The Top 7 Things AC Companies Don't Want You To Know How To Do!
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- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
- In this video, I expose SEVEN common scams used by many AC companies. I break down each one, explaining how they work, how you can spot them, and how it is possible to test and oftentimes be able to DIY if you are capable.
🧰 Products In The Video 🧰
Supco M500 Megohmmeter Compressor Tester: amzn.to/4cG9IAq
Supco Capacitor MFD Tester: amzn.to/3W9E8Wm
Klein Clamp Multimeter: amzn.to/4eRRwWb
AC Condensate Line Unclogging Attachment For Shop Vac: amzn.to/3WakQQt
Frost King AC Coil Cleaner: amzn.to/3RYE60V
Second AC Coil Cleaner Choice: amzn.to/3RXrpDL
Air Handler Filters: amzn.to/3PNyB4b
Klein 5/16, 1/4 Nut Driver Combo: amzn.to/4eSXxCg
Capacitors: amzn.to/3RXJUrA
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I am curious, how many of these have you been presented with? And what were the specifics? Also, links for everything are down in the description of the video!
Hmmm, the coil cleaner on Amazon is $10 more than anywhere else, I searched because it seemed expensive and it was.
@@kazallendesign Or you could just do what I have done for almost 50 yrs. and use a spray bottle with some dish soap (NOT automatic DW detergent) and warm water followed by a thorough rinse with the garden hose. If the coils are clean meaning that you can easily see light through the fins, they are clean enough. I would certainly avoid harsh chemical cleaners.
One of our largest area-HVAC companies (installs and maintenance) charged me a market labor rate, but tried to get about $300 for the compressor and hot-start kit caps (in total). I disputed the parts charge, allowing them 2 x retail for the parts, and they backed down. No guarantee the hot start cap was bad, either - the compressor one was obvious.
Only thing I will say can vary greatly is Condenser cleaning...
1st always Rinse from the inside out. Everything that gets sucked in to the condenser coils get pulled in from the outside in. So when you clean it, you want to push it back out the way it came or it might get stuck in there forever.
A fairly new or clean unit can be cleaned with ease, but a old, neglected and nasty unit can take hours to clean thoroughly and well.
I just cleaned a unit that hadn't been cleaned in 30 years and had maybe 10% air flow. It took me 6 to 7 straight hrs... Condenser fins were caked with rain splashed sediment and had 5"s of debris piled up inside, clogged to the point it was extremely hot to the touch. When I was done, I had improved the air flow by 80% and the unit was cool to the touch again!!
If I had charged them a full contractors rate, service call, parts and labor would have easily been $800 to $1,000.
Their AC is colder, electric bill lower and I definitely extended the life of their condenser.
I'd say most of them. But between you and that DIY HVAC guy, I've learned a lot. I no longer hate these machines. They are less intimidating to me. So thanks for these videos, they do help big time.
All true. I replaced my last systems after they had served well for 47 yrs. I replaced one contactor (probably the last of its type in the USA) and a relay during that time. They were still functioning. I maintained them myself. The first rule I followed, and still do, is that, if the system is functioning properly, i.e. interior air supply and return temps. are correct, the refrigerant in the sight glass is liquid and the moisture sensor is negative, NO ONE touches it. This means that gauges are never connected. Filters do not exceed MERV 8. The most important thing is that the initial installation is done correctly and many aren't. There's only one way to do it right. It makes very little difference which brand of AC you choose. If you really need service, do not choose a company that has a lot of trucks running all over your town or one that advertises on TV. We have a big company in our city that actually has acting classes to teach techs. how to convince reluctant people to buy new systems! I have no service contract.
@@wholeNwon wow 47 years!!!!!🤯I'm screen shotting this comment! There are some very intelligent & helpful people on here!
@@TriggB44 I may not be among the "intelligent" but I hope to be helpful.
They don’t build a/c systems that robust anymore. Cheaper parts and metals are used and ALL major system brands build obsolescence into HVAC systems. 15 yrs is what you’re looking at on average. And that’s not just HVAC home systems, home appliances are the same if not worse in service life expectancy.
With the help of this and other wonderful videos like it, I changed my capacitor myself. I couldn't help but wonder how much they are charging locally. Made three calls with prices ranging from $360 to $450....absolutely ridiculous. Did it myself for $15 and 15 minutes. Thank you sir!
Great info. Thanks. A few years ago I had a contract with the company that installed my AC. They cane out twice a year and it was such a rip off. Always needed more freon than was coverd under the contract. Then my unit went out one day. They came out fast and said a capacitor was bad. You could see it was swollen and bad. He didnt have one on his truck so said wouid take 2 days. And capacitors weren't covered in the contract. Woukd cost me $240.00. I went to Grangers and bought one and replaced it myself and it cost me $14.00. I'll never trust an AC tech again.
Just like any profession, there are bad apples in every business. I wouldn't take a bad job and write off the whole trade. They have a purpose, otherwise it wouldn't be an industry. Food for thought.
