Heat Pump - repair or replace, SEER?, Puron?

[bshire]

My 18 year old 3 ton Bryant heat pump is failing, but still runs. I am told the internal valves in the compressor are leaking and the compressor will not produce enough pressure. The oudoor coil is in good condition, the fan motor is 4 years old. The air handler is in a tight area between the ceiling and roof, and will be difficult to replace. The line set runs inside the interior walls. New line set will have to be run outside.House is a 2nd home used mostly in summer in Delaware, Temp. = summer high = 100, winter low = 20.
Which Option would you recommend?
A.. Replace only the R22 compressor ($1K) and wait until the airhandler or something else fails to replace with a higher SEER Puron complete system.
B. Replace the outdoor unit with a R22 12 SEER unit ($3K) and later replace air handler with a matching unit when it fails.
C. Install new complete Puron SEER 14 system ($6K). Does Puron require new line sets?
Thank you. :?

[roger g]

At 18 years old I would replace everything, lines, insulation, outside and inside unit then everything is warrantied together. Why not a R22 system instead of a Puron. I haven't installed for awhile but that 6K seems a tad high but it might be right.



roger

[Sparks]

Replace everything all at once. And, yes Puron requires new line sets otherwise you will likely contaminate the refrigerant (Puron is extremely hygroscopic (readily absorbs moisture).

[rabadger]

I agree. Replace all of it. If you go with Puron the new oil and old oil will not mix. If you go with R22 you could still have contaminated old oil in the line set.

If you just replace the compressor you will only get one year of factory warranty on the compressor itself. Now you have to worry about all the other parts on a 18 year old machine.

Compressor oil travels through the system with the refrigerant. By replacing the line set you are avoiding that possibility. You are better off replacing the entire system.

[Sparks]

You should also consider your electric bill which should be lower with a high efficiency unit versus an 18 year old dinosaur :) Sinking big bucks into something like that is usually never a good idea, almost inevitably, something else will fail soon, possibly your new compressor as soon as the warranty expires. ( The failure rate for replacement FIELD INSTALLED compressors is high- alot is dependent on the quality of work and knowledge of the service technician )

[rabadger]

Amen to that Sparks!