my mom's ac unit has a leak(i assume) and the unit is only blowing hot air. i take it that it's a little more complex than a car ac in which she would just need to buy some r34(r22 in this case) and recharge it. does anyone know of someone who maybe does side work who doesn't charge a " it's hot out premium" to take a look at it or recharge it if need be? if not has anyone done this themselves?

7/7/2010 7:59:31 PM

the "it's hot out premium" is known in some circles as supply and demand

7/7/2010 8:05:30 PM

Granted, i'm not an A/C tech, but if it has a leak, wont recharging it only give temporary relief? Doesn't the leak have to be found and fixed?

I would say its probably the right move to find a reputable company and go that route so you get some kind of warranty on thier work.

7/7/2010 9:11:13 PM

is she local?

7/7/2010 9:12:16 PM

You can do this yourself, but you need a can of R22 which you need a license to buy and you need a set of refrigeration gauges. You have to fill the unit to very specific pressures depending on the model. Make sure you know what you're doing if you go the DIY route. Equipment damage is possible from fucking this up.

The bottom line is that your mom has a leak that needs to be fixed. You'll be better served in the long run by calling a service technician and getting the leak found and fixed. Do some research and find an established HVAC shop in your area. Talk to neighbors and others in the community. Reputable shops should not charge you different rates based on the weather unless it's an emergency call. You will have to wait longer for service when it's hot out since demand for service is high.

7/8/2010 5:06:15 PM

yea i keep telling her that she has to get the leak fixed . she's called around and 5/7 people changed their prices on the fly and the other were just crazy high $150 to just come out. i guess i'll do my son duties and do some research on diy since the r22 can be purchased on ebay pretty easily . thanks guys

7/9/2010 1:40:11 AM

so, what youre saying is you plan to just keep dumping refrigerant into a leaking system..... gotcha

or do you have some kind of a plan to locate/fix the leak?

7/9/2010 12:43:02 PM

the plan is to band aid the problem till winter when repair cost are 30% of what they are now.

7/9/2010 5:43:31 PM

you'll probably spend more on refrigerant than that method is worth.. but good luck

7/9/2010 5:55:55 PM

well she just talked to another "specialist" who wanted her address and social so he could give her and "accurate quote" . i don't think she's being jew about it (which she normally is) she's just skeptical since all the places she's called so far have been a bad experience and they haven't even touched anything yet. if a guy changes his phone quote within minutes you can best believe he's gonna change it again once he's at your place.

7/9/2010 6:13:48 PM

call 2-3 places, get some estimates, pay the men their due. They're out working in the 100 degree heat, freaking pay 'em.

And if you have a leak and willingly keep filling it up you could be fined for dumping refrigerant.

7/9/2010 6:34:24 PM

Is all this aggravation really worth a couple hundred bucks?

Find a recommended company. Get them to come out and fix it. Pay them.

DONE

7/9/2010 6:49:49 PM

again, is she local? if so, i may be able to help. first, how long since it's needed a recharge? is it a yearly thing? has it ever needed to be recharged? just trying to figure out whether it is a freon issue or something else. i have my universal cfc certification and if it's just a charge i could do it. i have the freon and gauges.

7/9/2010 9:43:06 PM

Quote :

"Find a recommended company."

that's what i' ve been trying to do , she's been going through the yellow pages calling the guys says ok it'll be about $ 200 she hangs up calls back to have them come out and suddenly his quote is $450.psi you got pm

7/10/2010 1:29:42 AM

why would they need her social?

7/10/2010 8:16:54 AM

Blindly calling people from the yellow pages =/= finding a recommended company.

7/10/2010 8:42:12 AM