@@PinnacleSoluti0nsUnderstood and I would agree normally but this was not some fly by night place. They are huge in my area. Been around for years. They advertise on radio and TV. And of course their website has nothing but praise reviews. This happened a long time ago and they are bigger than ever. I've talked with others that have been burned by them since so its their norm. I'll never use a place that advertises now. I'll only use referrals from people i know that have a history with companies that have treated them well and stood behind their work and honored what they said they would do. Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.
Thank you for informing consumers so they can make better decisions about what they are getting into when repairing these items. My capacitor went out last week in 90F temps, unfortunately I didn't have one handy but was able to order and get one in 2 days. Bought 2 for $26, now I have a spare and NO service call needed!
Legend, this is why UA-cam is so Valuable. Guy giving you the knowledge and skills to possibly save hundreds or thousands from dishonest AC Techs.
AC Tech wanted $1200 with no guarantee so the lady had me install 3 mini splits. Had to buy a vacuum pump and guage set to evacuate the lines and they work fantastic! 😊
Thanks. Very good tips. Another possible tip: Keep copper lines away from AC metal frame. I had a loud squealing noise coming from the outdoor AC compressor. The AC tech said it was from a bad compressor and needed to be replaced. I wanted to first get another repair quote and while waiting for the second tech, I opened the side cover to see where the noise was coming from. It was because one of the compressor copper lines was touching against the AC metal frame and the line vibration was amplified against the metal frame causing the loud squealing noise. I carefully moved/bent the line away from the metal frame using a screw driver and noise stopped.
Wow! Appreciate that story. Amazing. You were told you would need a new compressor over a simple fix. Thanks for sharing!
Perfect timing! Just waiting for the AC tech guy to arrive. I feel well informed now. Thank you!
HVAC companies all came out and replaced bad capacitors with Chinese capacitors. They last 1 maybe 2 years then go bad again. I went out and bought my own MADE IN USA capacitor for $20 and replaced it myself. It has lasted 6 years so far and keeps on running without failing.
The Chinese manufacture to the standards and prices (esp. the prices) demanded by the purchasing retailers.
Thanks for the info, as a single chic, I get creeps trying to take advantage of me all the time, mechanics too!😂🤘🥳
Where did you purchase USA product?
@@-What-are-your-thoughts good question as I was wondering the same thing!👌💫
@@-What-are-your-thoughtsMars, Capdog, and Titan HD capacitors are USA made. Titan Pro is Chinese made, stay away from it. I had one that lasted 1 year.
True story. My neighbor called me to come to her house. An A/C tech was there charging her $326.00 to replace a 6 inch jumper wire from the capacitor to the contactor. I very calmly told him that was not going to happen. He tore up the bill and left. Now, here's the kicker. Why did the wire need to be replaced in the first place? Well two days later same problem. She called me again and I looked and sure enough the wire he installed was burned into. Again. Why? I looked at the contactor and it was absolutely burned up. I always keep a contactor and capacitor for spare for my house. My brother ran the QC lab in a scroll compressor factory and told me to always keep one of each on hand. I installed my spare contactor, capacitor and fabricated a new wire, all total my cost to replace my spares was less than $50.00, which is what I charged her.
Hey, just wanted to add some clarity to those techs that are saying your compressor is on its way out. What I have always found with compressor with a rusted top shell is this; the compressor at some point in time has either been running high discharge or high superheat. Either one will cause your compressor to run hot which will therefore chip and degrade the paint and expose the metal causing rust. High superheat could be due to numerous reasons but essentially you are not providing enough refrigerant back to your compressor which helps cool it down, this in turn will cause the overall temp of your compressor to be higher than normal operating conditions. High discharge pressure could be from a time when the condenser fan when out and the compressor short cycled on thermal overload, dirty condenser coils, a restriction, ect. Not saying any of this applies to what you are dealing with or have dealt with. But typically that is what I notice when I see a compressor in this type of condition. I believe this is what my fellow technicians are saying. Does this mean there was permanent winding damage that could be picked up from a megger? I suppose it would depend on how long that particular compressor ran under those conditions. But what it should tell good technician is not that the compressor is “on its way out” but to look more deeply into the system performance and check for some of the issues I stated above. Just my two cents.
I understand your point and I also feel a lot of residential HVAC guys can be dishonest and companies overcharge. At the same time the prices are based off of not only labor but overhead cost (rent, vans, tools, etc)
Don't forget to set your shop vac up for water suction.
Looking for the Space Balls vacuum gif now. . .
Love your videos! Always informative and well done.
I've had the same Carrier unit for 21 years. Last year, I had to replace the fan and figured I would replace the capacitor as preventive maintenance. My cost was under $300. I clean the coils every year and place a cover on the unit in the Fall to prevent leaves from getting inside the unit. I've also installed a hard start capacitor kit. Unit is a lot quieter at start up, even after installing the new fan motor. I cleaned the contacts on the contactor relay.
