Tech / Special Interest → Home Improvement > Re: [Heating or Air Conditioning] Are these quotes reasonable?

I had the 98% infinity installed with the infinity thermostat and a new carrier media cabinet. The installer told me the media cabinet is included free with carrier furnaces and some less honest companies were charging for them. With the 10 years parts & labor lifetime heat exchanger for just about 5 grand from a reputable dealer. I guess it depends if the air conditioner and humidifier are worth almost 8 grand.

I had my 5 ton unit replaced in 2006. The new unit is Lennox XP16 heat pump with a SEER of 17.0 and HASP of 8.7. It has a two stage compressor and a viable speed fan in the air handler. We also have humidity control. We got the ten year parts and labor warranty and that has paid for itself several times. The outside fan has been replaced twice, the coils once, expansion valve once, viable speed fan controller once, and the drip pan once. Without the warranty the repair cost to date would be about $5,000.

My cost for the unit in 2006 was $10,458. There were a lot of less expensive options, but I really wanted something that was quiet, worked well, controlled the humidity, and would last. I'm not real happy with the maintenance requirements so far and I'm concerned about what happens when the warranty runs out, but it does do a good job.

One thing I like about the system is it is very quiet. Even with the air handler fan going full speed there is almost no noise. The humidity control works very well. My set point is 50% RH and I use to measure the humidity several times a day and never found anything lower than 49% or higher than 51%. Our house is 3,400 sq ft and the unit never has a problem keeping the temperature at 74 deg even on the hottest - most humid days.