If you’re considering a new HVAC system this winter, the most sensible way to do it is by completely replacing air-conditioning units instead of just the indoor or outdoor portion. It’s possible to replace just one of the components, but the trade-off is higher energy bills and decreased indoor comfort.
How They Work
Central air conditioners and heat pumps have two major components. The air handler sits inside your home and the condensing unit sits outdoors. The outdoor condenser contains a compressor and a condensing coil.
The compressor pressurizes the refrigerant to make it extremely cold and sends it into the evaporator coil inside the air handler. As it circulates in the indoor coil, the air that the blower fan sends over it loses heat. The refrigerant returns to the condensing coil where a powerful fan pulls air over the coil to cool the refrigerant off. It then returns to the compressor where it’s chilled again and sent back into your air handler.
Replacement Considerations
The biggest challenge with replacing just the condenser or the air handler is matching the sizes of the evaporator coil to the condensing coil. If they don’t have exactly the same capacity, your system won’t work well or efficiently. Replacing air conditioning units together is a given in this climate, since summers are extremely hot and long.
The only time when it makes sense to replace just one or the other is when a replacement is still available. HVAC manufacturers don’t produce the same models year after year. They have to respond to changes in energy efficiency and other rules that date systems. Some of the parts may be available, but the entire unit as a package may not be.
By the time you pay for parts and labor to repair an aging unit, it’s usually less expensive over the long haul to replace the entire unit. You’ll have better energy efficiency and an active warranty.
If you have questions about replacing air conditioning units, contact the pros at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We provide trusted HVAC services for Yuma-area homeowners.
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 other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 928-723-3183.