And that is why your unit has lasted as long as it has. Bravo!
this has become my FAVORITE you-tube channel - thank you !!
You are very welcome! I am extremely happy to hear you are liking and finding so much value in the channel. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know as it really does mean a lot to me! Thanks a lot Mike!
Great video for people that have no clue about A/C units. It goes into to a lot of detail that might go over their heads but it's still good information. When it's hot outside and your A/C isn't working, you will pay just about any amount to get it repaired quickly. I subbed up to the DIY HVAC Guy's channel, thank you for that since I like to make my own repairs when I can.
Great info! Nice job!
Thank you for a good understanding of the AC.
Im going to watch this at least a couple x & refer back when needed! Thank u so much for posting!!!🤘🥳
Truly appreciate your channel you have helped this old guy tremendously thank you 😊
You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you have found so much value in the channel! Really means a lot to me. Thanks a lot for taking the time to let me know!
Great info. Truly appreciate your videos
After watching this very helpful video, Just bought 3 cans of Frost King AC coil foaming cleaners and a Compressor testing Supco M500 the same time. Thank you!!!
I live in Texas and one of the biggest things we have is ants getting in the contactor. Easy fix for a homeowner, but unfortunately many do not know anything about it. Might be another video. Thanks and I loved the video on the capacitor.
We get lizards into contactors and capacitors around here. Always find a couple of fried lizards in my A/C...
You are spot on with everything you covered in this video. I clean my coils every year. Super easy. I also wash and wax the outside of my AC units just to help reduce the chance of rust. Filters are replaced every month no matter how they look. I buy them in bulk. Having a good reputable HVAC is very important as well. Do your homework and ask around.
Thanks! I appreciate what you do. ❤
You are very welcome! And thank you very much for the kind words Wayne!
After 10 yrs. or so, depending on several variables, the contactor can go bad. These are easily replaced by virtually any homeowner.
A note to add about the topping off of refrigerant. Absolutely correct on being a closed system, and you shouldn't require topping off. However In my experience, if it's not them lying, or there isn't anything wrong with your lines leaking, your coil could be slowly leaking, thus the topping off. If your home has a bad sulfur issue in your water, this can lead to coil issues, along with ruining appliances, televisions etc. Even if you don't have sulfur, testing the coil for a leak can help troubleshoot the need for refrigerant periodically. Also, thank you very much for your videos! Very informative and helpful!! And I'm not an HVAC tech, or plumber. I've just unfortunately been through these issues over the years.
Thank you so much for the helpful advice and tips
Wow this video is fantastic! Thanks very much!!
Great information. Thanks
Thanks! A+ on that soft start. Love mine.
My AC wasn’t blowing out cold air so I contacted a well known company in my area named Lees. There was a melted wire between the capacitor and compressor. He said it melted because the compressor was fried. He also said several other parts need to be replaced and gave me an estimate of over 15k to refurb and over 30k to replace the whole unit. Btw my house is only 7 years old. He specifically said the capacitor was good. Well I got a 2nd opinion and the new guy replaced the wire and capacitor and it worked instantly.
The big Red flag flashing should be the fact that the compressors usually always have a 10 year parts warranty. So, even if the compressor was fried, they should ONLY be charging you labor + refrigerant, as the old one has to be vacuumed out and replaced.
$15k to refurb a unit and $30k to replace it is absurd. You can get an entire new top of the line variable speed unit installed for less than $15k.
Right after I’m finished watching your video my pointer finger hit subscribe button thanks for sharing your knowledge
Excellent info.... thanks. 👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you for the video! I always learn a lot watching any of your videos. Is the maintenance for a heat pump air conditioner the same as a regular air conditioner?
Great info thanks
Thank you very informative
You are very welcome! Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
Great video! Is that compressor tester good for other compressor e.g. window units, refrigerator, etc... great info!! thanks for the feedback!
Since I live in an area that has cottonwood trees, I find that a propane torch method works a lot better than any kind of hose, water, and cleaner does. You just have to be sure that the condenser fan is running when you do it. Just play the flame back and forth across the coils and watch it incinerate all the debris that's covering it up. It only takes 5 or 10 minutes and you're done.
I am a DIYer and am working overseas and do have a company that handles my A/C and plumbing since I am not home a lot, good service but they try and tell my wife this and that is bad not knowing I am on FaceTime the they are talking to her. Last year they said I had 2 bad capacitors and quoted over 200.00 for the capacitors + labor would be over 300.00 so before I went home I ordered 2 capacitors for about 20.00 each but when Ii went home I tested them and they were both good.. Eveytime they come out they allays find something different and what gets me they are always trying to charge outrages prices for the parts, I'm talking 300-500 percent
Sounds like you should start with getting rid of this company.
Thanks a million... this applies to me.
FANTASTIC!
Really glad to hear you liked it. Thanks a lot for the feedback!
