Need HVAC advice/help

SSThunder · 05-07-2007, 02:04 PM

Ok. We've got a leak in the home AC so a company comes out to look at it. The ac freezes up because of the link(low on freon). guy says it will probably be a couple hundred for the repair. He calls my wife back and say to replace the leaky coil and fill the freon will be over $500. Now I know these people are full of it. They told my wife the leaked can't be patched. I repaired these coils while I worked at a summer job back in college. The coils were for vehicle ACs but the difference isn't that great is it? Ifixed leaks in a min or two so I'm guessing it's a 30 min job max and they want $500+. Does this price sound fair to anyone? Can the repair be made by me? I'm calling to get some more quotes but I wouldn't doubt if others will try to rip me off.

stroker87 · 05-07-2007, 03:18 PM

I have been doing HVAC on comercial equip. and residential (on the side)for 10 years. To fix a leak in the evap coil is a pain in the rear. You would prob. have to remove the coil from the unit and find the leak, which could be in the tube sheet = more pain in the butt. Some repairs can be made, but depending on the age of the coil it might be in your best interest to replace it. To repair/ replace the coil you have to reclaim the refrigerant, braze in the leak or new coil and a new liquid line drier, pull a vacuum on the system, and recharge with refrig. Depending on their hourly rate and the cost of a new coil, which prices have gone up quite a bit on equipment, this quote might not be too bad. Get a few estimates though, if they wont charge for it. Most residential places around here, (NOT ALL) are just sales guys trying to sell you new equipment, but without seeing it for myself I cant be sure. If you have the skills to fix the leak, go right ahead, but you still have to deal with the refrigerant in the system and the vacuum, etc. It is illegal to vent the refrig. into the air!FYI Just throwing some numbers around, I prob. wouldnt be far off from that price. I charge $50.00/hr on the side, and it would take a few hours at least. Good luck!

Shane06fl · 05-07-2007, 03:47 PM

How can the a/c man replace coils when he says he can't locate the leak? I would do like stroker87 says and get a few estimates, problem is you will have to pay for another service call. BUT $500 for a coil change out is pretty good, most of that is labor. Also what type of refrigerant is the system running? Most of the time the leak is in the coils but I see a lot of leaks in the line set too, if his leak detector isn't picking anything up then it's a good chance the leak is in the line set underground (if it is underground).

Repair most of the time is no good and since you will be hit with the same labor rate to r/r the coils as repair it and since you have pull the coils to repair you might as well replace.

SSThunder · 05-07-2007, 06:51 PM

I'm going to get at least other quotes. The coil is like $200 and the rest($300+) is labor and supplies I guess. Even at 3 hours labor that labor charge seems a little high. Hopefully I can find a better price. My father-in law is a maintenance worker at a factory so I'm going to see if he's done these repairs before.

stroker87 · 05-08-2007, 04:36 PM

A guy my wife works with told me that he just paid a company over $300 just to recharge his system!

Hes kickin himself for not callin me!

mtofell · 05-08-2007, 09:40 PM

It's expensive but not surprising... Everything is a lot of $$ these days... I own a construction related business and just to put a guy in a truck, give him some benefits and pay someone to answer the phone in the office you need to charge close to $100/hr... gas, insurance, continuing education, tools, rent, legal costs (cause the second you miss take a breath wrong you can bet you'll be getting sued) etc, etc....

SSThunder · 05-09-2007, 08:56 AM

The quote came out to $562. His hourly charge isn't bad at $66 but the part cost is crazy but copper is expensive. That quote also includes the $66 he charged to come out and see what the problem was. They will be out tomorrow to do the repair. Sucks but it has to be fixed.

tnbowhunter · 05-09-2007, 10:35 AM

If I was you I would just go ahead and get the new coil. I speak from experience as I had the same thing happen several years ago. I was like you and thought it would be cheaper just to have the old coil repaired, it started leaking again soon after and then I had to have a new coil installed. I was out the cost of having the coil repaired plus the expense of a new coil and labor costs.

SSThunder · 05-09-2007, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tnbowhunter

If I was you I would just go ahead and get the new coil. I speak from experience as I had the same thing happen several years ago. I was like you and thought it would be cheaper just to have the old coil repaired, it started leaking again soon after and then I had to have a new coil installed. I was out the cost of having the coil repaired plus the expense of a new coil and labor costs.

It's getting replaced tomorrow for the $562. Do these guys do part time work? I plan on getting into real estate and it might be worth it to be qualified to work on AC units.

Shane06fl · 05-10-2007, 05:53 PM

SS a lot or most of the a/c techs are working under the license of the company they work for. To handle the refrigerant you have to have the EPA certs on you or by your place of employment. That don't mean these can't do the work and you have a legit company come out and charge the system. But as you can imagine these techs could care less about the EPA on a Saturday, if you know what I mean.