Central Air Conditioner

[whirlcool]

Let me rephrase that:

You need to fix this right now </u/> or it will be more expensive later...

If that's the situation the tech usually tells the person not to use the item if it is that bad. Remember when someone tells you that you need to make a decision <u>right this moment, you should be careful.

And as we have seen in countless investigative reports on television it's the few bad apples that make the situation hard on the honest folks in the repair industry.

 

[dj-gabriele]

The prices you quoted make me shiver!
If something like that happened over here people would simply call our "Guardia di Finanza" (the law enforcement agency of the Minister of Economy and Finance) and have people like that "destroyed" because of skyrocketing prices and taking advantage of a difficult situation for the customer.
Inflating the price 12 times, UNBELIAVABLE! :O

 

[tolivac]

HVAC stuff-When I worked as an engineer at radio stations--many times you would be asked by the station owner -manager--"could you look at the AC system?" Then he would say---"You are the engineer---FIX IT!"Yes for things like condesor fan motors,air handler belts,lubing,filter repalcements-I could do those.But for compressor work called in a real HVAC man.Could recognize when the compressor system needed service.The cap shown would be seen on compressors-similar ones on the fan motors.Yes,these should be handled carefully-some of these caps have a resistor connected across the terminals as a bleeder for safety.Again discharging it is still good practice for safety.The resistor could open--.On the fan motors-condensor fans on the outside condensor-compressor unit-sort of like what you may have at home.On the commercail radio station units-the compressor is usually three phase.The fans are single phase.They can be 208-240V or even 277V.When I replaced the motor-a cap usually came packed with it-replaced the old one,too.And an IMPORTANT thing-there is a plastic cone or dome shaped part with the motor-its the slinger-MAKE SURE you install it on the motor under the fan.If you don't rain or snow will get into the motor bearings.Of course if the motor is "upside" down in the unit-you don't need the slinger.My Lenox unit at home has such a motor.Single phase compressors have two caps or two sets of caps-the start cap(s)large electolytic type and the run caps-oil paper -film type.The fan motor caps were of the oil fim type,too.Usually they last a long time.Three phase compressors don't have start-run caps-but a contactor-make sure it works and the contacts not burnt.

 

[48bencix]

Fixed my own

Good for you! I had the same type of capacitor fail 3 different times. Luckily I was able to diagnose it the first time, and after that, it is the first thing I check. My system is 23 years old. I installed it myself, from furnace with cooling coil to the condenser and all the duct work. I had a contractor connect the coolant lines and make sure the charge is correct.

The last two times I got the capacitor at Granger, for about $25.00.

I diagnosed a friend's unit that had a bad exhauster fan in the furnace section. It would take too long to order on the internet, so he had a contractor fix it. The part was worth about $135.00, and the repair was over $600. Even though I told him what was wrong. We chatted. He said he used to work for a company where if the client was elderly, they would tell them that they needed a new system for $12,000.

It really helps if you look around and try to eliminate a few things and do the diagnosis. Otherwise you are at the mercy of a very hungry business.

I also replaced the furnace ignitor 3 times and the contactor. Each time I probably saved about $200.00, or possibly $12,000.00!!

 

[whirlcool]

After reading this thread I talked to our neighbor across the street who owns his own HVAC company. I asked what he charged for a start cap for and a/c unit. His response? $300.00. I asked him why so much as the caps are available for a lot less than that. His response?

"The ones we buy are of a higher quality than most people can get their hands on".

I always thought that a cap was a cap was a cap? As long as the specs are the same.

 

[dustin92]

It's just sad- repair companies taking advantage of customers, and truthfully the manufacturer of the products are as well, being that they weren't made to last. In our old house, we had a central air unit installed when the house was built in 2000, and the unit itself never needed any service in the 13 years we lived there, aside from hosing off the outside unit's coils. We ran it most of every summer, and it ran for 12+ hours a day- it was far undersized for the house. It was just a builder grade unit too. Here we have a 20+ year old Amana furnace and A/C unit, and as far as I know, it hasn't had any repairs either. It is also fairly undersized, but once these old, thick plaster walls and ceilings cool off, they stay cool.

