[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by ttodd

Coming down soon for the design meetings when all the options will be finalized. Do we get the option of choosing different HVAC options like single speed vs variable speed, etc? I am very concerned about the humidity control and the possibility of mold... The comments about the variable speed running on humidity control mode makes me feel comfortable

When I asked my sales rep if this was an option she simply sent me a sheet detailing the " base" default option. So I'm really hoping that this is an option I can upgrade at build time

First of all, mold will not be a problem either way. However, the sales rep should be able to provide the available options and the cost.
I would not accept her answer.

[jrref]

Originally Posted by ttodd

Coming down soon for the design meetings when all the options will be finalized. Do we get the option of choosing different HVAC options like single speed vs variable speed, etc? I am very concerned about the humidity control and the possibility of mold... The comments about the variable speed running on humidity control mode makes me feel comfortable

When I asked my sales rep if this was an option she simply sent me a sheet detailing the " base" default option. So I'm really hoping that this is an option I can upgrade at build time

If you are building new you should have the option of the Carrier Performance base Single Stage unit, Carrier Performance 2-Stage unit and the Carrier Infinity Variable Speed unit. The difference between the systems is SEER efficiency, 16, 18 and 24 SEER respectively and temperature and humidity control. The Carrier Infinity will control the temperature and humidity the best and qualify for the $2,000 Federal Tax Credits which ends this year. So, if you have a choice and can affort it, get the Carrier Infinity. Just remember with these models they will try and add on all kinds of air purification extras such as UV lights, etc.. You don't need them and can always add them later. Just get the system without all the accessaries. As far as mold, generally you shouldn't have to worry but I can tell you with my Carrier single stage base unit, my hepa filters would get some mold over time but with my new Carrier Infinity Variable Speed system, the humidity stays exactly where I set it and no more mold issues. Why is this? Because with the single stage unit, when it cools it removes humidity so depending on how long it runs will determine how much humidity it removes. It will vary the temperature as much as 3 degrees to try and hit the humidity target you set. With the Carrier Infinity variable speed unit, once it reaches the temperature set point, if the humidity set point is not reached then it will run in "dehumidify" mode which is at a very low speed to remove the remaining humidity without lowering the temperature as much. That's the big difference beyond efficiency between the systems. The basic runs 100% On and 100% Off and the Infinity runs variable from 20% to 100% only at the speed it needs.

[jrref]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

First of all, mold will not be a problem either way. However, the sales rep should be able to provide the available options and the cost.
I would not accept her answer.

Agreed. From experience with friends who recently built here in the Villages, unless it's a spec home, you should be offered options on the HVAC system. Not everyone knows this or knows the difference between the systems and go for the cheapest option.

I will tell you, this is not something that you will upgrade when you move in. It's a 10-15 year investment. So I would investigate and make any changes if that's what you decide to do.

[GregR]

Keep in mind that the $2000 federal tax credit only applies to improvements to an existing home, not new construction (Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit | Internal Revenue Service).

Originally Posted by jrref

If you are building new you should have the option of the Carrier Performance base Single Stage unit, Carrier Performance 2-Stage unit and the Carrier Infinity Variable Speed unit. The difference between the systems is SEER efficiency, 16, 18 and 24 SEER respectively and temperature and humidity control. The Carrier Infinity will control the temperature and humidity the best and qualify for the $2,000 Federal Tax Credits which ends this year. So, if you have a choice and can affort it, get the Carrier Infinity. Just remember with these models they will try and add on all kinds of air purification extras such as UV lights, etc.. You don't need them and can always add them later. Just get the system without all the accessaries. As far as mold, generally you shouldn't have to worry but I can tell you with my Carrier single stage base unit, my hepa filters would get some mold over time but with my new Carrier Infinity Variable Speed system, the humidity stays exactly where I set it and no more mold issues. Why is this? Because with the single stage unit, when it cools it removes humidity so depending on how long it runs will determine how much humidity it removes. It will vary the temperature as much as 3 degrees to try and hit the humidity target you set. With the Carrier Infinity variable speed unit, once it reaches the temperature set point, if the humidity set point is not reached then it will run in "dehumidify" mode which is at a very low speed to remove the remaining humidity without lowering the temperature as much. That's the big difference beyond efficiency between the systems. The basic runs 100% On and 100% Off and the Infinity runs variable from 20% to 100% only at the speed it needs.

