Sun Kool overcharging??
 

I was recently charged $159.30 for a capacitor on a carrier air conditioning unit during an annual inspection. As a retired professor of electrical engineering who has taught motors and controls theory (including compressors and motors as large 2500HP and capacitors for circuit design and power factor correction) for 37 years and also owned an electrical contracting company, I was very familiar with the component, but not current prices. I thought the price was high when similar capacitors used to sell for $15-$20, but I paid it anyway. Afterwards, I found the identical capacitor selling for $17.10 on the internet. Realizing the price was exorbitant; I called a competitor, Munns HVAC, and was told their price was $65, which I thought was reasonable. This included installation, when performing an annual inspection. Believing I was overcharged, possibly by mistake, I called Sun Kool and was told this was their price and there would be no adjustment. Interestingly, the same technician serviced my neighbor's unit and he also told her the capacitor needed replaced. Coincidence, possibly; scam, maybe. Although not a lot of money, the implication of such an extreme mark-up on parts forces me to use other contractors.
I am posting this for informational purposes only, “Caveat Emptor”.

Thank you very much for the information.

Munn's clipped us for over $200 for part and installation. Won't make that mistake again!

If the HVAC unit had failed and they came out to repair it, I would not have a problem with the charge. But, if you had already paid them for an annual maintenence service, they should not have charged anything for it. If the unit was working, how did they even know that you needed a new capacitor? It could have been a routine upsell to increase their profit. Personally, I never pay an HVAC company for routine maintenance. And, if you only do it annually, that is not often enough to ensure that the condensate drain line will not clog. Capacitors and clogged condensate drains are two things that cause a lot of HVAC failures.

Same happened to me suggested replacement I said no 2 years ago still fine not replaced ordered spare just in case. Also had condensate overflow switch fail Munn’s wanted $150 to replace actual cost Amazon $12, 5 min replacement job. There has been a special interest story WESH couple of years ago advising of repairman scams.

So, apparently there was nothing wrong with the capacitor. You could have paid them for a new one, and it could have failed in a month. It happens with capacitors. If you are paying someone for routine maintenance, I would always request that they test the drain pan overflow switch and flush out the condensate drain.

So hard to trust people nowadays. Had a cashier at Winn Dixie try to keep $10 from my due cash back. When I went back to her after looking at the receipt she owned up to it right away. "It's so hectic around here" she says.

Sun Kool has been notorious for wanting to replace entire hvac systems when there is really nothing wrong with them. As far as Munn’s goes you may have been the victim of a subtle sales technique to get you to start spending your money with them. Call them back and ask the same question and I bet you get a different answer

sounds like a bbb letter should be in their future

If you believe you, and others are being scammed, or overcharged, you can always take your complaint to “Seniors vs Crime”. Advice the contractor of your intent. See what happens!

A few years ago I had a similar problem with my AC unit. I called Sun cool and they came and I told the technician that I was pretty sure it was the capacitor that was bad. He checked it, and said it was. I asked him how much and he told me $150.00. I agreed, so he replaced it. He went back to his truck to write an invoice and brought it back to me. It was for $258. I asked him why so much and he told me there was $100 diagnostic fee. I will never use them again. Also, when I needed a new AC unit, they were $3000 higher than the company that I purchased it from.

The old business principle applies here. One satisfied customer will get you another. One unhappy or cheated customer will lose you 10.

Capacitors DO go bad, especially in hot climates where the AC is running on and off constantly. This is what I have been told by many technicians as well as a friend that used to own his own commercial AC business. When my capacitor went last year, I recognized the symptoms. I looked up the price of a new capacitor on the Internet and found that they vary in price, possibly by quality and origin. After I paid a technician to replace the my bad one and the AC worked again, I went on line and purchased one for the next time it went. I will replace it myself. YES, I did pay over a hundred bucks to have it replaced because I wanted it done immediately, not after I waited for a new capacitor to be delivered. We pay for expert service. How much will you pay for an auto mechanic to change your oil? How about change the spark plugs? How much will you pay to have someone fix your computer? Years ago, I charged $60 an hour during regular working hours and $120 an hour after regular hours. And that was over 20 years ago. If you pay a high price for professional service, that's on you. Some folks believe it's worth it. Personally, I think that paying $15 an hour, minimum wages(proposed) is too much to pay for someone to flip hamburgers. It's all about what someone is willing to pay for someone else to do the work. Personally, I would rather pay someone to replace a capacitor for a few bucks than to lie to me and tell me I needed a new compressor or a new condenser. A capacitor is about the cheapest you will get off on an AC repair.
It's not fraud if they charge you too much. It's called price gouging. Labor is getting expensive. Be happy that you found someone that could come out and fix your AC. Seems a lot of folks don't want to work and would rather stay home and get paid.
By the way, if anyone wishes to change out an AC capacitor themselves, BE VERY CAREFUL Capacitors can hold high voltage for an extended period of time and can give you a dangerous jolt if not handled properly.