 

[washer111]

HVAC-Techs have "Better Quality"

Yeah right. All comes from the same darned factory from whatever country.

 

If you have to call the tech every 2-3 years for a capacitor, then they ARE NOT BY ANY CIRCUMSTANCE "better quality." PERIOD

 

I'd hate to see what a refrigerant charge costs...

 

[whirlcool]

They certainly have their stories straight, don't they?

These guys seem to have a answer to justify their costs no matter what the question may be.

Have you heard of "Silver Platter" service? That's where the a/c guy comes to your house to fix your unit. It would cost maybe $200 to fix, but if your dealing with an elderly customer then they should spend $10,000 on an entire new system instead.

BTW, it helps if you get really friendly with these oldsters before you hit them with the charge. Sit down, have coffee with them, tell them your life story, etc.
By the time you are done, you've made a fortune. Now that's Silver Platter service!

 

[arbilab]

My house in Austin (1999-2007) 'came with' a second-generation AC guy, making me a 'preferred customer' as in the guy gave me straight answers. Yes he still charged $77 basically just to show up. But if all I needed was gas (R-22) he didn't stack labor on top of that, just the cost of gas which DuPont connived to make astronomical. I don't remember what he charged to put a new fan capacitor on the inner unit but I would had it been unreasonable.

Not saying he didn't make up his 'honest' calls like mine on other customers. Not saying he did either. Not EVERYbody in business is unethical, but not EVERYbody in business IS. I had an honest air guy and an honest car guy and that was pretty much all I needed.

Well there was that time my neighbor's tree blocked my sewer and I had to call a plumber from scratch. He rootered the line for $130. Sure, I could have bought the rooter and done it myself. But the rooter cost more than $130, besides getting up to my elbows in my own sewage and not knowing how to work a rooter. And he was honest in that he told me about copper sulfate (I'd never heard of it). It STRONGLY discourages (kills) invasive tree roots. IOW, he told me how to never need him again for the same problem.

In the perfect world I'd like to imagine, the honest guys win in the long run while the dishonest ones get discovered and need to find another line of work/exploit. Not sure it works that way. It did for most of my life, but those honest guys, like myself, are getting older and may not be around that much longer.

Might add, I was an electronics repairman (entertainment eqpt) for roughly a decade (collectively) and I was dead-nuts honest. I charged parts cost-plus-20% regardless the customer's ability to pay. I charged the shop hour rate BUT not if it meant charging 6 hours just because I had never seen that problem before. Almost all charges were one hour (the minimum), mostly because I HAD seen most problems before. The repairman's repairman. Had some high-profile clients (Flight Systems, commercial aircraft simulators; University of Texas football) who could pay ANYthing. Charged them what the job was worth, just like with the schmow off the street.

As above, there ARE honest repairmen but I have to admit the trend is to the contrary.

 

[washer111]

"Silver Platter Service"

Must wonder if all the elderly folk experience this at car dealerships, or "Stealerships" as we've come to know. Perhaps that "relationship" one builds is the key... 

 

Still, cannot wonder how any could trust the factory dealer to do service these days. They charge huge prices, compared to a typical mechanic that can perform the same work, and even bodge people's car for that sum. Worst part is, the likes of Toyota, GM, Ford etc don't release their diagnostic equipment for today's car, so you are SERIOUSLY locked into their "upgrade plan" for vehicles as cars get old and die. 

 

[whirlcool]

I think it's called "getting their confidence" that's why con men are called confidence artists!

I am sure it goes on anywhere the elderly have purchases to make where the pricing structure is not clearly defined. And it doesn't help that a lot of the elderly are confused by all the technical jargon they hear either. Most states here in the U.S. have laws against this type of thing, but these cases are very difficult to prove.