Carrier 26SCA5
Checked against 26SCA5 Comfort Series Single-Stage Air Conditioner with Puron Advance Refrigerant — Product Data, September 2026.
Air conditioner on R-454B, 1.5 to 5 ton. Here is what the Carrier documents say you can keep.
26SCA5 is a model family. The data plate on your
unit carries a longer number that starts with 26SCA5 — the size
and revision digits follow it. This page covers the family.
The bulletin lists these model numbers in it: 26SCA518W003 , 26SCA524W003 , 26SCA530W003 , 26SCA536W003 , 26SCA542W003 , 26SCA548W003 , 26SCA560W003 .
Indoor coil
Has to be replacedYour existing R-410A indoor coil cannot stay. Carrier states that full furnace coils are not interchangeable and that the refrigerant the indoor coil is designed for must match the outdoor unit's.
Not checked: your own coil against this unit. That needs its model number, which is on the coil label inside the air handler or furnace cabinet.
Carrier's brand rule — see the brand page.Line set
Can stay, with conditionsYour copper can normally stay. Carrier says there is no system-side reason to replace a line set, because R-454B uses the same POE oil as R-410A — but it puts the decision under your building code.
- The line set continues to meet the local building code in force, which is what Carrier makes the reuse conditional on.
- In high-rise buildings, Carrier states that fire breaks will be required on the refrigerant run.
Not checked: your line size. The 26SCA5 uses 3/8" liquid with 5/8" or 3/4" or 7/8" or 1-1/8" suction, by capacity, and you have not measured the outside diameter of both copper lines.
Carrier's brand rule — see the brand page.Furnace
Can stayYour existing gas furnace does not have to be replaced and needs no add-on kit. Carrier states that the dissipation control intercepts the signal from the thermostat and the furnace otherwise operates exactly as designed.
Carrier's brand rule — see the brand page.Check your own coil and line set →
Sizes and line diameters
From the 26SCA5 product data, size by size. The last two columns are what the 24SCA5 on the pad today was installed with, at the same capacity.
| Model | Capacity | Liquid line OD | Suction line OD | 24SCA5 liquid | 24SCA5 suction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
26SCA518 | 1.5 ton | 3/8" | 5/8" | 3/8" (same) | 3/4" (larger) |
26SCA524 | 2 ton | 3/8" | 3/4" | 3/8" (same) | 3/4" (same) |
26SCA530 | 2.5 ton | 3/8" | 3/4" | 3/8" (same) | 3/4" (same) |
26SCA536 | 3 ton | 3/8" | 7/8" | 3/8" (same) | 7/8" (same) |
26SCA542 | 3.5 ton | 3/8" | 7/8" | 3/8" (same) | 7/8" (same) |
26SCA548 | 4 ton | 3/8" | 7/8" | 3/8" (same) | 7/8" (same) |
26SCA560 | 5 ton | 3/8" | 1-1/8" | 3/8" (same) | 1-1/8" (same) |
How Carrier lists this unit
| Tier | Comfort |
|---|---|
| Compressor | single-stage |
| Region | All regions |
| Coastal option | Offered |
For the R-410A 34SCA5 the guide offers the 37MURA and 37MUHA heat pumps as the alternative, not an air conditioner.
What the documents say about this model
ManufacturerCarrier publishes no single efficiency figure for this family. The sheet gives a range that depends on the indoor unit it is matched with: 14.3 to 17.0 SEER2 at 1.5 and 2 tons, 14.3 to 16.5 from 2.5 through 3.5 tons, 13.8 to 15.5 at 4 tons and 13.8 to 16.0 at 5. The rating on a quote belongs to a pair of boxes, not to the one outside.
ManufacturerThe sound blanket is not one accessory. Carrier lists KSASH2301COP for the 1.5 through 3 ton sizes and KSASH2401COP for 3.5, 4 and 5 tons, and the split is by size rather than by family. Ordering one by the model name alone is how the wrong part arrives.
ManufacturerCarrier publishes this family's sound power twice, with and without the accessory shield, for all seven sizes. Up to 3.5 tons the shield takes one or two decibels off the published rating. On the 4 and 5 ton it takes none: both are 75 dBA with the shield and 75 without. The two loudest units in the range are the two the accessory does not quieten on paper.
ManufacturerThe factory charge runs 4.2, 4.7, 5.5, 6.9, 7.2, 5.7 and 7.9 pounds from 1.5 through 5 tons. It does not climb in order: the 4 ton unit leaves the factory with less refrigerant than the 3.5 ton above it. Anyone working out a charge adjustment for a reused line set has to start from the figure for their own size.
ManufacturerCarrier's coastal guidance for this family is an accessory, not a different cabinet: stick-on feet that raise the unit four inches off the pad so sand and debris flush out of the base instead of sitting in it and corroding it. The same accessory is suggested for windy sites, rooftops and for a quieter installation.
ManufacturerSome certified combinations of this unit and an indoor unit need a time-delay relay to reach their published rating, and the AHRI directory is what says so. Where one is called for, Carrier specifies 30 seconds for a MicroChannel indoor unit and 90 seconds for a round tube plate fin one — a difference that belongs to the pair, not to the box outside.
The rest of the answer above is Carrier's brand-wide rule — 8 cited statements, written out in full on the Carrier rules page.
Approved and certified combinations
We have not yet read a published match list for this unit. Ask your installer for the AHRI certified reference number of the combination they are quoting — every certified pair has one.
What this unit replaces
The 26SCA5 is the R-454B successor to 24SCA5. If that is what is on the pad today, this is the unit being quoted to you.
What to ask your installer about the 26SCA5
- The 26SCA5 takes 3/8" liquid with 5/8" or 3/4" or 7/8" or 1-1/8" suction, by capacity. Which capacity are you quoting me, and does my existing copper match the diameters for it?
The questions to ask about any Carrier swap are on the Carrier rules page.
Other Carrier air conditioners
| Model | Tier | Compressor | Replaces |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26SCA4 | Comfort | single-stage | 24SCA4, 24ABB3 |
| 26SPA6 | Performance | single-stage | 24SPA6 |
| 26TPA8 | Performance | two-stage | 24TP(A/B)7 |
| 26VNA1 | Infinity | variable-speed | 24VNA9 |
| GA4SAN5 | Builder | single-stage | GA4SAN4 |
| GA5SAN5 | Builder | single-stage | GA5SAN4 |
Read next
This is a starting point, not an approval. Everything here is read from published manufacturer documents and dated, but only the licensed contractor who signs your installation can approve a specific system for your home and your local code. Take the citations on this page to them and ask.