Do you do yearly AC check ups? (Phoenix: rentals, insurance)

[HX_Guy]

My family and I have been in Phoenix for 19 years and have never done one of those annual AC check ups. I dont know if I've just been lucky but when living with my parents, I was in that house from 1992 to 2006 and we had the same AC unit which broke down once from what I remember, something about a coil freezing up or something?

The house my wife and I live in now was built in 1999 and has the original AC. We've been here 5 years and the AC has never given us a problem.

[Rick Lee]

I do. I have a rental property in VA I might get to visit once a year. So I have a maint. contract on it and my primary house. For something like $150 a yr., I get a fall and spring inspection/service and 15% off parts and labor for repairs. I'd much rather just have to pay $200 for a repair when he's already out there, then have my tenants call me when the a/c or heater stops, then I have to have them go out there again and do a bigger repair. Preventative maint. is always cheaper than deferred maint. I know we have a major a/c problem coming up soon here, as the last inspection showed the unit drawing almost its max capacity amperage and that was after the coils had been cleaned. Not much I can do about it now, but it's 15 yrs. old and doesn't owe much more service life. I hope the home warranty company comes through WHEN, not if, it fails.

[BabsJohnson]

Never. You did mention a buzzing sound coming from your unit recently. Maybe it should be looked at. If I hear funny sounds or the bill starts running really high I'll have it looked at. I just had trouble again with my Rheem heat pump. I had bought a ten year parts warranty with the unit and have two years left. Two refrigerant pipes had been rubbing together for eight years. They rubbed holes in each other and let the R-22 refrigerant spew out. The installing dealer wanted over $70./hour and $28./pound for the R-22. The guy who does my rentals is a HVAC contracter. he refilled the unit three days in a row until he got the OK to do the warranty work for my unit. He charges $11./pound for R-22. The refrigerant is not a covered item in my Rheem extended warranty. Talk about gouging! The recharging was 4 pounds each day until the last day it took 10 pounds because it had to be evacuated. Do the math. What a screw job! I would happily recommend my good guy to anyone. He's the only one I'll call from now on. I'm glad this happened two weeks ago, rather than in the current heat wave.

[Zippyman]

I have mine checked yearly - if a system check is done properly, you get great information - most of the contractors out there don't want to do a full checkup though - your invoice should show amp draw, temp drops, line pressures & static pressure measurements. If you have all of that info, you know the charge is right and the unit is operating properly. Without all of that info, you don't really know anything.

A good contractor can let you know if your capacitors are swelling, if your contactor is worn, or if the condenser fan motor is heating up too quickly - which could save you from a failure @ the worst possible time (like now!).

I'd be very wary of those $29.95 "check ups" - it costs more than that to pay a technician, insurance, fuel, etc - they're going to want to sell you something else to make up for the "loss leader", whether you need it or not.

[AZPam]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I hope the home warranty company comes through WHEN, not if, it fails.

Make sure you read your home warranty carefully. Also get the upgraded warranty if at all possible so they will be more likely to everything. If your unit is older a lot of the warranties won't cover the upgrades needed with the higher seer rated units that now must be used.

[Ponderosa]

Waste of money. Stick a thermometer in an air outlet. If it is 20 degrees colder than the air going into the return, then your AC is fine. Make sure nothing is blocking the outside unit. The service visits are just an opportunity to sell you things/fix things that you don't need. It is one of the biggest scams around. I never saw a warranty that required an annual inspection.

Good contractors check up, maybe has some value, but finding an honest AC firm in Phoenix is about the same as finding an honest car repair place or dentist.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I never saw a warranty that required an annual inspection.

Home warranties don't offer this, but annual service plans do. For the $150 a year, it covers two check-ups and 15% off parts and labor for repairs. It's paid for itself on my rental property. I really just got it on my primary so I'd have a discounted alternative if the home warranty doesn't come through when the unit here dies. It's rated for a max of 26 amps and was drawing 25.8 when last inspected and it wasn't even that hot out then. My home warranty contract says they will cover it and even replace it with the upgraded 410 unit. That job runs about 10x my annual home warranty premium, so I'll believe it when I see it.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Waste of money. Stick a thermometer in an air outlet. If it is 20 degrees colder than the air going into the return, then your AC is fine. Make sure nothing is blocking the outside unit. The service visits are just an opportunity to sell you things/fix things that you don't need. It is one of the biggest scams around. I never saw a warranty that required an annual inspection.

Good contractors check up, maybe has some value, but finding an honest AC firm in Phoenix is about the same as finding an honest car repair place or dentist.

Annual inspections are not a waste ... however, the key is finding a good, reputable firm that has a top rating with the Registrar of Contractors and has been around for a long time. Unfortunately, there are a fair share of fly by night contractors, and companies that are out to rip you off, but most anybody can avoid that by doing some research.

I have a preferred service contract with a company that has been in the metro area for over 20 years ... in fact, I just renewed it this last spring. Never had any problems with them. Not only do they come out twice a year and inspect the A/C & furnace, any kind of repair that needs to be done is at a discounted price, and I'm at the top of the list for service/repair calls. Think about it: 115 degrees and the A/C goes out. What do you do then? Look in the phone book or on the internet & take your chance with a fly by night, and wait several hours (or days) for somebody to come out while you suffer in the heat? Or get prompt service at a reduced price from a reputable company? I choose the latter.

The annual check ups may not be needed as much if you have a newer house, but for those with older houses (especially older A/C units), I definitely recommend them. The company I use only tried to sell me once on something that I didn't want or need ... I just told them no, and that was the end of it.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Annual inspections are not a waste ... however, the key is finding a good, reputable firm that has a top rating with the Registrar of Contractors and has been around for a long time. Unfortunately, there are a fair share of fly by night contractors, and companies that are out to rip you off, but most anybody can avoid that by doing some research.

I have a preferred service contract with a company that has been in the metro area for over 20 years ... in fact, I just renewed it this last spring. Never had any problems with them. Not only do they come out twice a year and inspect the A/C & furnace, any kind of repair that needs to be done is at a discounted price, and I'm at the top of the list for service/repair calls. Think about it: 115 degrees and the A/C goes out. What do you do then? Look in the phone book or on the internet & take your chance with a fly by night, and wait several hours (or days) for somebody to come out while you suffer in the heat? Or get prompt service at a reduced price from a reputable company? I choose the latter.

The annual check ups may not be needed as much if you have a newer house, but for those with older houses (especially older A/C units), I definitely recommend them. The company I use only tried to sell me once on something that I didn't want or need ... I just told them no, and that was the end of it.

I stand by my comment. If the unit is working properly, there is no need to have someone poking around in it and trying to sell you a capacitor you don't need. Save your money and go to a resort for a day if it conks out and you have to wait for a "reputable" repair company.

There was a news story on TV recently where three different companies checked a perfectly functioning AC unit. All of them recommended repairs though it needed nothing and the estimates went from low to very, very high. Stay away from these crooks.

[Rick Lee]

How do you know if it's working properly? Just because it keeps your house cool, doesn't mean it's not a ticking time bomb. A lot of expensive problems are avoidable with preventative maintenance. I've never had one of those guys try to sell me something other to fix a real problem that was going to be a lot more expensive later on.