[heckki]

We live in NC and have an 8 yr old Trane 4 ton air conditioning unit that cools the second & third floor. It is not cooling properly due to a bad coil that is leaking (R22)coolant.

There could have been strain to the unit over the course of a year (or a couple of years) due to a low coolant level. As a result we are being advised to replace both the coil and the unit. We have been told that if just the coil is replaced vs. replacing both the coil and the AC unit, the new coil may put additional strain on the old unit. The AC unit that cools the downstairs is fine (also 8 yrs old).

We are also being told that since the R22 coolant is going to be obsoleted, and therefore related parts, it would be best to replace the whole system (vs. just the coil).

Therefore, is it necessary to replace the ac unit at this point? Ideally, if we have to replace the system we would prefer to have some time to save for this but we also don’t want to run into more problems that would require more repair money in the long run.

Any advise would be appreciated.