Quite a few visitors have been coming in looking for system reviews, so I thought I would start a new series of posts, geared around specific units, and reviewing why you may or may not, want to install them. Today, we start with a Carrier HVAC System, the top end Carrier infinity System Review.

Carrier Infinity HVAC System Review

If you got this far, chances are pretty good you are already interested in a top of the line HVAC system. If you are price shopping, this review is not for you... the Carrier infinity Systems are one of, if not THE, most advanced residential HVAC system on the market, and along with that advanced technology, comes a much higher pricetag!

What is a Carrier Infinity System?

The reason you see the word "system" after the name, is because the Carrier Infinity Systems work best when all components are perfectly matched to each other. The Infinity series is referred to as a "Communicating" system, since each of the components communicates with the others to achieve a perfect balance of comfort and efficiency. This means you want to be sure the following items are matched:

• Infinity Gas Furnaces or Air Handlers
• Infinity Air Conditioner or Carrier Infinity Heat Pump
• Infinity Thermostat Control System
• Infinity Air Cleaners (Infinity air filters)
  
• Infinity Whole House Humidifier
  
• Infinity Zoning Systems (optional)
  

With the way the variable speed blowers in the Infinity Systems work, they can maintain a 1-2 degree temp range in your home very easily! The system will automatically adjust the cfm of the blower to distribute a slow and steady stream of heating and cooling in your home, versus blasting on for XX number of minutes each time the unit turns on.

Every function of the Infinity systems are monitored by sensors, which in turn communicate with the control system. If one of the sensors detects low airflow, it automatically calls for an increase! If it detects problems, it automatically shuts the unit off to prevent damage. Even if your filters are dirty, the control system will let you know that it needs to be changed due to low airflow!

What Does a Carrier Infinity System Cost?

Compared to other types of units on the market, the Carrier infinity Systems are a bit pricey! You can reasonably expect to pay at least 2 times the cost of a standard changeout to have it installed by a Carrier Contractor!

• A Typical changeout that costs between $3500-$6000 will easily cost $8000-$13000 for an Infinity System!
• Get 3 Free Carrier Infinity Price Quotes Now

While most will consider this out of bounds, keep in mind that the contractor installing your Carrier Infinity system DOES need some additional expertise to make sure your system is perfectly matched and installed properly.

Efficiency wise - you may never recoup the extra cost for ultimate indoor comfort, but your indoor air quality will be considerably higher than that of a standard HVAC system.

Buying Carrier Infinity Online

Carrier is actually one of the few companies that came right out and said they do not honor Internet purchases under warranty. From a user perspective, I can find and buy several Carrier systems on the web right now, that they could instantly have removed from places like eBay if they truly wanted to. It's a catch 22 - they want to honor their Contractors by saying they don't honor online sales... but at the same time, they don't stop them from happening!

Best Way To Buy a Carrier Infinity System

Bottom Line - If you really want a Carrier Infinity System - you are better off getting Free HVAC Quotes from Local Contractors in your area. This way you can be sure you are not only covered by the Carrier Warranty, but also get the Best Price on a Carrier Infinity!

Additional Reading

Carrier Infinity Systems

This is a question that pops up all the time during the warmer months of the year. A Homeowner is in need of a new Air Conditioning System, and has to decide whether to replace the furnace at the same time or not. Changing the furnace is not required unless you are making changes to the cooling capacity, however, the benefits of doing a full system change-out are huge, if the furnace is more than 8-10 years old! As a matter of fact, if you just ASK the person who is quoting your AC job, they may just give you a furnace AT COST, just to get the job!

When You MUST Change the Furnace

As stated above, the furnace may not always need to be replaced, but there are times when you MUST change out the furnace.

Are You Increasing Air Conditioning Capacity

The blower inside your gas furnace is designed to move a specific amount of air through your duct system. This is measured in CFM, or cubic feet per minute. That volume of airflow is matched to the cooling capacity of your air conditioning system for optimal efficiency. A Ton of cooling capacity needs a minimum of 400 CFM to work properly and avoid freezing up! For example, a 2.5 ton air conditioning system requires a minimum of 1000 cfm of airflow. If you increased the cooling capacity to 3-tons of AC, your furnace blower MUST move at last 1200 cfm.

When You Don't Have to Change the Furnace

If you are not changing the size of the AC unit, there is literally no need to swap the furnace out unless its broken! The AC circuit is completely independent of the heating cycle, and aside from replacing the evaporator coil that mates with your furnace, if it's not broken, it is NOT required to be replaced! That said...

You WILL Save Money Doing A Full Change-Out!

