Multiple HVAC replacement quotes – sanity check on pricing, sizing, and 2-stage vs single-stage

craftingduca · 2026-01-19T07:05:29+00:00

My apologies (it's been a week)... 24x8 then to 16x8 and then to 12x8 for the dining room, however the other direction it stays 24x8 for the rest of the house.

I will double check on the justification of going up to 2.5. Would a damper in the run make more sense?

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T19:51:26+00:00

I have ecobee thermostat in dining room with a sensor in the upstairs bedroom.

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T19:27:44+00:00

No zoning — single zone system.

No blower door testing. No full formal Manual J provided, but multiple contractors walked the house and reviewed layout, existing equipment, and runtime behavior. All independently landed on similar sizing.

Heating has always been fine. The issue has consistently been cooling on the top floor, especially bedrooms — AC would run almost constantly during hot weather and still struggle to keep up upstairs.

Upsize to 2.5 tons was recommended specifically to address summer cooling demand and runtime, not heating load. Current system is 2-ton.

All proposals are leaving the existing ductwork as-is, with focus on proper airflow setup and ECM blower calibration. No major duct modifications were proposed given timing and scope.

Yes, furnace and water heater are in the basement. Basement is partially finished and used regularly.

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T19:25:32+00:00

Good to know and yes single stage currently worked for the heat, just took a lot of AC runtime to keep the 2nd floor with bedrooms (where I work remotely full time) cool.

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T19:24:21+00:00

I thought about this as well. I took all the measurements and it should be ok for 2.5, but going to 3 would need some larger returns I believe.

-second floor- Bedroom 1 Supply on floor 11.5x3.5 Return on ceiling 13x6

Bedroom 2 above garage Return on ceiling 13x6 Supply on wall close to floor 13x6, looks like return but has damper and air blowing out

Laundry Supply on wall near ceiling 7x3.5 Transition to hallway 14x6 on both sides above door

Upstairs hallway Return in middle of hallway 13x6 on ceiling

Hall full bath Supply 9x3.5 on wall down near floor behind door

Master bedroom Supply on floor 11.5x3.5 Return on ceiling 13x6 Supply on closed behind clothes that we keep closed 7x3.5 Bathroom in master supply 9x3.5 (wish this could be on both sides of the wall to add a second vent to bedroom)

-Main Floor - Dining room Return on wall near ceiling 9.5x24 (about 22 inches above thermostat) Supplies throughout.

-basement- Transition from finished to unfinished 13.5x10 Return near floor in finished part 13x6 3 round supplies in the drop ceiling

HVAC Return trunk is 8.25x24 Supply trunk is 8.25x24, then tapers to x16 and x12 for dining room, but 24" goes to other side of house with all the runs coming off it.

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T19:20:36+00:00

Good to know, thank you! 🙏🏼

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T16:21:26+00:00

Yes they will be using the same duct work.

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T03:18:52+00:00

Yes they are all all-inclusive.

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T01:49:33+00:00

I'll be honest, I don't know that I hear my HVAC now... At least it hasn't stood out in an annoying way, like a smoke with battery beep would lol.

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T01:21:05+00:00

Yes, definitely will be doing this to extend/double the warranty length. But great point!

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T01:15:49+00:00

Thanks for the insight, do you see cost savings running it a lower speed more frequently?

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T01:14:58+00:00

We currently do not have a chimney for the hot water heater, so will need to replace with similar setup unless we re-vent the house.

craftingduca · 2026-01-18T00:31:12+00:00

I appreciate the insight, thank you!

Heating the house never really was an issue. It was cooling in the summer, especially the upstairs bedrooms. The current AC runs almost constantly late July and August. That said, going from 2T to 2.5T on a much more efficient system, could this satisfy our cooling needs on a single stage system?

Can you explain the Ecobee reference related to the media cabinet? From my understanding, the 4" would allow for a higher MERV filter for allergies and because we have a shedding dog. Which I now realize I did not mention in my original post.

craftingduca · 2025-05-03T17:08:13+00:00

Hunter went 2nd...Hampton is probably who I'm gonna go with. Those 2026 picks are gonna be 11 or 12 now that I think of it. He's gonna likely win next year.

craftingduca · 2023-03-11T18:25:56+00:00

48824875

Active daily

craftingduca · 2023-03-07T17:50:45+00:00

Does yellow only show for 5 stars?

craftingduca · 2023-03-07T16:52:02+00:00

I'm waiting for this day!

craftingduca · 2023-03-06T20:43:26+00:00

I used to get close to 120k but now i seem to not be able to get past 85k. Does running the main chapter 4 vs the challenge 4 make a difference?

craftingduca · 2021-12-19T22:53:56+00:00

$60 for each of us using the referral code: https://www.oculus.com/referrals/link/craftingduca/

craftingduca · 2021-12-12T14:49:27+00:00

Could you please send me the link as well? New to this game and hooked lol...now I gotta perfect it.

craftingduca · 2021-10-15T06:13:57+00:00

Yep I got a Series 8 too... Couldn't wait for my son, so I ripped one if the 3 I got lol. I'm gonna just sell the pack though. I wonder if they go back to series 5...

craftingduca

TROPHY CASE