I got the link already. Thanks
To reiterate, if you are testing or changing out the capacitor, but SURE to cut the power to the unit first. .... 🙂
11 years with no service contract. At 150 dollars a year that means I have saved $1,650 dollars. I have replace one bad capacitor, cleaned the blower motor squirrel cage once and cleaned the outside coils.
Looks like you have some sweet new insulation on those AC lines!
Yes he does and it is just for looks.
It is 100% unnecessary!!
Insulation is to keep the condensation from damaging any material it might drip on.
Only time it MIGHT be an efficiency thing is if the lines run in a space that is extremely hot. That is a very low % loss in those situations. In those cases, both lines should be insulated.
You forgot to add "Earwig in the contactor" I have had it happen twice. An earwig gets smashed between the contacts and the compressor won't start. Most contactors can be taken apart and cleaned rather than replaced.
I JUST got charged $1200 (CA) for replacing my capacitor and unclogged a drain line...... and I just watched this! :( I wont be paying that again!
I can perform every item you went over and have saved thousands doing g my own A/C maintenance 😊
Absolutely! It is great.
I don't begrudge techs charging $150+ to do a good cleaning. I do my units myself, but it takes me at least an hour each to do a good clean. We get a lot of cottonwood, so it really tends to pack in the coils.
Most of them don't do a good clean. Just hose it down and call it a day. Glad it sounds like you take pride in your work.
Hvac tech here in arizona, and I agree with everything but the ez flow filters. I don't use pleated air filters in my home because they restrict Airflow. I don't want to restrict Airflow to my Coil. Serviced a guy about a month ago. All I did was remove his filter and got my split, it made a whistling type of noise by return like it was struggling to get air. I use ez flow in my house, the more expensive ones ain't bad I just rather not use them.
Depends if you have enough filter surface area and it keeps youre static pressure within range..
8:42 - I think it is important to stress to the DIYer, that the rinse should be a gentle spray, not a hard stream - and absolutely never a power washer.
Great video! Where did you get (what's it called?) that UV cover wrap for the outside HVAC suction line starting @6:13?? I want to apply the same to my outside line. They get beat pretty bad here FL, thanks.
I was a HVAC repair tech here in good old land of the scam Florida. I even worked for 2 weeks at one of the scummiest companies. We worked on pay plus commission. I just could not do that to people. At first I did not have a clue but I figured it out and moved on. That compressor rusting thing is so common in Florida and has got nothing to do with superheat or cooling the compressor. its just rains allot. Mostly seen on heat pumps. I just wire brush and sand it off, hit it with high heat black and since to meged the compressor, you know its FINE. i cannot tell you how many even good companies pull this scam. The most common scam i saw was the 'bad' contactor scam. if I had a dollar for every time I seen even who i Thought were good techs pull this one I be a millionaire. They love to screw old folks.
Technicly the windings could be fine but rotor could be locked sometimes
oh i got scammed. they said they replaced a part and they did not. Then proceeded to push to sell me a new unit. well i didnt get scammed money wise at the time..i had one of those home warranty things..HENCE why i got crappy AC companies. Went through 5 different companies....only one was honest.
Sweeeet. I'm getting that compressor tool for sure.
Makes it super easy!
@@HowToHomeDIY I see.
In my town the contracts run from 300 and up!
Dealing with ice on evaporator coil ?? (I've subscribed!)
Ice on the evap coil could be several things. Could be dirty/clogged filters. Could be clogged evap coil. Could be that the blower isn't moving air (either motor not running for one reason or another or the belt on a belt-driven blower is no good and either blew apart or flew off the pulley and the belt likely needs to be replaced). Could be a restriction in the refrigerant circuit (like a clogged filter drier or clogged expansion valve or severely kinked copper line somewhere). Could be low on refrigerant (might either have a leak, or a refrigerant manifold has been hooked up to the system too many times and you've lost a bunch of refrigerant to the refrigerant hoses on the gauge manifold).
I had a compressor die on me. It was legit since a mouse got into it and killed the Carrier 25HHA.
That outdoor condenser made weird noises when heating and I don’t live in a climate where it gets cold. The heat mode always needed supplement aux strips to heat the place. The new unit is a DC inverter based system and is much quieter. If I got scammed, we’ll I guess I ended up with a better unit that works with my solar/battery.
Inverter units work much better with solar and battery installs as they don't have a surge current when starting. Traditional compressors usually require Soft Start kits if you have a solar/battery setup at your house.
Question - we have a newer Trane unit and it has the "fluffy" coils rather than the "typical" radiator coil fins. Someone did tell me that you only rinse them off since if you put coil cleaner on them, it degrades or destroys the fragile aluminum... 1. is this true? 2. Ho would you suggest cleaning the coils on a Trane?
I have the same unit, and most the A/C guys appear to just dilute their coil cleaner way down when using it to clean the Spine Fins coils Trane uses. People appear to use the shower or spray function to wash them, pointing the spray down at a 45 degree angle and not using too much pressure appears to work fine.
