New construction - Dual Furnace and A/C system (floor, roof, air conditioning)

[dinkuu]

Hello,

I am buying new construction in Troy, MI. Builder is giving option to upgrade standard furnace ( included in plan ) with "Dual Furnace and A/C system" for $13,900. It looks very high to me. What do you think ?

Do generally builder give credit for furnace which is included in standard plan, if we take upgrade option ?

Thanks,
Dinku

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by dinkuu

option to upgrade standard furnace ( included in plan ) with "Dual Furnace and A/C system"

Dual means dual fuel... gas or oil.
These are usually associated with HEAT PUMPS.

If your builder has some other definition... lay it out.
---

In Michigan you don't want a heat pump you want a furnace (or boiler) for heat.
If you need AC as well then add that to the overall system.

So... what EXACTLY is the 'standard plan' equipment?

[K'ledgeBldr]

2story house w/1 system(?) or

2story house w/2 systems- one for each level(?)

If those are the choices- I'd definitely go with the latter!

[TrapperL]

The wife and I own rental properties in Lansing. All of our houses have gas forced heat or gas furnace with A/C. Depending on the unit the builder is installing, I'd see if you can get him to run the copper for the A/C compressor and a drainline to the furnace area. In the future if you decide to add air conditioning, it's all there for the installer. I would expect the price to be maybe as much as a grand for the copper and drainline but that's about $600 more than it costs me there in Michigan. The price he's quoting you sounds extremely high even for Michigan. But you also didn't say how big the unit or the house.

[Coldjensens]

We had dual systems in our prior house. It was an old house and there was no way to put in ducting between floors. It was cheaper to have the two systems.

It worked great because we had two zones and you often heat upstairs a lot less than downstairs. We installed two "package units" (AC and Furnace combined in a single unit. Do not do that. It was a big mistake. First it is a lot more expensive second if one component breaks, you lose the whole thing. Also separate units are usually more efficient.

The builder may be charging a huge premium form the price. Maybe get an outside contractor to give you a price to put the system in and just have the builder do the ducting and give you a credit for the rest.

[dinkuu]

Originally Posted by MrRational

So... what EXACTLY is the 'standard plan' equipment?

Thanks for all the replies. Standard plan is what builder gives in with the house. My house is 3400 sqft and has two floors.

[K'ledgeBldr]

"What we have here is a failure to communicate!"

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by dinkuu

Standard plan is what builder gives in with the house. My house is 3400 sqft and has two floors.

3400sf is a large house.
That's large enough to warrant a second HVAC system.
$14,000 for a second set of equipment? That's nuts.

[scorpio516]

Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr

2story house w/1 system(?) or

2story house w/2 systems- one for each level(?)

If those are the choices- I'd definitely go with the latter!

Both are bad choices.

A house should have a single system with multiple zones.

I'm working on a 3 story, 175,000 sf building. It has 1 HVAC system made up of just 4 roof top units and dozens of zones.

[dinkuu]

Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr

"What we have here is a failure to communicate!"

My bad. Was not clear in initial question.

My house is top ceiling in living area (1st floor to 2nd floor ). While doing some research two zone system will not do justice as there is no solid separation between floors.

What i will be doing to just have one HVAC zone in the house.

Thanks,
Dinkuu