Furnace and AC replacement

[Gilbert Baron]

Our heat exchanger is cracked our AC A coil is plugged and the Furnace is condemned so we do neat a new system. We are in Minnesota and have COLD winters.

1.What efficiency would you get? I am looking at a 96 furnace and a 14eefr AC. Including an electronic air filter, duct source removal ( an advanced cleaning method) and installation with 10 year full warranty and life on the exchanger for an Amana the estimate is about 7000. This will qualify for 600 in utility rebates I MIGHT be able to get 750 off if I don't get the cleaning but might have a bit higher operating cost if I do that?.

In could get an 80% system and 10 AC with no cleaning and only 5 year warranty for about 3500.

I plan to be in the house for a good 20 years

What do you think?

.

2

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

If you live in Minn. here is what i think.

Get you a 96 % AFUE gas furnace and a 10 seer condenser for you don't run cooling much to justify a big cost to get one. If you lived in Louisiana it would be backwards 80% AFUE furnace and a cooling system at 14 seer condenser.

Now get a Scroll compressor and then forget about the long warranty. Don't get a Piston Compressor.

TURTLE

[trl]

In Minnesota, I would go with the most efficient furnace I could get and make sure it is sized properly for your home. A load calculation should be done on your house to determine the proper size.

[Steve B.]

Since your going to be in the house for a while I would get the highest efficency furnace you cuold get. How much do you use the a/c? If it isn't used but a couple months of the year the more efficent unit will never pay for itself. See what the savings would be to step down to a 10seer unit.

Steve B.

[Stormin Mormon]

I think we could use some more information. How pricey are your heat bills in the winter? Supposing you pay $400 a month for four months. Well, that's $1600. You might save 10% with the high efficiency furnace. $160 times 20 years, is $3200.

And if you're in cold Minnesota, why bother with a more expensive AC unit? Only gonna use it a couple days a year.

Please consider the high efficiency furnace with the lower efficiency AC.

Also factor in the source of the money. If you're taking it out of an interest bearing account, or putting it on an interest costing charge card.

[HeatMan]

For what it's worth, I just came back from Minneapolis to the deep south. Just a thought but will you really need a 14 SEER AC unit? The 90 percent plus furnace will be good, but how much do you use the AC? Will you even recoup the cost of the 10 to 14 SEER difference?

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

What you said is so very true but very few think about it.

Alone with this comes the question. Sir you live at the North Pole and do you really think you need a 19 SEER cooling system installed by my company ?

TURTLE

[Gilbert Baron]

I will easily get payback on the furnace. I have also decided to go with the High Efficiency AC, between the rebate form the power company and the saving of power it will also easily pay in its lifetime. I DO use the AC A LOT here. It is hot and humid in mid June through Mid August quite a lot here and in any case I NEVER open my windows so I use the AC every day and spend nearly as much in the hot moths on AC as I do in the cold months on heat.

The one I am getting will be true 2 speed and 2 capacity. IT will run at 1.5 tons most of the cooler days and up to 3 tons on the hotter days. It is a 15.5 SEER on the HIGH output and near 18 on the lose while the current is only 9.