The cleaner they appear to use is the Nu Brite Foaming Coil Cleaner diluted way down. The normal dilution ratio in a low pressure sprayer like a bug sprayer is around 4:1. I would figure 10:1 should be pretty safe.
To apply the cleaner to the coils and let it foam up, you can either use a hand pump sprayer, or a battery operated one like Lowes sells for around $100 or so, which is the Kobalt 2.11 gallon Plastic Pump Sprayer.
I don't like disassembling the cabinet, so I just rinse it first with the shower function, from the inside out. Use the sprayer to spray upwards towards the coil all around. Let it foam for about 10 minutes. Then wash the cleaner out from the inside out again.
My condenser unit sits between the house and a wall with no vegetation, so it mostly just gets dusty over time.
Any tips on checking the condenser fan?
Pro tip: run away from any company threatened by this video.
Is there anyway to service some of the rust/ treat the rust on the condenser/compressor? Con I slow or stop the rust with paints or rust treatment?
Yes, you can. Google corrosion protection. I have one on my unit, it's a sacrificial piece of Zinc that attracts rust and corrosion.
Fun fact: They put them on our military's battle ships for the same purpose 😊
I had a capacitor changed so I asked the service tech if the compressor went out how much would a compressor cost he said cant do just the compressor you would have to change the whole split / unit, inside the house and the outside unit and it would cost $8000 ya $8k for a 2.5 ton for a 1300 square ft home. I said well I guess we go to window units I ain't paying no $ 8 fricking grand when all thats wrong is the compressors out. or the motors out thats BS.
Yeah, he obviously lied to you. The compressor not only can be replaced, the compressor is usually under warranty for 10 years. So, if the unit is less than 10 years old, a lot of time there is only labor and refrigerant replacement cost, the compressor is already covered under warranty.
What about an intermittent loud buzz like an arc but everything still works?
How often should you clean the coils if you live in a relatively clean area?
Generally, once a year.
i am new and interested in hvac i was told that there are cleaners that are used in the industry that some of the alum material is actually removed though on a micro level is this true?
Strong coil cleaners are corrosive and work by breaking down the gunk clinging to the fins. If you don't rinse the cleaner off very thoroughly to get it all off, it can absolutely start eating through the aluminum fins of the coil. There are less corrosive coil cleaners available that require less vigorous rinsing, but sometimes you need the strong stuff. Whenever you're cleaning your own coils, always be sure to be thorough in rinsing it off. (If your coil is a micro channel one rather than a traditional coil, then you typically only want to use water with no cleaner. If you do need a cleaner, make sure it says it's ok for micro channels.)
@@EpyonRules Thank you very much for that information
On the top of a capacitor each connector has 4 or 3 posts that the wire can be attached. Why? And if someone wasn't paying attention when they disconnected the wire, does it matter if reconnect it on a different one?
Usually these days the systems have only one cap. and it's designed to start both the compressor and the fan. They are labeled and, obviously, the wires must be connected appropriately. Homeowners usually just note the colors or take a pic.
Some capacitors have multiple taps for different values of capacitance.
My AC unit is on the roof!! I can’t do any of this work on the roof!😢
if the capacitor is bloated or expanded then it is bad and needs to be replaced and if it has exploded then it most definitely needs to be replaced
The megohm tester is a bit pricey for a homeowner's occasional use - is there a site or YT video that describes how to test with a multimeter?
There are videos of it on youtube. Make sure to disconnect power to unit first. If you add the ohms of common and run terminals to the ohms of common and start terminals, it should equal the run and start ohms. For example, if common and run is .5 ohms and common and start is 2.3, then your run and start ohms should be 2.8.
Also I tell you how you don't need a service contractor either. You just don't, unless you got a slow leak unit, you don't need service ever. HOW always use a pleated air filter, not a super high merv one but a cheap one will do fine. You keep the outside unit free from yard junk, you will be fine. of course you could get a lemon but I always buy units with 10 years warranty, it better to spend more up front, just my 2 cents. I always buy heat pumps, that's just me.
So are u saying it's not necessary for them to come out once a year or every couple of years if every thing is running good & I check my filters regularly??? I've been worried about this as I haven't had it checked in quite a while 😅😅😅
@@TriggB44 If the unit is new and you change the airfilter regularly. many people here have the inside part of a split unit in a closet, and i tell them to pour a few oz of bleach in condensate line every time you change filter. Why do you need a tech to clean a filter? unless its one of those overpriced electrostatic jobs.
@@TriggB44 TBH, every time they open the unit, and look around, they "COULD" "FIND" something. If they are truly honest and all that no worries, other than you wasted money. Because you can check it all day long and it wont stop a failure a week later.
Check the outdoor unit clear of any vegetation. Use a vacuum on condensate line a few times in summer and as long as you don't try to run ac at 70F in summer you be fine.
