Can you replace a 3 ton unit with a 4 ton unit?

Answer 1

Yes,though not reccomended.It will cool faster but will not remove as much moisture,due to less run time,(which air conditioners are just that,they condition air,by removing moisture and heat)thus producing cool dry air.4 ton might make house cold but clamy.That is, if your house is sized for a 3 ton.It might have been undersized.If it kept it cool in summer then go back with a 3 ton,if not,then 4 ton wont hurt.But you will need to replace both parts of system.The air handler and the condenser.

There are also 3.5 ton units if you suspect your 3 ton unit was undersized for the application. Have a heat load calculation done for the home and get a correctly sized unit. You can replace only the cooling coil (evaporator) in the air handler and not the whole air handler as long as the fan in the unit will support whatever tonnage you wind up installing this time. Chances are a 3 ton AHU will work for a 3.5 or 4 ton unit. You`ll just have to change the speed setting on the fan. Your contractor knows this.