King George, Va – When replacing the outdoor unit, should the indoor unit also be replaced?
The answer is most likely YES, but this is mainly due to four main reasons:
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Matched system design
All outdoor cooling units are specifically designed to work with matched indoor units for optimum efficiency and performance. Air conditioners and heat pumps may “work” with other indoor units, but the result is a definite compromise in overall system performance.
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Design advances
In recent years, indoor blower coil units have undergone numerous design advances—especially in the areas of air handling performance, filtering efficiency and operating sound levels. A new outdoor unit will also include the latest design advances.
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Higher cooling and heating efficiency
The cooling and/or heating efficiency rating assigned to a given air conditioner or heat pump is based on matched system performance. While you may gain higher efficiency by replacing only the outdoor unit, the efficiency levels (and savings) will not be as high as with a matched system.
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Equipment age
If an air conditioner or heat pump outdoor unit is 10 years old and needs to be replaced, the indoor unit is just as old and has been subjected to the same amount of wear and tear. Replacing both units means you won’t have to replace the indoor unit in a short time—you’ll have years of service from both units.
New warranty
A new unit also gives you a new product warranty. Replacing the indoor unit at the same time as the outdoor unit gives you added peace of mind, knowing the new warranty covers the entire system.
Cost savings
At first, replacing only an air conditioner or heat pump outdoor unit may appear to be a bargain. That is, until you consider the lower efficiency, decreased reliability and high cost of ownership associated with single-unit replacement. It may cost more to replace an entire system, but this gives you more efficiency, reliability and comfort.
