On Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 5:06:44 PM UTC-5, badgolferman wrote:
Im the one who mentioned the circuit breaker keeps tripping when the AC
comes on. Finally got the technician to come out and check it. He did some
continuity checks and then we tried to turn on the breaker. There were
sparks around the terminals of the compressor. He says its shorted which
makes sense.

I have a Ruud 10 SEER System with R-22 freon. He says you cant get
replacements and must switch to R-410a systems. The coil in the furnace
must also be replaced to match the pressure of the outside unit. He
estimated total cost close to $6000 installed for a 14 SEER Rheem
compressor/coil. The boss will call tomorrow with the price.

Ive dealt with these people before. Theyve replaced my water heater and
done some other plumbing jobs so I trust them. Does this seem like a
reasonable diagnosis and cost? I live in SE Virginia.

Sounds high to me. How many tons? New lines or reuse the old? Permits included? You can buy that eqpt, 3 ton for under $2k. And how old is the furnace? That costs under $2k too and some of the labor is the same, if it's 15+ old and/or lower efficiency, I'd consider a whole system. And if it were me, I'd pay a little more more for a two stage ac, it's great for days when you just want to drop the humidity or cool it off a little.