HVAC Woes

[zzyzzx]

https://homeguide.com/costs/txv-valve-replacement-cost
TXV valve replacement costs $250 to $850 on average, including the part and labor. The cost to replace a thermal expansion valve depends on the HVAC system size and accessibility, whether the system requires more refrigerant during the repair, the warranty status, the time of year, and your location.

 

[alarmguy]

We are not the original owners/purchasers of the Goodman so the warranty is void unfortunately. I also heard Carrier was bad.

I think you’re being ripped off
I wouldn’t let those people on my property again
This kind of stuff is so prevalent in the industry.

17° split sounds fine
But if you have doubts, have someone else or two check out the system. Don’t tell them anything about the current company.

Once you have this issue settled in your mind never again get annual inspections on your system. Only call if something goes wrong.
Annual inspections offer the sole purpose of bringing profits into the company. Many technicians are paid on a commission basis meaning the most expensive they make the job the more money they make.

Just change your air filter as regularly and on an annual basis with a gentle stream of water from your garden hose wash down the coils on the outside unit. That’s all the system needs.

A good indication is the low pressure pipe leading to the outside condenser should be cold when the system is running. If it is warm, it would need attention possibly Freon.

 

[hemitom]

I really question this tech !
max out at 19a. ya probably at start up which is normal
Purring along at 12a I bet ! which is not out or the realm .
I have an Amana unit which is a rebadged Goodman mind you a 2 ton. but similar amp draws on mine.
Like someone else stated looking for a commission on a sale.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

I had a HVAC guy do the biannual maintenance on my AC the other day. He said the TXV valve is stuck open and quoted $2k to do the repair. The unit is a 9 year old Goodman. It runs OK but he said since the TXV is stuck open the coils never fully saturate with refrigerant so the air will never get as cold as it should be and it will also run longer/harder causing a higher power bill. Currently he measured around a 17* split (I think)? I think he said it was supposed to be closer to 23* but I am not certain. The compressor currently is running at 12A and maxes out at 19A per manufacturer (on its way out?). They also did a load test on the system and saw that I was only getting 2.6 tons of air even though it is a 4 ton unit. Seems I have multiple problems?

I don't want to dump good money on bad being that this unit is 9 years old and out of warranty. They quoted a new 4 ton Carrier system for $12k. That quote seemed high to me. They made it sound like my duct work needs to be redone because I only have 11 vents but my house is 2500 sq ft so my AC can't cool efficiently. Unfortunately the duct work could be the same price as a new AC unit, but these ducts are original to the house (90s) so what gives?

The system is working as it always has although probably not efficiently. My plan for now was to let it ride until it dies. The purpose of my post is to get some opinions to start thinking on what could/should be done. I am an HVAC novice but I know some basics like how to read amperage, change capacitors and contactors but that is about the limit of my knowledge. Any advice/suggestions is appreciated.

I was hoping I could just run some VRP in the system and clean it out and restore it to factory spec

A TXV stuck in the open position can allow liquid refrigerant to reach the compressor and kill it.
This is what happened with our builder installed system about a decade ago.

 

[thescreensavers]

Goodman 4 Ton Fixed TXV Kit - R-410A - $117

I understand making a profit but come on, $1500 just for the part? That's fraudulent.

They are doing the same thing that dealerships tried during the car shortage. Required to sit down with sales to show them a big bill and have them sign here for a new car!

 

[2005jettatdi]

Yes get another quote and opinion or two.

Always, always, always get three quotes before awarding a contract. You are in control.

 

[Urshurak776]

Deleted.

 

[dnewton3]

- First, get multiple diagnosis/quotes from different sources.
- Make sure you tell them to break the estimate down to parts and labor.
- Then, buy the part online, and pay for the labor.

HVAC repairs are a massive rip-off. I know; I worked for a major HVAC manufacturer. The mark-up is insane. All they want to do is make the pricing so absurd as to pressure you into buying a new system. Recently, a friend got a quote of $1800 to replace a contactor and condenser fan motor. We got the parts from Amazon for less than $200 total and I did the work for him.

