608 Type 1 isn’t that hard, which is what I have now along with 609. You can do it online.
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Home A/C repair or replacement Part 2
- Thread starter atikovi
- Start date
While it is true that a lot of systems develop a leak and the refrigerant escapes into the atmosphere, the HVAC installer is SUPPOSED to recover and recycle the refrigerant in any old units. In my area, that means the old refrigerant gets pumped put in a bottle and is taken back to a refrigerant recycler. (BTW, the pump is not inespensive) The nearest recycling station is two hours away, so a trip there and back is a minimum of four hours. So you must spend the gas (and labor) to truck the stuff to their place and then drive back. "Their place" also has some rules that must be followed, as in "no bottle must weigh over 150 lbs". If it does, it will get rejected. They can also claim that your bottle has two separate type of refrigerants in it and will reject it. (My buddy has seen that happen even though there was no way there were two types in it)
Getting back to the installer, he is supposed to recycle the refrigerant. The EPA could do a surprise visit and demand to see your recycle records. If you have no records, you obviously have been purging all your old refrigerant into the atmosphere, right? (That would be their attitude) BTW, I've never seen or heard of a local place get hit with the EPA wanting records, but you never know.
I'm not in the HVAC business, but a buddy of mine is.
I'm surprised u weren't charged flat rate instead of time and materials. Bill would of been higher.There should of been a reclaim, evacuation and environmental charge ( rags, tape, misc). He did reclaim pulled out what was left and top the charge off. Things that should of been on the ticket- temp drop (td), superheat if the expansion devise was a ex valve, condenser condition ( if dirty or clean) and normally a liquid line drier would of been added or replaced.
As for as the price doesn't seem that far out of line. Someone had to pick the coil up from the supplier, service person had to pick it up. Price on refrigerant seems inline. For all the people that think the price was a price gouge guess they haven't priced a truck, tools, training, licensing and insurances.
As for as the price doesn't seem that far out of line. Someone had to pick the coil up from the supplier, service person had to pick it up. Price on refrigerant seems inline. For all the people that think the price was a price gouge guess they haven't priced a truck, tools, training, licensing and insurances.
Another good reason to do a lot of this work yourself if you are able.
Prime example why I’m installing my own heat pump system in my house, including vacuuming and charging. In the middle of the project as I speak.
I just bought a 15 Lb bottle of 410A for 300$ with free shipping
You could have bought all your own tools, including gauges, vacuum pump, a scale, torque wrench and a flaring kit (all premium quality yellow jacket stuff) for not much more than that. Total savings of doing this job myself is over $10,000.
I just bought a 15 Lb bottle of 410A for 300$ with free shipping
You could have bought all your own tools, including gauges, vacuum pump, a scale, torque wrench and a flaring kit (all premium quality yellow jacket stuff) for not much more than that. Total savings of doing this job myself is over $10,000.
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If the normal desire to do something like this ranged from 0-10, this would be a -3 for me.
There are reputable HVAC companies out there...they're just few and far between and usually require a bit of effort to find them.
I don’t know, I kind of enjoy it. I started on cars years ago way before certification was required.
So a company with an EPA certification buys the freon for $16 to $20 a pound, and charging the consumer $95 to $150 a pound is supposed to be acceptable? In whose world is that not considered price gouging or price fixing if most companies are doing that? It's criminal.
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I am in the business (although I technically am refrigeration, not A/C professionally). I don’t see a recovery charge on your bill (we charge $60 for that)? When you recover refrigerant from a system that someone else has put in, and is leaking (& a blend of different refrigerants as R410A/Puron is), it is risky to recover the refrigerant & reuse it, because-first, you really don’t know what the other company used; second, refrigerant blends leak their component refrigerants at DIFFERENT rates. You really don’t know for sure that what you recovered is actually correct R410A! $95 sounds like a LOT for refrigerant that only costs ~$20/pound wholesale, you got screwed somewhat there. As far as “recycle records”, my recovered refrigerant goes to the supply house, mixed unless it’s R22 or R12 (which they will pay you for), and AFAIK it gets burned by whoever they send it to. Believe it or not, I found a supplier that exchanges tanks FOR FREE, the recovery charge pays for the machine, etc. (I guess, I sure don’t get anything from it). Guessing the supply house has records, the company hasn’t for a decade, probably. And, since the supply house takes it for free, there’s ZERO reason to risk huge fines to release it!
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I don't agree with it but thats how it is. Companies are in business to make money and it takes money to make money. These big hvac companies have a lot of overhead too.
What are you guys charging for 404A or 134A right now?
R404A is $36/pound (we sell by the ounce, $2.25/oz), R134A is only $25.60/pound, $1.60/oz. (I think somebody in the office missed the price increase on R134A!)! R404A is far and away the #1 refrigerant I use, R449A is making inroads, though.
In these parts there are a LOT of residential HVAC companies that will incentivize their employees to rip off customers by selling new systems to replace perfectly good existing ones with commissions and even "putting heat" on them if they don't sell enough! I'm not into that, and our suppliers are 4-12 months behind on new equipment anyway...
1. The equipment the general public can buy on their own is about a 3 on a scale from 1 to 10 as far as quality, real efficiency, operation and longevity.
2. This work is MUCH more difficult, complex and tiring than most can imagine. Couple that with ever-changing rules, regulations, etc., and you can get in trouble quickly.
3. Proper sizing, routing, workmanship, etc., comes from experience, knowledge and years of paying attention, asking questions and retaining knowledge.
4. Every brand is different with regards to controls, operation, etc. Most of it "all works the same" to achieve desired results (or get close enough).
5. Most people don't even know where to start with regards to purchasing equipment, supplies, controls, etc. But I am always floored at how many people come up with capacitors for condensing units on a Sunday afternoon, so there's that.
Goodman units, like the ones showing up in every new housing development around here.
I don't think Goodman units are that bad.
The newer stuff might not be, IF Daikin has made some improvements like they said they were going to when they bought them. I assure you the improvements didn't come nearly as fast to the Goodman stuff as it did to the McQuay stuff in the mid 2000's when Daikin bought McQuay. But one is residential, the other is commercial/industrial use.
If anyone thinks Goodman is "good" or 'decent' equipment, you've never had any really good stuff, like a Daikin VRV-S or even Skyair system in a space. Night and day difference in operation, sound, efficiency, quality, etc. Everything.
It's good enough for most people. Just about nobody buys that high-end stuff you mention, at least around here.
My Goodman was installed in 1998 and lasted till 2017...no issues..
Somebody does. It's not like it's dirt cheap and I just put out a design for a 4-ton Daikin Skyair split system. The condensing unit won't be available until mid-July.
Fact is for most houses the bigger bang for the buck is...well, $20K buys a LOT of insulation and air sealing. And that lasts forever and won't need to be replaced in 15-20 years. Throwing a high-efficiency unit in a typical house around here is a waste of money, as drafty and poorly insulated as they tend to be. Those problems need to be addressed first.
Doubt the situation is any better in your location because the trades aren't any better.
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