A/C repair and installation
 

Looking for a reputable A/C company, would rather stay away from MUNNS and Sun Kool

Chuck Farrell

Sorry. We've heard some negative things about A/C companies. The ONLY one that got consistently positive reviews was Munn's. Our 20 YO AC unit died a few months back so we called and asked for a tech to come out and check it, possibly fix it. We were on Munn's "favored" list or some such (we had them out annually to check our unit) so a tech showed up about an hour after I had called. As I recall it was a Friday afternoon which was remarkable in itself. He spent a couple of hours working on it; verdict was a leak in a high pressure hose, which unfortunately was buried somewhere underground (probably under the patio). He could replace it but running all new hoses through the attic at a cost of $1700 and change. 30-day warranty on the work. We asked about total replacement, which he said came with a ten-year warranty plus two free visits during the first year, but that he wasn't a salesperson so couldn't say for sure. We expressed interest in talking to one, who called us just after the tech left and scheduled a meeting for the follwing morning.

At 9 AM sharp, Rosalee (a charming but knowledgeable and businesslike young lady) showed up. We showed her the offending unit, she walked around for a time checking panels, wires and such, and said that a completely new unit would cost us $8,500 including installation. We asked when. After a few phone calls to ascertain parts, tech availablity and such, she said Wednesday morning at 8 AM. We said great, and signed on the dotted line. Sure enough, the techs (2) showed up precisely as scheduled; however with the additional benefit of a brief bio on each tech that was emailed to us when we got the heads-up that they were on the way. After a few pleasantries they dove in and got to work. Apparently "total replacement" meant everything not embedded in concrete: furnace, wires, copper tubing, insulation, etc. etc. were soon piled in the driveway. Also included were new thermostat and humidistat. After testing everything out, they finished just before noon, and were off.

A few things: new unit is much larger than the old one was. First time I heard it run it sounded like a jet engine spooling up, and cooled things down quickly. The old one even at it's best seemed barely able to keep up. Interestingly, comparing my power and gas bills to the same period of the year before, I'm using significantly LESS of both, est. 20% less or thereabouts.

Time from check by 1st tech to completed installation: approx. 3.5 working days.

Oh--and the power company gave us a $500 rebate.

No complaints about Munn's.

We used Desantis and were very happy with them.

One nice thing about Munn's is they sell nothing but Carrier.

Some installers deal in 4-6 brands of HVAC systems that
are jack of all trades, and masters at none..

Isn't Carrier the industry standard? I recall replacing our old unit back in Minnesota: the person who sold it made a great deal out of the fact that though it did not have the Carrier name it was MADE by Carrier.

Also, if an HVAC company sells 4-6 brands, they are probably not an authorized dealer for any of them. So, if you need warranty work, they may need to subcontract the repair to an authorized dealer to get parts or reimbursement from the manufacturer. Munn's is an authorized dealer for Carrier and can do business directly with Carrier.

Chuck Farrell…we’ve been using them for years. Family run business. Always shows up on time, knowledgeable, etc.

Another vote for Munn's. Our home is only 3 years old, and we have not had any A/C failures. But, we signed up for the Munn's annual service plan. They come out twice a year, August and February in my case, and check/service everything. Being on that plan also gets you on their "priority" list should you need service...even after hours or on weekends or holidays. When I set up my appointments, I request the same tech each time. He is knowledgeable, professional, and thorough. He spends about an hour each time, making sure everything is in good running order. Munn's even sends you text messages letting you know he will be arriving in "x" number of minutes. The two service calls, the priority list, and the peace of mind run $120.00 per year. Money well spent in my book.

I have been using Sunshine AC Air Conditioning Service Lady Lake, FL & Marion Oaks, FL, AC Installation Leesburg, FL & Weirsdale, FL | AC Repair Ocala FL | AC Maintenance & Air Conditioning Company Fruitland Park, FL | Sunshine Air Conditioning, Inc. for five years now with no complaints.

We love Munn’s…very knowledgeable and professional.

Daniel’s heating & air conditioning. Inverness FL. Richard Long, President. 352.726.5617

We researched all the HVAC companies. Good reviews for Daniels. Pricing via actual quotes was much lower than the TV inflated prices. We chose Daniels for installation of 4 Mitsubishi mini splits. Job well done.

One stop AC 352-310-8345

Why???

Munns
 

Vote for Munns here. Had new unit installed and free visits first year. Sun kool no free visits and require twice a year checkups after the first year. Munns once a year.

