Free A/C and Heat Q/A Thread

[Sheepdawg23wm]

Hello boys and girls. Thought I would extend my extensive knowledge base of residential heating and cooling to anyone that has questions about there system at home. I am a licensed contractor in Phoenix AZ so my expertise runs pretty deep. So if any of you have and questions regarding hvac, feel free to ask. Feel like your getting taken to the cleaners on your system? Trying to install your own thermostat and shi* ain't workin right? Wondering what system would be best for your home after getting 3 bids? Ask for help so I can try and explain things for you. I love this forum and thouht this would be my best way to give back for all the help i've recieved for my crawlers.

 

[salmonshark]

Hello boys and girls. Thought I would extend my extensive knowledge base of residential heating and cooling to anyone that has questions about there system at home. I am a licensed contractor in Phoenix AZ so my expertise runs pretty deep. So if any of you have and questions regarding hvac, feel free to ask. Feel like your getting taken to the cleaners on your system? Trying to install your own thermostat and shi* ain't workin right? Wondering what system would be best for your home after getting 3 bids? Ask for help so I can try and explain things for you. I love this forum and thouht this would be my best way to give back for all the help i've recieved for my crawlers.

My Bryant system wants to be serviced. What's all involved besides changing the filter and maybe a little shop-vac'ing?

SS

 

[Sheepdawg23wm]

My Bryant system wants to be serviced. What's all involved besides changing the filter and maybe a little shop-vac'ing?

SS

Depends on wether or not your paying for an inspection or a full tune up. An inspection consists of visually looking over the system, maybe checking freon charge and testing run capacitors. A full tune up consist of indoor and outdoor coil cleanings, checking froen charge, gas pressures, temp splits and all electrical connections from the outdoor unit all the way back to the breaker panel. Obviously the full tune up cost more but is well worth it. Also one thing to consider is, if the technician shows up and recommends something be replaced for a preventative measure, be prepared to spend some cash, Otherwise whats the point of the maintenance. Just to have someone come out and tell you whats wrong with your unit? I do however recommend following the tech around as he does the maintenance. A good tech will have absolutely no problem with you doing that if hes good at what he does and hes honest. He can also show you right then and there with proof if you are having an issue with something. So yeah, there's certainly more to a system check other than just changing filters and vaccuuming it out.

 

[The Violator]

Depends on wether or not your paying for an inspection or a full tune up. An inspection consists of visually looking over the system, maybe checking freon charge and testing run capacitors. A full tune up consist of indoor and outdoor coil cleanings, checking froen charge, gas pressures, temp splits and all electrical connections from the outdoor unit all the way back to the breaker panel. Obviously the full tune up cost more but is well worth it. Also one thing to consider is, if the technician shows up and recommends something be replaced for a preventative measure, be prepared to spend some cash, Otherwise whats the point of the maintenance. Just to have someone come out and tell you whats wrong with your unit? I do however recommend following the tech around as he does the maintenance. A good tech will have absolutely no problem with you doing that if hes good at what he does and hes honest. He can also show you right then and there with proof if you are having an issue with something. So yeah, there's certainly more to a system check other than just changing filters and vaccuuming it out.

Unless there is a problem, why would you replace something. It would be like taking my car and and replacing the transmission every 20k miles just because.


The biggest thing as a homeowner you can do is change your filter every month. Dirty evaporator is the root cause of most issues.

 

[Sheepdawg23wm]

Unless there is a problem, why would you replace something. It would be like taking my car and and replacing the transmission every 20k miles just because.


The biggest thing as a homeowner you can do is change your filter every month. Dirty evaporator is the root cause of most issues.

Im guessing by this thought process you would wait for your timing belt to fully snap before replacing it? Why maintain anything? Might as well let it break first completely and then really be prepared to spend huge money. Not knocking you, just dont agree with letting things go. I do however agree with staying up on replacing filter when needed, not needed monthly. Filter manufacture would totally disagree with that but why change a filter that is only slightly discolored only? When the filter starts to bow upward and makes louder than normal air whistling, then its time to change.

 

[crash]

Im guessing by this thought process you would wait for your timing belt to fully snap before replacing it? Why maintain anything? Might as well let it break first completely and then really be prepared to spend huge money. Not knocking you, just dont agree with letting things go. I do however agree with staying up on replacing filter when needed, not needed monthly. Filter manufacture would totally disagree with that but why change a filter that is only slightly discolored only? When the filter starts to bow upward and makes louder than normal air whistling, then its time to change.

When did a transmission have a timing belt :lmao:

 

[Sheepdawg23wm]

When did a transmission have a timing belt :lmao:

Was't referring to tranny having a timing belt, i was using my own analogy.

 

[salmonshark]

Where the best place to buy filters? I have that electronic filter with like a 4" filter. My unit is only a few years old. I have changed the filter a few times since. But have ran out. They were given to me when I bought, but I think the rep said they were like 50-100 bucks a pop.

SS

 

[Sheepdawg23wm]

Sounds like you have an air bear media filter. I know where I buy them, but I'll have to see if I can dig up a link for you

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk

 

[Sheepdawg23wm]

Sounds like you have an air bear media filter. I know where I buy them, but I'll have to see if I can dig up a link for you

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk

Try this site Refrigerator Water Filters, Water Filters, Air Filters, Pool Filters, HVAC Filters, Filters Fast, just double check your current filter size.

