To the casual eye, your split air-conditioning system appears to be two distinctly separate units. The outdoor component, consisting of the compressor and the condenser coil hums out in the backyard or next to the house while the indoor air handler and evaporator operate inside behind closed doors or up in the attic. Not only are the two sides of the system physically separate, they seem to be unrelated. When upgrading your split air-conditioning system on a budget, replacing half of the components while leaving the existing half in place has a certain appeal.
Unfortunately, this kind of frugality could cost you big bucks, not to mention your home comfort. Here are a few reasons why a split air-conditioning system should always be upgraded as a single unit:
- 1990s components and 21st century technology don’t mix. Parts throughout your air conditioner are engineered to function as a matched set. Advances in cooling technology over the past decade or more make most parts of existing units obsolete and incompatible with the latest equipment. When a cutting edge compressor is paired with an old-school evaporator coil, for example, the result is performance and efficiency that belongs to the bad old days.
- Components not designed for each other don’t operate in mechanical harmony. The mismatch could result in increased wear and tear and even early failure of very expensive constituents. In addition, any manufacturer’s warranties in force won’t be after you mix new components with old.
- If your air conditioner is 10 years old or more, it’s probably engineered for R-22 refrigerant, now rapidly being phased out. All new components are designed for its more environmentally-friendly replacement, R-410A. These two refrigerants are completely incompatible with one another so if any part of the system is replaced, all parts must be.
In the Wabash Valley, Paitson Bros. Heating & Air Conditioning has been looking out for the comfort and efficiency of homeowners since 1922. If you’re upgrading a split air-conditioning system, contact us to make sure your getting an all-new replacement, not just half.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Terre Haute, Indiana about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about split air-conditioning systems and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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