Author Topic: Central Heat A/C advice needed (Read 1834 times)

Doggy Daddy · « **on:** December 21, 2011, 07:20:42 PM »

Okay, so our home warranty company sent out somebody to look at our roof mounted heat/AC unit, because our heat went out. Long story short, they turned it off because the heat exchanger is cracked. Home warranty company will pay for it to be replaced. The catch: they told the warranty company that they won't do it unless we also have them do a maintenance cleaning. They charge $425 for the cleaning. Sound right? I called the guy, and he says that's to acid wash and clean the evaporation coils, clean the combustion chamber, and straighten up some wiring in the combustion chamber.

I'm thinking that they're thinking they have me in a corner and I'll pay whatever they ask. That's almost true. How is that price?

never_retreat · « **Reply #1 on:** December 21, 2011, 07:32:21 PM »

Unless that thing is very new chances are you just can't replace the heat exchanger.
So why would you clean it if its getting replaced.
You might be able to weld the heat exchanger if you can get to the crack.

Doggy Daddy · « **Reply #2 on:** December 21, 2011, 07:47:46 PM »

Quote from: never_retreat on December 21, 2011, 07:32:21 PM

Unless that thing is very new chances are you just can't replace the heat exchanger.

Actually, the thing is pretty OLD, but I sure as heck can't afford to replace it in the near future. This house has 2 units, one for the upstairs and one for the downstairs. The repair company is talking like it'll be no problem to replace the heat exchanger, but I have to have the maintenance cleaning done to their satisfaction first.

DD

280plus · « **Reply #3 on:** December 21, 2011, 09:15:26 PM »

Sounds like they're just tacking on some $ for one reason or another. Unless of course the unit does in fact need this service which would make it totally legit. I'd say if you're going to end up with a clean unit and a new heat exchanger for $425 out of pocket you're not doing too bad. make sure they're going to clean the evaporator AND the condenser coils!

Doggy Daddy · « **Reply #4 on:** December 21, 2011, 09:37:42 PM »

Quote from: 280plus on December 21, 2011, 09:15:26 PM

I'd say if you're going to end up with a clean unit and a new heat exchanger for $425 out of pocket you're not doing too bad.

Actually, not quite. The heat exchanger and labor to put it in is being covered by the home warranty company. The contractor wants $425 just for what he's calling "maintenance cleaning".

DD

Jim147 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 21, 2011, 09:45:30 PM »

I wish I could charge that around here.

Home warranty companies pay as little as possible. So companies that do their service tack on as much as possible.

When did you buy the house? Have you kept the filters clean?

What else did they say was wrong? Besides a burn through, I don't see no heat and cracked heat exchanger at the same time.

I know you'll be out of pocket but a second opinion might not be a bad idea.

jim

Doggy Daddy · « **Reply #6 on:** December 21, 2011, 10:02:16 PM »

Bought the house in '99. Filters are changed the first of every month.

My understanding is that the cracked exchanger was causing an intermittent flare-up that would trip some sort of protective switch (roll out switch?) and that over time the switch would go bad from being tripped so much. There's no heat now because they turned the unit off to avoid anything catastrophic from happening.

While I was at work, wifey did some calling and found a guy whose company would do a twice-yearly cleaning for $140/year. When I had her call back and explain what the first guy said needed done, he balked a bit at the mention of wiring. He's going to come out Monday and provide the second opinion for $70. If he winds up doing the cleaning, he'll apply that $70 towards the job. Hell, if he's halfway decent and I get an honest feel about him I'll go for the yearly contract thing.

Or am I being naive?

DD

280plus · « **Reply #7 on:** December 21, 2011, 10:22:23 PM »

So the heat exchanger is probably still under warranty which means the repair company won't make squat which is why they want to tack on the $425. You probably would be better off getting a few more quotes/opinions.

Jim147 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 21, 2011, 10:28:20 PM »

Roof top units are all about access to them. If you can get to them easy they are much easier to clean then an A coil in a house with a drain and gas line and duct work in the way that you have to pull out to work on.

Sounds like the roll out charred some wires.

Have the second guy check the heat exchanger. Not saying it's good but if it is I would call the insurance company and ask them who gets the bill.

jim

Doggy Daddy · « **Reply #9 on:** December 22, 2011, 12:44:51 AM »

Quote from: 280plus on December 21, 2011, 10:22:23 PM

So the heat exchanger is probably still under warranty which means the repair company won't make squat which is why they want to tack on the $425. You probably would be better off getting a few more quotes/opinions.