Its just simple economics... the Contractor is going to be there and they are going to have most of the area cleared out for the new evaporator coil. In most cases, changing your furnace will only add 1-2 hours of labor to their project along with the cost of the furnace itself and some general sheet metal work. His crew is already there and if he is reputable contract having the unit inspected, why not just get it all done at once?

• Typical AC ONLY Replacement Cost in July - $2900 - $5000 (Low Estimates)
• Typical Cost of a Furnace ONLY replacement in Mid Winter - $2900 - $4000
• Typical cost to add the furnace in Mid Summer... $1000 - $1500

As you can see in the basic and rough estimates above, you can save MORE than a thousand dollars getting the furnace replaced at the same time! Unfortunately, if you wait until winter, it does not work the same way...

How to Get a Furnace for FREE or Dealer Cost!

When your Contractor comes out and quotes your replacement Air Conditioning System... let them get all the way through their presentation and ask them one question: "How Cheap Can you Install the Furnace for, if I sign RIGHT NOW?" If they add $3000, tell them thank you and let them leave! Even the MOST EXPENSIVE Gas Furnaces on the market cost less than $2000 at contractor rates, and they must not want the job that badly!

It is however very fair for them to add cost, plus 50% markup... which is MUCH lower than they will quote you in the winter time!

Approximate Gas Furnace Costs to a Dealer

There is alot of varation in pricing models to different volume dealers around the country, but these general guidelines apply.

Brands like Carrier, Trane, American Stanard Amana, and Lennox will usually be higher than others. Goodman, Bryant, Payne, Frigidaire and others will be lower cost.

80% Efficiency Furnaces will range from $400 - $1200, depending on brand and features.
90% or Higher efficiency units will range from $650 - $2000, again, depending on brand and features.

One way or another, you will always save money by installing the furnace at the same time!

This has got to be one of the most common questions I get at the Web HVAC website! The truth is... A Gas Furnace is actually a key component in a Hybrid Heating System!

What is a Hybrid Heating System

To better understand how a Gas Furnace fits into a Hybrid HVAC System, you need to understand there are 2 key functions to a central HVAC system, Heating and Cooling! As it relates to a Hybrid System, the heating portion is all you are really interested in, since the cooling will remain the same, regardless.

Hybrid Heating Systems give you the ability to decide how you wish to heat your home, by providing 2 sources of heat!

1. Gas Furnace, Preferably High Efficiency!
2. Heat Pump Condensing Unit, Preferably High Efficiency!

How a Hybrid Heating System Works

In the previous paragraph, we found out that in a Hybrid HVAC system, you have two individual sources of heating for your home. A Gas Furnace and a Heat Pump. Depending on the cost of utilities in your area, it may be more affordable to run one or the other, at different times. The variable of cost may even change at different times throughout one single day!

Scenario 1 - High Cost of Natural Gas

Assume for a minute that this year, natural gas costs rise considerably, yet the cost of electricity remains low. In a scenario like this, you would tell your heating system to use the electric heat pump for as much of your heating needs that it will handle, usually down to about 32 degrees outside.

You step over to your thermostat and program it to read the outdoor temperature. When the temp outside drops to 32 degrees, the heat pump will automatically switch over to the gas furnace for the heating of the home.

Scenario 2 - High Cost of Electricity

In this second situation, you are one of the fortunate ones that gets super cheap natural gas in your area! In this case, you reverse the above mentioned strategy, and instead, tell your hybrid heating system to use natural gas as much as possible for your heating needs, never really using the heat pump at all for the purpose of heating your home.

Hybrid Flexibility Pays Off Over Time!

Why anyone would install a simple AC Condenser outside their home nowadays is beyond me! Heat Pump units only cost about 50% more for the equipment, but can save you a significant amount of money over the course of a lifetime with your unit! Ex: 2.5 ton AC only unit costs about $800, the same size Heat Pump Condensing Unit costs about $1200. That extra $400 in the cost gives YOU control over how you heat your home in the colder months!

Even though one utility may be cheaper right now, history shows that the costs will fluctuate over time. Having the ability to make your own choice is priceless!

One of the long time questions about buying HVAC Online is whether or not you will have a warranty on your new equipment. In our efforts to get clear answers, we have been trying to get the manufacturers to tell us without doubt, their stance. To date, we have only received a few replies... which mean that some of the manufacturers wish to leave that gray area open, so they can still make sales and boost profits!

Carrier Warranty On HVAC Purchases

Carrier, which also means Bryant, Heil, and several other brands under the United Technologies umbrella, has stated without doubt, they will not cover equipment that is purchased via the internet!

