Are You Thinking Of Replacing Part Of Your
Air Conditioning System?
Do You Have A Friend Or Neighbor Who Is?
Please Consider Carefully!!!

The Florida Building Commission (FBC) has ruled that mismatched systems are now illegal!

What does mis-matched mean?  Glad you asked!  Sometimes we might be tempted to try to change only the outdoor unit of our air conditioning system to save money.  This idea has demonstrated time and time again to be a "loser" for the consumer!

Want more information? You can view the complete article by clicking on the link below. www.4seasonsac.com.  If you want to see some technical language, but I'll try to summarize the facts below, kind of a Reader's Digest version, if you will.

Remember when we discussed the 2006 Energy Code requirement of 13 SEER minimum efficiency when replacement  equipment?  SEER is Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (or Rating), a rating of an air conditioning system's efficiency using electricity while removing heat (which we call cooling). There is a good chance your 6 to 10-year old system is an 8 or 10 SEER.  If the outside unit (condensing unit or CU) dies, you shouldn't try to replace only it with today's 13 or higher SEER CU.  We have consistently counseled against doing this because you will not be able to get the efficiency you want from your system, and a mis-match will also shorten the life expectancy of the CU.  Now the FBC has said it is illegal to mis-match equipment.

A word of clarification here, it is OK to mix-match the two pieces of equipment on a split-system air conditioner system, such as have a Trane inside unit (air handler or AH) and a Carrier CU, as long as they are an operational match that meets the minimum SEER rating.  We try not to mix-match, and the manufacturers don't care for it at all, but sometimes it is necessary.

So what does all this mean to you, the consumer?  If one part of your air conditioning system quits and it doesn't make economical sense to repair it, you should not ask to replace only the dead piece of equipment with one that is not rated at the same SEER, nor should you allow a contractor or repair person to tell you that it is OK.  Why?

• You will not get the efficiency (energy savings) that you are paying for.
• The life expectancy of the new equipment will be dramatically reduced.
• The system will not deliver the cooling you want without seasonal adjustments to the refrigerant charge to compensate for cool or hot weather (possibly $100's each time).
• Building Inspectors will be looking for mis-matches, your building inspection will fail, and you will be required to comply with the energy code, so you might as well install a matched system to being with.

I don't suppose you noticed that I kept underlining system.  System is underlined to that you will always think of your split system air conditioner as a system, with three important parts; a CU, an AH, and the air ducts that deliver cool air to your home and remove humid warm air.  4-Seasons experts will never suggest a system that does not consider all three components, nor will they try to violate codes.

They will look out for your best inerest.

**Information contained in this article was supplied by the HVAC Insider, column written by Bob Cochell, a FRACCA Board member.  For more information please visit www.fracca.org.

To view the original article please click here