Replace entire air handler or just the evaporator coil?

[nuttycretian]

Outside: 7 year old - 2.5 ton / 13 SEER condenser unit.

Inside (attic): 20 year old air handler. No idea if the evaporator coil inside it is as old or if it was replaced subsequently.

Problem: Air is flowing fine, but unit is not cooling.

Diagnosis: Total refrigerant loss (No pressure in the system - running on vacuum).

HVAC company pressurized it with nitrogen to see if it retains pressure - it did not. They are recommending I replace the entire air handler unit. (the outside condenser unit looks ok).

Is this overkill? Do I really need to replace the ENTIRE air handler or will just replacing the evaporator coil do? (this is doubly puzzling because my house has another level with a separate, also 20 year old air handler AND a 20 year old external condenser unit, which are working fine!)

Also what is the very rough of cost of replacing (parts+labor) an entire air handler? I was quoted $***** which has me questioning my existence. (I was thinking around $*****)

Pricing is not allowed by forum rules. Please refrain from adding them to your post - Thanks.

[rider77]

You failed to mention if they verified the leak was in the coil.

[BaldLoonie]

The first registered owner, if you meet both criteria, has a 10 parts warranty which would make for changing the coil to be less.

Sad to say, the stuff these days doesn't hold up.

[mgenius33]

I would say go for the coil. The equipment is going to be changing in the next couple years. So, locking yourself into 410a is not the best idea unless you have to.
I can't see pricing, but it takes significantly more labor to install an entire air handler than it does a coil. If the prices are similar, then it's going to be a crap installation done in a couple hours. In order to install an air handler properly, ducting transitions are the most time consuming. Then you have a new drain pan, electrical, float switches, dealing with insulation, etc. Much easier to swap an exact match coil. I would be looking at 8 hrs. on an air handler, opposed to 3.5 hours labor on a coil replacement. The cost on air handler replacement coils is absolutely ridiculous. In many cases it's double the cost of what a brand new boxed coil would be for a furnace. While the cost is still high, it's about 2/3 the cost of the entire air handler. That said, I'm about 1/2 the cost to replace a coil opposed to an air handler.

[R600a]

I would say go for the coil. The equipment is going to be changing in the next couple years. So, locking yourself into 410a is not the best idea unless you have to.
I can't see pricing, but it takes significantly more labor to install an entire air handler than it does a coil. If the prices are similar, then it's going to be a crap installation done in a couple hours. In order to install an air handler properly, ducting transitions are the most time consuming. Then you have a new drain pan, electrical, float switches, dealing with insulation, etc. Much easier to swap an exact match coil. I would be looking at 8 hrs. on an air handler, opposed to 3.5 hours labor on a coil replacement. The cost on air handler replacement coils is absolutely ridiculous. In many cases it's double the cost of what a brand new boxed coil would be for a furnace. While the cost is still high, it's about 2/3 the cost of the entire air handler. That said, I'm about 1/2 the cost to replace a coil opposed to an air handler.

What if the coil is several hundred dollars more expensive than the whole air handler? It's not uncommon for it to be that way.

[ss120396]

Are you sure the coil is even still available for a 20 year old air handler? That was the days of 10 SEER equipment, which was phased out back in 2006 - many coils of that era are no longer manufactured.

[mgenius33]

What if the coil is several hundred dollars more expensive than the whole air handler? It's not uncommon for it to be that way.

Yeah, I agree that's an issue in some cases.