It is actually quite a surprising answer that I received from them, as we used to sell quite a bit of their products online, and in the words of ANY poker player, they were "All In" and wanted us to sell as much as we could! You can take a look at our Carrier HVAC Manufacturer page and see the exact reply from them.

Mixed Messages from Carrier

One might think this is a be-all, end-all answer but guess what... if it were the case, why would they let people continue to sell it online? I could point out at least 3-4 websites actively selling the Carrier brand online, as well as the numerous listings on eBay for Carrier products! Just look below and you can easily see what I mean!

If Carrier were truly serious about this - they would simply buy one of the pieces of equipment, track the serial number back to the original Contractor who purchased it from them, and shut the flow off at the source!

IT WON'T HAPPEN!

Goodman Gas Furnaces are just one reason the Manufacturer has taken the lead in the consumer HVAC market! This week, we stumbled upon a Goodman 95% AFUE, high Efficiency Gas Furnace that is priced to go! The seller has a long track record of being reliable and trustworthy within the eBay selling system!

Details of this Goodman Gas Furnace:

• Goodman GMH950904CXA Gas Furnace - Upflow
  
• 90,000 btu Input
• 2-Stage Gas Valve
• Multi-Speed Blower
  

Goodman 2-Stage 95% AFUE MultiSpeed Gas Furnace

Before you ever decide to buy your replacement HVAC equipment online, be sure you read the fine print! Even though it is being sold to you, there are requirements that must be followed in order to retain a warranty. Check with the seller of the equipment to be sure they are authorized as a Goodman reseller! The seller of this item has proven they are a trusted reseller of Goodman Furnaces!

Goodman is one of the few HVAC Manufacturers that not only supports the process of their equipment being sold direct to consumers, they have the lowest prices you will find! This Goodman 3-Ton Heat Pump system has everything you would need for a full system replacement!

This item has Ended...

Included with this HVAC System:

• Goodman GSH130361, Single phase (residential) 13 Seer Heat Pump Condensing Unit
• Goodman ARUF3642A Multipoise Matching Air Handler
• Goodman HKRC10C Electric Heat Strip Element

Goodman 3-Ton Heat Pump System

Before you ever decide to buy your replacement HVAC equipment online, be sure you read the fine print! Even though it is being sold to you, there are requirements that must be followed in order to retain a warranty. Check with the seller of the equipment to be sure they are authorized as a Goodman reseller!

As you can see, we are in the middle of a full website beauty makeover. This is not our first site redesign and likely won't be the last. Some of the changes we will be incorporating into the new WebHVAC design are:

• HVAC Product Reviews
• Message Forum
• Weekly HVAC Deals found on eBay
• Article Directory
• HVAC Parts Warehouse

We hope to have the entire redesign completed by the end of January, and we apologies for the dust in the air during the process. The good news, is that none of our existing site pages have been removed and all old pages are still available for you to access during the transition.

Thanks,

Mark, WebHVAC

We all know the market is dictated by supply and demand right? Guess what... this is the time of year when most Heating and Air Contractors are dealing with very low demand and making deals every single week!

Why? The weather! The hot summer days have passed and the cool days of winter are not here! Essentially, nobody needs heating or air conditioner for the next few weeks!

Gas Furnace Deals are Everywhere!

Whether you decide to find a REPUTABLE local contractor, or buy a cheap gas furnace on the internet... NOW is the time for the best bargains!

Locally, a system install that may cost $7500 or more in 3-4 weeks when the demand picks up, may be as little as HALF that cost today!  Likewise, Gas Furnaces on ebay are at a seasonal low also!

Don't wait too long... as soon as the first freeze hits - prices go back up!

This is probably one of the most common questions we fielded over the years of selling Carrier HVAC online!

Can I Buy Wholesale Carrier HVAC Online?

The bottom line answer, is that it depends on who you ask! I know, how much help was that... We sold Carrier through our online store for more than 2-3 years and never had any issues at all, until a local contractor took offense that the high end Infinity equipment was bought wholesale instead of from them. Read the rest of this entry

Every now and again, we find one of these new products on the market that we will ALL eventually use! As we strive to become a more Geo Friendly world, one of the most efficient ways to heat and cool your home is with a GeoThermal HVAC System.

ClimateMaster, one of the leading Hybrid Geo Thermal manufacturers has recently garnered alot of news as people are looking for ways to save! You can actually find these units all over the internet and whole they cost a bit more up front than a standard HVAC system, they will pay for themselves within just a few years in saved energy costs.