JHZR2
Staff member
HVAC has the biggest bunch of thieves that I’ve ever seen in any trade.
Home A/C repair or replacement, I'm I getting ripped off?
- Thread starter atikovi
- Start date
I think some of them are just straight up incompetent and operating on the "fake it till you make it" principle.
JHZR2
Staff member
Years ago I was chastised on here because how dare I question the rates that mini split installers were asking. They have costs of doing business you know… they have to go to a distributor to pick up the equipment, you know…. They have to keep up licensure you know…
All sorts of BS excuses by folks on here trying to justify the ripoff of literally a through the wall install of three pieces of tubing. Crazy.
JHZR2
Staff member
They fake it enough to pay for a 2500HD diesel pickup with fancy tires.
And then show up with a crack pipe and a manifold set with one hose.
The a/c service industry makes auto repair and car dealers look like angels in comparison. $195 for a/c dye that probably costs $20 max.
Do y'all want to start talking about the IT Industry?
The whole reason mini split is expensive here is because people ask HVAC pros to install it, and the reason HVAC pros charge that much is because they can do central AC / Furnace jobs, and the reason central AC / Furnace job is expensive is the CO poisoning risk if not done right and the liability.
So, if electrician can install precharged mini split by wiring 220V to it, and then some hole drilling and brackets for the mini split, then it should be something VERY CHEAP. Maybe not $500 per job but $1k-2k max if done right on labor. If US voltage is 220V we probably can even do self install like window AC. That's basically what mini split is, other than the evaporator and the condenser are split up with 2 big tubes and power in between.
So, if electrician can install precharged mini split by wiring 220V to it, and then some hole drilling and brackets for the mini split, then it should be something VERY CHEAP. Maybe not $500 per job but $1k-2k max if done right on labor. If US voltage is 220V we probably can even do self install like window AC. That's basically what mini split is, other than the evaporator and the condenser are split up with 2 big tubes and power in between.
I are HVAC contractors in the same category as roofers and transmission repair. Meaning they they always want to replace everything and never repair anything, and you are way better off DIY.
Those of you with this experience are probably always calling the cheapest, lowest quality contractors. The contractors who have excellent reputations don't operate like this.
As if the average customer has enough of a clue to know the difference?
It's not like I have any idea what it's going to cost when I get an estimate.
One of the local companies wants $250 to change a capacitor...and that was over 10 years ago. It's probably up to $500 now.
Of course, it's the company with the TV ads and the full-size color photo on the back of their trucks, guess all that advertising has to be paid for somehow...
We have a 5 ton central air system that has run for 20 years. And our oil furnace is also 20 years old. Both installed when the house was built.
We decided that with 20 years of technical advances, we would add MItsubishi heat pumps suitable for sub zero climates. Leaving the old systems in place. Heat pumps are keeping us warm in winter, have not yet experienced a summer.
We decided that with 20 years of technical advances, we would add MItsubishi heat pumps suitable for sub zero climates. Leaving the old systems in place. Heat pumps are keeping us warm in winter, have not yet experienced a summer.
That estimate is disqualifying, in and of itself.
A) - You would pull a transmission out of a car to replace some clutch packs or a belt or whatever and not go through the whole thing?
B) - Who in the world is DIYing internal transmission repair?
Not enough people. I've done it. I replaced solenoid once. If I had brought it to a shop the only service they would have offered was a complete rebuild. Replaced a solenoid in 2013 and drive the car until September 2020 and still had the original transmission in the car (except for a solenoid, a valve, and the filter) when I junked it.
Separate unrelated roofing story. Brought out 12 contractors to get an estimate on a roof repair. All of them wanted to replace the whole roof, except for one that I did have do a repair (actual issue was a drip edge leading into a gutter). That was in 2003. That old, repaired roof is still on the house today (I inspect it myself every year). And that roof was at least a couple of decades old in 2003 when I bought the house. Didn't need a whole new roof then, and still don't now. They are just trying to fleece people.
They are charging what they are because they provide a service that you most likely can't do yourself, just like any other service. They have overhead, vehicles to keep on the road etc. Talk about high pricing........have you been to the doctor lately? See how much they charge your insurance company for a band aid.
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The heat exchanger of most gas furnaces have long warranties.
What brand? Trane for example has a 10 year warranty on parts.
If it was a high end brand I might repair it. If a budget brand (Goodman for example) then replace it.
Get a few estimates. Referrals. I hear the HVAC companies are notorious for ripping people off.
Half of a good HVAC install is the HVAC company doing a good job. The other half is the quality of the unit itself.
There are federal tax credits for heat pump installs.
