Air conditioner maintenance (Sarasota, Venice, Nokomis: condo, new house, buy)

[granger123]

I recently bought a house in Sarasota and I really enjoy my new house. I got a letter from heating & air conintioning compnies. It says "the company installed my air conditioner in 2008 and it will remain under manufacturer warranty for 10 years on parts and compressor. A general maintenance should be done each year in order to keep the warranty in effct." The company offered 24x20x3 high efficiency air filter installation ($92.00, replaced once per year) and $120 maintenance contract. I thought it's too expensive for me. I have three questions to ask to forum participants.

1) Can you recommned good air conditioning manitenance companies?

2) Is once per year maintenance enough or twice per year maintenance is needed?

3) What will be reasonable annual maintenance service cost?

Thanks.

[SRQGator1]

George with power air is easily the best and most fair. (941) 915-9443. Tell him T. Johnson sent ya

[Harbor Hopper]

That filter price is ridiculous. You can go to any ACE, Home Depot, Lowes, etc... and get a good filter for $20-30. Make sure you also replace the filters in the ceiling/wall louvers (if your home has them). Those are smaller and less expensive.
Just a personal opinion, I don't see the point in having a service contract. Once a year (in the spring), pick from the seemingly endless supply of A/C companies and have them come do a "spring tune-up". It shouldn't cost more than $80 as long as nothing major is wrong.

[d4g4m]

Maintenance contracts are a rip off, especially if the unit is still under warranty. $92 for filters is even a bigger rip off. You can buy 30 day throw away filters for 75 cents each. A 4 pack is $3.00 at home depot.

[JOSHTHEGOD]

Originally Posted by d4g4m

Maintenance contracts are a rip off, especially if the unit is still under warranty. $92 for filters is even a bigger rip off. You can buy 30 day throw away filters for 75 cents each. A 4 pack is $3.00 at home depot.

I am an HVAC contractor and I'm tired of people thinking we rip them off!!

Do you realize that if you don't have this maintenance done yearly that the manufacturer will not honor the warranty??

Many systems and their parts fail due to lack of maintenance.

[Old Man Winter]

Originally Posted by JOSHTHEGOD

I am an HVAC contractor and I'm tired of people thinking we rip them off!!

Do you realize that if you don't have this maintenance done yearly that the manufacturer will not honor the warranty??

Many systems and their parts fail due to lack of maintenance.

I find this post laughable at best. I was in the HVAC business for 16 years and never had a warranty claim rejected due to maintenance or lack there of. Where on your warranty claim paperwork does it ask for a maintenance history??? Exactly, it does not!

Use good filters and flush the drain every month with vinegar, not bleach or any other liquid that will eat holes in your drain pipes. I do recommend maintenance, but many maintenance people, and yes thats all many of them are qualified to do, dont actually do a darn thing except the filters and drain. Most dont check amp draws and capacitors, dont clean blower wheels, check electrical connections, etc.

If you are getting a contract, make sure it is a reputable company with qualified mechanics. There are alot of hacks in the AC business. I just rewired my buddies system in Lakewood Ranch, had to do it over the phone with him, after a well known, very large company wired the entire low voltage incorrectly, blowing 2 capacitors and then told him they would return after he had an electrician come fix the high voltage short in the panel..... idiots! They handed him a bill for $180 bucks and left after they wired it wrong. My buddy picked up 2 caps and I walked him through installing them and re wiring the entire low volt side of the system. I still cant figure out how they blew 2 caps putting in t stat????? You get what you pay for folks, or sometimes not.

Edited to add, most warranty claims are made due to improper installation.... the contractor wont admit to how many compressors his company has replaced under warranty due to his installers not using line filters or pulling proper vacuums to evacuate moisture before start up.... very common stuff in the field.

[loves2read]

can my daughter call you the next time her units need work--OldManWinter--
she lives in Nokomis and has condo in Venice

[photoman_6]

i had a situation recently where the ac unit stopped working. The unit is four years old and the company i called was the original installer. They gave me a big to do about the unit being under warranty, but when they came they charged me for a diagnostic AND the repair.

the part was under warranty. I think it was $5. The labor and diagnosis was almost $200.
They offered a manitenance contract for $100 to replace filters twice a year. Big deal.

[Old Man Winter]

Originally Posted by loves2read

can my daughter call you the next time her units need work--OldManWinter--
she lives in Nokomis and has condo in Venice

I am certain soliciting business on this forum is against TOS.....
We can do lunch

[paradiddle]

My mother in law in S Venice made the mistake of having a company from Sarasota do "free" maintenance. This is a house built in 2005. Of course the tech said that she had a leak and had to put in 2 lbs of freon. On further inspection he said that the evap coil was rotted. They gave her a quote on a new system. hold da horses.....

I had the original installer Royal AC come look at it and he said that the other company were crooks and there is nothing wrong with the system. Royal will be doing the maintenance from now on. by the way a good annual will include coil cleaning on both and drain clean as well as electrical and freon check. and of course a new filter. I do my own......