On Thursday, February 22, 2018 at 9:00:11 PM UTC-5, Clare Snyder wrote:
On Thu, 22 Feb 2018 18:51:47 -0500, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

I?m 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 it?s shorted which
makes sense.

I have a Ruud 10 SEER System with R-22 freon. He says you can?t 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.

I?ve dealt with these people before. They?ve 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 about right to me. The new r-22 systems have not been legal in
the US for probably over 10 years. Study says r-22 is bad for the
ozone. My info is the patten ranout on it about the same time.

The newer systems run at different pressuers and every thing needs to
match. If the system is old enough to be a r-22 it is probably old
enough to be replaced.

I had a heat pump replaced about 10 years ago and think it was around
4000 to 5000 for it. At that time I had a r-22 system put in as I could
still get it. "Did it for several reasons. I had a tank of r-22 if I
needed to add to it, the r-22 system has been around a long time, and
the pressure is less so should be less wear on the system.


You can;t buy new R22 systems, but you can still legally buy
replacement parts.

If the rest of the systemis still in good condition, replacing
thecompressor would be "significantly" less expensive as long as R22
is still available.

True, but he should also factor in how much it runs and what it costs
to run. When I replaced my old AC which was probably rated 10 Seer
with a 14, my electric bills in summer went down ~$200 a month
and I'm in a shady spot and keep it at 76F.
Probably because if it was once 10 Seer, it was probably less at the
end of it's life. Also he should look into any rebates from the
local utility, state, etc. Installers should be aware and have told
him, but you never know.