Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredguy123
Note that my comments were about the SunKool 21-point tune-up, not about the Sunshine company. They two different companies. SunKool lists 21 tasks the they perform every 6 months, but they do not mention the capacitor, the float switch, or a condensate drain additive. And, I don't know of any HVAC company that will guarantee in writing to respond to a repair call within a specific time. When my HVAC unit fails, I want to be able to call any company who is available to respond immediately.
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No worries.
My response was just to indicate the maintenance items that must be included yearly. If your HVAC company is not checking the capacitor for example, then you need to find another company. I agree, I never see a full list of maintenance items published but a reputable company will do all the maintenance items I listed. As far as response time, you are correct. They can't publish they will be at your home in 1 hr. for example. All they can state is you get "priority". When I asked about this the answer was you will get a slot before a customer that doesn't have a maintenance agreement.
I also want to further explain why its a bad idea to wait for the HVAC to break and then fix it. One item that fails over time, as I mentioned, is the capacitor. Heat is the main reason why they fail over time. So if your condensor unit is in the shade most of the day your capacitor may last longer than a unit thats baking in the sun most of the day. When the capacitor starts to degrade, the compressor and or the fan motor will start drawing more current than it should leading to overheating and potentially shortening the life of your unit. One of the ways to guard against this specific problem is to check the capacitor with a meter and replace it when it's reading out of tolerance. You can also check the current draw on the compressor and fan motor as well to see it the capacitor is degrading. This is just one of many items that need to be checked to try and prevent a failure. I agree, maintenance is probably one of the main money makers for these companies but here in Florida where A/C is a necessity, its something you have to do. Hope this helps.