@SteveH-nf2ts Good advice & I totally see what you're saying. It's sort of like, if it ain't broke, don't fix it or bring the devil to your house🤣🤣I have a 4" pleated filter, merv 8, is that good or should I look for a lower merv #???(I have no idea if one exist) Also, when vacuuming the condense line, u mean on the outside, right?...not in my garage? Does the unit have to be powered off to do that or can I do it while it's running??? Sorry about asking u stupid questions but I'm no expert😅😂oh & I usually keep it at 75 or 76, that's cool enough for me. We are in for some over a 100 degree days here😅Thank u for responding!
How often should a ac unit actually need freon?
Never the A/C system doesn't use up refrigerant if it does you have a leak.
You should continually remind a person whom has never worked on a condenser about safety. and how many people own a Meager? Showing a wye or delta load test with a multimeter is more practical even The Copeland replacement compressor pack shows the tech how it's done.
Every time you open the freon lines to check pressure you lose some you get air in you get moisture in
You shouldn't be getting air and moisture in because the pressure in the lines should be higher than atmospheric pressure. That said, you do indeed lose some refrigerant to the hoses and gauge manifold when you hook up to the unit. A good way to minimize that lost refrigerant is to use stubby gauges with no or very short hoses to check pressures, and only check pressures when something is wrong or not working the way it should.
How to you get HVAC parts? I went to all the HVAC suppliers in my area looking for a capacitor but NONE would sell anything to me. I had to go to Granger to get one.
Yup they normally won’t sell to the public because they don’t want to upset the HVAC companies that buy from them. I get mine on Amazon. They have just about everything you would need.
@@HowToHomeDIY That would have worked except I needed the AC back up immediately. Jerks.
Totally understand that! I think they use that fact against you. You want it done today? Here is the price. I always keep a spare capacitor on hand just in case.
I have never seen an AC with a condensation line. Including the one I have now.
Are you sure you actually have air conditioning? Because the evaporator coil condenses moisture out of the air, and that condensation/water has to go SOMEWHERE. Do you have an air handler or a ductless minisplit? If it's a minisplit and it's located on an outside wall, it probably drains it right outside through the wall.
@@EpyonRules I am sure. Just had it replaced about 4 years ago. There is nothing like that around it. There wasn't on the old one either. It's on a good concrete pad, I bet if I looked it will have a drain hole or two, but on to the ground and not a pipe like that
Your inside unit might have the condensation line directed to a floor drain or other drain line.
Thanks for the video! I called to have an A/C tech tune and clean my A/C. He told me he couldn't clean it because I had a hail guard on it and it would cost $400. I told him I didn't want to pay for that. He gave me an estimate to replace problem parts for $6500. I told him it was still working so I didn't do anything else. I felt like I was ripped off because he didn't clean the coils. He did show me I had 2 capacitors that were out of spec. Should I replace the capacitors right away or wait for problems? Right now it's working fine. I bought replacement capacitors and plan to DIY.
Assuming you meant capacitors instead of condensers, go ahead and replace them. Also keep spares on-hand.
@@GNXClone You're right, I meant capacitors. Do you know if the old capacitors are harming the A/C unit if I don't replace them right away? My 28 year old air conditioner has never needed them to be replaced. I live in MN and it doesn't get the amount of use as A/C units in southern states.
@@gregs250 No, they won’t hurt anything. When they go, usually either the fan or the compressor won’t start. I did have one cap which had exploded its guts out. Usually they just swell.
@@GNXClone Thank you. That’s what I thought.
@@gregs250 You really want to replace them if they are out of tolerance. The capacitors are responsible for the phase shift which runs the compressor and motors. When they are out of tolerance, you stress the motors and compressor and will shorten their lifespan.
On my own A/C unit, my compressor was overheating and shutting down, and I found the capacitor was 50% out of tolerance, vs +/- 6% is the actual spec.
Once I replaced the capacitor, the compressor worked flawlessly with no overheating. Get Made in USA capacitors like Amrad, Mars or similar, which will last far longer.
????Riddle me this??????
AC will work, set at 71. Inside temp says 77 on the thermostat . Compressor fan will not spin… it stops working. Break the circuit, all level 1 troubleshooting and into testing the capacitor- all seems in order.
Tech comes out, checks it all, says my filter is too fine 3M 1800, use 1000. Says the compressor coils are dirty, sprays with hose. Charges me $250. Next day. Set to 71, goes to 77 on thermostat the compressor fan will not work.
IF I break the circuit AND turn off the thermostat for 10 minutes it will run for about an hour. Then totally shut down.
What’s wrong?
Getting paid to your your work is not a scam.
..I was just charged 11,600 for a whole new system
Wow
@@HowToHomeDIY they put a 14 seer into my home, new coils, basically everything. I was hoping for 7k at best, but 11k was about much
This guy pays someone to work on his unit? WTF?
