Final Revised: 11/22/2024
When your air conditioner stops working, your first thought might be, “How can I repair this with out spending a fortune?” It’s a good query – particularly if just one element, just like the out of doors unit, appears to be the issue.
Why exchange greater than it’s a must to, proper?
On the floor, changing simply the out of doors unit looks like a simple approach to economize. However there’s extra to it than that.
We at Mattioni have helped advise householders all through their distinctive AC alternative course of, so we all know that this generally is a large query. Nonetheless, swapping in a brand new main element (just like the out of doors unit) with out serious about the entire system can result in inefficiency, greater prices, and complications down the highway.
Within the article, we’ll break down all facets of changing simply the out of doors unit as a monetary technique and examine it to changing your full AC system. After studying this, you’ll know when this technique works and when it doesn’t.
First, it’s important to grasp how your indoor and out of doors items work collectively to chill your property
The Fundamentals of How Inside and Outdoors AC Items Operate Collectively
Your air con system consists of two major elements: one unit inside your property and one unit exterior of it. The indoor unit’s major tools is the evaporator coil, which absorbs warmth from your property. The indoor unit may additionally comprise an air handler to assist facilitate airflow throughout the evaporator coil if your property doesn’t have a furnace (in any other case it borrows your furnace’s blower motor).
The warmth that’s picked up at your inside unit is then transferred through refrigerant traces to the out of doors unit (pictured above), which homes the compressor and condenser coil. Right here, the warmth is expelled outdoor. This cycle continues to attract warmth from your property, bringing the temperature all the way down to your thermostat’s setting.
The indoor and out of doors items are designed to function collectively, with particular effectivity ranges and refrigerant capacities, probably making compatibility a priority for anybody trying to exchange simply the surface unit.
Can I Change Simply My Outdoors AC Unit?
Sure, you may exchange simply your out of doors unit as long as the brand new unit is made by the identical producer and has the identical tonnage as the unique – nevertheless, for a lot of householders it’s not extremely really helpful.
Even when the brand new out of doors unit is identical make and mannequin because the indoor unit, important facets of your cooling system (like effectivity, guarantee protection, and system longevity) will be compromised.
This begs the query, why do a partial alternative (as an alternative of a full AC alternative) in any respect?
Why Change Simply Your Condenser Unit?
The primary, if not the one, cause that householders think about changing simply the condensing unit is to economize. If the out of doors unit is visibly broken or malfunctioning whereas the indoor unit appears nice, it appears logical to deal with solely the plain problem.
But, for a lot of householders, the financial savings you’ll expertise from changing simply your out of doors unit sometimes gained’t be well worth the anticipated issues of a partial alternative. The out of doors unit itself can price round $6,000 – $8,000.
Paying the least amount of cash to revive your property’s consolation is a rational thought course of, nevertheless, the advantages of this strategy usually don’t outweigh the hidden points down the highway.
4 Anticipated Issues When Changing Simply the Outside Unit
Whereas changing the out of doors unit alone would possibly look like a savvy maneuver to regain your property’s consolation with out the funding measurement of a brand new system, it could create a number of points:
1. Elevated Charge of Effectivity Losses & Put on and Tear
When a brand new out of doors condensing unit is matched with an indoor evaporator coil that’s been working for a number of years, the brand new unit will run into extra quickly decaying effectivity ranges.
When you would possibly expertise a fast enchancment in effectivity proper after putting in the brand new condensing unit, it will subside because the older evaporator coil struggles to maintain up. As time passes, the brand new condensing unit will turn into much less power environment friendly sooner than if it had been put in as half of a complete new system.
The mismatch within the situation of every unit also can trigger the compressor to work more durable, rising the damage and tear on each items and additional driving up your power payments.
2. Offset Unit Replacements Going Ahead
Normally, if one unit fails, the opposite isn’t far behind. Each the indoor and out of doors elements will age cohesively, so the time between main system points in each elements sometimes isn’t quite a lot of years.
That signifies that in the event you select to switch simply the out of doors unit, then you’ll nearly actually be in the identical place within the subsequent 3-5 years when the indoor unit fails. Oftentimes, changing simply your out of doors unit can begin a domino impact of changing half of the system about as soon as each 5 years.
