If you're wondering whether it's worth replacing your air conditioner condenser, the answer depends on a few factors. If your unit is still under warranty or is less than 10 years old, it may be more cost-effective to replace the condenser instead of the entire system. However, if your air conditioner is 15 years old or older, it may be more beneficial to replace the entire unit.When it comes to units that use R-22 refrigerant, the decision is usually to replace the entire air conditioning unit rather than just the coil. If the evaporator coil fails and the air conditioner has a lower SEER rating, you may have difficulty finding a suitable replacement coil.
A common rule of thumb in the industry is that if your air conditioning unit is more than 8 years old, it may be more beneficial to replace the entire unit rather than a single component. The size of the unit, the spare part needed, and the type of condenser coil are all factors that influence the replacement cost of the air condenser. In addition, when a refrigerant leak occurs, it is often more cost-effective to completely replace the coil or the entire unit than to repair the leak and recharge the unit with more refrigerant (especially if the air conditioner contains R-22 refrigerant).Sometimes, you can replace just the AC capacitor coil without having to replace the entire outdoor capacitor unit. Under these circumstances, it is often more economical to replace the entire air conditioning unit with a model that uses a more economical and environmentally friendly refrigerant. If your air conditioner is about to turn 8 years old, investing in major repairs or parts replacement may not be a wise financial decision. For example, if you have a 12 SEER unit that needs to replace the evaporator coil, it's quite possible that the replacement 12 SEER coils for that model are obsolete and no longer being manufactured.
Compressors are the second most expensive condenser part to replace, so the total cost of replacing an AC capacitor depends in part on the type of compressor. We often recommend homeowners replace their entire air conditioner rather than just the condenser, but the cost of doing so can be quite high. If your air conditioner is about to run out, it may not be wise to spend money on replacing just one component when another major component could break down in the near future. If you want to learn more about replacing air conditioning units or talk about your air conditioning problems, don't hesitate to contact the experts at Paschal. They can help you decide whether replacing your AC condenser is worth it or if you should invest in a new system.
