Help A/C is not working! (Alexandria, Manassas: to buy, price, estimates)

[Lati85]

My A/C is not working. When I turn it on it blows warm air but I noticed that the equipment that is outside (dont know the name) isnt working. I called a technician that I found on the internet and he said it was the compressor and this might cost $2,200. I was thinking on getting a second opinion and I called TJ Fannon in Alexandria and they charge me $150 for the visit...I paid $60 to the previous guy. What should I do? I dont want people to take advantage of me. I would really really appreciate any recommendations/ideas.

[Pammyd]

Originally Posted by Lati85

My A/C is not working. When I turn it on it blows warm air but I noticed that the equipment that is outside (dont know the name) isnt working. I called a technician that I found on the internet and he said it was the compressor and this might cost $2,200. I was thinking on getting a second opinion and I called TJ Fannon in Alexandria and they charge me $150 for the visit...I paid $60 to the previous guy. What should I do? I dont want people to take advantage of me. I would really really appreciate any recommendations/ideas.

Ok...have someone look at it again before you pay 2,200 for a new compressor. Check to see if:
Any ice on the lines outside? If so, check to see if perhaps you have the guage/thermostat inside set any lower than 68. When you do this the refrigerant turns to a liquid and it will make frost/ice on the lines and you will blow hot air. Recently, we had our central air serviced and the guy told us to keep our thermostat for the unit at 70 and no lower than 68 especially when we have extremely hot weather.
How old is the unit? When was the last time you had it serviced? We have a contract to have both our AC and furnace serviced every year.
Make sure you check the levels of refrigerant in the unit as well.
If you do find ice on the lines outside, be sure to let the service person know this. The last time it happened to us, we got ice outside as well as on some lines inside and had to wait for everything to thaw out before the service person could start things up again.
Good luck with this. The weather has been so horribly hot, your AC could be working overtime for sure and if it is old...a real strain on the system.
Note: I showed my husband your post. I do understand some of the "stuff" we have to maintain here in our home, but wanted to get his take on this as well.

[oneasterisk]

It could be as simple as a fuse on the outside compressor that blew. Those are cheap, less than $5-$10. It could be all kinds of things though, even the expensive compressor like one guy mentioned. If you don't trust the opinions from the techs, get another.

Last year my outside AC unit stopped working too. I checked the fuse and it was still good. I flipped the circuit breaker and reset, hoping that would "jolt" things back, but no dice. I called up Woody's Sudden Service out in Manassas and they had a guy out the next day. It ended up that some bug short circuited the patch panel. So for about $200 including the "dispatch fee" my AC unit was fixed. The guy could have taken me for a lot more because my AC unit is really old, but he was honest and I appreciated that. Guess who I'll be calling next time I need it serviced or replaced?

[Bigfoot424]

You don't say where you are. In Manassas there is a company called E E Wine that we've used for years. Very good reputation and locally owned.

[farplaner]

Originally Posted by Lati85

My A/C is not working. When I turn it on it blows warm air but I noticed that the equipment that is outside (dont know the name) isnt working. I called a technician that I found on the internet and he said it was the compressor and this might cost $2,200. I was thinking on getting a second opinion and I called TJ Fannon in Alexandria and they charge me $150 for the visit...I paid $60 to the previous guy. What should I do? I dont want people to take advantage of me. I would really really appreciate any recommendations/ideas.

Earlier in the summer I had the same problem (same symptoms too). It turned out that the compressor is indeed broken and I decided the replace the whole a/c (best decision looking back now!). It may or may not be the case with you.

The guys at Baron Sweeps took care of everything and the price was reasonable, if you like you should call them up to see what they say (they have free estimates):

BARONSWEEPS - Home

Hope everything works out for you. It's very hot these days

[FCNova]

Try to use a company that is referred to you, A/C companies can be the biggest ripoffs. I read an article recently where they had a compressor with a simple problem(which they created themselves) and had 6 companies look at it and all 6 overcharged, some grossly. If the first company comes back with an expensive quote get another, doesn't hurt to get a couple for comparison purposes.

[yolli71]

I second Woody's Sudden Service. OP -- I had the same issue as you last year (warm air blowing, outdoor unit not working)...see the thread below.

Recommend AC repair?

[mlv311]

We had a similar problem last year and I know we didn't pay anything close to that amount. I suggest you call Residential Systems Inc.: Northern Virginia Heating & Cooling - RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS INC.

[ecko_complex24]

If you would like I am an experienced Hvac technician and can take a look at it for you. I'm very reasonable and honest in my work and have references. Feel free to message me it could be a lot of things. Companies normally say compressors to get the people to buy new units when they don't need one.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

Do not call FH Furr - they are the biggest ripoff ever.