Sweating decision:Settle for lower SEER to use existing furnace?

[Fel Randolph]

Sweating in our 90 degree Atlanta heat for more reasons that the temp:

1)My AC is totally out.

2) I want the highest efficiency levels on my replacement system re: air cleansing and humidity control possible because of family asthma history, long,hot summers, we live on a lake, mold and lotsof dust. But my old furnace will only support some of the things that would best address these problems.

2) My Carrier furnace is high efficiency and working great, but it's 14 years old.

3) Carrier is facing a major federal class action lawsuit charging that their highest efficiency furnaces made since we brought ours were made with inferior materials!

We've decided tentatively to keep our present furnace and add a 15 SEER Carrier Heat Pump, Media Filter and UV Air Treatment system...with plans to replace the old furnace with a variable speed furnace once it dies. Good plan??? It seems like a sensible decision, but it means I'll be locked into a 15 SEER level for the next 15 years or so,when I'd like to get maximum efficiency (19+).

4) I'm told that the ideal situation is to upgrade the furnace now, while I'm installing the new heat pump, etc. but it doesn't seem smart to replace a perfectly good single speed furnace with a variable speed one that may not be as well-built ( at least until the old dies.)

5) I'd like to consider other top brands: Lennox, Trane, etc...but each contractor has a different preference and reason for it (I suspect money incentives) so it's real confusing.

I'd like to buy the best solution at the best price...but it's impossible to know what that is. HELP!

[Stephen W. Stanczyk]

Nothing like a dual fuel Lennox.....if you have gas in your area. Go for the Full Monty.

[dchew]

Personally if I were you, I'd go with a high quality 13 or 14 SEER AC and start looking at your ducting system. Most ducts leaks about 30% on the average. If you make sure that the ducts are tight, you will be more $$ ahead than going with ultra-high efficency equipment. Plus, whatever filtering equipment you install will be working at its peak efficiency.

After 13 SEER, there is less bang for the buck for 15 or better SEER equipment as far as energy savings is concerned.