[jrref]

Originally Posted by GregR

Keep in mind that the $2000 federal tax credit only applies to improvements to an existing home, not new construction (Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit | Internal Revenue Service).

Greg, thanks for that correction.

[ttodd]

[QUOTE=GregR;2445763]Keep in mind that the $2000 federal tax credit only applies to improvements to an existing home, not new construction

Ohhhhhh - bummer about the tax credit not being applicable here. I still think that I am very likely to go with the extra expense of the variable speed system. I know I won't recoup the extra cost in utility bill savings, but the idea of a more consistent temperature really appeals to me. Earlier in this thread someone described the need to put a blanket on when the system kicked on..... Yeah I really dislike those wild temperature swings. I did notice it in the house we were staying in for our lifestyle visit.

Also - since we will be snowbirding for the first few years (not yet retired) - the house will be unoccupied often in the summer. I'm thinking that maybe I could just drive the system off humidity control level as opposed to temperature? Is that even possible? Ideally if I could have the system assure that my humidity is "safe", when unoccupied I really don't care so much what the temperature is (within reason).

Thanks for all this valuable info!

[Teed_Off]

Originally Posted by jrref

I had a Carrier Infinity Greenspeed HVAC sytem installed yesterday by Sunshine HVAC. As discussed in another thread last week, these systems should save you about 35% on your energy bill, provide exceptional temperature and humidity control, provide superior air filtration and are super quiet. Also, the heat pump will provide heat without the need for Auxillary heat strips all the way down to -13 degrees. So, while our existing systems are struggling at temps below 40 degrees, this system will be very efficient and be cheaper to run even when we need heat. This system uses the same heat pump technology as the mini splits everyone is installing to cool their lanai and garages.

I have a 4 ton system and after watching these techs work, knowing what I know from working with a HVAC contrator while working my way through college, I started to realize the difference in price between contractors for the same exact system may be related to their installation process. In my case eventhough I replaced my existing single stage 4 ton system with a new 4 ton system, the Infinity airhandler is 21 vs 24 inches so the lower plenum that the air handler sits on had to be replaced along with the plywood base. In addition, they replaced everything existing with new which included a new line set, condensate drain, all new duct work in the HVAC closet. They even crawled under the air handler platform once they opened it up to insulate the "cold" side of the line set all the way to where it goes to the outside wall and spray foamed it at that point. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Normally, they pull a new lineset and the pipe insulation goes on as best it can. Here they made sure there was no way that line was going to sweat and leak condensation and over time causing mold. Also, on the duct connections they used mastic along with the typical metal tape to seal the new to the old joints. Everything was caulked and painted as needed. In addition, outside by the condensor they installed a device which monitors the electric voiltage so if the voltage goes too high or too low during a power event, it disconnects the system. This "box" also includes a power surge protector.

Sunshine also has a person come to your home and do a follow-up to make sure everything was done to your satisfaction, to explain how to use the thermostat and to set up the App on your phones. I feel this is a nice touch.

All I can say is these techs did everything "by the book" based on my knowledge and it took about 7 1/2 hours to do the job. As mentioned, I can see how some HVAC contractors possibly could skip a lot of these steps and charge a cheaper price. And be prepared for the estimator to say "oh you don't need to change that" LOL. That said, when you get estimates, make sure you are comparing the same equipment and find out what they are replacing in order to do a valid comparison. My guess is given everything the same, there shouldn't be that much difference in price between reputable HVAC contractors here in the Villages.

One final comment. For those who say they are going to stick with the simple single stage units because they can get a replacement in a day, I asked and these new inverter systems are stocked like the basic units becasue they are installing many of them now and if they don't have it, there are two Carrier distributers close to the Villages where they can get a replacement in a day. They also said, sometimes the basic units may be out of stock and you need to wait so, these days the type of equipment shouldn't be a concern when thinking about a replacement scenaro in the middle of the summer.

Hope this helps those considering or needing a new system.

I replaced my 3.5-ton single stage 2009 system with a 4-ton Carrier Infinity system by SunKool 10 days ago. The work was done to my complete satisfaction and here are a few lessons I’d like to pass along:

Noise level: I would always hear my old system, both compressor and indoor fan, kick on and run as an annoying background noise. The new system’s sound levels are imperceptible.

