If either your interior or outdoor air conditioning unit needs to be replaced, you might wonder if the tonnage of the two units should be the same. It may be less expensive to install a smaller unit, but will it work? Can the indoor and outdoor units have various tonnages? Many people know that an air conditioner has two parts: an interior and an outside unit. This may persuade homeowners to save money by replacing one with a different tonnage unit. Experts for air conditioning installation in Aransas pass say that this is not a good idea, despite the immediate savings.
Is It Possible to Mix Various Tonnage Inside and Outdoor Air Conditioners?
- Combining a larger outside unit with a smaller interior unit: a 2 ton outdoor unit with a 1.5-ton indoor unit.
A 2-ton AC outdoor unit will extract heat from a large air volume, significantly lowering the temperature and pushing this enormous volume to the indoor AC for distribution into the home. If the inside air conditioner has a 1.5-ton capacity, it will struggle to keep up with the increased volume of air coming from the outdoor unit. This can lead to various problems with air conditioners.
- Fans of the indoor unit will struggle.
- The interior unit is being iced up.
- The AC’s SEER rating will be affected.
- Have an impact on your electric bill.
- Increases the wear and tear on the indoor unit, reducing its useful life.
- Combining a lower-tonnage outside unit with a higher-tonnage indoor unit: A 1.5-ton outdoor unit and a 2-ton indoor unit.
The outdoor AC unit in this arrangement has a smaller capacity than the indoor AC unit. Air conditioning contractors in Aransas pass say that the lower-powered outside unit might not be able to provide enough airflow for the indoor unit to work correctly. The excessive demand from the indoor unit can cause the coils on the outside unit to freeze over, causing it to stop working. Some installers would install this type of mismatched AC pair and alter refrigerant pressures and levels to compensate for the power discrepancy.
Why are Installers Hesitant to Accept These Projects?
- Incompatibilities with refrigerants: AC units with different power ratings may use other refrigerants to reach their cooling volume. This can cause refrigerant incompatibilities between indoor and outdoor units, resulting in pipe and valve difficulties.
- Electronic incompatibilities: The electronics and connectors in one unit may not be compatible with others.
- Higher installation costs: The labor required to “jimmy” the two systems together may be more costly.
- Void warranties: Installing mismatched tonnage units can void any applicable warranties if any units are under warranty.
- Nullified insurance claims: Insurance claims for damage to the air conditioning system may be void if the insurance assessor uncovers a mismatched, non-standard installation.
While it is possible to install indoor and outdoor AC units with different tonnages, this is not a recommended solution by Temperature Humidity Air Quality Solutions. If you can’t afford a new installation due to a cash flow issue, ask us for reasonable pricing options. Contact us at 361-877-5072 or drop us a mail here to schedule an appointment with air conditioning contractors in Aransas pass.