Not all are scams. If you’re running a good business that is profitable you need to charge x amount. The capacitor that costs $400 is not the part you’re paying for, it’s all the costs that run behind it. DIY channels are good for some things but running a for profit business is not one of them as clearly you can’t see the actual cost of doing business.
Kevin, I have run a construction company, I understand overhead and profit. Nobody is expecting a pro to come out and do it for what a homeowner can. But it is extremely hard to really justify $400+ for a capacitor. I am sorry you just can't. My materials were more than a capacitor in the business I was a part of, we had liability insurance, workers comp, payroll, trucks, etc. all the same stuff as an AC company and we NEVER charged $400 for a repair that used $15 in materials and 15-30 minutes of our time. The capacitor is the biggest scam many of you are running and trying to justify it only makes this more true. If someone truly needs $400 on a cap to make sure their company is running then there are some poor business decisions going on.
@HowToHomeDIY You said you have run a construction company, indicating past tense. How big was it? 3 trucks, 4 employees? How much did you spend on marketing? I could throw a lot more questions than that, but that’s just for starters. DIYers like yourself have an issue understanding basic company scaling and all the costs that run behind showing up to a client’s home. When they’re too lazy to understand they throw out scam, it’s quite easy being ignorant. If you’re a company of 4 guys your profit margins run better and you can charge a lot less but there’s only so much work you can do before you have to start dropping clients which get picked up by the larger companies that charge more but have the infrastructure support to reach and service more clients.
You need to educate yourself further on how scaling and price works before throwing out click bait titles. We run into so many diyers that try to do the work themselves and fail miserably, then they’ll call us out and complain about the price to repair what they themselves screwed up.
@Kevin93m3 yes past tense. I left to do this. The company is still going strong. Multimillion dollar company. There is no issue here understanding it bud. You can try to justify anything. What I’m hearing is some really business decisions have been made and that is the justification for ridiculous pricing. $400+ for a cap is ridiculous. And so I label it a scam because by your own admission, a homeowner should be able to call a smaller company out and get it done at a fraction of the price. That’s actually great info for the viewers here. So thank you. Oh and you say people end up calling you because they mess it up. Well I’m sure you to an extent that is true but the vast majority aren’t calling you because they are doing it themselves for almost nothing as this is not really difficult stuff. Otherwise I don’t think we would be having this conversation.
@@Kevin93m3😂 your argument is terrible! We are a very large company, tons of employees, trucks, all of it. Your marketing must be killing you all if this is your argument. Maybe you sold educate YOURSELF on how to actually run a large company because it’s not to pass the costs of your mistakes or inadequacies in managing your company to the customer. Honestly can’t believe you’re trying to justify this. Guy is even trying to con people here 😂. You’re right @HowToHome, this guy knows what you’re saying is true and feels threatened by videos like this here and other channels.
@@Kevin93m3what a joke you are
Our AC company came yesterday and attempted to cross-sell a home surge protector for $1800. Checked the price on Amazon and the unit costs $300. $1500 for a 15 minute job? I don’t think so.
So I had my wife how much we were paying for the maintenance contract? $750.
Dang, we’ve been getting ripped off all these years.
Check with your utility company most now give you surge protection at the meter, I’m paying $7 a month and it has an insurance policy that will cover damaged electronics. The protection starts at the meter not at the panel
Scammers can be clients too that don’t want to do a simple repair. Or don’t want to pay someone well around a couple hundred bucks to spend a third of their day preparing for a task and getting to and from a task oh and using their vehicle to get ahead in life. It’s a fine line between scamming and taking care of people with excessive resources or ones single income family perhaps. Watch out for people that use the word scam a lot it may very well be a projection of their personality or who they are lol sad clown
FYI, DYI households as they attempt to do things on their own, then create service calls. Many are incorrectly wiring Nest thermostats, have local inspection and find out they piped drain incorrectly.
Most of theme are fk guys
You are doing a disservice to real AC techs. Also, many people will f-up their systems.
I disagree. I made it clear it is not all AC techs numerous times.
Unfortunately, your knowledge is way too little to give you any credibility,
Upset AC tech in the comments aisle 😂
@@HowToHomeDIY Not upset at all, just feel sorry for the Dunning-Kruger effect sufferers. Your information is not wrong, just limited. Do you think that honest prices are the same everywhere? Not at all. Also, time changes pricing. When you refer to air handlers and drain pans beneath them, that only encompasses about 1/3 of residential systems out there. Most of the systems here in the Midwest are upflow furnaces in a basement. No need for pans and overflow switches.
$25 for a part that costs a DOLLAR in plastic at most?!? GTFO! THAT IS THE SCAM
Then why don't you make one yourself genius and let us know how it worked out for you. You think products are sold by the weight of raw materials used to build them...? Just facepalm levels of dumb...
Define scam.
Is the $250 meal at a fine restaurant a scam? After all the food doesn't cost that much!!