Humidity Control: I didn’t use humidity control with my old system. The new system can be operated without humidity control or to a selected setpoint between 46 and 58%. I have tried different settings to minimize sub-cooling the home and have settled on 58%.

Air delivery: I’ve had to re-adjust my registers because the new system delivers a variable and often reduced amount of air to all rooms. Ironically my north facing bedroom was typically the coldest room in the house but was now the warmest so I had to adjust the damper. I also notice that cold air tends to dump out of the register instead of being previously diffused with room air at a higher velocity, so I now run the ceiling fan for better air distribution and comfort.

Thermostat: the Carrier t-stat and app provides minimal data versus the Nest t-stat I had with my old system. The new system allows up to 4 daily adjustable setpoints and provides a summary of daily energy usage for two days only. I cannot see what percentage that the system is operating unless I go into the setup mode at the wall t-stat. I am not able to override and run the system in the Fan Only mode. I could do much more with Nest.

Technical Support: I contacted Carrier via the app a week ago with a few questions. No response from them yet.

[jrref]

Originally Posted by Teed_Off

I replaced my 3.5-ton single stage 2009 system with a 4-ton Carrier Infinity system by SunKool 10 days ago. The work was done to my complete satisfaction and here are a few lessons I’d like to pass along:

Air delivery: I’ve had to re-adjust my registers because the new system delivers a variable and often reduced amount of air to all rooms. Ironically my north facing bedroom was typically the coldest room in the house but was now the warmest so I had to adjust the damper. I also notice that cold air tends to dump out of the register instead of being previously diffused with room air at a higher velocity, so I now run the ceiling fan for better air distribution and comfort.

Thermostat: the Carrier t-stat and app provides minimal data versus the Nest t-stat I had with my old system. The new system allows up to 4 daily adjustable setpoints and provides a summary of daily energy usage for two days only. I cannot see what percentage that the system is operating unless I go into the setup mode at the wall t-stat. I am not able to override and run the system in the Fan Only mode. I could do much more with Nest.

If you want to adjust the amount of air delivery there are settings on your Air Handler that can be adjusted. You can call your installer back to make any changes. You can also make an adjustment on the thermostat. You can change the air flow form Comfort to Energy Efficient which will increase the airflow for the cooling, heating and humidity independently but before doing this I would have them take a look at the air handler first to make sure it's set up properly since you shouldn't need to run your ceiling fans to get good circulation unless you have a special situation. Do you know the static pressure of your system which tells you if you have any duct issues? You can get it by going into the service menu on your thermostat but if you don't feel comfortable doing that, call them since this is a common issue people report. It should be less than 0.5 after it runs it's check when you first turn on the system or when it's running at 100% after. In my case, I not having any problems. All my rooms are within 1/2 degree of what the thermostat displays and the air circulation if fine but I have heard this feedback.

On the thermostat, I agree. It doesn't have the data capabilities as the Nest or the Ecobee but it does it's job well controlling the system. My temperature and humidity are accurate and constant and I'm saving about $50/month on electric so far.

The thermostat has an incedible amount of data if you go into the Service Menu but as for the app, If you go on to it on your phone, Click on the first page which shows "All Devices", then click on your "Home" and on the next page on the bottom click "Energy Insights" you will see if the AC, Electric Heat, and Fan are running and at what percentage or OFF. It also tells you your filter life. You are right, this information should be on the first page of the app. As mentioned if you go into the service menu on the thermostat, and go to the heat pump section, you can see all the pressures, super heat, subcool, temperatures, etc.. to make sure the system is running correctly without connecting any gauges or have the tech out as long a you understand what all the readings mean. I wish they had this on the app. There is also another Service app that you can download and connects to the condenser when you are near it outside via bluetooth. You have to log in as guest but you can see all the readings there as well. It's designed to be used by the tech so he doesn't have to go in your house to the thermostat to get these readings. I like this becasue I don't want the tech to keep putting their gauges On and Off my system and loosing a little bit of refrigerant each time but my guess is they do it anyway to make sure the automation in the system is giving them the right data I've been told.