We had a new Carrier air conditioner installed less than 5 years ago.
This year it stopped working. One of their service people looked at
it and said that the compressor needed replacing. The part was
covered under the parts warranty but they said the labor charge would
be US$1000 and the new compressor would only have a 1 year warranty
and they cost US$1200. I think the guy charged about US$300 to see
what the problem was. This seems a bit steep after 5 years. Are air
conditioners not supposed to last for about 15 years? It strikes me
as a rip-off to sell an air-conditioning unit that needs abut $2K in
maintenance every year after less than 5 years.

On Mon 09 Jun 2008 01:09:35p, told us...

We had a new Carrier air conditioner installed less than 5 years ago.
This year it stopped working. One of their service people looked at
it and said that the compressor needed replacing. The part was
covered under the parts warranty but they said the labor charge would
be US$1000 and the new compressor would only have a 1 year warranty
and they cost US$1200. I think the guy charged about US$300 to see
what the problem was. This seems a bit steep after 5 years. Are air
conditioners not supposed to last for about 15 years? It strikes me
as a rip-off to sell an air-conditioning unit that needs abut $2K in
maintenance every year after less than 5 years.


I think this guy is a ripoff artist. I'd get a 2nd opinion.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Monday, 06(VI)/09(IX)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
'We win a trip to
Ta-Hiiiitiii!'--Yakko/Wakko/Dot
-------------------------------------------

wrote in message
...
We had a new Carrier air conditioner installed less than 5 years ago.
This year it stopped working. One of their service people looked at
it and said that the compressor needed replacing. The part was
covered under the parts warranty but they said the labor charge would
be US$1000 and the new compressor would only have a 1 year warranty
and they cost US$1200. I think the guy charged about US$300 to see
what the problem was. This seems a bit steep after 5 years. Are air
conditioners not supposed to last for about 15 years? It strikes me
as a rip-off to sell an air-conditioning unit that needs abut $2K in
maintenance every year after less than 5 years.


What Wayne said. And, call Carrier. Most companies do NOT want customers
badmouthing them all over the internet. I'd bet they'll back you up somehow.
It still might not end up being free, but an honest repair at the right
price wouldn't be such a bad thing. If that happens, you'll also have a name
to call for other HVAC service in the future.

wrote in news:0a864d01-3665-441f-b25d-
:

We had a new Carrier air conditioner installed less than 5 years ago.
This year it stopped working. One of their service people looked at
it and said that the compressor needed replacing. The part was
covered under the parts warranty but they said the labor charge would
be US$1000 and the new compressor would only have a 1 year warranty
and they cost US$1200. I think the guy charged about US$300 to see
what the problem was. This seems a bit steep after 5 years. Are air
conditioners not supposed to last for about 15 years? It strikes me
as a rip-off to sell an air-conditioning unit that needs abut $2K in
maintenance every year after less than 5 years.


labor charge would be US$1000

To replace a compressor...just the labor! Ripoff.

I think the guy charged about US$300 to see what the problem was.

Insane for just a service call. Are you in Hollywood or Greenwich,
CT?


Ditto what Wayne said.

Joe had a good suggestion to call Carrier.

wrote in message
...
We had a new Carrier air conditioner installed less than 5 years ago.
This year it stopped working. One of their service people looked at
it and said that the compressor needed replacing. The part was
covered under the parts warranty but they said the labor charge would
be US$1000 and the new compressor would only have a 1 year warranty
and they cost US$1200. I think the guy charged about US$300 to see
what the problem was. This seems a bit steep after 5 years. Are air
conditioners not supposed to last for about 15 years? It strikes me
as a rip-off to sell an air-conditioning unit that needs abut $2K in
maintenance every year after less than 5 years.

You have three issues. One is the labor charges. $300 to check it out is
high. I just asked our serviceman what his charges are on a Sunday (he
worked yesterday due to the heatwave) and he get $112 an hour. His normal
rate is about $65. I'd find a different installer or ask Carrier to
recommend one.

Number two. As for the unit failing, yes, they are designed to go much
longer, but stuff happens. AC units are no different than any other
mechanical and electrical device. Some beak much sooner than anticipated.
Ever see a 1 week old car on a tow truck?

