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My old Central AC has been leaking refrigerant. I had it recharged 3 years ago, then again last year, and now it needs it again. I paid $65 a pound, plus a service fee, last year. Now I'm getting quotes around $100 a pound, so not sure it is worth it and I am considering getting a new system anyways.
Does that $100 a pound number sound about right? If I can have it recharged for about what I paid last time, $65, I may do that instead of getting a new system, is it possible to get that price still?
The system is really old, 20+ years I believe. Repair seems to be expensive, even for them to search and find the problem, so likely not worth it especially since it's so old. The options are really pay a few hundred to recharge for the season or get a new system.
The system is really old, 20+ years I believe. Repair seems to be expensive, even for them to search and find the problem, so likely not worth it especially since it's so old. The options are really pay a few hundred to recharge for the season or get a new system.
When you see the cost of a new system it will be worth it to fix it. I have a 1992 Trane, last year I dropped $600 to replace the blower motor. It is a 14 seer a new 17 seer unit is barely more efficient. The seer ratings in the 20's are cost prohibitive. Call Petro They will service you without a contract.
Keep the old system as long as you can.. The price of Freon is going to get very very expensive because it has been phased out. On or about 2020 you won't be able to source Freon so its best to extend the life of your system to (or beyond) that date.
The new systems use Puron; much like the banning of Termiticide in NYS the banning of Freon without having a comparable alternative was ill conceived. Puron is much "more finicky" than is Freon during installation; in that is far less tolerant to moisture during installation. The operating pressures are also higher.
Room air conditioners are factory charged and sealed under controlled conditions. Rain humidity or a bad installer etc can terminally mess up a Puron installation. But people don't like cheap factory sealed units.
Banning fluorinated gasses in hairspray (and other aerosol cans) resulted in a big reduction in high impact "greenhouse gasses." leaking into the environment and causing harm. Healthwise people were also spewing cancer causing PVC onto their hair! Globally tremendous amounts of environmentally harmful chemicals were banned en masse with little downside other than changing the compressed gas in aerosol cans. You got to think that amount of damage causing gas from leaking from air conditioners over time would have marginal impact. Our informational perceptions are short on fact, nobody determines fact cost/benefit before driving policy. Methane is probably more of a problem and concern than is Freon in air conditioners.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 20 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,085,392 times
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As the above poster stated Freon (R-22) is being phased out and the cost each year continues to go up, that said continuing to try and maintain an R-22 based system may become cost prohibitive with each passing year. Where I disagree is with his opinion of Puron (a brand name for R410a), we just replaced a central system that was 20+ years old and don't see any difference with the new system. Installation concerns mentioned above seemed absent during our install, maybe are technicians are more experienced then the one he used. Heres a good overview of both products Freon vs. Puron.
If you decide to replace the system get 3 good appraisals and ensure you are comparing apples to apples, good luck.
My old Central AC has been leaking refrigerant. I had it recharged 3 years ago, then again last year, and now it needs it again. I paid $65 a pound, plus a service fee, last year. Now I'm getting quotes around $100 a pound, so not sure it is worth it and I am considering getting a new system anyways.
Does that $100 a pound number sound about right? If I can have it recharged for about what I paid last time, $65, I may do that instead of getting a new system, is it possible to get that price still?
Thanks to All
Leaks are not easy or cheap to fix (many times they can't be), it's probably time for a new system. Old coils lose their efficiency and effectiveness after decades. I had my condenser leak a few years back and I ended up getting a whole new system. Get lots of estimates. And don't listen to MartinX about the puron (or anything really) it works just fine. R22 systems will still be available until 2020. After that R22 will still be available if needed but recycled only so the cost will continue to rise.
When you see the cost of a new system it will be worth it to fix it. I have a 1992 Trane, last year I dropped $600 to replace the blower motor. It is a 14 seer a new 17 seer unit is barely more efficient. The seer ratings in the 20's are cost prohibitive. Call Petro They will service you without a contract.
1992! That's a good run. My wife's Grandmother has an old GE system that came with her house in the late 60s. It still works!
I have a Carrier that was installed in 1999 & still works great (12 SEER) . I get it tuned up every year before the cooling season & every year the tech tells me to start thinking about installing a new system.
I have the air handler in the attic & envision nightmare to dismantle the old & install the new.
Is Carrier still considered the Gold Standard in CAC? How long does removal of entire old system & installation of new one usually take?
Do the copper pipes from the compressor to the air handler have to be replaced or can the old ones be reused?
I have a Carrier that was installed in 1999 & still works great (12 SEER) . I get it tuned up every year before the cooling season & every year the tech tells me to start thinking about installing a new system.
I have the air handler in the attic & envision nightmare to dismantle the old & install the new.
Is Carrier still considered the Gold Standard in CAC? How long does removal of entire old system & installation of new one usually take?
Do the copper pipes from the compressor to the air handler have to be replaced or can the old ones be reused?
Don't know if Carrier is the best, but had my system replaced a couple of years back. Took one day. They replaced the copper lines. I guess if you're changing everything, then change everything.
The system is a big improvement over the old system. Much more economical to run, quieter as well.
At the time, there was a $1,000 rebate from the electric company.
Glad we did it.
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