"lbecker" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 22:11:25 -0400, "Steve@carolinabreezehvac"
wrote:


"Richard J Kinch" wrote in message
...
lbecker writes:

In any case I got an estimate of $650 to replace the compressor, and
while to my non-HVAC professional eye, it looks like it could be time
consuming (i.e. doesn't look real simple to just swap it in and out)
$650 struck me as kind of high.

That is not a fair price, but you are being victimized by the "parts
not
labor" warranty scam, and the trade protection racket.

Not really. Richard..you really dont know a damn thing about running a
business do you?


Replacing under warranty means you gotta go thru the factory's dealer
network, which literally goes to school to learn how to manipulate and
gouge you on price.

LOL!

Nope. He does not. Any licenced legitimate HVAC company can replace that
compressor, however, it helps to know
1-IS it really the compressor?
2-If it is, what is involved in the units replacement?

The reason I bring this up, is that I just came back from a call, on,
ironically, a 10 year old Lennox unit. It was not due to the fact that 3
other companies had been out and deemed the compressor dead, (2 of the
estimates stated on the invoice, shorted to ground) but due to the fact
that
no one would come out and repair it.
I was refered to this guy by another old York customer that was friends
of
his, and when I got there, I didnt know about the other 3 estimates, nor,
that it had been looked at previous.
When I got there, sure enough, the compressor was dead, and the customer
told me that somethings TRYING to run, it makes a noise and the lights
dim...
Ok...fair enough, it SURE sounds like....umm...could be...might be...the
CAPACITOR! After checking the Copeland scroll, (looked really good for a
10
year old unit) and finding none of the windings shorted, I took the cap
out
of its holder and sure enough...it was swollen. Snap, crack, BOOM.
Replaced
it with a new cap, and the unit ran like a champ. After another 20
minutes
of checking, the unit was deemed fit enough to continue out the summer.
Total bill?
$300?
$250?

Nah...a grand total of $65 on a Sunday, and hes back in biz...

Now..had it been, lets say...a new unit, still under warranty, and the
compressor really WAS bad.

I would not have touched a job like that that will kill a good 5 hours of
time or more for under $500..

I also have to state that over 90% of the time that a field tech condems
a
compressor..warranty or otherwise in MOST areas, its a capacitor, or
other
problem.

thanks for the additional info. Yeah, the big old capacitor in mine
was gone and leaking... and replacing it did not solve the problem...

hard to say what the cause and effect was (the cap went bad and then
the compressor went bad, or vice versa).

The wires feeding in around the compressor had melted a bit (the
insulation)

I am comfortable with the technician's opinion on this one being the
compressor...

By way.. it is HOT here in VA without A/C... yikes.


It was pretty rough down here below ya today too...that tropical storm
really laid the humidity and heat our way..
Hope you get it all worked out.