CBHVAC wrote:
IF you have a Diamond 80, and an Olympian unit, they are not bad, but the
warrantys gone on the condensor.
And you are right...most builders tell us to put in the cheapest stuff we
have, unless its a high end home....thankfully, most are getting the picture
now and installing 14SEER units or better.
At least the ones we work with are.

Probably only because they would now have trouble selling homes with the
bare minimum systems. Builders aren't exactly known for their altruism.

Not sure of the model names of the current equipment. Furnace is
P4HUB16N06401A, compressor is H1RA042S06D - from this and the manuals I
have a rough idea of what I currently have.

Its a fact...that the new 13SEER ruling is about to screw up alot of hacks,
and make homeowners miserable.
IF the original installer used a factory York coil, the coil can be made to
work with up to a 12 SEER only...and thats now obsolete..so..you are looking
at a new coil.
Most ANY brand, York included, requires different airflow than your current
furnace can provide, so thats out too.
You COULD get a 12 SEER unit, run a dual fuel control, and have the gas as
your second stage heat...we do it all the time...

I could, but it would probably be a lot of money for a minimal
increment. As you say though, it depends more on the HPSF for heating.

Depending on your part of the country that you live, you may NEVER recoup
the difference in price savings by going to a higher SEER unit...and keep in
mind, you are not shopping SEER with a heat pump..you are shopping for the
highest HSPF number you can afford.
You put say....the top of the line York Affinity 16.5+ SEER unit on that
existing setup....and you still have about 10 SEER.
Match it properly, with a VS air handler and the right strips, and you get
the HSPF and SEER you paid for.

Good points.

Now...as your logic goes, its a good idea to think higher performance and
savings...and I can tell you that you can save alot, but depending on your
area, use, and such, it might not pay off.
Im a York dealer, I have a 3 year old Olympian 14SEER unit..its about to get
changed out with a 14SEER Affinity..simply cause I can..LOL..but thats also
because I love the looks, and teh fact that I can put different panels on
it, and that includes ACC teams if I want..got to use it for
advertising..but again....shop around and remember, the install, DOES
matter.

Heh - when you work in the field you have those kinds of options.

I guess what I really need to do is try and work out exactly how much I
really could save by doing this.

Anyways, thanks for your most informative response.