What is a scam is being told you need something and you don't.
What is not a scam is paying for the knowledge of a professional to do the job AND to take responsibility if it is incorrect and warranty that work.
Are car dealer prices a scam when you can go to an independent shop and get the work done cheaper?
Is that independent shop still a scam because if you DIY it the cost is still much cheaper?
You are paying for the tech to show up to your house, diagnose a problem and fix the issue.
Do you have a capacitor on hand? Tech most likely does.
If you don't, then how long before you can get one? What is that worth to you?
Are you going to diagnose the issue and replace it yourself?
It is perspective. What is your time and convenience worth vs the cost for someone else to do it.
Again, some companies/people charge exorbitant prices and ARE scamming people. that is NOT all of that profession( hvac, plumbing, electric or any other trade/profession).
Tell me you're an HVAC tech without telling me you're an HVAC tech 🤣. I have never in my life spent $250 at a restaurant and if I did it is because I knew how much it would be and wanted to for whatever that reason is! Yeah car dealerships are usually a scam.
When you techs show up, we have no clue what you're going to charge as you all seem to have mysterious prices that vary widely from company to company. Also, when it is about 100+ degrees outside and the AC isnt working, the customer is kind of over a barrel and many take advantage knowing this. Nobody is expecting you to do it for what we can do it ourselves for. All of those things are taken into consideration when hiring a pro. But many of y'alls prices are more than a surgeon makes an hour and this isn't brain surgery.
@@HowToHomeDIYa scam is when you tell a fake story to sell something that doesn't do what you say it does, or that isn't needed because the problem is something minor or unrelated.
Most of your examples are NOT scams, but simply very high premium prices for things that are common and necessary, but not typically known or possible to do by the average homeowner. Then there is the convenience factor which is different for everyone. I have a friend who pays a guy $300 every 2 weeks to come to his house and hand wash and detail his car. Anyone can do it, but this guy doesn't want to. It's not a scam, it's a luxury service.
How do you figure it’s a luxury service. In places where it’s extremely hot it’s not just a luxury. A lot of people consider multi level marketing a scam even though nobody is lying. You’re another AC tech trying to justify ridiculous pricing.
@@HowToHomeDIY people ARE lying in MLM. What people "consider" a scam doesn't change the definition of a scam. If you think the price is ridiculous but it's something that is legitimate, that's a gouge or a rip-off but not a scam. If gas is 3.29 a gallon in a quiet neighborhood and 3.99 on a major highway, is gas a scam? If bottled water is 5.00 a gallon during a hurricane, is water a scam? No sir, that's called price gouging. Uber calls it Surge Pricing. Is Uber a luxury or a necessity?
And I'm not "justifying" anything by simply correcting your use of common English terms. I never once said these prices are fair, I just said they aren't proper scams.
@@HowToHomeDIY
Prices are given BEFORE work is started. Don't want to pay that, decline the repair and get someone else.
There is, for some companies, a dispatch/diagnosis that is known upfront and that covers the cost to get a tech there and diagnose the issue.
This is usually much less than it costs to do the diagnosis.
The cost for the repair will include the repair AND make up for the loss in the diagnosis time. Could this be considered a scam, sure.
Make that time and material and many times it works out to be almost the same.
There are companies that do take advantage of people, most definitely.
As for the amount charged, there is quite a bit that goes into it and in no way is it close to a surgeon's salary!!!!
It is also not what the tech makes, or even close. There is quite a bit that goes into that hourly rate and part mark up, just like at a restaurant.
Don't like the $250, then try any priced meal you want. Then price out the ingredients and see how much of a difference that is.
Did it taste as good as the restaurant?
Again, you are the customer and have the right to decline the repair.
No different than choosing one restaurant over another because of cost or one repair facility over another or one airline over another, etc.
I would bet the price to service your unit on a 100° day is the same as on a 75° as long as it is the same issue.
There should NEVER be a charge for high demand times unless you request an overtime call instead of waiting for service during normal business hours.
Am I a tech, yes.
Do I fight tooth and nail for the customer to not be overcharged for service?
100%, yes!!!
I have quit those companies that have done the "sell over repair" bullshit or the $700 capacitor you say you have heard of.
A place that I quit because I did feel they were scumbags(company I was at sold to them) said the cost to roll a tech to a home was $350.
So that $19.95 to get the tech there is definitely a loss leader to get a foot in the door and as I said earlier, that loss will be accounted for in the final repair cost.
If you as a customer don't know that upfront, then you are naive, sheltered or plain in denial of reality.
As for stating a cost, that COULD be a regional thing and normal in that area. It is no different than gas prices differing from place to place.
Unfortunately, your knowledge is way too limited to give you credibility
You again are completely out of your lane. You don’t have the knowledge to make this video. I hope that people see through your pitch. My advice find a reputable contractor build a relationship with him.
How dare you hindering them boys from making payments on their road princess trucks 🛻!
🤣