Is getting the 30% tax credit worth spending $5000

[skidoolis]

We are looking into installing a new furnace.we plan on sticking around for ten or more years really like i can sell right now anyway.looking at 95% efficient Heil a ICP brand(parts are easy to get)furnace with 13 seers central air and humidifier for an 1100 square foot ranch on a basement.Bid came in just under $5000.00 now that would not be bad after tax credit $1500.00 I was thinking.Are there any others doing the same thing taking advantage of obama's tax credit

[ezra]

well that is not a bad price for a hew havc set up .it is only a deal if you really need a furnace.you can get your neighbors tax money in the form of a so called rebate buy buying any thing that improves energy usage. windows doors insulation dishwashers ext ext the take your neighbors money program lasts 2 yrs and in the 2 yrs you can only get $1500 total.wood stoves corn stoves also qualify

[sabercat]

Do you have central air now?

[yamahauler]

Just make sure the guy isn't jacking the price because he knows you're getting the credit.

I say go for it..it is tax money that you and all us hard working folk paid in.

Not to be a smartazz, but when people get a gov't credit via tax dollars, the only thing I say is... your welcome and enjoy.

[skidoolis]

sabercat no the whole system is outdated and has been needing r/r for a while.I just don;t know whether to go with that high of efficiency ?they say you recoup it in five years not sure.I'll tell ya this the gas bills last year really took it toll ouch.It just seems logically to invest in higher efficiency if they will help with the cost

[swanee]

ezra, I love the way you put things, neighbor.

[cat_man_mike]

As someone in the HVAC industry, I say definately go with the high efficency. Not only does it save on your gas bill, the higher efficancy units have better parts that will last longer. You will definately be happier in the long run.

[sabercat]

Well depending on the price of a ac unit it might be a good deal
Last year i converted from oil to propane, spent $3300 on a Heil 95% variable speed unit with a aprilaire unit and a 6" hepa filter. Existing central aire was installed into new ductwork.
Hope that helps you compare you deal. I like the 95%er and the variable speed starts and stops nice and quiet.
Next step might be to own my own tank so I can deal on propane from anybody.

[anonomoose]

Industry people KNOW that people are looking for furnaces right now. Naturally they are going to make a buck more than they would have last year before the credit. Still I would shop and get recommendations...since saving $50 isn't worth using someone who won't be around to service the unit in a year or two.

You will get far better heating bills with the new furnace as they are now using multiple stage furnaces, and blowers that suck out ever last whisper of heat. So no matter what you buy (assuming the credit will apply to the lower efficency furnaces and maybe they don't...I don't know) you should experience a significant improvement on that front.

And unlike Cat Man, I have just the opposite opinion in that the old 85% units that hooked to the chimney without the blowers and pipes sucking and blowing and condensating and which can all go bad and require service, are not set it anf forget it type furnaces.

The old 85% unit cost you a bit more in gas, but then they didn&#39;t require tuning, and adjusting and cleaning like the newer units do, and where is the payback if you have to pay out $200 per year in service calls &#40;only slightly exaggerating here&#41;. By all means get rid of the old unit because it will cost you the tax credit and more in gas used over the next few years...so it isn&#39;t &#34;should I&#34; but more in line with &#34;which one...and how much to pay&#34;<font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font><font color="ff0000">•</font>

[ezra]

just got doing a flip and we used a 92%variable speed Train.was over a G cheaper.used that G for more insulation and some of the new windows.we did all new ducting A/C I think 10 seer.had no duct work before blown radiators.$3500 did not shop been using the same guy for years but I am sure it is a good price

[skidoolis]

thanks for the input.the guy is straight up.i do think he padded the quote after realizing the tax credit but that&#39;s it.I planned on about $3000 to $3500 right in the ball park.He recommended newer style central air using r-410a do to After 2010, manufacturers will be able to produce R 22 only for servicing existing equipment, but not new equipment. By 2020, that phase out becomes even more complete. R 22 is being phased out because it depletes the ozone layer and it encourages global warming. Therefore, if you&#39;re going to buy a new central air conditioner, it probably makes sense to find something that doesn&#39;t rely on R 22.Another thing he said struck me odd but true he said he would rather see a &#40;smaller&#41; central air unit run longer cycles rather then a larger one cycling off and on he said more wear and tear on start ups and shutting down more often

[peter]

I don&#39;t think the 13 seer a/c unit qualifys for tax credit. The 95% furnace will qualify. You will only get 30% of cost of furnace for tax credit. Now I could be wrong but this is what my boss was explaining to me. I do know I have been installing alot of 95% furnaces and 18 seer a/c units since tax credit deal.

