Questions About New Construction Install

[bpbenda]

I am a homeowner building a house in Brentwood, Tennessee, which is a suburb of Nashville. Our summers regularly get up to 90-100+ and our winters are generally down in the 20-40 range. I am building a two-story 5,600 square foot house (~3,000 downstairs and ~2,600 upstairs). I am wanting to upgrade from our builder's basic HVAC package to a system that increases (or maximizes) comfort and efficiency. Our builder's basic HVAC package is:

Bryant 3.5 ton 13-seer gas pack for first floor and a Bryant 3.5 ton 13-seer gas split in attic for second floor. Two return vents on first floor: one in the master bedroom and one in the open floor plan living room/kitchen/dining area. One central return vent upstairs. Filter grilles.

I have spoken with a number of people who have advised that I considered going with hybrid heat (dual fuel) system (heat pump and furnace). The HVAC installer that my builder uses proposed the following:

Bryant 3.5 ton hybrid heat system using 353 furnace and 215 heat pump for one of the floors (not sure which), and another Bryant 3.5 ton hybrid heat system using 313 furnace and 215 heat pump for the other floor. Two return vents on first floor: one in the master bedroom and one in the open floor plan living room/kitchen/dining area. Five individual room (three bedrooms, bonus room, and media room) return vents upstairs. Filters at furnaces.

The price on his proposed hybrid heat system was a $ upgrade from the builder's basic. I tried to get him to sharpen his pencil some and he said that the best he could do was quote a competing manufacturer's system. So, this is what he proposed as a revision:

Everything the same as the hybrid heat system above except using Goodman equipment. The units to be used would be GMVC95 (downstairs) and GMVC8 (upstairs), both two-stage furnaces. The heat pumps would be 15-seer.

He said that he stopped using Goodman years ago because they used inferior coils and they were having problems with refrigerant leaks. He said that Goodman has started using all aluminum coils and this has solved their problems and his concern with their units. He said that he has not had any problems with them since. The upgrade cost for the Goodman system from the builder's basic is $.

So, I would be saving $ with Goodman compared to Bryant. Also, the Goodman furnaces are two-stage, where the Bryant units quoted to me were only single-stage.

Several questions ...

(1) Am I thinking correctly to upgrade to a hybrid heat (dual fuel) system (heat pump with furnace backups) if my goal is increasing (or maximizing) whole house comfort and efficiency?

(2) Am I thinking correctly to install individual room return vents in a 2,600 square foot upstairs area, as opposed to one central return vent?

(3) Am I thinking correctly to go with the two-stage Goodman system (a name that I have never heard of) at $ less over the single-stage Bryant system (a name that I have heard of)?

(4) Does the placement of the thermostats make a difference? If so, and I am going to be doing individual room returns vents upstairs, should the thermostat be centrally located near the top of the steps or in the most used room?

Thanks for taking the time to read this lengthy post, and thanks in advance for any responses! Hope you are all enjoying the new year!

Regards, Brian.

[teddy bear]

I don't want to complicate your life, but what about fresh air ventilation and dehumidification during wet cool weather?
New high quality homes should have mechanical fresh air ventilation to purge indoor pollutants and renew oxygen. Plus supplemental dehumidification to maintain <50%RH during wet cool weather. These are more important issues.
Regards TB

[bpbenda]

I don't want to complicate your life, but what about fresh air ventilation and dehumidification during wet cool weather?
New high quality homes should have mechanical fresh air ventilation to purge indoor pollutants and renew oxygen. Plus supplemental dehumidification to maintain <50%RH during wet cool weather. These are more important issues.
Regards TB

No offence intended, but I would prefer to keep this thread focused to my questions above. I will PM you about your post and recommendations.

Thanks, Brian.

[beenthere]

Pricing questions are not allowed. Please don't post prices, thank you. Regular/New guest don't have PM ability.

[jimj]

Several questions ...

(1) Am I thinking correctly to upgrade to a hybrid heat (dual fuel) system (heat pump with furnace backups) if my goal is increasing (or maximizing) whole house comfort and efficiency?
Start with your HVAC contractor doing a room x room manual J ( this will get you a correctly sized system when used with manual S) Then size the duct system using manual D.(2) Am I thinking correctly to install individual room return vents in a 2,600 square foot upstairs area, as opposed to one central return vent?

