I have a quote from a very reliable company to replace my 3-ton, 25 year old Singer central air unit, which has about a 6.5 SEER and is exceptionally noisy (almost sounds like a lawn mower when running). Two systems were proposed: a Carrier Performance Series 3-ton, 25APA5, and an Amana 3-ton ASX-14. Both use Puron.

The Carrier is rated at 15.5 SEER. It seems very complicated with an "Infinity" integrated circuit board for diagnostics, which concerns me because I don't have a "whole house" surge suppressor and living near a golf course means frequent lightning and electrical spikes. On the other had, it has a decibel level close to that of a table-top fan. Since the outdoor part of the unit sits beside my deck, that's a real quality of life bonus. It has a five-year warranty on the whole unit, and a ten year limited warranty on the compressor.

The Amana is a 14 SEER unit with a 10 year warranty on all parts and labor and a lifetime unit replacement warranty. It definitely has the better warranty and is about a thousand dollars less. It has some sound baffling for quieter operation. The technician said the sound difference was about a 67 decibels for the carrier and about 73 decibels for the Amana.

The difference in cost is $6363 for the Amana and $7213 for the Carrier.

Question 1: is the risk of high maintenance for the more complex Carrier worth the quiet operation or is the possibly more reliable (because simpler) Amana and the price difference worth the slightly higher noise level.

Question 2: do those price quotes seem in line with what would normally be charged for this kind of purchase?

Thanks for your responses in advance. I am a female homeowner trying my best to make a smart decision about this subject.:) Advice is welcome.

My situation as well. I hate making major decisions. My choice would be: Which company do I trust the most? Who do I feel would do the best installation? Which has the best warranty, best service? Do you know anyone who has done business with either to check with there experience? I feel either price would be fair. Don't know pricing in your area but seems fair to me. Good luck