A/C repair and replacement
- Thread starter Patrick
- Start date
Blair
Well-Known Member
I used Russo brothers, just replaced a two zone system, condensors, attic air handlers and all the lines connecting both, thermostats. they did a great job. Depending on the temperature when it is replaced affects the pressure they put in the system.
I just used Princeton Air. Not one complaint here. Full replacement of everything. Only one small paperwork snag but it was fixed instantly. Just got our rebates in the mail this week.
lennox is 50 to 100 percent more than rheem according to the guys that came here. of course, they are selling me the stuff they make more on.
olegbabich
Well-Known Member
Wow, How big is you house and how many zones?
this is one of the problems - they look at the house, and the price and solution "changes"
I had three local companies bid on my house. Fras Air was the most expensive, Princeton Air was the middle, Cool-O-Matic was the least.
qclabrat
Well-Known Member
I had 5 quotes and they definitely ran the range, some really didn't have a clue. But to be fair not everyone here does a heat pump and furnace combo. Quotes came in between 80 and 50. Retail on the parts is only about 20. Labor is by far the largest contributor to the range. It took 3 good days to install and another two visits to dial in the settings. The new systems have a bunch of sensors and ramp up options depending on you house. I have the furnaces with the infinite variable blower and along with the heat pump, the warmth for forced hot air is very comfortable. If you go Lennox get the iComfort controller option, IMO it's worth the extra coin.
Problem i have is they don't want to fix the system, or even diagnose it - they want to replace it.
i know the tech has changed, and r22 is being phased out.
how hard is it to put 300psi of co2 + some dye into a system, come back the next day, and find the leak.
asshat puts r22 in, and said if it is a slow leak, it might last a year. that is the one I added heat to last year, so i'm in for even more $$
in my older (17 yo) system, he wouldn't even work on it. i'm going to isolate the condenser, then pressurize the system and see what i find.
i don't know where the dryer is - which would be ruined introducing air into the system - i think the rest of the unit is ok with air.
makes no matter
One guy specs coil/condenser replacement, the next guy (same company) says it can't be done.
i also have to deal with the person telling me about possible fan failure because the unit is old. last thing i'm worried about is an electric motor.
seems the "be scared" sales technique is the primary means of getting the work order started.
oh, and my system says it is variable speed, but i don't think they ever set it up.
these are the same people that put the register for the bedroom, right next to the door, when the return is right outside of it. smart.
i know the tech has changed, and r22 is being phased out.
how hard is it to put 300psi of co2 + some dye into a system, come back the next day, and find the leak.
asshat puts r22 in, and said if it is a slow leak, it might last a year. that is the one I added heat to last year, so i'm in for even more $$
in my older (17 yo) system, he wouldn't even work on it. i'm going to isolate the condenser, then pressurize the system and see what i find.
i don't know where the dryer is - which would be ruined introducing air into the system - i think the rest of the unit is ok with air.
makes no matter
One guy specs coil/condenser replacement, the next guy (same company) says it can't be done.
i also have to deal with the person telling me about possible fan failure because the unit is old. last thing i'm worried about is an electric motor.
seems the "be scared" sales technique is the primary means of getting the work order started.
oh, and my system says it is variable speed, but i don't think they ever set it up.
these are the same people that put the register for the bedroom, right next to the door, when the return is right outside of it. smart.
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hotsauce
Well-Known Member
It's understandable that they don't want to fix it and just want to replace. From their perspective its $300 vs $8k+. It's not totally ethical but you can see their motivation.
I used Meyer & Depew for a replacement in summer 2015 and was pleased with the results, they were $3k less than my other quote. They're worth a call if you're looking for another data point.
I used Meyer & Depew for a replacement in summer 2015 and was pleased with the results, they were $3k less than my other quote. They're worth a call if you're looking for another data point.
Blair
Well-Known Member
Just two zones, probably 3 to 4K sq ft.
Mahnken
Well-Known Member
I would just check for leaks with some bubble soap, I've had the best luck with that. Better than several of the electronic leak detectors I've had, and better than the dye. As long as the system works, there's pressure in there, you should be able to find leaks with the bubbles. The dye has to be put in with refrigerant and run for a while to make it's way through the system. I would usually add dye after fixing a leak so that if I got called back and it was still leaking, I'd be able to just turn on the UV light and try and find out where it's leaking. A lot of times the leak is at the Schrader valves, flare nut connections, or expansion valve. Basically anywhere anything could be screwed off or out. I've been a nurse for four years, before that I was an hvacr tech for ten years. Mostly commercial and industrial stuff, I hated residential work.
Larger system is flat. I may spend 300 on basic equipment and find it that way.
Thanks for the tips!
Mahnken
Well-Known Member
Shouldn't be hard to find a leak if it's flat. Fill with about 100 psi of nitrogen and use the bubble soap.
we just had central a/c installed in our house, we had ultimate aire out of wayne do the work, they beat Meyers and Depew by almost $5k on price
ChrisRU
Well-Known Member
I had a really difficult time finding anyone reputable to work on an existing system split ductless system. I have 3 outdoor units and 5 indoor heads. LG and Fujitsu. All less than 12 years old.
The outdoor condenser that drives the heads in our main living area and master crapped out (mice went to town on it). Despite a bunch of calls and references, I still ended up with someone I'm not happy with at all. Dude seems nice, but is fixing our system with a trial and error method on my dime. Has been taking his sweet time too. Thankfully the AC is back to working again, but its still a bit rigged and he has to make another trip out to complete the fix.
A few places I called wouldn't service any systems they didn't install even if they worked on the brands. People actually turn away business like that? I was pretty surprised. Still looking for a good tech who can actually diagnosis and fix issues. /rant
The outdoor condenser that drives the heads in our main living area and master crapped out (mice went to town on it). Despite a bunch of calls and references, I still ended up with someone I'm not happy with at all. Dude seems nice, but is fixing our system with a trial and error method on my dime. Has been taking his sweet time too. Thankfully the AC is back to working again, but its still a bit rigged and he has to make another trip out to complete the fix.
A few places I called wouldn't service any systems they didn't install even if they worked on the brands. People actually turn away business like that? I was pretty surprised. Still looking for a good tech who can actually diagnosis and fix issues. /rant
I just had a customer in who owns an HVAC Co. Said that every time it get's hot out he ends up turning away a lot of new business because he has to keep his existing customers happy. Anyone with a system he sold always gets first priority.