With that background one wonders why you weren't troubleshooting and replacing the part yourself. I'm sure that's not the only time you'll be overcharged in the Villages.

The OP said that the capacitor was replaced during an annual inspection. So, it appears that he/she had already paid the contractor to come to the house and spend about an hour or so to inspect and do maintenance on a unit that apparently was already working. On their website, Sun Kool's HVAC maintenance list of things they do doesn't say anything about the capacitor, but it does include a long list of tasks, to even include washing and "waxing" the outside unit. We don't know if the contractor actually diagnosed a bad capacitor or was just replacing a properly functioning one. In either case, the part is less than $20, and it only takes about 5 minutes to install it. If the OP had scheduled the visit because the capacitor had failed, and the unit was not working, I think the $160 charge would have been appropriate. But, in my opinion, charging $160 to replace the capacitor during an extensive routine maintenance visit was excessive.

So your not a contractor. There is no way a legitimate contractor can send a trained and experienced technician out his door without a charging $100 for that portion of the service. Most contractors do not buy parts from the Internet, but rather get them from a wholesaler or inventory them ( this adds cost) so they can help the customer on the first call. A return visit after getting a part ordered from the internet adds more cost. A 50% part markup is reasonable. Let the Company earn a fair profit or else they will not be in business when you need them. My credentials are I had a Corporate life, MBA and owned the largest remodeling company in my city. Yours are irrelevant in my opinion.

Wow that’s pretty blatant to do that right in front of you. Glad you got your money back but you make a good point that we need to watch our transactions closely.

I too experienced the same capacitor scam on my garage door opener. The starting capacitor needed changing and DGD doors charged me $120.00, to change it. Well, I too am an electrical engineer who sold my electronic corp. 3 years ago know the price of electrolytic capacitors used as phase shifting starting devices. They typically sell for $12.00-20.00. I called Discount Garage Doors (DGD), and they said that is what they charge.

Thanks for this info. We used to be members of the Kool Klub, or whatever they call it. We also had the capacitor issue a couple years ago. We left Sun Kool, but have been thinking bout rejoining. I’ll need to think some more.

I seem to remember that a SunCool tech told me that replacing the capacitor myself would void the warranty. I guess I should call the manufacturer to verify. There would be two advantages to doing it myself. I would not only save a lot of money, but I would also get it fixed right away if I had a spare on hand.

My guess, within a month the Online News headline will be:

Villager Electrocuted to Death Changing Capacitor
(good news, he saved $100)

I was charged over $300 by Munns. The capacitor was over $175 and the rest for showing up and labor. Now I have a new $16 capacitor, which I bought on-line, in my garage just in case. Live and learn. Hey, education is expensive nowadays. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice……..
Sadly there are answers, on TOTV, to many of the
dilemmas we encounter, like this one, but at the time we either don’t think or realize it.

Said the same thing to me last year, I went on Amazon bought one for $21 one screw and 4 wires. took 10 minutes to remove panel and replace capacitor. The old one was fine. They also don't clean the drain and there will be another service charge. I'm sorry to tell you all this but there are no honest service companies in and around the Villages, you just think they are as they are polite and smiling when they take your money. Good luck!

A/C capacitors Do go bad over time and the technician can measure when they reach a threshold and need to be replaced.

We have Sunshine and belong to their "club" and it cost us $75 to replace the capacitor a couple of months ago during a maintenance visit.

