MagicPak Replacement, Installation & Repair

A MagicPak is a furnace, an air conditioner and a blower sharing one cabinet, tucked in a closet against an outside wall. Condo owners around Ann Arbor, Dexter and Brighton know it as the all-in-one, through-the-wall unit with a louver on the exterior of the building. With a typical life of 15 to 20 years, many owners eventually face a replacement. Our technicians replace and install MagicPak units across Washtenaw and Livingston counties, and repair the ones that still have years left.

Call (734) 506-6750   Request Service

MagicPak Replacement in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County

A new MagicPak has to fit the hole the building already has. That means the wall sleeve, the exterior louver, the closet, the duct connections and the fuel type all set limits on what goes in. The V-Series is built to the original MagicPak cabinet dimensions, so it can drop into most existing openings without changes to the wall. The M-Series uses a smaller louver that can be customized, which helps when an association wants a different look on the outside of the building.

Replacement usually makes more sense than another repair when:

• Your unit has passed 15 years and service calls are coming closer together.
• The compressor has quit or the cooling side is leaking refrigerant on an aging cabinet.
• A technician finds a cracked heat exchanger in a gas model, which can let carbon monoxide into your home.
• The data plate shows R-22, a refrigerant no longer produced in the United States.
• Your utility bills rise each season while rooms stay too warm or too cold.

Many of the signs overlap with a standard furnace, and our furnace replacement page explains how we size and quote new heating equipment in general.

MagicPak Installation From Dexter to Brighton and Howell

Every installation follows the same order of work, whether the condo sits off Dexter-Chelsea Road or near the I-96 and US-23 interchange in Brighton:

• Survey the opening: We measure the wall sleeve, louver and closet so the new cabinet fits the space the building was designed around.
• Confirm the setup: We identify whether your building supports gas heat with electric cooling, an all-electric unit or a heat pump with electric backup.
• Right-size it: We match capacity to your square footage, windows and exposure, within the MagicPak range of three-quarters of a ton to three tons.
• Meet code: We check venting, the gas line and electrical capacity, and we pull the mechanical permit Michigan requires for equipment replacement.
• Install and verify: We remove the old unit, set and connect the new one to your ducts and thermostat, and run heating and cooling before we leave.

If the panel needs more capacity for an electric or heat pump model, our electrical service team handles that work in house. Many owners also pair a new unit with one of our smart thermostats for better control of a small space.

Which All-in-One Configuration Fits Your Condo

The replacement usually follows what your building was wired and plumbed for. MagicPak builds three main versions:

• Gas heat, electric cooling: The standard choice in buildings with gas service, with current gas models reaching up to 95% AFUE.
• All-electric: Electric resistance heat with air conditioning, common where no gas line runs to the unit.
• Heat pump: One refrigerant system handles heating and cooling, with 3 to 10 kW of electric backup heat for January cold snaps. Read more about our heat pump services.

In industry terms a MagicPak is a single packaged vertical unit, so parts and replacements are specific to this equipment style. Changing fuel types can work in some buildings, but it may need association approval and an electrical upgrade. Current production uses R-454B refrigerant, so a new unit also moves you off older refrigerants that cost more to service each year.

MagicPak Repair When Replacement Can Wait

A younger unit that stops working often needs one part, not a new cabinet. Common culprits include a blower motor or capacitor, a gas igniter or flame sensor, an electric heat element, a control board or a plugged condensate drain. Our technician pulls the model and serial number from the data plate, finds the failed part and gives you a price before starting. For heating problems in general, our furnace repair page explains what a service visit covers.

Quotes are free, and when a unit is near the end of its life we lay out the repair and the replacement side by side so you can choose. No one should talk you into a new cabinet when a repair will carry it several more seasons.

Keeping Your New MagicPak Running

An annual visit keeps a new unit efficient: a heat exchanger check on gas models, a coil cleaning, a drain flush and a clear louver. Members of our Home Care Club get priority scheduling, free system inspections and repair discounts. See our furnace maintenance page for what a heating tune-up includes.

Local MagicPak Service From Three Offices

Our central office is at 8415 Dexter-Chelsea Road in Dexter, with branch offices at 2008 S. State St., Suite B, in Ann Arbor and 1361 S. Old US Highway 23, Suite A, in Brighton. From those three locations we serve homes within roughly 25 miles of Dexter, including Ann Arbor, Brighton, Howell, Chelsea and Hamburg.

• Emergency service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so a dead unit in February does not have to wait for Monday.
• Every technician is fully trained and qualified, and our team keeps up with ongoing training on current HVAC equipment.
• Our service team has earned multiple industry awards.
• Financing through Michigan Saves, Service Finance and GoodLeap helps spread out the cost. See our financing options.

Find your community on our service area page, or visit our Ann Arbor and Brighton pages.

MagicPak FAQs

What is a MagicPak unit?

MagicPak is a line of all-in-one, through-the-wall heating and cooling systems made by Allied Air Enterprises, a Lennox International company. The furnace or heat pump, air conditioner and blower share one vertical cabinet that breathes through an exterior louver. Each condo gets its own metered, individually controlled system with no condenser outside.

Is a MagicPak the same as a packaged HVAC unit?

It is a type of packaged unit. Most packaged HVAC systems sit outdoors on a concrete slab or a roof and send air into the home through ducts. A MagicPak puts the same idea inside the home, in a closet on an exterior wall. That is why a replacement has to match the wall sleeve and louver rather than a pad or roof curb.

How many years will a MagicPak last?

Expect 15 to 20 years from most units. Yearly maintenance, regular filter changes and a louver kept free of leaves and snow help a unit reach the upper end of that range.

Will a new unit fit my current wall opening?

Usually. The V-Series matches the original MagicPak cabinet dimensions and is designed as a drop-in replacement. We measure the sleeve, louver and closet during the free quote visit, so fit questions are settled before installation.

How do you size a replacement MagicPak?

MagicPak units range from three-quarters of a ton to three tons of cooling. We look at square footage, window area, sun exposure and the existing opening on site instead of copying the old label, which may have been wrong from the start.

Does my condo association need to approve a replacement?

It often does. Michigan condominiums operate under a master deed and bylaws, and many associations set rules on exterior louvers, equipment changes and contractor access. Ask your board or management company first, and we can provide equipment specs to include with your request.

Can a gas MagicPak be swapped for a heat pump model?

In some buildings, yes. The answer depends on your electrical service and your association rules. MagicPak heat pump models carry electric backup heat for cold Michigan nights, and our heat pump team can tell you on site whether the switch is practical.

Should I repair an older MagicPak that runs on R-22?

A small electrical or ignition repair can make sense. A refrigerant leak or a failed compressor usually points to replacement, since R-22 is no longer produced and the remaining supply is expensive.

What financing is available for a new MagicPak?

We are an authorized contractor for Michigan Saves, a statewide low-interest loan program for energy upgrades, and we also offer Service Finance. GoodLeap covers service repairs. Details are on our financing page.

Do you offer emergency MagicPak service?

Yes. Our emergency service runs 24/7 across Washtenaw and Livingston counties. Call (734) 506-6750 any time your unit stops heating or cooling.

Call (734) 506-6750   Request Service