Have your HVAC contractor read manual D. Yes every room other that Kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms should have a RA path
(3) Am I thinking correctly to go with the two-stage Goodman system (a name that I have never heard of) at $ less over the single-stage Bryant system (a name that I have heard of)?

Goodman is the largest reidential HVAC manufacturer in the world, its NOT the EQUIPMENT its the INSTALL!

(4) Does the placement of the thermostats make a difference? If so, and I am going to be doing individual room returns vents upstairs, should the thermostat be centrally located near the top of the steps or in the most used room?

With many high end T stat's ( like Honeywell's new Prestige 2 with wireless sensors) room averaging can be doneThanks for taking the time to read this lengthy post, and thanks in advance for any responses! Hope you are all enjoying the new year!

Regards, Brian.

Good luck.

[bpbenda]

Pricing questions are not allowed. Please don't post prices, thank you. Regular/New guest don't have PM ability.

I am sorry, I didn't think that I was asking a specific pricing question. I was just asking if the difference in upgrade (without direct reference to the actual cost) was worth the difference in brand name and single vs. dual-stage furnaces. I phrased it the way I did so as not to violate the site rules. I apologize for misinterpreting them.

[bpbenda]

#1- I would go with heat pumps, the payback in energy savings is probably only a couple of years then its all savings and you should more than get the difference back if you sell in the next 10 years or so.

2- Insist on individual room returns.

3- You may start a war here over brand preference so I'm not offering mine.

4- Let your installer decide best place for the stat with you, he sounds very competent.

Thank you, this is very helpful!

[bpbenda]

(1) Am I thinking correctly to upgrade to a hybrid heat (dual fuel) system (heat pump with furnace backups) if my goal is increasing (or maximizing) whole house comfort and efficiency?

Start with your HVAC contractor doing a room x room manual J ( this will get you a correctly sized system when used with manual S) Then size the duct system using manual D.

(2) Am I thinking correctly to install individual room return vents in a 2,600 square foot upstairs area, as opposed to one central return vent?

Have your HVAC contractor read manual D. Yes every room other that Kitchens, bathrooms and utility rooms should have a RA path.

(3) Am I thinking correctly to go with the two-stage Goodman system (a name that I have never heard of) at $ less over the single-stage Bryant system (a name that I have heard of)?

Goodman is the largest reidential HVAC manufacturer in the world, its NOT the EQUIPMENT its the INSTALL!

(4) Does the placement of the thermostats make a difference? If so, and I am going to be doing individual room returns vents upstairs, should the thermostat be centrally located near the top of the steps or in the most used room?

With many high end T stat's ( like Honeywell's new Prestige 2 with wireless sensors) room averaging can be done.

Thank you for your comment regarding (2) above. This is helpful and what I was thinking. In our house, every room except for bathrooms, closets, utility rooms, and the office will have a return air vent in them. The office has three warm walls and one wall of windows to the outside, but the reason it will not have a return air vent is because I am being told that we can only do two return vents on the first floor. I am not sure why this is the case, be it technical or spec or other. I will have to ask and find out.

Thank you also for your comment regarding (3) above. I am not an HVAC specialist or current on the industry. I did not recognize the Goodman name, so it is nice to know that they are a respectable name. I don't have to have the best name in the business. I just want to know that I am buying a name that is known, well built, and reliable.

[jimj]

If you can not do a "ducted RA" in your office then ask for jump duct
( properly sized) or some other type of RA path. If you don't you will be sorry every time you close the office door!

[bpbenda]

If you can not do a "ducted RA" in your office then ask for jump duct
( properly sized) or some other type of RA path. If you don't you will be sorry every time you close the office door!

Great advice, will do, thanks again! Great forum!

[jpsmith1cm]

mcair

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[tinknocker service tech]

second floor t-stat should be in the master bedroom away from the stairs so it isnt being affected by the down stairs unit

brands IMO are of no importance just the install is.

all brand had problems with leaking coils and goodman and trane are both useing aluminum coils and probably a few other also

make sure you get a room by room load calc so everthing is sized properly

[Cooked]

I will add to this thread what the other wise men have already said: Since it is new construction insist on the individual room returns. It can be done and don't listen to any naysay crap from your general contractor. You won't regret it and you wont be back in a year starting a new thread on why some rooms are hot and some are cold. Also, there is nothing wrong with Goodman.

My position on the returns is based on decades of real world and laboratory testing. My position on Goodman is nothing more than personal opinion, take it for what it's worth.

Good luck