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How Much Does an Air Handler Replacement Cost?

$ Labor Costs: $150-$400 $ $ Standard Air Handler: $300-$900+ $ $ $ Premium AC Models: Up to $2,000

An air handler, also known as a fan coil unit, is an important part of every HVAC system; with the shape of a box inside of your HVAC, this unit has a blower inside in charge of feeding air into your rooms throughout the year.

These blowers are always functioning as many times as you use your HVAC system, so they typically wear out due to use, leading to its fail, and needing to replace.

If the air handler doesn’t work properly or is broken, you won’t feel any air coming from the HVAC system.

Which Are The Signs Of A Broken Or Damaged Air Handler?

According to AllProPlumbers.com, there are four signs that will tell you it might be time to replace the air handler:

  • Your air handler frequently freezes during summer.
  • Your airflow is weak or inconsistent.
  • Your indoor unit needs more than one major repair every year.
  • You’ve noticed a huge spike in your energy bills that can’t be explained.

What Affects The Price Of Replacing An Air Handler?

The final price of replacing an air handler depends on many factors like the type of motor, if it’s under warranty, if you buy OEM parts or aftermarket parts, and the professional performing the job.

Replacing an air handler can cost from $300 to $900 or more; high-end AC models will cost more, and the air handler of such models can cost as much as $2,000.

Labor costs can go from $150 to $400 to replace the air handler; If your AC is still under warranty you should pay for the labor costs only.

Top Companies

There are many brands that manufacture ACs and air handlers, and according to HomeGuide.com, prices can vary depending on the brand:

Most brands offer air handlers in sizes ranging from 1.5 to 5 tons with a 10-year parts warranty:

Brand Unit only price Total cost to replace
American Standard $800 – $1,500 $2,000 – $3,000
Armstrong $850 – $1,500 $2,000 – $3,000
Bryant / Heil $800 – $1,500 $1,800 – $3,000
Carrier / AirQuest $800 – $1,600 $1,000 – $3,400
Coleman $700 – $1,500 $1,500 – $2,400
Daikin / Amana $500 – $1,300 $1,200 – $2,800
Goodman $500 – $1,300 $1,000 – $2,400
Lennox $800 – $1,600 $1,800 – $3,400
Rheem / Ruud $600 – $1,300 $1,000 – $2,600
Trane $750 – $1,600 $1,500 – $3,400
York $700 – $1,500 $1,500 – $3,000

Things to consider

Before Buying

  1. Get a professional to check on your air handler before buying the replacement part. If only a blown fuse or something were caught in the fan it could cost less than $150 to fix.
  2. If you need to replace your air handler, check on the warranty of this part. Typically, air handlers are under warranty for as long as five years.
  3. Professionals will recommend that if your current unit is older than 15 years old you should replace the entire unit.

When Buying

  1. Using generic replacements instead of OEM parts can lower costs by almost 60 percent. Although some generic parts don’t have the same durability as OEM parts.

After Buying

  1. After installing the new air handler and disposing of the old one it’s advisable to schedule annual maintenance visits from the HVAC professional to make sure it works as it should and if there are signs of malfunctioning they are assessed the earliest.
Giovanna Soto
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