How Much Does AC Coil Replacement Cost?

The air conditioner is crucial to maintaining comfort for many households. A malfunctioning air conditioner could make dealing with the sweltering summer heat next to impossible. If one of the coils inside your air conditioner breaks, you need to replace it as soon as possible.

Busted coils will prevent your AC from working as intended and they will also deprive you of the comfort you’re seeking. Both the condenser and evaporator coils of your air conditioner may require replacement at some point. Knowing how much replacing those AC coils will cost is a must if you want to stay prepared.

You can get your hands on a replacement condenser coil for your air conditioner at the cost of $900. The average price of a replacement evaporator coil is slightly lower at $750. The cost of the replacement coil will largely depend on the capacity you need. AC technicians can handle the task of replacing the coils for $800.

Replacing your air conditioner’s busted coils promptly is a must if you want to remain comfortable at home. Learn more about the different expenses associated with replacing those air conditioner coils by continuing with the rest of this article.

If the condenser inside your air conditioner is not working properly, the unit may not produce the cold air you need. You must repair the busted condenser as soon as it presents any issues. The cost of replacement condenser coils can vary significantly, but you’re likely spending $700 at the very least.

$700 is the price of a 1.5 to 2.0 ton replacement condenser coil. That’s the lowest capacity replacement condenser coil available.

Capacity plays a huge role in determining the price of replacement condenser coils. The 2.5 ton condenser coils are sold at an average price of $750. Going up from that, you’ll find the 3.0 ton coils that are sold for $850.

3.5 ton coils are available for $900. 4.0 ton coils are priced at $1,150. Lastly, you have 5.0 ton coils that are sold for $1,300.

Higher capacity AC condenser coils are more expensive because they need more refrigerant. You’ll have to pay top dollar for those refrigerant-rich components.

The type of condenser coil you need can also impact pricing. Standard condenser coils are the least expensive with the micro-channel coils just above them. The spine fin coils are the priciest purchases.

You’ll have to get the type of condenser coil that is compatible with your chosen air conditioner. Picking the type you like most is usually not an option.

The cost of the replacement condenser coil is not the only thing you have to worry about. You’ll also have to pay a licensed air conditioner technician to handle the installation of that replacement coil. The average cost of labor if you need an AC condenser coil replaced is $800.

Paying a professional to install the replacement condenser coil is a necessity. This is not the kind of job you should tackle solo.

You are dealing with components that use refrigerants in that scenario. It’s too risky to handle them without professional guidance because even one mistake can lead to leakage.

Refrigerant leaks can be very dangerous. Lower the odds of that happening by calling on a professional to install the condenser coil.

Problems with your air conditioner’s evaporator coil can manifest themselves in different ways. The busted evaporator coil could stop the unit from running properly or even turning on. You need to get a replacement evaporator coil for your AC and the cheapest ones are available for $500.

Only the 1.5 to 2.0 ton coils are available for that price. If you need a 2.5 ton evaporator coil, you can get that for $700. The 3.0 ton evaporator coils are on sale for $900.

The costs will rise as you need higher-capacity evaporator coils. 3.5 ton and 4.0 ton evaporator coils are priced at $1,050 and $1,150 respectively. The most expensive 5.0 ton evaporator coils are available for $1,250.

Evaporator coils work in conjunction with the condenser coils to ensure that the air conditioner provides the cold air you need. The evaporator coils are specifically tasked with containing the chilled refrigerant that comes from the compressor. If those evaporator coils are broken, the air conditioner simply will not work.

It’s easy to understand why the evaporator coils are important. However, you cannot just purchase the first replacement coil you see.

Certain characteristics can affect the performance of evaporator coils. Keep those characteristics in mind as you choose a replacement for your AC unit.

When choosing a replacement evaporator coil for your air conditioner, you will have to decide between cased and uncased units. The cased evaporator coils usually sell for $1,300. The uncased units are cheaper at $950.

Cased evaporator coils are more expensive because they are sold together with pre-fit cases. Those pre-fit cases promote better airflow. They also make the coils easier to install.

The pre-fit cases also boost durability. You can expect the cased coils to last longer than their uncased counterparts.

Outside of being cheaper, uncased coils are also valued for being customizable. You can ask a technician to fold one into a specific shape so it can fit into your AC unit.

Let’s assume that you opted to purchase a cased evaporator coil for your air conditioner. Now, you have to decide which type of cased coil to get. Your first option is the A-coil and you can find that on sale for $1,250.

You should choose A coils if you have a vertical air conditioning unit. They will fit easily in there and they will also boost performance in the process.

Speaking of performance boosts, you can also get that from installing an N-coil. N-coils are lauded for their efficiency and they outdo A coils in that regard.

N coils are also more versatile. You can use them inside vertical and horizontal air conditioners. Purchase a new N-coil for your AC unit in exchange for $1,500.

Slab units are quite rare and they lag behind the other two options in terms of efficiency. You can also only use them in horizontal air conditioners. If you’ve settled on using a slab unit, you should be able to find one on sale for $1,200.

Labor expenses again have to be considered when you’re replacing your air conditioner’s evaporator coils. The average cost of installing the replacement evaporator coil is $650.

You should let the technician know ahead of time if you want to use an uncased coil in your air conditioner. They may need to bring tools to change the shape of the coil before they install it. Give them a heads up so they don’t forget about those tools.

Technicians may also charge more to install an uncased unit because they have to fit the air conditioner a specific way. Getting the uncased coil to fit inside the AC unit can be a time-consuming process.

Cased units are significantly easier to install. They are also easier to fit into the AC units so technicians like working with them.

Replacing busted condenser or evaporator coils is not a small expense. The replacement part alone may cost north of $1,000. When you add the cost of labor to the mix, your bank account may end up taking a huge hit.

Given the cost of the coils, you may be wondering if buying a new AC unit makes more sense. It’s a good topic to ponder. To figure out the right move, you should first consider the age of your air conditioner.

Air conditioners that are still under 10 years old are worth repairing. They still have plenty of years left in them so pay for the new coils and get them working again.

You can also proceed with replacing the coils if the problem is limited to them. If other components of the air conditioner are breaking down as well, you should look into getting a new unit.

Related Questions

How Long Do Evaporator Coils Last?

The original evaporator coils installed in your air conditioning unit can last for 15 years. However, you have to put in the work if you want them to last that long.Be consistent when it comes to your air conditioner’s maintenance. That’s the best way to prolong the life of the evaporator coils.

How Often Do AC Coils Need to Be Cleaned?

At a minimum, you need to clean your air conditioner once per year. In areas where pollution is an issue, you should get your AC unit professionally cleaned two times throughout the year. Feel free to clean the AC unit more often if you believe it can benefit from that.

How Do I Know if My AC Coil Is Bad?

You can tell that your AC coils are having issues if the unit itself is running into problems. Issues like the unit not powering on or failing to produce cold air are indicative of busted coils. Loud banging noises coming from the air conditioner are also telltale signs that its coils are broken.