The coils of your split-system A/C may be physically separated, but they are a matched pair designed to work together for maximum efficiency and comfort. While the condenser coil and compressor are housed in the outdoor cabinet in the backyard or beside the house, the evaporator coil and air handler are indoors in a closet or the attic. When upgrading an A/C, some homeowners may receive bad advice and attempt to replace only the outdoor components in order to cut costs. The result is no bargain. A split-system A/C with unmatched, mixed components delivers poor efficiency, diminished performance and shortened service life.
Here are some reasons to make sure your HVAC provider replaces both sides of a split-system A/C:
Coils are meant to have matching specifications. When a new condenser coil engineered for a downsized system is installed but the existing evaporator coil is not replaced, the smaller condenser may not convey enough refrigerant to support evaporator function. The heat absorption and humidity extraction functions of the evaporator coil decline while operating costs rise. Diminished refrigerant flow also starves the compressor of lubricant, increasing the potential for expensive damage
Conversely, when the new condenser coil’s too large for the existing evaporator coil, system efficiency declines precipitously. Usually, the motivation for upgrading an A/C is to receive the benefits of increased SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) performance. In this dysfunctional, mismatched system, however, the best-case scenario for the homeowner is no SEER improvement. In some cases, the “upgraded” system may deliver SEER performance that’s actually worse than the system it’s replacing.
Another reason to make sure both sides of an A/C upgrade match is refrigerant incompatibility. The older coil may be designed to utilize R-22 refrigerant, now being phased out of the market. Meanwhile, the new coil will definitely be engineered for its replacement , R-410A. Neither coil will function correctly with refrigerant designed for the other half.
Bill Joplin’s Air Conditioning & Heating keeps McKinney and surrounding areas comfortable in all seasons. Call and let us make sure your split-system A/C upgrade includes matched components for proper performance and efficiency.
