Replacing Central Air Compressor
My house is 9 years old and the original equipment compressor of the Lennox central air conditioning unit just failed. The part is covered by warranty, but it will cost about $800 in labor to replace it.
Is it worth replacing just the compressor or, given the advancements in energy efficiency in recent years and the possibility that the failed compressor is a sign of more breakdowns to come, would it be better to replace the entire unit? If I get a new unit, would I also have to buy a new air handler (ouch!)?
–DFM, Litchfield County, CT.
Replies
Which refigerant did it use? What was the SEER of the old system? How did the old compressor fail? IIRC some failure modes can contaminate the reset of the system with an acid.
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
IIRC some failure modes can contaminate the reset of the system with an acid.
Compressor motor burn out.
It does have a 10 SEER rating. I don't know why the compressor failed. I have a second contractor coming today to check it out and provide a quote.
Our house is in a rural area so there are not so many contractors to choose from :=(
--DFM
The refigerant is R22, the old kind which I know is being phased out.
--DFM
Depending on the total cost that and the SEER pushes it more to a total replacement..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
wow! 800 to replace,thats why they give you a warranty,so they can nail ya with labor charges.
when a compressor bites the big one it can contaminate the system,but if you have a compent guy he will put filters in and pull a vac and should be good to go. really there isn't much else to go wrong,fan motor and a couple relays thats about it.
know that if you put in a new unit and leave the a coil it's the same as replacing just the compressor.
i think i'd tell the lennox guy to just drop you off that new compressor and your going to ebay it to help pay for a new unit.
you won't have to replace the air handler no matter.larry
if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?
At 9 yrs. your 1/2 way thru the average life of the unit. Being that old, I assume it to be a 10 SEER unit.
The new units now start with a 13 SEER rating (30% more efficient) and go up from there.
$800 parts and labor (less compressor) your at about twice the money it would cost in my area. Not to say you're getting stiffed if the service guys are doing it correctly.
If you do upgrade to a new system. You would need to change the inside evaporator also to properly match the system for peak performance. If the airhandler and coil is integral... then it has to go also.
I would get some bids on a new system and the comp. replacement from a couple of other contractors just to level the playing field.... then weigh the cost comparison.
Ray