HVAC company (Fredericksburg: rental, how much, house)

[FCNova]

I had McCarthy Services do a spring checkup and they found a bunch of issues with my A/C unit. I believe him on the work needed to be done for the most part but the cost seems high.

Contactor - $325
Capacitor - $280
3 lbs of R22 freon @ $280/lb
He said R22 was being phased out, which I googled and was true.

He also said I could do a leak test for $500, which would require draining the system, fixing, and then refilling with 7 lbs of R22 freon. I don't think the $500 counted the freon. That seems absurd and I'd just replace the unit before spending all that on something that's evidently outdated. But it's been operating fine and doesn't even look old although he said it's a 2002 unit so I definitely don't want to replace.

Anyone have any good HVAC company recommendations and any recent experience with those types of repairs?

[NC211]

I've heard very good things about Snell from some pretty sharp/tight friends.

YouTube is your friend on this stuff, big time. A capacitor is a very common part that wears out. Home Depot has them for around $20 or less. And looking at an hvac unit, it's mostly a fan. YouTube it to see just how simple it really is to replace.

It's been my experience the older the unit, the harder the pitch to buy new instead of fixing it, but you have to educate yourself first. Otherwise it's like taking a car to a mechanic and saying "I don't know, it just don't go". It's like having a roof with streaks on the northern face and be sold a new roof, when really all it needs is a $300 bath. The streaks are just fungus, not worn shingled.

[MedvedActual]

Dealing with a similar - old AC units issue now. It is true that R22 is being phased out, hence the steep $105 per lb. charge rate. Home warranty companies, at least mine, cover up to $10 a lb. so depending on how much you need, it does get pretty pricy fast. I am contemplating just replacing both of mine, definitely not looking forward to spending the $ but it is the best option in the long run as opposed to keeping doing $1k + upkeep every year.

[FCNova]

Originally Posted by NC211

I've heard very good things about Snell from some pretty sharp/tight friends.

YouTube is your friend on this stuff, big time. A capacitor is a very common part that wears out. Home Depot has them for around $20 or less. And looking at an hvac unit, it's mostly a fan. YouTube it to see just how simple it really is to replace.

It's been my experience the older the unit, the harder the pitch to buy new instead of fixing it, but you have to educate yourself first. Otherwise it's like taking a car to a mechanic and saying "I don't know, it just don't go". It's like having a roof with streaks on the northern face and be sold a new roof, when really all it needs is a $300 bath. The streaks are just fungus, not worn shingled.

I've thought about that. I am handy and have done many projects, including electrical. I figured since I needed someone to add R22 I'd just have them do it all, but I youtubed the capacitor replacement and it does look incredibly easy. I was also quoted $900 for the furnace inducer motor which is grinding, which I knew immediately was way too high. I may take a stab at that too especially since it's still working and the furnace is about done for the season so I probably don't need to address it until next fall.

Originally Posted by MedvedActual

Dealing with a similar - old AC units issue now. It is true that R22 is being phased out, hence the steep $105 per lb. charge rate. Home warranty companies, at least mine, cover up to $10 a lb. so depending on how much you need, it does get pretty pricy fast. I am contemplating just replacing both of mine, definitely not looking forward to spending the $ but it is the best option in the long run as opposed to keeping doing $1k + upkeep every year.

$105/lb sounds more reasonable. I was quoted $280/lb. I only need 3 lbs so I'll gladly just fill it up than look at replacing the whole unit, especially because it hasn't had one issue since I moved in in the last 5 years and is still running like a champ, although I don't think the guy is lying to me about some of the components needing replacement soon.

Another thing that was off putting was I felt the guy was just trying to sell me tons of stuff from the start. To the service plan he pushed right away to the home humidifier at the end he tried to give me info for.

[MedvedActual]

Just saw the $280 per lb. That is crazy. I literally just spoke with United Air Temp., Inc who quoted me $105 per lb. ($95 after AHS pays their part) for the property in Fredericksburg. Granted I am going with their services via American Home Shield, I do not believe that the $105 per lb. is a discounted vs. market price. If you do not already have a home warranty company and can wait to get this fixed, sign up for the contract then call them in a couple of weeks. They charge a deductible (mine is $100) and then do all the leak testing, etc. You are responsible for the deductible and the charge over $10 a lb. (they cover the first $10). Sounds like a way better deal than $280 a lb. Just reread your original post and would highly recommend getting a home warranty. I have used AHS several times, from getting plumbing fixed, to AC repairs (had similar issue as you about a year ago) and cannot say anything bad about them. For $50ish a month that is a great piece of mind IMO. The $500 leak test you got quoted is ridiculous; as I mentioned above AHS covered that and parts after I paid the $100 deductible.

[boyd888]

Another vote that a capacitor is $10 on Amazon and you can replace it yourself with a screwdriver in literally 15 minutes. The contactor is also the same idea...just a bunch of wires, take a picture, unplug everything and replace. Disconnect the power to the unit first so there is no risk to you.

[FCNova]

I got a quote from a different company at $145/lb for R22, although there's a $95 dispatch fee. He laughed when I told him McCarthy quoted 280. I don't think the dispatch fee is applied to the final bill though, which is kind of annoying. I get they have a minimum to drive out to someone's house to cover their overhead but if I'm spending $450 that fee should be waived.

[MedvedActual]

Originally Posted by FCNova

I got a quote from a different company at $145/lb for R22, although there's a $95 dispatch fee. He laughed when I told him McCarthy quoted 280. I don't think the dispatch fee is applied to the final bill though, which is kind of annoying. I get they have a minimum to drive out to someone's house to cover their overhead but if I'm spending $450 that fee should be waived.

Like I mentioned above, if you can wait a week or so, get home warranty then use it. All you pay for is the deductible and coolant; parts, labor, etc. are covered. Just my suggestion.

[FCNova]

Originally Posted by MedvedActual

Like I mentioned above, if you can wait a week or so, get home warranty then use it. All you pay for is the deductible and coolant; parts, labor, etc. are covered. Just my suggestion.

I'm really not a fan of the home warranties. For one I can troubleshoot a lot of things myself in the house. And if I do need to use a contractor I like having flexibility of using whoever I want and not worrying they're doing cheap work just to satisfy the warranty requirements. I guess it would be worth it if I could sign up and have this stuff fixed and then cancel, but I'm sure there's a minimum term. And I don't really want one long term.

[car54]

You can get a 30 pound jug of R22 for about $450. What's that....15 bucks a pound?

To escape these HVAC thieves, I took a course at NVCC, got my EPA 608 Type II card (that you need to buy the stuff), bought a set of gauges and I was off and running. I have multiple rental properties, so it's a big savings.