Air Conditioning - no more 9" a-coils?

My central ac unit has been leaking a bit of water from the plenum above the furnace. I had a vendor out and he put a pound of coolant in. The leaks continued and they had a "sales" guy come out who said my drip pan was cracked and would need to be replaced. My unit was installed in 1983, so he also suggested that the whole kit (a-coil and pan) be replaced. He got back to me and said that my a-coil is a nine inch unit (1.5 ton) and that they don't make/have/supply this size unit any more. He said a 12" a-coil would be needed and that would require that the plenum be rebuilt to accommodate the increase in size. He said a sub contractor would need to do the work since it involves sheet metal. He quoted me a price of $1845 installed. The furnace make is Rheem.

Two questions 1. Do they still make 9" a-coils.

and if not, is this guys solution valid and is his price in line.

Is the 9" the width, hight. or length ?? That is a pretty high price.

at 23 years old I would seriously consider replacing the entire system in and out. It has reached the end of its usefull life.

Get 2 more bids for sure that is very high for just a 1 1/2 ton coil .

With MAtt ---That old Id get a new AC unit for sure.

ED;)

I spoke to another contractor this morning, and he went along with the new system vs repair. He said replacing an new efficent a-coil into a system that's over 20 years old is really looking for trouble and would not be something he could stand behind. do you guys agree with this?

He thought the 1845 price was way too high or as he put it "I must be charging way too little for my sheet metal work."

I'll let you know what kind of prices I get. BTW, What is the ball park range for a 1.5 ton split system?

One last question: The leak is very controled at this point, I have a large sponge absorbing the drip. I just run the system for a short time, 20 minutes to 1/2 hour once or twice a day. I'm thinking I could make it through the summer as is, waiting until the fall to do the job. Is this wise, can a leak wreck the furnace? And would this give me more leverage price wise, waiting until a less busy season?

Thanks again. :thumbup:

If the pan is the only real problem. Any sheet metal shop worth it's salt can make a metal pan for you. I generally pay about $75 for a custom made pan. At least that will get you thru the summer.