Help with my a/c, please (Goodyear: house, buy, inspection)

[fromcotoaz]

I need some help knowing what to do with our air conditioner. We just moved into a house that is 3 years old. I have no idea what kind of care the a/c has been given. The filter was extremely dirty when we moved in.

I called someone from a mailer to come and clean the ducts. He wanted to charge me $1500 to treat both units with an anti-bacterial chemical (his words--not mine). He said I was going to have a mold problem in my house if I didn't treat it, and that my kids were going to get really sick if it wasn't cleaned. The a/c seems to be working fine, and I don't believe much of what he said. I didn't have him do any work for me.

I am just wondering what kind of normal maintenance I should be doing (cleaning ducts, a/c tune-ups, etc) and how often. If someone could recommend to me some companies in Goodyear or nearby that are trustworthy, that would be great, too.

Thanks!

[asufan]

If it works fine, just change the filter(s). They should be changed every 30-45 days if you buy the cheap ones.

As far as companies, try Chas Roberts or Sonoran Air. Both of these companies are big players in the valley, but I can't assure you that anyone is honest in the HVAC field. If you are that worried, consider a home warranty, but I doubt a 3 year old house will need it.

[asufan]

By the way, the ducts are sheet metal. You won't see any mold growing on sheet metal. This guy is a crook.

[Esenjay]

Yeah, go to a reputable company and get an inspection of your HVACs.

[subzero2931]

just change the filter like asufan said above you should be fine

[zoran]

We've had a/c in our first house for 25 yrs and never cleaned the ducts whether we ran the furnace or the a/c. We've been in our present home 17 yrs and have had a/c here also. Never cleaned the ducts. This is a tactic used by some and they do clean the ducts but what you don't realize is that your ducts don't need it. And with an a/c I don't think you have to worry about mold since it removes humidity from the house as it runs. Reason I am saying this is that my husband is a heating and a/c businessman. He fabricates, installs ductwork, furnaces and a/c's, and he knows all about these companies that want to clean your ducts. The only thing you might notice is a little less dust on the furniture although some people claim it creates more dust because it disturbs the dust tha is settled at the bottom of the ducts. You were speaking of central air and not the window jobs? All I can say is that most people have been told the same story and most have turned it down realizing they didn't need it.

[Ponderosa]

Duct cleaning is a scam.

[Ritchie_az]

If the previous owners were chain smokers, duct cleaning can be beneficial.

[Home_Kid]

a reputable AC place will guide you. note though, some systems, like mine, suck outside air into the system. this keeps the air "fresh". however, on my system this outside air terminates inside a return vent and is only filtered by a rough stiff type filter, so if your area is very dusty, and you have a system like mine, consider replacing that outside air filter with something better.

is your system a R22 system? R22 is being phased out. in 2010 all manufacturers will stop making new systems based on R22, and only spare parts will be available. and in 2020 there will be no more production of R22 liquid. so between now and 2020 expect to replace a good portion of your AC system. sounds far away, but its only 10 years from now.

i wouldnt worry too much about dirty duct work. the ducts may collect a small amount of dust but the stuff that moves will get caught by the filters during their return. you can use the allergen type of filters but they are pricey. dont use the very cheap filters, they dont catch enough of the dirt. go with a middle of the line filter such as "Natural Air" (i forget the maker).

[MalteseJane]

Originally Posted by fromcotoaz

I need some help knowing what to do with our air conditioner. We just moved into a house that is 3 years old. I have no idea what kind of care the a/c has been given. The filter was extremely dirty when we moved in.

I called someone from a mailer to come and clean the ducts. He wanted to charge me $1500 to treat both units with an anti-bacterial chemical (his words--not mine). He said I was going to have a mold problem in my house if I didn't treat it, and that my kids were going to get really sick if it wasn't cleaned. The a/c seems to be working fine, and I don't believe much of what he said. I didn't have him do any work for me.

I am just wondering what kind of normal maintenance I should be doing (cleaning ducts, a/c tune-ups, etc) and how often. If someone could recommend to me some companies in Goodyear or nearby that are trustworthy, that would be great, too.

Thanks!

Mold in the ducts in the dry air here in Arizona ? Geez we lived in Houston for 30 years and never got mold in the ducts. For the price he quoted you you can put new ducts in. If the a/c works fine, the only thing you have to do is change the filters every month. Use a water hose to spray the outside unit clean from dust from time to time. You can have your system checked in spring for a/c and in fall for heating but try to find an honest company that is not going to charge you for work that's not needed. The cheap ones, will always find a problem, that's how they make their money. It's better to pay more than to end up with a huge repair bill that was not necessary.