Should You Replace The Indoor Unit When Replacing The Outdoor Unit?
Should you replace the indoor unit when replacing the outdoor unit? Typically, yes. To understand why, explore the reasons listed below.
Why Should You Replace The Indoor Unit?
- Matched System Design: All air conditioner and heat pump outdoor units are specifically designed to work with matching indoor units for optimum efficiency and performance. The result of this matched system is a coordinated, top-performance team that ensures the dependability and high efficiency that today’s applications require. Air conditioner and heat pump outdoor units may “work” with indoor units other than those for which they have been specifically designed. However, the result is a definite compromise in system performance.
- Design Advances: Through the 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.
- Higher Cooling and Heating Efficiency: The cooling and/or heating efficiency ratings that are advertised for an air conditioner or heat pump are based on their performance as matched systems. While changing only the outdoor unit may result in improved efficiency compared to the old system, it will not be as efficient as it was designed to be and your savings will be lower than with a matched system.
- 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 the near future. You can count on 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 results in peace of mind, as you will know the new warranty covers the entire system.
- A Bargain?: At first glance, replacing only the air conditioner or heat pump outdoor unit may appear to be a bargain. But when you consider the lower cooling and heating efficiencies, decreased reliability, and the high cost of ownership that results, it’s not such a bargain after all! Replacing an entire air conditioner or heat pump system costs more, but you get more in the end: efficiency, reliability, and comfort.
