“Get Your Fix” Part 2 of 10: YORK® YLAA

As we continue our coil issue countdown, we're focusing on the YORK® YLAA chiller — a model known for its operational problems and poor performance from its original microchannel condenser coils. We regularly receive calls from contractors and end users about leaks and reliability issues with this unit.

Overall, customers are dissatisfied with the durability of this OEM model, which has affected York’s reputation. While the unit was available with both microchannel and copper tube coils, the latter is rarely seen in the field. That’s why many opt for a conversion to copper tubes for better long-term performance.

The usual suspects

The most common YLAA units we encounter are the Style B models, which come standard with microchannel condenser coils in both regular and high-efficiency versions. Identifying whether it's a standard or high-efficiency unit is easy by checking the model number. For example, "S" in YLAA0700SE stands for standard, while "H" in YLAA0156HE means high efficiency. If you see "ZE" in the model number, like YLAA0080ZE, it originally had copper tube coils.

So, what’s the solution?

Converting the microchannel in the YORK® YLAA chiller to a copper tube condenser coil can significantly improve reliability and ease of maintenance without sacrificing OEM efficiency.

One important thing to remember: when upgrading from microchannel to copper tubes, you must replace the entire circuit. If one coil is leaking in a system with four coils, all four need to be replaced. Depending on the unit size, YLAA chillers can have between 4 to 12 coils.

A York YLAA unit before microchannel conversion.

The same York YLAA unit after converting to copper tubes with a Blygold® coating.

If you only want to replace one coil, we recommend contacting York directly for an MCHX coil. At Nationwide Coils, we don’t offer partial replacements because they’re just temporary fixes and won’t resolve the ongoing issues with the YLAA unit.

While the YORK YLAA is one of the more popular units we upgrade, we can perform a microchannel conversion on any make or model. It's a smart move for long-term performance and fewer headaches down the line.

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