MagicPak Replacement, Installation & Repair

When a condo in St. Clair Shores or Sterling Heights has no furnace in the basement and no condenser in the yard, the comfort system is usually a MagicPak. This all-in-one, through-the-wall unit holds the furnace, air conditioner and blower in one cabinet and pulls outdoor air through a louver in the exterior wall. It typically lasts 15 to 20 years. Our technicians replace and install these units in condos, apartments and townhomes across Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, and repair the ones that still have years left.

MagicPak Replacement in St. Clair Shores and Macomb County

A through-the-wall replacement has fixed boundaries. The new cabinet has to slide into the existing wall sleeve, line up with the exterior louver, tie into the ductwork already built into the unit, and run on the same gas or electric service as the old one. MagicPak builds its V-Series to the original cabinet dimensions, so it drops into most existing openings with no change to the building. The M-Series uses a smaller louver that some associations prefer for the look of the outside wall.

These signs usually point toward a new unit:

• Your MagicPak has passed 15 years of service and needs a repair visit every season.
• The compressor has quit, or an older unit has lost refrigerant through a leak.
• A technician has found a cracked heat exchanger on a gas model, a carbon monoxide hazard that calls for replacement rather than repair.
• The data plate shows R-22, a refrigerant no longer produced in the United States.
• Your heating and cooling bills rise each year while rooms stay too warm or too cold.

Through-the-Wall Installation for Condos in Oakland and Wayne Counties

Most of the work on a good installation happens before the old cabinet leaves the closet. Here is how our crews handle each MagicPak installation:

• Survey the opening: We measure the wall sleeve, exterior louver and closet so the new unit fits without cutting into the building.
• Confirm the configuration: We check which setup your unit supports, whether gas heat with electric cooling, all-electric or a heat pump with electric backup heat.
• Size the system: We match capacity to your living space, from three-quarters of a ton to three tons of cooling.
• Meet code: We check venting, the gas connection and electrical capacity against current code and pull the mechanical permit Michigan requires for equipment replacement.
• Set and test: We remove the old unit, install the new one, connect ductwork and thermostat, and run heating and cooling before we leave.

Under our Property Protection Guarantee, crews put down floor savers and hall runners on every job, a real concern in shared hallways and finished condo floors. If the supply ducts need sealing or repair while the unit is out, our ductwork services team handles that during the same visit. Installation day is also a good time to swap an old wall control for a new one from our thermostats lineup.

Gas Heat, All-Electric or Heat Pump

Three configurations cover nearly every MagicPak in service, and the replacement usually follows what the building was designed for.

• Gas heat with electric cooling: The standard setup in buildings with gas service, with current models rated up to 95% AFUE.
• All-electric: Electric resistance heat paired with air conditioning, typical in buildings with no gas service.
• Heat pump: One refrigerant system handles heating and cooling, with 3 to 10 kW of electric backup heat for January cold snaps. Our heat pump service page explains how these systems work.

The industry calls a MagicPak a single packaged vertical unit, so its parts and replacement models are specific to that style of equipment. Changing fuel types is possible in some buildings, but it may need association approval and an electrical upgrade. Current MagicPak production runs on R-454B, a lower-impact refrigerant, which moves your condo off older refrigerants that cost more to service each year.

MagicPak Repair When Replacement Can Wait

A breakdown on a younger unit is often a single part. Common culprits are a blower motor or capacitor, an igniter or flame sensor on gas models, a heating element on electric models, a control board, or a plugged condensate drain. Our technician pulls the model and serial number from the data plate, finds the failed component and quotes the price before starting work.

You see the repair price next to the replacement price, so the choice stays yours. Our No Surprises Guarantee means the price is set upfront, and if extra work is needed to finish the agreed scope, that cost is on us. For a heating failure, our furnace repair page covers what a service visit includes.

Maintenance for a New MagicPak

An annual tune-up keeps a new unit running toward the long end of its life: a heat exchanger check on gas models, coil cleaning, a drain flush and a clear louver. Members of our Home Care Club get priority scheduling, a free annual full HVAC service health check and no dispatch fee. See furnace maintenance for what a heating tune-up covers.

Four Decades of Heating and Cooling on the East Side

Anthony Contrera earned his heating and cooling license at 21 and started this company with a single truck in St. Clair Shores in 1983. More than 40 years later, we still work from 20220 Stephens St in Saint Clair Shores, in the Macomb County city that sits along Lake St. Clair. From there our technicians cover Sterling Heights, Warren, Roseville, Clinton Township, Shelby Township, Troy, Royal Oak, Madison Heights, Eastpointe, Southfield, Ferndale, Rochester, Mount Clemens and Fraser.

• We answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (586) 777-6666 or 1-855-MR-FURNACE.
• Many of our technicians have worked here for decades, and every one goes through background checks, random drug tests and ongoing education.
• Our Property Protection Guarantee covers your floors and furnishings, and we carry liability and workers' compensation insurance.
• As an authorized Michigan Saves contractor, we offer special financing on new equipment installation. See our financing page.

Browse all heating services, read more about us, or check our service area for every community we cover.

MagicPak FAQs

What is a MagicPak unit?

MagicPak is a line of all-in-one, through-the-wall HVAC units built by Allied Air Enterprises, a Lennox International company. Heating, cooling and the blower sit in one vertical cabinet that breathes through a louver in the exterior wall.

Is a MagicPak the same as a packaged HVAC unit?

It belongs to the same family. A packaged HVAC unit puts heating and cooling in a single cabinet, and most of them sit outdoors on a concrete slab or a rooftop. A MagicPak goes inside, in a closet against an outside wall, and draws air through a louver. That is why a replacement has to match the wall sleeve instead of a pad or roof curb.

How many years does a MagicPak last?

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

Will a replacement fit the opening I already have?

Usually, yes. MagicPak designs the V-Series to the original cabinet dimensions as a direct replacement. We measure the sleeve, louver and closet before we quote, so the fit is confirmed ahead of installation day.

How do I know what size MagicPak my condo needs?

Capacity ranges from three-quarters of a ton to three tons of cooling. Square footage, window area, sun exposure and the size of the existing opening all play a part, so we verify sizing on site instead of copying the old label.

Does my condo association need to approve a MagicPak replacement?

In many buildings, yes. Michigan condominiums operate under a master deed and bylaws, and associations often set rules on exterior louvers, equipment changes and contractor access. Ask your board before booking, and we can provide equipment specs for its review.

Can a heat pump MagicPak replace my gas model?

In some condos it can. The answer depends on your electrical service and your association's rules. Heat pump models carry electric backup heat for Michigan winters, and our heat pump replacement team can tell you on site whether a switch makes sense.

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

Small electrical or ignition repairs can still make sense. A refrigerant leak or compressor failure on an R-22 unit usually points to replacement, since that refrigerant is no longer produced and the remaining supply is costly.

Can you come out at night or on the weekend?

Yes. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Members of our Home Care Club also get priority scheduling.