 

[ridepate]

Thanks for the free-advice man!!!
I replaced my contactor and cap in my 9-year old Rheem H-pump a few months back. It's been a really reliable unit thus far.

 

[JeremyH]

The biggest thing as a homeowner you can do is change your filter every month. Dirty evaporator is the root cause of most issues.

ESPECIALLY if you have long haired (or any) animals in the house.

 

[Sheepdawg23wm]

No problem, sounds like you're pretty happy with the system and you should be, Rheem is one of the best units available. Contactor and cap replacement at 9 years sounds totally normal.

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[The Violator]

Im guessing by this thought process you would wait for your timing belt to fully snap before replacing it? Why maintain anything? Might as well let it break first completely and then really be prepared to spend huge money. Not knocking you, just dont agree with letting things go. I do however agree with staying up on replacing filter when needed, not needed monthly. Filter manufacture would totally disagree with that but why change a filter that is only slightly discolored only? When the filter starts to bow upward and makes louder than normal air whistling, then its time to change.

You sound like a contractor trying to bilk every penny they can get from a home owner. Call me silly, but I am a service tech, not a parts changer. I diagnose problems, and provide solutions. If I changed every part that could go bad, I would do 10 compressors a day. The only thing I might change would be start components. But only if they showed signs of being an issue.



Changing filters every month is the cheapest thing you can do. Of course if I wanted to make money in this business I would tell you not to. That way they could pay me to clean their condensor, and charge them to check out a system that would have been fine otherwise. Seeing that you live in Az, you should know better. In an area with less dust, filters are not nearly the problem they are here in desert. If you have to ( or should anyway ) dust your house once a week, you need filters every month.

 

[Sheepdawg23wm]

Wow, not sure what to think about this post. First off, not changing an air filter has absolutely nothing to do with dirtying up a condensor, an evaporator yes but not a condensor. Secondly, i can tell with about 100% certainty you dont do any maintance checks or believe in preventing problems before they lead to bigger problems. Thirdly, have you even consided loose poorly sealed return ducts in an attic to be the root cause of excessive dust in ones home? Whats the air filter doing to stop that? But hey, who needs maintenance right, pay no never mind to that damn near pluggeg evap coil due to said poorly sealed return duct costing your customer a fortune due to crap effiecincy. According to you the system is otherwise running great and I must just want to rob all my customers. This thread was not intended to compete one hvac guy to another to see whos junk is bigger but seems like its heading down that road. Personally, I have been doing primarily service diagnostics since the mid 90's and I am a service guy through and through, but I also understand there are customers that want there units looked at before summer even though they seemingly run fine, and you being from Arizona, I would expect you to atleast ensure a customers condensate drain lines are clear as to prevent ceiling cave ins. But how can you do that when sounds to me you fix immediate problem at hand and then bounce off the call as fast as possible. I assume you equate this method as being (an honest) service tech. I myself have another word for it, "LIABILITY"! I recommend fixing small problems before they snowball into a bigger ones, and if my customers dont want to fix what I recommend, then it is all documented on there service invoice. I do this to cover my ass. The world of HVAC is totally different from an owners stand point rather than from just a servicemen's stand point. You wouldn't believe the type of complete bullshi* a customer will take you to court over.... So I say to you, recommend, document and CYA!

 

[Sheepdawg23wm]

i guess you work for free, I hear my local homeless shelter is looking for volunteers. Sounds like you're available, come on down, sure they would love to have you"thumbsup"

 

[sloppy]

I wouldnt take any of it to serious.. Must residential techs dont really understand preventive/predictive maintenance or its real value.. Even light commercial techs fall into the same traps fix/band aid problems and run to the next call...

Run to failure is not a option in many large commercial applications.. When big money is on the line if you have a HVAC failure people start to understand replacing a part before failure.. "thumbsup"

Not taking a jab at residential guys just saying sometimes there is a bigger picture and some people expect different levels of performance.. for most home owners a failure does not really effect them that much..

 

[Slowbro]

I have a question: I spray air freshener into the ac return so it will blow into the entire house....is this a bad thing to do? I was wondering if this might dirty up the coils or cause some other issues. Thanks!

 

[Sheepdawg23wm]

I have been spraying air freshener in the return for years at my house. I showed my wife this little trick along time ago and she loves the whole house coverage in such a small amount of time. I have never seen any ill affects from doing this. So I say spray away:thumbup:

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[The Violator]

i guess you work for free, I hear my local homeless shelter is looking for volunteers. Sounds like you're available, come on down, sure they would love to have you"thumbsup"

I am not talking about working for free. We don't do much residential, were to expensive for most people, mostly commercial equipment. Ice makers, ice cream machines, walk in, etc. I would rather save my customers money, and keep their stuff running.

If something is an issue, by all means replace it. But just swapping parts is not a good practice, at least not in my book. I have booked out $20k in a day of service so I know how to charge, but I choose wisely what to change. I treat all my customers as if I am spending my own money. All my work comes with a 90 day warranty. If you have problems after I leave I come back for free. I did just over 1400 calls last year (average call $364), and had exactly 18 call backs. I must be doing something right.