Think about service
 

The larger companies charge a little more because of higher overhead but will these smaller companies be there when your a/c is out on a hot summer Friday afternoon? We had an experience from a highly recommended smaller company who we had used several times but told us we would have to wait one or maybe two days before they could get to us. We called SunKool and it was repaired within three hours of our call. Yes the service call was $10 more and they charged more for the repair part but we were able to sleep in comfort in our home that night instead of sweltering in the heat and humidity for 24 more hours. You get what you pay for with these bigger companies IMHO.

When hot and your AC is not working who cares how much it costs , call the bigger companies they have the most number of techs to service outages. Smaller companies are also very Mark Anthony is praised at lot for service and repair.

I agree. Also, some people who pay for regular maintenance think they are also buying priority access for repairs. I have never seen a maintenance agreement that actually guarantees any priority access in writing. It is a maintenance selling point with nothing to back it up.

We have had Sunshine for 18 years. They use Carrier. We have had nothing but great service and would recommend them.

CHUCKFarrell

Yep. Munn's serviced our unit for the former owners: when we called them for service the first year here they asked the address, and when we gave it we were informed that we were on their "preferred" list and a tech would be out ASAP. He showed up the next morning.

This was July, when scheduled work was something like two weeks out.

Munn’s! All the way!

...

We've been using Munn's for 6+ years and have absolutely no complaints. Also had them install mini-split on lanai. Highly recommend!

Kalos

I recently had my HVAC replaced by Chuck Farrell. My search found an overwhelming, positive response to this company. They also had the most reasonable price. I guess time will tell. Good luck!

I have used Munns twice and they were out within hours. They were professional and the repair was done quickly. I’ve also heard good things about Suncool .

You brought back memories of last July when we suffered thru 3 weeks of no AC! SunKool was highly incompetent and replaced the coil, capacitor and compressor and added “Pureon” countless times. before someone went up into the attic to find a kink in a pipe that had a hole in it. Thankfully I was still in my 5 year parts and labor coverage so it was no charge to me. But we baked in this house. I purchased a portable unit to have one room that was cool. SunKool eventually came up with one I could borrow. I have switched to One Hour Heating and Air. (352) 897-9700. So far I am very impressed.

BTW, I recommend that everyone purchase a portable unit to keep just in case. It made life bearable until the central air was repaired. I have lent it out to 2 of my neighbors when their units went down.

We used DeSantis this past winter and we were very happy with their service and our new Trane system.

I have replaced several HVAC systems since I have lived in TV. Did a ton of checking before the first one and decided to use Chuck Farrell. I was very satisfied and have continued to use him ever since. Honest, knowledgeable and reasonable prices.

What actually is done on a semi or annual HVAC checkup? :confused:
I change my own filter, I make sure the condensation drain pipe is clear.:shrug:

Check freon levels.
I don't know why anyone would need a check 2 times a year tho.

You should also inspect the outside unit and hose it down if the coil is dirty. Also, on a hot day, you should inspect the suction line (the pipe with the black insulation) on the outside unit to see if it is cold and sweating. If it is, you probably have enough refrigerant.
But, other than that, you are probably doing everything you can to prevent a failure.

Here is the Sunkool 21 point "tune-up" list, but I wouldn't pay anything for it.

HVAC Maintenance The Villages, FL, Summerfield, FL & Oxford, FL | HVAC Maintenance Wildwood, FL, Lady Lake, FL & Leesburg, FL | Sun Kool Air Conditioning Inc.

Note that they say that they will "wash and wax" your outside unit. I don't think I have ever seen an outside unit being given a wax job. I would be surprised if Sunkool is actually doing everything on their list.

This is my point, do we really need a AC check-up every year??

If our unit's shutdown, it's because it's low on freon or your sensor on
your drainpipe was tripped.

Is there anything to lube?

Nothing to lube. I have never paid an HVAC company for maintenance. They probably make more money on maintenance than they make on actual repairs.

Sunshine Air Conditioning Inc
 

We've been very happy with Sunshine Air Conditioning Inc. Whenever we've had an issue, they have been extremely responsive. I wouldn't hesitate to have them do work on a system or install a new system.

The discount I received on a very expensive part paid for one year of maintenance. Learning that the outside capacitor was failing such that I could replace it on my schedule and not have to rush when it quit was worth something. But other than that, I agree that a homeowner can do basic maintenance at much less than $60/trip.

Note that the Sunkool 21 point tune-up doesn't even mention the capacitor.

We have been using M&S Air Conditioning for the past 6 yrs and have had a great service experience with them. Have an annual service contract with them for twice a year check ups and cleaning or any time a problem should occur.. About $179 per year.

Also had them replace our original Carrier unit with a new Mitsubishi system in 2021. Very happy with it.

Chuck Farrell