When that occurs, your set up bills can rack up, effectivity ranges will at all times be sub-par, plus you’ll by no means expertise the consolation stage of a brand new full AC system.
3. Warranties Could Be Topic to Void
Most, if not all, HVAC producers require that the indoor and out of doors items get replaced collectively to keep up guarantee protection.
Do not forget that mismatched items are extra susceptible to put on and tear, which might result in extra frequent repairs. Producers are conscious of this and shield themselves from additional prices by stipulating that partial system replacements will void any warranties. This might probably depart you financially weak if one thing goes improper.
To retain present, or acquire new warranties, changing your complete system is usually the one possibility.
4. Restricted Monetary Benefits
The first benefit of changing simply your exterior unit is minimizing your short-term prices. Nonetheless, changing the out of doors unit will sometimes fall within the $6,000 – $8,000 vary, which is over half the price of most full air con programs.
So, whereas it’s true that you simply’ll see some short-term financial savings, it might not outweigh the advantages of changing your entire system as an alternative.
If you consider all the problems you may anticipate whenever you choose to switch simply your exterior condensing unit, the monetary positive factors turn into comparatively minor.
When Does Changing Simply the Outdoors Unit Make Sense?
There are two particular scenario the place changing solely the out of doors unit is the sensible resolution:
1. A Producer Defect on a New System
If you happen to put in a brand new AC system inside the final yr and the condenser fails as a result of a defect lined by the guarantee, the out of doors unit will be changed for gratis to you. This state of affairs assumes the alternative unit might be equivalent to the unique and absolutely appropriate with the indoor unit.
Any attainable points with effectivity or put on and tear needs to be negligible so long as the entire system continues to be beneath a yr previous.
2. You Have Set Plans to Transfer Quickly
Opting to switch simply your indoor evaporator unit often makes probably the most sense in the event you’ll be shifting inside a yr. Whereas having a brand new full AC system is an efficient promoting level on the housing market, it not often will increase the worth of your property.
Changing simply the indoor unit is an efficient technique to reduce prices in the event you gained’t be round to get pleasure from the advantages of a full system.
What Does a Full System Alternative Need to Supply?
Along with contemplating the drawbacks to changing simply the out of doors unit, it is also clever to weigh the advantages of a brand new system.
Upgrading the complete AC system (each the indoor and out of doors items) is a better funding, nevertheless, it provides the next advantages:
- Peak power effectivity and minimized utility payments
- Reliability that you simply gained’t run into restore prices or a system breakdown for years to return
- Reset guarantee coverages on the brand new system
- Optimum cooling efficiency and enhanced consolation throughout peak climate circumstances
If the affordability of a full AC system alternative is certainly one of your chief issues, be sure you discover all financing choices obtainable to you earlier than making a remaining resolution. A brand new air con system could also be extra financially accessible than you assume.
Making the Proper Name for Your Residence
By this level, it is best to have a great understanding that whereas changing simply the out of doors AC unit is feasible and the decrease short-term price of doing so is engaging, it’s not often the best choice.
The HVAC professionals at Mattioni have been serving to ship high quality, dependable cooling programs to householders for 3 generations. So, we all know that quick price financial savings will be very interesting. Nonetheless, a partial alternative of your AC system might solely prevent within the realm of $3,000 – $5,000, whereas resulting in hastened effectivity losses, greater utility payments, and future guarantee complications.
Furthermore, your future AC replacements will proceed to be offset, and also you’ll miss out on the benefits of a brand-new cooling system.
Choosing a full alternative, then again, will present your family with superior power effectivity, optimum cooling efficiency, and a reset in your warranties. Due to these long-term efficiency and financial savings advantages, a full system alternative is usually the smarter funding.
If you happen to’re nonetheless undecided which possibility is greatest in your scenario, it’s at all times a good suggestion to seek the advice of with a trusted HVAC skilled. They’ll have the ability to assess your system, clarify your choices, and show you how to make the best resolution to maintain your property cool and cozy for years to return.
The pleasant employees at Mattioni will be reached at (610) 400-8510 to reply any remaining questions. Or, you may guide a free in-home session instantly on-line.