liner if inspector requires one. Can't he tell from the chimney and the National Fuel Gas Code? What are the $$ ramifications if you need one?

Now the XR11 is only 11 SEER with very expensive coil. I doubt you are getting that, so figure it to be a 10 SEER also.

The King dealer suggests skipping the permit. What does the city say? Usually they aren't optional and not up to the customer. Isn't he licensed?

WeatherKing is great equipment for the buck IF INSTALLED RIGHT. But your dealers make me nervous

[shaum76]

billva:
yes the first guy did a load calc on his hand-held computer.

the second guy used the size of the existing equipment and the size of the house and came-up with the same size for the unit.

BaldLoonie:
The coil I'm getting is TTXC036C4HPC
is this the "better" coil?

as for the chimney liner: he looked at it and said he does this all the time and according the code book it won't be needed and if the inspector disagrees he will take it up with him. but if its needed he said he will cover it under the cost of "installed per code and inspection".

I'm trying to find info on the W.King guy and am coming up with a similarly named company - in the neighboring county - but nothing on him.

[AAone]

I wouldn't be in such a big hurry. Take your time , get another quote. But I know I would go for the dual fuel option. And I would suggest that you go with a contractor that is willing to pull a permit.

[classicrock4you]

11 SEER and 9.5 HSPF???????? I think someone better get reading glasses

[shaum76]

but according to this comparison chart:

http://trane.com/residential/product...1=14&p2=16&p3=

its 9.5 for XR11
but according to this

http://trane.com/residential/product...umps/XR11.aspx
its 8.4

the second sounds more believable...and the first could be a bug on their website.
does someone know for sure?

btw: does anyone know of a Tom Delfera (DE nad PA counties bordering DE)?

[mark beiser]

Originally posted by shaum76
but according to this comparison chart:

http://trane.com/residential/product...1=14&p2=16&p3=

its 9.5 for XR11
but according to this

http://trane.com/residential/product...umps/XR11.aspx
its 8.4

the second sounds more believable...and the first could be a bug on their website.
does someone know for sure?

btw: does anyone know of a Tom Delfera (DE nad PA counties bordering DE)?

The actual HSPF of the matchup you are considdering is 8.05
Those numbers on the Trane web site are "up to". They only get that with certain matchups.