OK now issue number 3. Where do you get the idea that you'll have to spend
$2000 a year, every year? You have no basis for that.

On Jun 9, 10:04 pm, "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:
wrote in message

...

We had a new Carrier air conditioner installed less than 5 years ago.
This year it stopped working. One of their service people looked at
it and said that the compressor needed replacing. The part was
covered under the parts warranty but they said the labor charge would
be US$1000 and the new compressor would only have a 1 year warranty
and they cost US$1200. I think the guy charged about US$300 to see
what the problem was. This seems a bit steep after 5 years. Are air
conditioners not supposed to last for about 15 years? It strikes me
as a rip-off to sell an air-conditioning unit that needs abut $2K in
maintenance every year after less than 5 years.

You have three issues. One is the labor charges. $300 to check it out is
high. I just asked our serviceman what his charges are on a Sunday (he
worked yesterday due to the heatwave) and he get $112 an hour. His normal
rate is about $65. I'd find a different installer or ask Carrier to
recommend one.

Number two. As for the unit failing, yes, they are designed to go much
longer, but stuff happens. AC units are no different than any other
mechanical and electrical device. Some beak much sooner than anticipated.
Ever see a 1 week old car on a tow truck?

OK now issue number 3. Where do you get the idea that you'll have to spend
$2000 a year, every year? You have no basis for that.

Sorry. I made a mistake about the $300 to check the unit. I misheard
my wife. It was actually $100. However, I made no mistake about the
$1000 they said they would charge to install the compressor or the
$1200 I would need to pay to replace the compressor which only comes
with a 1 year warranty. If it gives out after a year, that would be
$1200 for a new compressor plus $1000 labor to have it installed.

Thanks,
MM

On Tue 10 Jun 2008 04:43:20a, told us...

On Jun 9, 10:04 pm, "Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:
wrote in message

...

We had a new Carrier air conditioner installed less than 5 years ago.
This year it stopped working. One of their service people looked at
it and said that the compressor needed replacing. The part was
covered under the parts warranty but they said the labor charge would
be US$1000 and the new compressor would only have a 1 year warranty
and they cost US$1200. I think the guy charged about US$300 to see
what the problem was. This seems a bit steep after 5 years. Are air
conditioners not supposed to last for about 15 years? It strikes me
as a rip-off to sell an air-conditioning unit that needs abut $2K in
maintenance every year after less than 5 years.

You have three issues. One is the labor charges. $300 to check it out
is high. I just asked our serviceman what his charges are on a Sunday
(he worked yesterday due to the heatwave) and he get $112 an hour.
His normal rate is about $65. I'd find a different installer or ask
Carrier to recommend one.

Number two. As for the unit failing, yes, they are designed to go much
longer, but stuff happens. AC units are no different than any other
mechanical and electrical device. Some beak much sooner than
anticipated. Ever see a 1 week old car on a tow truck?

OK now issue number 3. Where do you get the idea that you'll have to
spend $2000 a year, every year? You have no basis for that.

Sorry. I made a mistake about the $300 to check the unit. I misheard
my wife. It was actually $100. However, I made no mistake about the
$1000 they said they would charge to install the compressor or the
$1200 I would need to pay to replace the compressor which only comes
with a 1 year warranty. If it gives out after a year, that would be
$1200 for a new compressor plus $1000 labor to have it installed.

Thanks,
MM


It would be very unusual for an a/c compressor to last only one year. My
parents had a York unit for more than 40 years and the compressor never
failed, albeit, they did have to have refrigerant added on a few occasions.

Still, as I wrote upthread, I think you should get another opinion and
quote. The prices this guy quoted just don't seem to ring true. Also,
many compressors have a 5 year warranty.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Tuesday, 06(VI)/10(X)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
After all is said and done, usually
more is said.
-------------------------------------------

wrote:
We had a new Carrier air conditioner installed less than 5 years ago.
This year it stopped working. One of their service people looked at
it and said that the compressor needed replacing. The part was
covered under the parts warranty but they said the labor charge would
be US$1000 and the new compressor would only have a 1 year warranty
and they cost US$1200. I think the guy charged about US$300 to see
what the problem was. This seems a bit steep after 5 years. Are air
conditioners not supposed to last for about 15 years? It strikes me
as a rip-off to sell an air-conditioning unit that needs abut $2K in
maintenance every year after less than 5 years.

