How to Quote an AC Condenser Replacement

Quote a condenser as part of a matched system, not as a box outside. The new outdoor unit has to work with the indoor coil, the line set and the air handler. Often the honest answer to "can we just do the outside" is no.

The customer says "replace the AC unit." They mean the outdoor part. But you are quoting a decision about the whole system.

Before you give a number, the walkthrough has to settle 4 things:

• The tonnage, and whether it was right in the first place.
• The age of the indoor coil, and the refrigerant it was built for.
• The condition and length of the line set, the copper lines between the two units.
• The electrical supply to the outdoor unit.

Do not just match the nameplate on the old unit. It is the most common mistake in the trade.

• The old unit may have been too big from day one.
• The house may have new windows or insulation since.
• A unit that is too big turns on and off too often. It never dries the air well, and it dies young.

The right answer is a Manual J load calculation. It is the standard way to size heating and cooling for a house. Software does it in about 20 minutes. It uses the square footage, the direction the house faces, the windows and the insulation.

Put the result on the quote. Nobody else who quoted the job did one, and it is the most convincing line on the page.

Then check that the ducts can move the air the new unit needs. Small return ducts are the second most common reason a new system disappoints. That is not the condenser's fault.

New home systems now use newer refrigerants that are easier on the climate. Older indoor coils were built for the previous kind, and the two do not mix.

So an outdoor-only swap on an older system is one of two things. One is a like-for-like unit, which may be hard to find. The other is a matched system with a new indoor coil. The quote has to say which.

• The indoor coil: if it is as old as the condenser, quote a new one. A new outdoor unit on a tired coil is a callback waiting to happen.
• The line set: a flush is the minimum. Replace it when the run is long, kinked or too small. Replace it, too, when it runs inside a wall, where a leak is hard to find.
• Recovery and disposal: the law says you recover the old refrigerant, never vent it. The tech doing it must be EPA certified. Give it its own line on the quote, because it is real time.

The new unit's nameplate lists the wire size it needs and the largest breaker it allows. Check them against the existing breaker, disconnect and wiring. A bigger unit on the old wiring is not a shortcut. It is a code violation. If the wiring has to change, put it on the quote as an electrical line.

The pad is a small line, but customers notice when it is missing. Quote a new one if the old pad is cracked or sunken.

Most places require a mechanical permit and an inspection for this job. Pass the fee through at cost, and include the time to meet the inspector.

Some jobs are better turned down. Walking away from these three is not lost revenue. It is the callback, the bad review and the warranty claim you never have to eat.

• The customer wants only the outside unit, on a coil and line set that cannot support it. They still want it after you explain why. Put the matched system in writing, decline the partial job, and let them keep your quote.
• The load calculation says the ducts cannot deliver the air, and they do not want duct work. Quote the duct fix, or a smaller unit. A quote that ignores it is a callback you will pay for.
• The electrical service is maxed out, and they want it "figured out later." Later is your name on the permit.