So, your air conditioner has finally quit. A technician found that the condenser (aka outdoor unit), needs to be replaced. The other main part - the evaporator - is still OK, so you're tempted to just replace the condenser. Don't do it.
Let me explain. There are two main parts in an air conditioner, the evaporator and the condenser. You've never seen the evaporator. It quietly sits inside the ductwork and absorbs heat from inside air into the refrigerant. The condenser sits outside of the house and looks like it's doing all the work. Actually, it's only doing half the job. The condenser squeezes heat out of the refrigerant into the outside air.
Parts of existing central air systems aren't good at all at adjusting to each other's needs. If the evaporator absorbs too much heat from the house, the condenser will overheat. If the evaporator doesn't absorb enough heat, it will freeze. The only way make sure an air conditioner will work properly is to match its two main components - the evaporator and the condenser.
It's fairly easy to match components when you install a new air conditioner, as you can see in this article:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Buying-An-Air-Conditioner?-The-ARI-Reference-Number-Is-Your-Best-Friend&id=620937 However, it's much more difficult to match the components of aging systems. Virtually all the systems that may require condenser replacement today were designed to work in 6, 8, or 10 SEER air conditioners. All the air conditioners on the market today are 13 SEER and up. Good luck matching 10 SEER (or even 8 or 6 SEER) evaporator with 13 SEER condenser.
This is why; if you have to replace your old air conditioner, replace everything.
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