AC issues

Jiro said:
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Exactly, I would have just got a new HVAC system installed but being their house is 100% electric, it was a cheaper option for them as far as heating and cooling. I can go either electric or gas at my house... gas is cheaper, electric is easier to install....hmmm
 
sonocativo said:
Friends of mine just spent $75,000.00 to have a Geothermo System installed in their house. Company had to bring in machinery to bore pipelines into the earth to heat/cool the water that's pumped.... wow, that's a lot of money.
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My father have geothermal when the house was built. There's pro and con to it. The pro is that of course it save electricity since you can use it for hot water tank, heat the swimming pool and for AC/Heat. It's environmental friendly (no carbon release and such).

The con part is depending on the size of the house, you will need large landscape to put all the pipes underground. Also, when hot and dry summer hit for long period of time, the temperature under ground will increase a little, can significantly impact the temperature to cool the house. Also, if geo heat pump break, you will not able to get any hot water (after the water tank recirculate with cold water). And last can't drive any heavy equipment over the yard where all the geo pipes located, like big Utility truck, or drilling rig or whatever. Due to ground shifting and can crack the pipes underground.

Oh, forgot one more thing to add, talking about "saving electricity", actually it cost nothing for him, no electric bill, he usually get about $4000 every year from BGE (Baltimore Gas and Electric). You know how he did it?
 
SneakerNet said:
My father have geothermal when the house was built. There's pro and con to it. The pro is that of course it save electricity since you can use it for hot water tank, heat the swimming pool and for AC/Heat. It's environmental friendly (no carbon release and such).

The con part is depending on the size of the house, you will need large landscape to put all the pipes underground. Also, when hot and dry summer hit for long period of time, the temperature under ground will increase a little, can significantly impact the temperature to cool the house. Also, if geo heat pump break, you will not able to get any hot water (after the water tank recirculate with cold water). And last can't drive any heavy equipment over the yard where all the geo pipes located, like big Utility truck, or drilling rig or whatever. Due to ground shifting and can crack the pipes underground.

Oh, forgot one more thing to add, talking about "saving electricity", actually it cost nothing for him, no electric bill, he usually get about $4000 every year from BGE (Baltimore Gas and Electric). You know how he did it?
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For the latest "This Old House" project being shown on PBS they went down rather than out with the underground pipes.
 
SneakerNet said:
Oh, forgot one more thing to add, talking about "saving electricity", actually it cost nothing for him, no electric bill, he usually get about $4000 every year from BGE (Baltimore Gas and Electric). You know how he did it?
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Solar?
 
Jane B. said:
For the latest "This Old House" project being shown on PBS they went down rather than out with the underground pipes.
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Yes, for limit yard size but it cost more than having fanning out horizontal.
 
SneakerNet said:
Yes, for limit yard size but it cost more than having fanning out horizontal.
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I was looking into solar , installed on roof instead, but cant get an accurate price due to I have no electric bills yet ( just $9 a month now for what little I use during repair work ) so I need to get in and settled for a year to get a quote on how big of a system Im allowed.
 
sonocativo said:
I was looking into solar , installed on roof instead, but cant get an accurate price due to I have no electric bills yet ( just $9 a month now for what little I use during repair work ) so I need to get in and settled for a year to get a quote on how big of a system Im allowed.
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Yeah, need to know how many kWh is being used, as far as my father's solar, it's a rotational type solar that the panels will follow the sun so that way it will provide a peak electricity starting in the morning till sunset but for stationary type panel, you will get peak electricity for like about 2 to 3 hours then it will taper off.

Now my father is thinking about getting a wind power, sigh...he's greeny....
 
sonocativo said:
no, I didn't touch the part they replaced other than secure it. They didn't follow protocol for replacing that part. The contactor switch must be replaced in unison to the capactitor and they didn't do that, also they would come to even look at it.
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When you say, "protocol" to replace the relay and/or contacts; do you have any literature on it? Having taken HVAC, I'm not sure what you are saying is customary or required. If you have a new unit and you blow a faulty run capacitor, why should the contact be replaced?

I think you are going to find arguments on both sides. This might be an uphill battle...

Should have the tech found a bad relay? Probably. Was the unit running when he left? Yes.

I think the better way to handle it is just call the company back and explain that they didn't find the bad relay. In the end, they want the satisfied customer because they make more money.
 
VacationGuy234 said:
When you say, "protocol" to replace the relay and/or contacts; do you have any literature on it? Having taken HVAC, I'm not sure what you are saying is customary or required. If you have a new unit and you blow a faulty run capacitor, why should the contact be replaced?

I think you are going to find arguments on both sides. This might be an uphill battle...

Should have the tech found a bad relay? Probably. Was the unit running when he left? Yes.

