When the honest HVAC tech comes calling...

[LVSteve]

Yes, I'm sure some are saying unicorns are easier to find, but this guy is totally real. He works for an industrial A/C company so neither he or his company have any agenda when it comes to domestic systems.

A large chain company quoted the thick end of $1300 to have a bunch of "service" items done on my old 5 ton R-22 unit. The list was:

Change fan motor due to "excess current" being pulled.
Change the run caps for the fan and the compressor (mine are separate pieces)
Fit a hard start kit.
Possibly add 0.5 lb of refrigerant and oil.

My new guy comes out and determines that the "excess current" for the fan motor is likely the result of the run cap being over 20% below spec. Fan rotates freely and the motor bearing has no vertical play. Good to go.

Run cap on the compressor was a bit down on the tester, so he replaced that, too.

The contactor was an original 26 year old piece and the contacts were ugly. $30 part, so just do it. He fitted a "booster" which is really a hard start cap with integral relay. Should help the old compressor motor last a bit longer. He said the system "might" need a touch more refrigerant, but the duct temps and the superheat looked excellent. He will drop by in early July to see if all is still good.

Price for all this was under $300. The end results are interesting. Both my wife and I noted that the fan runs faster and the heated air from the condenser coils is moving MUCH quicker. That run cap was bad on the tester, and I suspect it was worse under load. I also think the same applies for the compressor and its run cap. The whole unit sounds MUCH smoother. As for efficiency, within a minute of the A/C kicking in my wife is reaching for a blanket to cover her legs if watching TV. My guy says that well maintained R-22 equipment just plain works, and on this showing I have to agree.

 

[paulh]

The hard start is temp, at least in refrigeration so expect the comp to **** out. First guy was a ripoff.

 

[LVSteve]

The hard start is temp, at least in refrigeration so expect the comp to **** out. First guy was a ripoff.

Yeah, the hard start gadget is not a golden BB by any means, but every little helps IMHO. The compressor is the original so anything I can do to baby it at reasonable cost works for me.

 

[rwsmith]

I've had plenty....

...of people wanted to do inspections on my system to that they could mess it up to where it REALLY needed repair.

I've got guys I've used now for about 17 years and they are tops.

 

[bdGreen]

My experience.

I maintained my system for over twenty years. I did the occasional R22 add and verified all pressures and temps. I own my own gauges.
I also bought a 30 pounder of r22 decades ago.

I changed out the relay in the compressor unit.
I changed out the fan in the compressor unit, twice.

I changed out the blower in the furnace/condenser unit.

Fan in the compressor unit was seized up when my family and I came home late one night from a weeks vacation. It was 94 degrees F in the house.

I took the fan motor out, popped the end caps and pushed out the bronze bushings, turned them around and pressed them back in. We had cold air the rest of the night. New motor in the morrow.
Now.

Having said all that I find that the efficiency of the systems get better every year and I kept my system up and running for 23 years.

Had a complete new system installed.

The energy savings with a higher SEER rating was sell worth the expense and the insurance of a new system in this Texas heat put me in a better frame of mind come Augusts and Septembers.

You might consider planning for your next purchase.
It will be a noticeable difference in overall energy savings, cooling capability, and, peace of mind with a new fresh system.

Just saying...

Oh, and I only replaced the system after all those years was because we had a huge thunderstorm one night and my compressor coughed up a lung.

Otherwise I would have done what you are doing and keep on keeping on with an old system.

bdGreen

 

[growr]

A dear friend of mine here in Billings is also an honest HVAC man....when I listen to him it seems that the entire industry is rife with thieves.

Randy

 

[LoboGunLeather]

The bigger the company the more likely you are to be dealing with a salesman rather than a technician. Those that advertise heavily are happy to send out someone to inspect your system, but those guys seldom look at any system that doesn't need to be replaced (and they usually have all the financing options ready to lay out on your kitchen table when they get there).

Good, honest contractors are out there, and when you find one you should hold him close to your heart and make sure no one else piddles with your HVAC system.

My guy told us a couple of years ago that our system was one for which parts were becoming very difficult to get, and the Freon refrigerant was getting very expensive. So, about 2 months ago we ordered a new furnace and A/C system, had it installed in a day, and now we have nothing to worry about.

Don't wait until the A/C goes out during an extended hot spell. Don't wait until the furnace goes out during a record cold spell. Let your trusted contractor handle the replacement when convenient for him, when suppliers have everything in stock and ready.

My $0.02 worth.

 

[Whitwabit]

The bigger the company the more likely you are to be dealing with a salesman rather than a technician. Those that advertise heavily are happy to send out someone to inspect your system, but those guys seldom look at any system that doesn't need to be replaced
Good, honest contractors are out there, and when you find one you should hold him close to your heart and make sure no one else piddles with your HVAC system.

Must agree .. Had the controller on my deep well burnt something up .. called a big name furnace and plumbing company in the area and they came out and quoted me $3200.00 that my well pump was bad and had caused the controller to burn up .. pump had to be pulled 328 feet and be replaced and the controller box needed to be replaced also ..

Brother hand had someone work on his when he bought a house in another near by town a couple of years before that .. called them and they had a guy going somewhere near to me to get a part for another job and he would stop by .. they quoted me a low price of 300.00.. my pump was fine and just needed to replace a few thing in the controller and he even recharged my water holding tank and set it back up to normal pressure ..

The 2nd company was a father and 2 of his sons and that was their company .. and when done the price was what they had quoted me .. took them about 45 minutes after returning with the parts that afternoon .. Always good to get at least 2 estimates before ever agreeing to a price ..

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

After I sold my complex in 06, I worked at a large complex in Dublin, Ohio. I walked up to one unit tat the compressor didn't "sound right" from 200 feet away! Once I got inside, It had 4 hard start kits in series! The R-22 was about 2 pounds over charged! And the evaporator coil was clogged with pet hair and muddy slime! It about 2 hours to get everything squared away. I put all 4 hard start units back in the parts bin! Recovered the excess R-22 (The EPA Allows you to re-use it on the same property!). It was one of the then new "Scroll" compressors, they sound a little different anyway!

MY predecessor at that complex got fired within 3 months of my leaving the company. He was known company wide for screwing the lady tenants; seems they caught him screwing the company too!

 

[federali]

Hmmm.

I think your first guy was the same one who wanted to replace the "crib-agitator" in our washing machine.

 

[jmcghee]

Worked in HVAC for 14 years. There are lots of installers that call themselves techs. They know how to replace equipment not repair it. The even sadder thing is ,most dont even know how to replace it properly. Hold that tech near and dear. Use him when the system needs replaced .

 

[LVSteve]

Worked in HVAC for 14 years. There are lots of installers that call themselves techs. They know how to replace equipment not repair it. The even sadder thing is ,most dont even know how to replace it properly. Hold that tech near and dear. Use him when the system needs replaced .

Spot on. My guy said that the company that quoted $1300 likely considers successful (for the customer) maintenance calls as failures as they didn't get to do an install.

Looks like the refreshed system and the new one for upstairs are going to get a work out this week. Forecast of 108°F and more through to Sunday.