HVAC Change A/C and Furnace Together For Efficiency

Q. I've received 2 prices for the replacement of a central air conditioner. The current system is 20 years old and the gas furnace appears to be working ok. One of the bids recommends replacing both furnace and air conditioner with 2 stage, multi speed, 95% efficient furnace and a 16 SEER A/C. The other leaves the furnace in place and replaces the A/C with a 16 SEER Heat Pump. I am leery of heat pumps in this climate. I'm also told that the 16 SEER heat pump will only produce at 14 SEER with a single stage furnace, but have no way to confirm that.

Am I wrong in selecting the replacement of both the furnace and air conditioner?

A. I agree with you that upgrading to the new furnace and A/C units is by far the best choice. The mission of the first proposal is price point driven and the second is efficiency driven.

The 16 SEER does indeed depend on the two speed blower to glean the value back out of the air conditioner. Change it all, get to the higher efficiency, enjoy the comfort, and appreciate the investment.

It is a capital investment that rewards higher efficiency – and by the way it is also good for the security of our country (energy independence), our environment, your pocket book, and returns high dividends for the life of the units.

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