Ian S
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Shortly after we moved into our home some 3 years ago, both old heat pumps failed badly within a few weeks of each other. The home warranty we had paid a good chunk to replace the outside units while we had to pony up for some inside components which were fine but incompatible with the new refrigerants used in newer systems. Forward to now with one heat pump not working; we had the home warranty company send out a repair man and he claims that there is some kind of obstruction in the system and he will have to take it apart to clean it out. Now most of the parts if any that need replacing will be under warranty but the repair guys says he will have to remove the R410a refrigerant to fix the problem and that he will then have to recharge the system with new. He expects the cost of installing the 8 lbs refrigerant alone to be nearly $1600 but he hasn't yet provided me with written details of what exactly is wrong and a proper estimate of the cost to fix. Of course, neither the home nor manufacturer's warranty covers the cost of refrigerant.
To me, what the guy is charging to install the refrigerant seems very high and I'm wondering why they just don't put the old refrigerant back in. He claims they are not permitted to. Fortunately, the weather is still fairly mild and the working heat pump keeps the place comfortable. I think I'm owed a written estimate at the very least. I paid for the service call and paid for the other heat pump to be topped up with refrigerant. The tech was also pushing startup assist kits on both systems but at $300 a pop, I'm not sure of the worth. Don't modern heat pumps already have effective startup systems? TIA for any comments/advice
To me, what the guy is charging to install the refrigerant seems very high and I'm wondering why they just don't put the old refrigerant back in. He claims they are not permitted to. Fortunately, the weather is still fairly mild and the working heat pump keeps the place comfortable. I think I'm owed a written estimate at the very least. I paid for the service call and paid for the other heat pump to be topped up with refrigerant. The tech was also pushing startup assist kits on both systems but at $300 a pop, I'm not sure of the worth. Don't modern heat pumps already have effective startup systems? TIA for any comments/advice