If your split-system AC is failing or needs repair, it’s important to know that both components in the system must be properly matched for efficient operation. In most cases, especially if the system is more than a few years old, you can’t safely upgrade or replace only one component, but must upgrade both to keep the system operating properly.
Split-System AC Components
Your split system is made up of an indoor unit, which contains the coil, and an outdoor unit, which contains the condenser. In the short term, replacing just one of these components may seem easier financially. However, in the long term this choice will cost you in reduced comfort, efficiency loss of up to 30 percent and quite possibly the premature failure of your cooling system due to excessive stress.
Your Split-System AC – Why the Sides Must Match
To ensure greater comfort and energy savings in the long run, install a new, properly matched system in your Dover home the first time around. To help lower your costs, federal tax credits are available, and rebates from your local utility company may also be available, on high efficiency systems. There are many reasons the sides must match, including:
- SEER – the SEER rating is the cooling output provided by your split-system AC. The higher the number, the more efficient the system is and the less electricity it uses. The minimum SEER required today is 13. In systems installed prior to 2006, SEER typically does not meet the federal minimum of 13, requiring contractors to replace the entire system to ensure the right match and proper function.
- Refrigerant – due to the Clean Air Act, the EPA has mandated the phaseout of R-22 refrigerant by 2020. A more environmentally friendly refrigerant, R410-A, is being used in newer systems. R410-A is not compatible with older systems. Replacing only part of the split A/C system in your Martinsburg home can damage the system.
To ensure a proper match of your split-system AC, contact a NATE-certified professional at Griffith Energy Services. We have been offering affordable, easy replacement of air conditioners in the Mid-Atlantic region for over 100 years.
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Written by Kevin Spain
