We had our 3 1/2 ton Trane 10 SEER air handler replaced under home warranty and they replaced it with a 3 /2 ton Payne unit.

I have noticed that our energy usage has gone up. This is definitely true since during the last two months, we have turned off our hot water heater power since we have just installed a new solar domestic hot water system.

Is there any way that the new air handler can be mismatched to the old condenser? It seems that the AC system is running more often to keep our house cool.

I called our home warranty company, but they won't acknowlege that the increased power draw is a problem.

Is this correct or should I ask for a matched SEER condenser unit?