I think the better way to handle it is just call the company back and explain that they didn't find the bad relay. In the end, they want the satisfied customer because they make more money.
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One of my sources was another HVAC repair tech, and the other is a very close good friend... He would have come and fixed it the first time but they moved so far away now. Both told me, when the capactitor is replaced they automatically replace the contactor switch, in my case it was way gone, the contacts were burned up so reguardless the tech should have replaced it due to age anyways since the new power from the capactitor was going to blow it out within the first few turn ons anyways. I still have it and the papers so if I end up going to court and sue them which I am seriously debating. I talked with a lawyer that specializes in this type of stuff and he agrees I have a strong case as well. I understand it was hot (105) out that day he came but he wasn't here but 20 minutes and as soon as the ac kicked on, he was like " Its working" and he was gone. Didn't mount the cap. or anything else, just plugged a new one on and left. When he first got here, he told me, well gonna try this first, if it doesn't work then its something else. yup, he tried that and gone. I don't think he looked at anything else otherwise it would have lasted longer and been fixed correctly.

*** My friend is an HVAC Tech too, been in the heating/cooling business for 20 years and has his own company now as well.
Both sources stated, they would never replace the capactitor without replacing the contactor switch along with it.
 
sonocativo said:
One of my sources was another HVAC repair tech, and the other is a very close good friend... He would have come and fixed it the first time but they moved so far away now...
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I'm not saying you are not right. I'm just saying it may be hard to prove and the lawyer might just want the work.

Is the run capacitor correctly sized? Could have it burnt the contacts? How old was the unit?

It's an interesting case.
 
VacationGuy234 said:
I'm not saying you are not right. I'm just saying it may be hard to prove and the lawyer might just want the work.

Is the run capacitor correctly sized? Could have it burnt the contacts? How old was the unit?

It's an interesting case.
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Unit is 12 years, its old, original to the house. First repair ever. Contacts were fried, don't know if you could see in the picture. They were the old exposed contacts. The new one I replaced was a sealed unit. A $30 part.
If I knew more about hvac I would have fixed it myself earlier on, although I did online with a tech in Florida ( had me send pics, and walked me through the repairs ) I didn't do repairs til winter after my second surgery, but that summer I borrowed a big window unit from my parents and ran wiring for it because we had a baby and I was going under the knife again. It was a simple repair, just it pissed me off the company wouldn't come back to even look at it a week later after their repair caused the contact to blow out. And that's what the BBB is basing it on.
 
sonocativo said:
Unit is 12 years, its old, original to the house. First repair ever. Contacts were fried, don't know if you could see in the picture. They were the old exposed contacts. The new one I replaced was a sealed unit. A $30 part.
If I knew more about hvac I would have fixed it myself earlier on, although I did online with a tech in Florida ( had me send pics, and walked me through the repairs ) I didn't do repairs til winter after my second surgery, but that summer I borrowed a big window unit from my parents and ran wiring for it because we had a baby and I was going under the knife again. It was a simple repair, just it pissed me off the company wouldn't come back to even look at it a week later after their repair caused the contact to blow out. And that's what the BBB is basing it on.
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Basically if they were to refund my money for not fixing it right to begin with Id drop it just because I had to go through all the BS of trying to get them out and suffer in the heat a few weeks before we had a temp fix (window unit) But because of that, I will not use them to install a new unit ( duct work and HVAC system in my house) I will use a company from the next town.
 
sonocativo said:
Basically if they were to refund my money for not fixing it right to begin with Id drop it just because I had to go through all the BS of trying to get them out and suffer in the heat a few weeks before we had a temp fix (window unit) But because of that, I will not use them to install a new unit ( duct work and HVAC system in my house) I will use a company from the next town.
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I hope it works out for you.. The sealed unit could last for 30 years with good maintenance. However, some parts are not going to last so I'd have your buddy give it a once over anyway.

Sorry this happened to you..
 
My wife is selling her house once I get mine done, going to have a new unit installed so no worries for years to come hopefully. I wanted my buddy to do it, but he said his travel would eat the profits...lol I don't blame him, besides, a local shop is just as good.
 
SneakerNet said:
Yeah, that is the whole reason for the AC to shut down. What's more important is to make sure the tubing to outside is clean, by pouring the Clorox every year, so it won't get all clogged up. The water pump will shutdown if it get too full, then the AC will stop. Nice feature.
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Yes, Tubing got "squeeze" cause clogged up. and Pump water got burned out then I had to replace the new one and fixed the tubing.
 
Ha, Alot copper theft will steal your A/C parts as copper coils for making big cash.

[ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoBbBpfGtMw[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnCPI0fRSO8[/ame]
 
Evo Dragon said:
Ha, Alot copper theft will steal your A/C parts as copper coils for making big cash.
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We have a lot of new construction around here, and the copper theft is common from the unoccupied houses.
 
My next door neighbor put the condensers of a two family house on the second floor porch roof. Although we don't have a lot of crime in the neighborhood, no reason to make it easy for them.
 
Not only that, but aluminum and platinum too. Guess what got platinum? Its Catalytic converters! If you sell one, I mean just one catalytic converter to scrap, you could get around 100 dollars.

I pocketed almost 400 dollars after removing my aluminum siding from my house and sold to scrap. Glad I decided not to put it on curb! Done with new Vinyl siding.

Evo Dragon said:
Ha, Alot copper theft will steal your A/C parts as copper coils for making big cash.

Church AC copper theft - YouTube
air conditioner theft at Tulsa school. - YouTube
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