Replace or Repair

First, this site does not allow pricing questions. However, in trying to help you, I suggest you get 3 or 4 estimates from reputable contractors on replacement. Get bids from each contractor on several levels of equipment ( good, better, best). Hopefully, you can find one within your budget & will have a new matched system. If your annual cooling costs are not all that high, perhaps a 13 SEER standard model will fit your budget & will be economically feasible.

 

Replacing the compressor on a unit of that age wouldnt even be an option i would give the customer. Thats just me. If theyinsisted id tell em to call bubba gump down the road. At the very least replace the whole condensor but your best bet is to replace the entire system. Wow xxxx.xx for a comp changeout? I need to move to Florida!

 

17 years is a long life for a heat pump. You could just replace the compressor, but a year from now it might also take a dive and you'll be out of warranty and out more $$$. It takes a lot of diligence to replace a failed compressor so the replacement also will not fail a short time later. You are at the mercy of the skill and level of due diligence of the one changing that compressor.

You can replace just the outdoor section, but with 13 SEER being the norm now, placing a 13 SEER outdoor section on an indoor air handler and coil not rated for 13 SEER, particularly a heat pump, may be asking for problems. If the replacement outdoor section uses R410A (Puron), there's no question. New indoor section with matched coil, new lineset, new outdoor section.

If I lived in Florida, the comfort level of my house would hold a very high priority. I take it seriously enough living here in Texas. Get the job done right so you sleep well at night and your house is a delight to be in during a hot, humid day.

 

Replace both the indoor and outdoor units,go with Puron(Carrier Trademark)/R410a .

See www.410a.com

Carrier trademarked Puron,which is exactly the same as R410a,they just have a miilion or so more installs with it then anyone else.

 

I apologize for using prices in my original post. They weren't presented as part of the question, but for informational purposes only. Sorry for the unintentional goof.

Thanks for all your contributions. I do have one question, though, and that's regarding condenser replacement. IF I was to replace the complete condenser assembly with a brand-new 10 SEER R-22 unit, would that be a close enough match to the current system to work - and work properly? I understand the risks inherent in mismatching components, SEER's, and refrigerant types, but how mismatched would the proposed setup actually be?

Thanks again.

Bill

 

Close your eyes and roll the dice, that's as close as you can come to ever knowing how a new heat pump is going to operate with an existing indoor coil.

How do you know that something about the condition of the indoor unit didn't cause the outdoor unit to fail? Yes; this is a common occurance.

As a technical rep for more then one equipment manufacturer who has seen hundreds of failed systems, I have to say that the number one reason for system failure is having a new outdoor unit installed with an existing indoor coil.

 

SEVERAL FANS and a few DEHumidifiers ought to WORK.

 

hehe.

 

Some one is cleaning out old over stock, They quit making 10 seer equip. in jan. of last year. go with 13 seer or better.Don't get who dooded.

 

A heat pump is not the outdoor unit, a heat pump is the system including the indoor coil, piping and outdoor unit all together. Rplacing the outdoor part of a heat pump will result in not only poor performance, but will likely not work. The volumes of refrigerant used in a 13 SEER HP is likely more than that 9.5 SEER unit. Since in heating mode the indoor coil becomes the condenser, there will not be enough room in the system for the liquid refrigerant resulting in a charge imbalnce.

If you insist on changing the outdoor unit only, then install an AC unit, add a TXV to the indoor coil, expect performance, capacity and reliability losses and let the electric heat do the work in winter because a HP will not work.

In fact at least one manufacuterer of equipment has stepped up and limited the warranty from 10 years to 2 years on mismatched equipment. Sooner or later the others will likely follow with only a few holdouts (the lower end brands) using it as an opportunity to increase market share with little regard to future costs incurred. Short term stuff makes share holders happy, they know they can get out after making some money.

 

A heat pump is not the outdoor unit, a heat pump is the system including the indoor coil, piping and outdoor unit all together. Replacing the outdoor part of a heat pump will result in not only poor performance, but will likely not work. The volumes of refrigerant used in a 13 SEER HP is likely more than that 9.5 SEER unit. Since in heating mode the indoor coil becomes the condenser, there will not be enough room in the system for the liquid refrigerant resulting in a charge imbalance.

Thanks for the reply, Doc. I also appreciate you giving me a some solid information I can use instead of some snarky reply like dehumidifiers and fans (from a fellow Floridian, yet). Any experience I have in this area is limited to conventional refrigeration equipment and dates back some 35 years and probably expired shortly after my R.S.E.S. membership did. As I admitted in my original post I'm totally out of my element with heat pumps.

When I was suggesting replacing the entire outside unit I was hoping if I could find a dealer with an old-stock 10 SEER R-22 condenser unit that it would be close enough to the original and to the air handler to be a decent match. If my thinking's out of whack on this, then I'll have to give up on the idea.

I recognize that the best way to go is with matched components (especially for you pros out there wanting to minimize callbacks), but the expense of a whole new system and the relocation of the air handler are major problems for us. I'm just a working stiff trying to get all the information I need to get this all fixed and working properly in the most cost-effective way possible. I thought this would be a good place to get that information. Sorry if some of you find my questions stupid, unreasonable, or intolerable.

Bill

 

Get a Coleman

 

you have NO choice but to replace everything. your old 9 seer airhandler wont work worth squat witha 14 seer condensor and nobody wants a 10 seer cause in a few more years when you replace the airhandler it wont work worth squat with an antique 10 seer condenser! spendind any money now in fla on anything that is not 13 seer compatible is money down a rat hole. you must have an ashrae matched seer system to improve energy consumption or at least be assured that your consumption should go down, awful easy to take the short road now but that old 10 seer cond is going to look pretty crummy when you have to match a big time expensive ultra efficient airhandler to it and reap no benefit in a few more years. remember the 10 stuff is outlawed infla now so there wont be any 10 airhandlers around in two or three more years, only the high dollar maxed out stuff.

 

First off, this really ticks me off, when I do a google search on replacement prices for a heat pump system or compressor asa way of comparison - and THIS site shows up FIRST, and claims to be the #1 HVACR site. WHY ARE YOU BLOCKING OUT THE PRICES?????? WTF???? This is the ultimate question that anyone would first have when needing this work to be done, HOW MUCH??? This is all I want to know and you flat out BLOCK the NUMBERS on PRICES????? FRUSTRATING!!!!!!

since this is an informational site, and it's dedicated to assisting homeowners with problem solving, and such, not DIY or Pricing. also, Price is TOTALLY dependent on the area being serviced.
we can assist you on WHAT to ask for from a contractor to get the best price, and the best comfort conditioning in your home. The price I would give one of my customers in my area of service is unlikely to be what you'd get from a contractor in your area.

 

First off, this really ticks me off, when I do a google search on replacement prices for a heat pump system or compressor asa way of comparison - and THIS site shows up FIRST, and claims to be the #1 HVACR site. WHY ARE YOU BLOCKING OUT THE PRICES?????? WTF???? This is the ultimate question that anyone would first have when needing this work to be done, HOW MUCH??? This is all I want to know and you flat out BLOCK the NUMBERS on PRICES????? FRUSTRATING!!!!!![/]

AOP forum is obviously not the area you will get any response.
Have you read the rule Yet?

I'll tell you how much ... elsewhere.
Starting with .. how deep are your pockets and ...
Jus kiddin'.

 

Old thread revived, thread closed.