10 seer condenser with 13 seer evaporator coil?

Payne 2.5 ton unit
split system - furnace in the attic

We were told our evaporator coil had a freon leak and needed to be replaced. A "sniffer" was used to determine the leak and it made a very loud beeping noise. He also saw oil which appears to be common with a freon leak. We were told the best thing to do is replace the 10 seer with a 13 seer coil so that if we need to replace the condenser in the future they would match. If we replaced with a 10 seer - we would have to replace again if we need to replace the condenser in the future.

Are there any issues with replacing the evaporator coils so that they have a different seer?

 

You dont say how old the unit is. Are how much you have to run the AC.But with a 10 seer in there now. With what power costs are and will be. Id go all new . Coils and condenser with a seer of 15 or better and be done with it. Get 3 bids for the job

 

The unit is 9 years old. It has run just fine until now. We live in Georgia - so run it frequently during the summer. The upstairs and downstairs run on separate units....the one with the leak is upstairs. We were trying to keep the cost down and since we haven't had issues before - felt it might have a bit more life in it. If we just repair it and put in a 13 seer evaporator coil will it cause us problems? Will we run into problems when we decide to replace the outside unit in the future and it's compatibility with the indoor unit? Can you replace just the outside unit?

Thanks!

 

My next door neighbor had a central A/C put in a number of years ago. After 6 years he had a freon leak. The installer was a relative and after several trips to fix the leak, he ended up not being able to do so. The owner ended up replacing the entire system, I assume at extra cost (i.e. repairs plus new system).

Mine is acting up and I have obtained two quotes for a replacement. Both reps I had come over so far told me to go with a new system (which I was thinking about doing anyway) for the following reasons:

1) My system is a 3-ton 12 SEER Bryant installed 18-19 years ago and never had any problems until now. Because of its age, the back plates of the above furnace coil are rusting and shedding particles that clog up the drain tube, thus flooding the furnace below. I have been told that the new crop of evaporators are made of aluminum instead of steel and the drain pan is a plastic/composition material, so rusting should be a thing of the past.

2) New A/C units are quite cost efficient at SEER 14, which qualifies for rebates in some locales and will save electricity (about 7% per SEER number increase).

3) The age of the system makes it difficult to find the freon leaks/leaks which can be quite slow. These can be at any connection, at the tap, at the evaporator, etc. etc. Getting a tight system again from an old one is not an easy task (i.e. my neighbor's is a good example). The compressor may also not be as efficient anymore because of 19 years of wear.

So far I am inclined to go with a new Amana system. Better price than Bryant and better warranty. Beware of American Standard units with aluminum piping.
But I am getting further quotes as prices seem to fluctuate up to 50%! Seems like prices shouldn't be much more than I paid 18-19 years ago, only a slight increase to go up two SEER points.

My suggestion to you, in light of what I have found out, is go with a complete new replacement.

Good luck.

 

If you want cheap upfront cost, replace just the coil. The 13 seer evap coil will work just fine with a 10 seer condenser.
If you replace the system, you will get the other benefits already mentioned.

 

Thanks for the replies!! It is going to cost us $850 plus freon to put in a new evaporator coil. No idea what a new system would cost?

If we end up needing a new system....will we have to replace the new coil as well?

Thanks for the help!