[skidoolis]

I think it qualifies if you use split systems i am replacing it all.now this is going by what i have been reading not sure i will check with the tax guru thanks greg.....http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index#s1 here is a good site on credits qualification

[ubee]

You only buy insulation once ,energy forever!! new furnace and insulation both qualify for a rebate!

[longtrack]

What ever you do is fine. But check the ENERGY STAR Web site, alot of Items I see everyone talking about in this thread may not qualify for the Tax Credit. I put on a new Roof and did not get it because I did not want a light color and the Appliance rebate terms are not finished yet. Also I was going to buy a new Wood Furnace and guess what, anything that works good up north dose not qualify. You would have to by a Stove type that would not heat my House. Good Luck, these are Government programs that are not really designed for This part of the Country.

[toddspolaris]

Good luck in getting any tax credit back, You&#39;ll have to install the most expensive units and like Peter said 13 sheer won&#39;t qualify. we installed our system ourselves and still spent less money than if we would have spent the big bucks and got the tax credit, but we only installed a furnace with electric heat because we don&#39;t use furnace for the main heat as we heat with wood, but we do use our 13 sheer heat pump, a little heat in the fall and spring and mainly AC in the summer

[favoritos]

&#34;Another thing he said struck me odd but true he said he would rather see a &#40;smaller&#41; central air unit run longer cycles rather then a larger one cycling off and on he said more wear and tear on start ups and shutting down more often&#34; Quoted
skidoolis,

There is some truth to that statement. You will actually see some energy savings with a smaller, right sized system. Just keep in mind that it takes the system longer to recover. If you have a utility remote shut down, the AC may not be able to recover and or keep up.

[ezra]

that is true I have a smaller a/c unit and on the very hot and humid days 70 is as low as she will go more of a dehumidifier on the very hot days. but I am running 2 furnace&#39;s 1 for up 1 for down and only the up has A/C with 1 duct running down to kitchen.still keeps whole the house cool usually around 65 unless very hot and humid like 98 or more

[98panther]

I had to replace a water heater last month.

After checking into what I had to buy, only an on demand qualifies for Obama money. Upgrading gas line to the unit and switching to side vent. Decided it wasn&#39;t worth it. The estimated cost to run the on demand and regular were exactly the same. So not sure why they figure it&#39;s more efficent? But the cost was 3x

Furnace would make more sense, I&#39;d get the high eff. there for sure anyway.

[sabercat]

That &#34;on demand water heater&#34; is a joke. Your electric meter is screaming when that thing is making hot water. Electric rates are on the rise. It&#39;s also very expensive to purchase &amp; have me wire it up. You&#39;d save more money by adding a timeclock to your existing waterheater to shut off after you do the evening dishes and turn on when you wake up.

These tax incentives sound just like coupons...10 cents off something you don&#39;t need and is overpriced anyways.

[98panther]

I was looking at a &#34;on demand&#34; gas water heater.

But basically I was told same thing, gas line needs to be huge cause when it&#39;s working it needs alot of gas, and is working like a blast furnace. And it&#39;s small size is of little benefit because the area around the water heater is not usable because it gets so hot.

What killed me was besides the 3x price, there was no saving in the estimated gas usage. So why is that better?

[toddspolaris]

alot of this going green thing and tax rebates is just to get people to spend money again. my 02

[booondocker]

The point of slightly UNDER sizing the AC is to make sure that the unit does run longer. 75% of the function of an AC unit is to take the moisture out of the air, the balance is to drop the temp. If you drop the moisture content in the air, your own evaporative system on your skin works better and you stay cool. It also keeps the furniture from swelling up because you simply dropped the temp without de-humidifying the surrounding air enough. Never mind that a smaller unit is less expensive to run than a bigger one. Only thing that changes this is if your family is prone to leaving the doors and windows open all the time or you expect the house to come down in temp rapidly because you let it climb high in the day time. Then a bigger unit will help to do the job faster...but I put the smaller one in years ago, and I haven&#39;t regretted it yet.

[catalac]

Just buy those 5000$ solar pannels, and be done with it. I want one of those giant windmills in my back yard. Then I can sell electricity back to the grid.