 

[Urshurak776]

- First, get multiple diagnosis/quotes from different sources.
- Make sure you tell them to break the estimate down to parts and labor.
- Then, buy the part online, and pay for the labor.

HVAC repairs are a massive rip-off. I know; I worked for a major HVAC manufacturer. The mark-up is insane. All they want to do is make the pricing so absurd as to pressure you into buying a new system. Recently, a friend got a quote of $1800 to replace a contactor and condenser fan motor. We got the parts from Amazon for less than $200 total and I did the work for him.

Yup! Experienced the same. Contract customers get a smaller mark-up, but man...the mark-up can be crazy.

 

[rstcso]

They said the warranty doesn't "follow the system"/carry over with the new homeowners

Who are "They"? The same person giving you the quote or Goodman? Have you called Goodman and asked if it was registered, explaining the situation? At a minimum, they may be able to refer you to a reputable company in their network. You will need the model and serial numbers off the unit's tag.

 

[Nukeman7]

Hi folks, I don't typically divulge my employer, but I am a Service Engineer (Heavy applied, not residential) with Carrier. Definitely contact your local Carrier office / dealer and ask that the case be sent to a TSM (Technical Service Manager) from the factory. Defintely get another opinion or two first. The TXV should be covered for 10 years. Even if you're not original owner, tell them you want to discuss with a TSM.

The OP has a Goodman HVAC unit, not a Carrier. Goodman allows transfer of the basic 5 year parts warranty if the subsequent owner registers the transfer within 60 days of purchasing the home. However, Goodman's 10 year extended warranty only applies to the original owner and is not transferable. Therefore, the OP is not eligible for any warranty claims from Goodman.

 

[Urshurak776]

The OP has a Goodman HVAC unit, not a Carrier. Goodman allows transfer of the basic 5 year parts warranty if the subsequent owner registers the transfer within 60 days of purchasing the home. However, Goodman's 10 year extended warranty only applies to the original owner and is not transferable. Therefore, the OP is not eligible for any warranty claims from Goodman.

Oops, thought it was a Carrier. Belay my last. I deleted the post.

Apologies to the OP.

 

[rstcso]

Therefore, the OP is not eligible for any warranty claims from Goodman.

I'm in the "it never hurts to ask" camp. I'd still call Goodman, explain you'd heard it may be under warranty, blah-blah-blah.

 

[BHopkins]

Is your evaporator unit particularly difficult to get to? I also have a Goodman HVAC system, about the same age as yours. I just went and looked to see what would be involved to remove and install a new TXV valve. On my unit, I can't see where more than 15-20 minutes would be involve in swapping it out.

I'm no HVAC expert, but I'm trying to reason in my mind what the procedure would be to replace the TXV valve. So I'm kind of guessing here, but would the procedure involve recovering the refrigerant from your system, changing out the TXV valve, then recharging your system, making up refrigerant if needed. What would that be? 1.5 - 2 hours labor , a $120 part, and a few ounces of coolant?

 

[Rand]

Just run it.
skip biannual maintence.. all they do is talk about your gear dying and sell you a new one.

Hvac guy wanted $1000+ bucks to replace a powervent motor on my furnace.. told me it also needed a blower motor and a bunch of other stuff..(another 3k or so) still working 6 months later.

I paid their 99$ fee although I had diagnosed it correctly.. and still repaired it around $450 all in. 30min job max.. with me fumbling around.

15f-20f split is normal. IMO. also AFAIK when hvac gets old/breaking down it usually pulls MORE power not less. so 9 amps seems fine.

For LOLs here is some clips from their attempted wallet flush.... they just want to price it so high you buy a new one.

its got 2 foot in the grave.. you need a blower motor look at that light oil film on the bottom.. look at the discoloration(very mild) on heat exchanger.
its a goner!!!! /sarcasm
If it blows I'm not buying a new one from them for 10k for sure.

Furnace was new when I bought the house, heating and cooling energy usage is nearly identical over 14 years.
gas cost last heating season was under $200 for the season.. (not counting connection fee etc)

They are masters of making you fear your system is going bad and selling you a new one.