As far as doing replairs yourself, although some can do it i wouldn't recommend it and $150 for a repair including the part is not that unreasonable these days. Think about how much you can spend for dinner at one of the Squares? Most issues with our A/C units as they age are fairly common and an experienced technician can spot them and give you good advice on what to do. Eventually you will need to replace the A/C unit eventhough you think it's fine since they all have a finite life span.

I think whichever company you go with you need to join their "club" even if it costs a little up front. Once in then you should get priority service and some discounts on repairs.

I would check with your neighbors and see who they are using.

Also, you will hear a "bad" story about an experience with all these companies. Not every tech is perfect, they are human and some repairs can be difficult to diagnose. Just keep that in mind when selecting the company you want to go with. Most of the major companies are reputable and should stand behind their work.

First mistake was having an annual inspection. The purpose of an annual inspection is not to maintain your system, its to give your technician the opportunity to sell you something so he can make a bonus or commission.

I suggest EVERYONE have a spare capacitor on hand.
If your unit isn't starting, it's likely the capacitor. (After checking that it's not the condensation float, first)
There are YouTube videos on how-to replace it.
Starting with pulling the fuse/disconnect in the box on the wall of the house, connected to the compressor unit. (The high voltage)
You discharge the cap with your screwdriver. It's not going to kill you.
Take a picture with your phone, if you think you'll mess up the wires.
It's best to just disconnect one at a time and attach it to the new one.

Save yourself having to try to sleep in a 90 degree house, till the repair guy can get there/till you can get a replacement.
Been there, done it.

Yes, Sun Cool gave me the highest estimate for a mini split when I first moved here plus the guy was cocky when I asked if that was his best price.

Not out of line. We paid more to Munn’s several years ago. Went with SunKool for a new unit.

Was Munn's there specifically to repair your unit that had failed, or were they there to perform a maintenance service that you had already scheduled and paid for? It makes a big difference in what they should charge. If an HVAC company is charging customers $100 or so to do routine maintenance, and then adding an additional $160 to replace the capacitor, then they are overcharging you. What would prevent them from charging everyone an additional $160 for a new capacitor?

Do yourself a favor and have your air conditioning system serviced by Chuck Farrell.
Chuck Farrell's AC & Heating - Google Search

:bigbow:

We get our kind of sort of news from the Sun so we might have to wait a bit longer.:a040:

We have Munns for past two years and never have never done that to us. All they ask if we want to buy filter when doing maintenance.

Sun Kool on the positive side
 

Sun Kool replaced our HVAC system at our former home in The Villages. They had the best price and we were very satisfied with the installation. We have since used their Kool Club which is approximately $200 a year. We receive bi-annual maintenance and priority service calls if there a problem. Those service calls do not have a fee unless there is an uncovered component. We transferred our membership from one house to another. We had an issue with our AC not working and they came out the same day. The problem was the clogged discharge line. Yes we do always do the monthly clean out as they had instructed. The service tech tried to charge me for the visit and I told him we had a membership so he said oh sorry no charge. After he left I discovered that our membership had expired a few months earlier. I called in and renewed the membership. The Point being they had a legitimate reason to charge me for the visit as I was not covered under the membership plan at the time of the service call. They are always two sides to every story. I just wanted to post something positive about this company.

I had a similar experience Sun Cool, I switched to Munns and found them to be honest and reliable

They all overcharge!
 

I have yet to see a business that serves TV that doesn't overcharge including TV Management themselves. We are consumers in captivity unless you can do-it-yourself.

Maintenance plus very good and reasonable and always available

Chuck #1 FARREL replaced our capacitor for $65.00. I did it at the 4 year mark, preventively. It is simple. You have to be gentle with the wiring and there are electronic boards in the area. So easy does it. The main thing is TURN OFF THE POWER TO THE A/C UNIT and don’t touch the connectors on the top of the capacitor. Your results may vary depending on your skill level.

Overcharging the way they did is a crime. Bastards!

Yes you’re right you can get capacitors from $20. to $100. But the catch is labor. Labor is most of the expense when hiring it done. Changing a Capacitor yourself only takes about 10 or 15 mins. Anything I can do myself, I do it. Capacitors are very simple to change. Pull the wires off the old capacitor, but be careful not to touch the metal on the pliers or touch anything else. Then discharge the capacitor. Then pull old capacitor out & replace with new one, put wires back on. Then your ready to go! Google it & you’ll see how very easy it is.

I AGREE !

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