I live on the outskirts of our state capital.
I do not know of any HVAC company that does not push to sell you a new unit. It's a major business here, must be a dozen well known companies and its like whenever someones system needs a repair from 8 years old to 20, three days later you will see them installing a new unit.
This is how they work here.
1. Most are 1099 employees with some exceptions. On a repair call they get to charge the company repair price AND they can increase the repair cost to ANYTHING that they want and get that full extra amount in pay.
2. Sell you a brand new unit and even bigger payday.
I am CONSTANTLY amazed seeing new HVAC systems being installed in my community of 200 homes since we bought new 16 years ago. Laughable but what can I say? It's like homeowners can not reason and think for themselves anymore, heck, most young people dont even paint their own homes anymore or cut their own grass.
I felt so bad for a neighbor, elderly lady (but wealthy) must be pushing 90, really nice person, still always working in her yard. Some years back her condenser fan went out, the well known HVAC company with a fleet of shiny trucks charged her over $600 for a new fan. SOME YEARS LATER she had the unit replaced along with all the flex duct to sheet metal.
I had my own experience with one of my two units, main floor unit never really got cold, had a few people look at it, of course wanted to sell me a new one. I stood over the guy because I just wanted some freon put in it, still the older 22 but the unit is capable of conversion to the new. At the time I also had him replace the expansion valve and dryer.
Anyway he was "afraid" to put any more into it because the pressures. I put up with the marginal cooling for a couple years, since it was the main floor unit it wasnt a big deal as the second floor unit worked well AND never did it have an issue of keeping the house cold enough but I know refrigeration units and knew it should be colder and cycle off sooner. It was running too much and the low pressure side too warm.
All I ever heard was I should replace it from many people.
No way, I bought a gauge set and tank of freon off eBay many years back. I looked at the charge pressures of the second unit as the unit I was working on the sun baked the stats off. Hooked up the gauges opened the valve for the freon to flow and charged to the pressure I thought it should be. Right away for the first time ever the low pressure side got cold, inside the home the temp difference between the intake and output was about 18 degrees if I remember correctly. We just sold the house and I did this 5 years previously and the system still working perfect.
Over time some minor repairs, I replaced the capacitors in both units and one contactor. Also at one time the fan motor went in one of them, had a HVAC company replace it, long before I started doing my own work, they used a generic one size fits all motor that crapped out in 3 years or so, I replaced with a OEM motor.
Ok, with all that said! Here is some creditability to this.
We just sold this house and our real estate firm sent two true professionals to do pre inspections. One for termites, (none)
and one HVAC inspection guy. He tore into everything, removing covers testing ect, I was surprised how long he was here. Anyway, (this was mentioned above) he did pick up one contactor was pitted and said the capacitor should be replaced at the same time. I said YAY~ ! I got them in the garage, I just haven't had time to replace them because we were moving. I paid him $50 and he put them in and left it off the report which the report was perfect.
Anyway. this guy was as professional as they come. SO I asked him, curious, is there ANY HVAC company that he could recommend to people. (keep in mind, this is a HVAC inspector, his only business ) and he replied, "honestly no".
Its just luck, so he didnt want to say too much and I suggested their only objective is to sell you a new unit and he shook his head yes, I also told him about the lady next door and its my understanding that they can charge whatever they want and keep any amount over what the company charges, again, he said you got it and WHY HE got out of the service business and went only into inspections. The dishonesty in the business was overwhelming to him.