 

[shurguywutt]

Is your evaporator unit particularly difficult to get to? I also have a Goodman HVAC system, about the same age as yours. I just went and looked to see what would be involved to remove and install a new TXV valve. On my unit, I can't see where more than 15-20 minutes would be involve in swapping it out.

I'm no HVAC expert, but I'm trying to reason in my mind what the procedure would be to replace the TXV valve. So I'm kind of guessing here, but would the procedure involve recovering the refrigerant from your system, changing out the TXV valve, then recharging your system, making up refrigerant if needed. What would that be? 1.5 - 2 hours labor , a $120 part, and a few ounces of coolant?

Exactly... I was thinking if the part is $130 online, $300-$400 retail should be sufficient retail price for them. If they charge $200 an hour for labor and it takes two hours = $400. Still even a high bid job should be under $1k.

They wanted $2200

Telling me they have financing available. I am sure they do. pffftt get outta here.

 

[Skippy722]

$2200 what a friggin joke.

If you have high humidity your AC will have to “work harder” to overcome it, which could manifest as a lower temp split…. It’s using a bit more energy to pull moisture out of the air than it is cooling the air basically.

 

[97prizm]

I had a HVAC guy do the biannual maintenance on my AC the other day. He said the TXV valve is stuck open and quoted $2k to do the repair. The unit is a 9 year old Goodman. It runs OK but he said since the TXV is stuck open the coils never fully saturate with refrigerant so the air will never get as cold as it should be and it will also run longer/harder causing a higher power bill. Currently he measured around a 17* split (I think)? I think he said it was supposed to be closer to 23* but I am not certain. The compressor currently is running at 12A and maxes out at 19A per manufacturer (on its way out?). They also did a load test on the system and saw that I was only getting 2.6 tons of air even though it is a 4 ton unit. Seems I have multiple problems?

I don't want to dump good money on bad being that this unit is 9 years old and out of warranty. They quoted a new 4 ton Carrier system for $12k. That quote seemed high to me. They made it sound like my duct work needs to be redone because I only have 11 vents but my house is 2500 sq ft so my AC can't cool efficiently. Unfortunately the duct work could be the same price as a new AC unit, but these ducts are original to the house (90s) so what gives?

The system is working as it always has although probably not efficiently. My plan for now was to let it ride until it dies. The purpose of my post is to get some opinions to start thinking on what could/should be done. I am an HVAC novice but I know some basics like how to read amperage, change capacitors and contactors but that is about the limit of my knowledge. Any advice/suggestions is appreciated.

I was hoping I could just run some VRP in the system and clean it out and restore it to factory spec

Do what my dad did. He ordered a Goodman on Amazon and had to look around for a company that would install it. We had four quotes from 5k to 10k for a new A/C and furnace. The only downside is that the company that installed our system didn't send in the warranty paperwork and are now apparently out of business.

 

[shurguywutt]

How would one know their TXV valve is actually bad?

 

[John105]

I went through this in 2020 and I got "a scared" like Pete Davidson in the Verizon commericals because after they left my vents were blowing 43F. That was like a 32F delta with the ambient temp. You guessed it, tons of water in the basement and in a week the system froze up. Google said inadequate ductwork. I said this makes no sense the old unit was fine until it stopped working. Turns out the techs sent the blower to the same for AC as heat, so yes inadequate airflow.

Anyway, back then, through my research, I learned that there was contractor grade HVAC that lasts maybe 7-10 years and then it gets thrown out, and in my travels I found Goodman supplies a lot of this and even under warranty, the entire condenser is replaced, not repaired. Not sure if that's the case here, meaning, why there is a $2k v. $12k proposition.

At any rate what I also learned, is you don't want the lowest price, you want the best job, at a rate closest to the lowest price. For example lowest price often omits a stainless steel chimney liner if the furnace goes high efficiency, a way to get the price down almost $2k.

And then the furnace game. Without the furnace's blower and the evaporator installed into it, a new condenser doesn't function. This is why there is a sweet spot, maybe 7 years, where both are replaced as a matched set (to achieve lowest SEER as well), i.e. I take it the $12k price.