Second opinion coming Monday. The warranty is through a home warranty company. They cover all the appliances, heat/AC, etc. Sorta like an extended warranty.

DD

Doggy Daddy · « **Reply #10 on:** December 22, 2011, 12:53:26 AM »

Quote from: Jim147 on December 21, 2011, 10:28:20 PM

Roof top units are all about access to them. If you can get to them easy they are much easier to clean then an A coil in a house with a drain and gas line and duct work in the way that you have to pull out to work on.

Sounds like the roll out charred some wires.

Have the second guy check the heat exchanger. Not saying it's good but if it is I would call the insurance company and ask them who gets the bill.

jim

Easy access to this one! We have mansard roofs, and this unit sits on the roof over the garage. For those not familiar, mansard roofs are flat on top. Would be a great position to defend.

Except for the aircraft.

Here's a house with a mansard roof, kinda similar to ours:

And, Jim, I think you have a good grasp of what's going on here. I'll pay the second guy for his opinion and for him to do the maintenance cleanup if his price turns out even close to what he said. I'm sorta backed into a corner there and his price sounds like it will be in line with what is normal around here. The warranty company will pay for the heat exchanger.

DD

Jim147 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 22, 2011, 01:49:26 AM »

You have American Home Shield, Assurant or one of those. I know exactly how they work.

I don't like to talk bad about any company but if it needs $425.00 worth of cleaning before I'll do a repair, the problem is lack of cleaning and that would be rejected be the home warranty company.

jim

K Frame · « **Reply #12 on:** December 22, 2011, 07:44:28 AM »

I don't buy for a moment that the unit needs $425 in cleaning. He's simply adding on to boost his profit on a job that won't get him much in the way of money from the warranty company. In essence, he's using you to pad his profit, so I'd say screw him.

This sounds like a gas unit.

Gas units aren't exactly known for their dirty combustion, or difficulty keeping them clean.

"Unless that thing is very new chances are you just can't replace the heat exchanger."

Every gas furnace I've ever seen, the oldest going back to one manufactured in the 1930s, with most made in the 1960s to 1980s, have had heat exchangers that can be relatively easily removed and, if necessary, replaced.

280plus · « **Reply #13 on:** December 22, 2011, 07:46:43 AM »

+1 on the charred wires.

Depending on the unit the heat exchanger itself may be under warranty by the manufacturer of the unit. Generally they are good for 20 years. So the heat exchanger might be free but not the labor. My guess is that in order to cover at least a portion of the loss of markup profit on the heat exchanger they want the $425.

Harold Tuttle · « **Reply #14 on:** December 22, 2011, 10:40:57 AM »

In soviet Russia, charred wires work just fine,
its just you need to scrape them, to tell color

280plus · « **Reply #15 on:** December 22, 2011, 01:47:36 PM »

In Russia wires char you...

Doggy Daddy · « **Reply #16 on:** December 22, 2011, 02:35:41 PM »

Yep. American Home Shield.
Yep. Gas.
Don't know how I'd go about doing anything under the mfr's warranty. We did not buy the house new, and don't have any paperwork about the unit to go off of. The house is from the mid 70s, has 2 units. One is the original intalled by the builder. The second (the one under discussion) is a replacement of unknown vintage.

The original has never given us any problem (knocking on wood here!), but the other has a sordid history of problems.

DD

280plus · « **Reply #17 on:** December 22, 2011, 10:13:08 PM »

Te serial number on the unit will determine whether theres a valid warranty. The service company would address that not you.

never_retreat · « **Reply #18 on:** December 22, 2011, 10:33:47 PM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin on December 22, 2011, 07:44:28 AM

"Unless that thing is very new chances are you just can't replace the heat exchanger."

Every gas furnace I've ever seen, the oldest going back to one manufactured in the 1930s, with most made in the 1960s to 1980s, have had heat exchangers that can be relatively easily removed and, if necessary, replaced.

I'm going to disagree, I know they are removable. But I tried on two different occasions to get heat exchangers. One from a company that was out of business the other one from a company that was sill in business. The one that was out of business was weldable and still in use, the other one got torn out and replaced.

News:

Author Topic: Central Heat A/C advice needed (Read 1834 times)