Cost to Replace Air Handler and Condenser

Air Conditioning & Heating units have become an essential part of our day-to-day life. We cannot even think of our life without them. Considering the extreme weather in Australia, these units are lifesavers. Can you imagine going to a shopping mall that doesn’t have an Air Conditioning System? Exactly! We cannot either.

The Air Conditioning Units are comprised of several parts that work together to create the desired atmosphere in our homes. One such part is an Air Handler.

What is an Air Handler?

An Air Handler, or air handling unit is a device that works to manage and circulate the air as part of a ventilating, heating, or air conditioning system. It operates to keep the temperature of your home comfortable throughout the year. As the name suggests, the Air Handler “handles” the air inside your home to deliver warm or cool air throughout your home.

An Air Handler is the main indoor component of any HVAC system. It is designed to efficiently circulate the conditioned air throughout your home. Depending on the season, the circulated air can be either cool or hot.

Parts of an Air Handler

An Air Handler is comprised of the following parts:

• Evaporator Coil
• Blower Motor
• Air Supply & Return Air Plenum
• Air Filter
• Electronic Components

1) Evaporator Coil

The Evaporator Coil is an important part of the refrigeration cycle. During summer, when you require cool air inside your home, the coil becomes cold and as the air passes over it, the coil makes the air cooler and removes humidity from it. This cold air is then blown throughout the home to make decrease the rising temperature.

During the winter, when you are in need of warm air inside your home, the coil turns warm and passes on the heat to the air that passes over it. This warm air is then sent back inside your home to make it feel warmer.

2) Blower Motor

The Blower Motor is another important component of the Air Handler that operates by moving the air to the connected ductwork to spread it into your home. The Blower Motor has the following speed models:

• Single Speed: This speed model only allows the blower motor to operate at one fixed speed.
• Multi-Speed: This Speed model enables the blower motor to operate and several speeds based on the demand. Keeping the blower motor at 100% would result in the blower motor meeting the high-demand thermostat or control system setting. A low-stage demand will reduce the speed of the blower motor eventually being more energy efficient.
• Variable Speed: This speed model changes the speeds of the blower motor to sharply control the flow of cool or warm air throughout your home depending upon your comfort requirements. This type of speed motor can help control the humidity levels in your home and achieve a consistent temperature.

3) Air Supply & Return Air Plenum Connections

The ductwork is connected to the air handler through a plenum to supply the conditioned warm or cool air throughout the house and to return the air to the air handler that needs to be heated or cooled again.

4) Filter

Before entering the ductwork, the air-conditioned or heated air has to pass through an air filter to reduce the number of dust particles and other harmful contaminants that could be circulating in your home to enter the ductwork and accumulate to harm the indoor components of your HVAC system.

5) Electronic Components

An Air Handler can come with some optional Electronic Components that can work to enhance the level of indoor comfort.

Cost of replacing an Air Handler

If for some reason, your Air Handler is not working as it should and has encountered some technical issues, you may consider getting it checked or even replaced. The cost of getting your Air Handler replaced depends upon the unit and your requirements. If you are looking to get a quote for this, consider contacting our highly experienced team at DGB Refrigeration Heating & Cooling by dialing 03 7038 6918 and get a no-obligation quote for the supply and installation of a new Air Handler. 

What is a Condenser?

A Condenser is the outdoor unit of an Air Conditioner or Heat Pump that operates by either collecting the heat or releasing it depending upon the selected mode of the unit. It is an essential part of any HVAC system and its purpose is to take in the refrigerant gas at a high pressure which is emitted by the compressor and convert it back into liquid form. The refrigerant gas is cooled down to condense at a constant temperature and pressure.

How does it work?

The Condenser unit operates on the principle of heat transfer. The condenser unit goes through the following phases:

• Desuperheating
• Condensation
• Sub-Cooling State

Desuperheating

In this phase, heat is ejected from the superheated and super pressurized vapors entering the condenser unit. This removal of heat transforms the vapors into a liquid state. This is the initial cooling process.

Condensation

During the Condensation phase, more heat is removed from the refrigerant and the refrigerant is roughly 10% vapor and 90% liquid.

Sub-Cooling State

This is the last phase which ensures that even the rising temperatures cannot bring the liquid refrigerant back into vapors.

Parts of Condenser

A condenser unit comprises the following parts:

• Condenser Coil
• Compressor
• Condenser Fan

1) Condenser Coil

The Condenser Coil is usually made of Copper tubing with Aluminium fins or all Aluminium tubing to quickly enable the transfer of heat.

2) Compressor

The compressor works like the heart of the entire system since it operates to compress the refrigerant and pumps it to a coil in the form of a hot gas.

3) Condenser Fan

The Condenser Fan is an important component that passes around the air across the coil and facilitates the transfer of heat.

Cost of Replacing the Condenser

With usage, just like any other item, the condenser unit can also run into some issues and would require proper maintenance or even replacement in worst-case scenarios. The cost of replacing the Condenser unit varies based on the model of the unit and your requirements. Here at DGB Refrigeration Heating & Cooling, we can test your condenser unit for any underlying faults that would require immediate attention and resolve the issues if the unit is fixable. If the unit is broken beyond repair, we can provide you with a supply & install quote for the condenser unit. All you have to do is grab your phone and dial 03 7038 6918 to book an appointment. We will be with you as soon as we possibly can.