Just paid $1300 to fix HVAC. The repair guy is humming a tune...

[cynatnite]

asshole.

[Sanity Claws]

1. I don't know that tune

WIth a title like that, I don't think I want to know it.

[FBaggins]

2. New condenssor/compressor/or heat exchanger?

There isn't much in an HVAC system that should cost that much to repair. Depending on the age of the system, that approaches the "better to get a new one" price.

[cynatnite]

6. It's an older system...

There was a leak. It needed refrigerant which was $85 per pound. Plus he was here a couple of hours for repairs. It all adds up.

Fortunately, the house is already cooling off.

[dawg day]

3. "Money Money Money" Is that the tune?

[True Blue American]

4. I just sent in my tax check!:(

[ProudLib72]

5. JFC! How to videos on Youtube are free, and a roll of duct tape is only $6

I don't trust very many people to fix my stuff.

[cynatnite]

7. If I was an HVAC expert, able to use refrigerant and do the other repair work...

Sure, I'd do it.

If all it took was some duck tape, you betcha.

[ProudLib72]

11. Yeah, pressurized refrigerant lines are another matter all together

Luckily, my family has found an HVAC repairman who is trustworthy. He owns a family business (has his daughter working with him). I've used him. My parents have used him. My sister has used him. But it's tough to find a business you can trust to do good work and not charge an arm and a leg.

[ExciteBike66]

8. I had an AC guy out at the start of last summer...

He recommended I replace the blower motor, since the air was on but the motor wasn't running.

Later on, it turned out we had a bad relay ($30 part). A different AC guy came out to replace it, but failed to hook up the part going to the heater, which meant we had no heat (not that it gets toooo cold here in FL).

Anyway, since the system is 13 years old, I just try to diagnose and fix myself, rather than relying on the local a**holes here who cannot get it right.

[procon]

9. Recently paid $8K to install a new Carrier

system. That was about $3K less than the original unit we put in 18 years ago. It's something we can't live without in our climate, so we had to suck it up and just get it done.

[cynatnite]

10. He quoted us $6000, but we just don't have it...

It's an older system. He originally quoted me $1375. While I was writing out the check he requoted it for $1198. So, there's that. We still have some money left in the bank.

[procon]

12. I hear you, these are major costs to most people.

We rely on a pellet stove for most of our heat, with the furnance only set to come on mostly in the morning. We briefly considered not getting the furnace and only installing the air conditioner. Then we started thinking that at our age, there will come a time when maybe we just aren't up to getting the stove started, so the convenience of having a forced air system on a thermostat that is set to our phone, became a probable necessity.

We'll just be eating a lot more Raman noodles.