How to Replace a Rheem AC

Contact a licensed or certified contractor. Visit the Rheem homepage to enter your zip code to search for a Rheem-recommended contractor in your area.

Ask the contractor to evaluate your home to determine what size air conditioner to purchase. The contractor should not simply replace the unit you have. Instead, ask the contractor to conduct a careful analysis of floor space in living quarters, exposure to the sun, window insulation and the number of heat-generating appliances in your kitchen. Reputable contractors determine proper cooling capacity using a complex formula developed by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America and recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Read a written recommendation from the contractor suggesting the proper replacement for your Rheem AC unit. Based on the analysis, the contractor could recommend a unit larger or smaller than your current Rheem model.

Get independent referrals for two other contractors and have them perform the same analysis. Get referrals from neighbors, coworkers or clerks at home improvement stores. The Rheem unit size recommendation should be the same from all three contractors if they followed industry-standard sizing guidelines. Ask each contractor how he determined the proper size for your replacement unit. Get written recommendations from additional contractors, if necessary before selecting your new Rheem unit.