So, your air conditioner has finally quit. A technician found that the condenser (aka outdoor unit), needs to be replaced. The other main part – the evaporator – is still OK, so you’re tempted to just replace the condenser. Don’t do it.
Let me explain. There are two main parts in an air conditioner, the evaporator and the condenser. You’ve never seen the evaporator. It quietly sits inside the ductwork and absorbs heat from inside air into the refrigerant. The condenser sits outside of the house and looks like it’s doing all the work. Actually, it’s only doing half the job. The condenser squeezes heat out of the refrigerant into the outside air.
Parts of existing central air systems aren’t good at all at adjusting to each other’s needs. If the evaporator absorbs too much heat from the house, the condenser will overheat. If the evaporator doesn’t absorb enough heat, it will freeze. The only way make sure an air conditioner will work properly is to match its two main components – the evaporator and the condenser.
It’s fairly easy to match components when you install a new air conditioner, as you can see in this article:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Buying-An-Air-Conditioner?-The-ARI-Reference-Number-Is-Your-Best-Friend&id=620937 However, it’s much more difficult to match the components of aging systems. Virtually all the systems that may require condenser replacement today were designed to work in 6, 8, or 10 SEER air conditioners. All the air conditioners on the market today are 13 SEER and up. Good luck matching 10 SEER (or even 8 or 6 SEER) evaporator with 13 SEER condenser.
This is why; if you have to replace your old air conditioner, replace everything.
By: Boris Sherman
If you live in a climate that’s typically hot and muggy all year long, the last thing you want to happen is have your central unit suddenly stop working. Purchasing, or upgrading, air conditioners is a task to be taken seriously and you should always make it a habit to compare brands and prices and the warranties involved before making your final decision. You want your new unit to last for many years, not suddenly need servicing after only a couple of months. By taking the time to compare the pros and cons of the different brands on the market, you will be able to find a top quality unit that will fit within your budget.
Your first step when starting your research into which air conditioner you’ll eventually choose is looking at what’s called the Seasonal Energy Efficient Rating for each brand. The higher the number, the higher the efficiency of the unit. Make sure that you examine the features that come with each brand. Many brands offer features that aren’t specifically necessary to the function of the unit and those will cause the cost to be higher in the end.
Believe it or not, when it comes to air conditioners you’ll need to check and see what kind of refrigerant is being used. Make sure that it’s Puron instead of Freon, which depletes the ozone. Puron is EPA approved and will not make your air conditioner obsolete after you purchase it. Another important feature to examine before deciding between brands is the parts and labor warranties. Everyone knows that these units can be expensive to fix if anything should happen and you will need to make sure that all the necessary parts and any labor involved in repairs is covered for at least 5 to 10 years.
And finally, the best thing you can do before making your purchase is to get a brand, whether it’s Mitsubishi or Amana, that’s Energy Star rated. Those brands that are not energy star rated will be considerably more expensive to operate than those brands that are rated. When you have a unit that’s energy star rated, it saves you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars a year on your electricity bill. A definite bonus if you live in a hot climate where you need to run your A/C continuously.
By: Rajesh Karavadia