The compressor is under warranty so you will not have to pay for it unless
they charge you a shipping cost because the replacement compressor is not in
stock.
After the compressor has been replaced then they need to see why the
compressor went bad so the new compressor will not go down.
The prices may seem high but like me tell you that the whole sale prices
have almost doubled or even tripled in the last couple of years.
You think gas has goen up so much well a couple of months ago I check on the
whole sale price on a jug of R-22 and it was close to $200 when the same jug
a couple of years ago cost around $40.

--
Moe Jones
http://www.MoeJones.info

wrote:

We had a new Carrier air conditioner installed less than 5 years ago.
This year it stopped working. One of their service people looked at
it and said that the compressor needed replacing. The part was
covered under the parts warranty but they said the labor charge would
be US$1000 and the new compressor would only have a 1 year warranty
and they cost US$1200.

Aren't Carriers warranted for a minimum of 5 years for parts, at least
for the sealed portion? I would write down the model and serial
numbers and phone Carrier about this.

If it takes about as much labor to change a compressor as to change an
outdoor expansion valve, then $1,000 seems sky-high because the TXV in
our packaged Heil was replaced and the system recharged in just a few
hours. OTOH $1,200 for a compressor may not be ridiculous because
that TXV was $477, the condenser fan motor (previous replacement was
less than three years old) another $477, and a double capacitor was
$180! It's possible that those prices were high because all the parts
were OEM or covered under the factory extended warranty, and W.W.
Grainger or Johnstone Supply may sell them much cheaper.

We haven't had good luck with air conditioners. The original one
developed pinholes in the evaporator in its tenth year of life, and
the current unit, now over eight years old, has needed repair about
every two years. Those repairs have totalled about 90-100% of the
unit's original cost but have been covered by an extended factory
warranty. A/C is one of the few products for which I'd always buy an
extended warranty.

On Jun 10, 6:03 pm, "larry moe 'n curly"
wrote:
wrote:
We had a new Carrier air conditioner installed less than 5 years ago.
This year it stopped working. One of their service people looked at
it and said that the compressor needed replacing. The part was
covered under the parts warranty but they said the labor charge would
be US$1000 and the new compressor would only have a 1 year warranty
and they cost US$1200.

Aren't Carriers warranted for a minimum of 5 years for parts, at least
for the sealed portion? I would write down the model and serial
numbers and phone Carrier about this.

If it takes about as much labor to change a compressor as to change an
outdoor expansion valve, then $1,000 seems sky-high because the TXV in
our packaged Heil was replaced and the system recharged in just a few
hours. OTOH $1,200 for a compressor may not be ridiculous because
that TXV was $477, the condenser fan motor (previous replacement was
less than three years old) another $477, and a double capacitor was
$180! It's possible that those prices were high because all the parts
were OEM or covered under the factory extended warranty, and W.W.
Grainger or Johnstone Supply may sell them much cheaper.

We haven't had good luck with air conditioners. The original one
developed pinholes in the evaporator in its tenth year of life, and
the current unit, now over eight years old, has needed repair about
every two years. Those repairs have totalled about 90-100% of the
unit's original cost but have been covered by an extended factory
warranty. A/C is one of the few products for which I'd always buy an
extended warranty.

In fact the company that was originally going to install the
compressor was going to charge $1200. I called Carrier and found
another company that will do it for $650.

On Jun 9, 3:09*pm, wrote:
We had a new Carrier air conditioner installed less than 5 years ago.
This year it stopped working. *One of their service people looked at
it and said that the compressor needed replacing. *The part was
covered under the parts warranty but they said the labor charge would
be US$1000 and the new compressor would only have a 1 year warranty
and they cost US$1200. *I think the guy charged about US$300 to see
what the problem was. *This seems a bit steep after 5 years. *Are air
conditioners not supposed to last for about 15 years? *It strikes me
as a rip-off to sell an air-conditioning unit that needs abut $2K in
maintenance every year after less than 5 years.

Call carrier to complain and get a recomended guy for a second
opinion. Mine is 20 yrs old, but even a nearby lightning stike can
ruin it as can other circumstances.