Outside AC Unit question for the know it alls

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Is it worth just replacing the compressor, and if so what would something like that cost?

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My compressor went out about this time last year. My unit was about 10 years old and it made more sense to go ahead and replace everything, inside and out

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If your unit uses the old refrigerant, you'll probably have to replace the indoor unit as well.

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Yep

Def replace the unit....
I would ask the guy (the new unit will have a manufacture warranty) what is his warranty for service (usually about a 1 year, if you get more great)

What size sould I look for? 1800 sq ft house all living space.

4 ton

i think ours is 13 seer

ETA: if your's was 12 years old, you should see a big savings on your electric bill. Ours went down over $100.

I would guess 4 ton, but replace with same size as the old unit unless you have reason to believe it is not big enough. We changed our 5-ton unit about 6 months ago. Went with Carrier and latest SEER rating (14 or 15, I think) and also changed out furnace. Total damage was about $7,400. If you don't do the furnace you can probably knock off about $1K. For a 4-ton unit, maybe you're looking at another $0.5-1K off?? Not sure. This is just one data point (Houston). The key is to get three bids and make sure every contractor knows there is competition for the work.

Get a few quotes for a new complete system on the r410a refrigerant.

I wouldn't piecemeal the system one part at a time if it were me. You'll have a new compressor and coil and then a few years later the air handler will give out.

While you could just stay on the old r22 and replace the compressor only you will be eaten alive with repair costs and freon on the old refrigerant.

Newer quality systems can come with 10 year warranties.

You'll likely get some savings on your utilities also with the new equipment.

I'm not a fan of the 2 stage compressors but you can couple a single stage compressor with a variable speed furnace which works well.

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What size sould I look for? 1800 sq ft house all living space.

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Don't use a company that sizes your unit off of square footage. Ceiling heights, insulation, sun exposure, number of Windows all should be factored in. A unit that is to large will be inefficient and will cycle on and of too often to cool your house in humid conditions.

Also, get a few other quotes/diagnosis.