Your split-system A/C or heat pump eventually will give up the ghost, and if you’re lucky, it will all fail around the same time. That means you’ll escape the dilemma of having to decide whether to replace one unit that fails before the other, or buy a whole new system even though one half seems to be working. Here’s why it usually makes more sense to get a whole new system when buying an HVAC system.
Most Americans cool their homes with a central split-system A/C or heat pump. One unit is inside, with a self-contained air handler and evaporator coil, or else an evaporator coil working with the furnace blower. The outside unit contains the compressor, a fan and the condenser coil.
Usually, if one component fails before the other, it’s the outside unit, which is exposed to the elements 24/7. If you decide to just replace that unit, you may have a difficult time finding a new compressor/condenser that’s compatible with your existing inside unit. Even if you can find a new one that works with the old one, don’t expect it to operate efficiently or effectively. And certainly don’t expect it to achieve the advertised cooling efficiency of the new unit. Those claims are only achievable in a whole system that’s been engineered to work together. Similarly, your mismatched system won’t be as quiet as a totally new system would be.
Additionally, if you expect to gain efficiency with advanced features, you may be disappointed to learn that they won’t work with a combined old/new system.
Finally, odds are if one component of your split-system A/C or heat pump fails, the other component won’t be far behind. You’ll be replacing it, too, in a year or two. Whatever savings you achieved by buying one half of the system will be wiped out when you guy the other half separately. A whole new system would have been cheaper than buying the inside and outside units separately.
For expert help buying an HVAC system for your Yuma-area home, please contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Co.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about why you should buy the system, not just the unit, and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 928-723-3183.
Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Christian Delbert/Shutterstock”
