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Matson came out today (one day early, hooray for them) and it was the capacitor and a blown fuse. 30 minutes later we have nice cold air blowing just in time for 90+ degrees tomorrow.
This is the second time we have used Matson and been pleased with them.
Matson came out today (one day early, hooray for them) and it was the capacitor and a blown fuse. 30 minutes later we have nice cold air blowing just in time for 90+ degrees tomorrow.
This is the second time we have used Matson and been pleased with them.
That's excellent to hear. Very cheap fix. I check the caps on my units yearly. When they drop out of spec I swap them out and keep a used spare on hand just in case - they are around $25 for US made ones, better than the Chinese cheapies. 6% is typically the allowable limit.
What is the general advice on maintenance and cleaning?
In Singapore it was built into our apartment lease contracts to have quarterly cleaning done, big business there, cost $400 - $500 p.a. and was strictly enforced. Year-round mid-80s there and humid, it was a necessity and probably kept from replacing air cons more frequently.
Just a maintenance appointment twice a year (fall and spring). In terms of cost, it might be the same (regular maintenance cost versus just paying for repairs when it breaks), but its nice to deal with things preventively and not have them break at the hottest or coldest times of year. Well serviced typically units last longer so there's a savings if you stay in the house a long time.
Just be sure the appointment includes actually doing some things to improve it (cleaning condenser coils, clearing lines, etc). Some of these guys will charge you just for an "inspection" and there's no way to really know you got your money's worth. Probably not an issue with a reputable company but I like a written list of all items performed.
That's excellent to hear. Very cheap fix. I check the caps on my units yearly. When they drop out of spec I swap them out and keep a used spare on hand just in case - they are around $25 for US made ones, better than the Chinese cheapies. 6% is typically the allowable limit.
How often do you find they need replacing on average? Experiences with my system have been about every 6 years.
How often do you find they need replacing on average? Experiences with my system have been about every 6 years.
The Chinese ones I bought from Grainger lasted about a year, the US made ones have been good for going on five years now. I don't know how long the previous ones were in there prior to my initial replacement.
Btw, as twingles pointed out, I think either Justin Woodleif is either no longer in business or just doesn't care about client service anymore. About a month ago, he kept making promises he couldn't keep. He said he'd come out the next day and didn't. It kept repeating like this for a week, then he simply quit responding. I gave up and called another company that came out the next day. Had I known he'd gone downhill, I wouldn't have wasted precious time with him.
Btw, as twingles pointed out, I think either Justin Woodleif is either no longer in business or just doesn't care about client service anymore. About a month ago, he kept making promises he couldn't keep. He said he'd come out the next day and didn't. It kept repeating like this for a week, then he simply quit responding. I gave up and called another company that came out the next day. Had I known he'd gone downhill, I wouldn't have wasted precious time with him.
Yeah that sucks. I know he went through a divorce last year and his wife screwed him over. He was a nice guy. A little rough around the edges but seemed honest.
Yeah that sucks. I know he went through a divorce last year and his wife screwed him over. He was a nice guy. A little rough around the edges but seemed honest.
Interesting to know. It's tough when you're a one-man shop and have to handle everything yourself from the calls to the scheduling to the servicing. And when you're in the HVAC business you have to be quick with your callbacks. Last time we called him at night he called back around 7:30 the next morning so when I didn't hear from him quickly this time I moved right on....with the very hot weather and the holiday this week I did not want to wait on him. It's Friday and he still hasn't called so he's either not interested, away for the week and not telling anyone, or assumes we moved on. He probably won't be my first call next time unfortunately.
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