AC Annual Checkup
 

Have a neighbor who called one of The Villages larger Air Conditioner installers for a yearly checkup. Don't know how much neighbor paid for the checkup. However, neighbor was told by service rep that Capacitor readings indicate that a new capacitor was likely needed before current capacitor failed. A price of $225 was verbally quoted.

I know that a capacitor costs between $10 to $20. If service rep was reading Capacitor, he already had the panel off. That meant he had to simply, disconnect power, discharge capacitor (Screwdriver between contacts), remove one bracket screw, disconnect 3 wires, remove old capacitor and simply install new capacitor. You can replace capacitor in about same time as it takes to check capacitor readings.

Since capacitors are one of the most frequent items to fail, are inexpensive and easy to replace, why don't we as the customers expect or force this abuse to stop.

Check UTUBE

All about up charge. Most won’t fool with 220V so they just pay.

How are you going to force a change? This is a lucrative, high margin service. I preemptively change mine every 3 years for $20. Despite what some may claim, electrocution is not an issue if you pull the quick disconnect and short across the three terminals, as you pointed out. You do need to match the capacitance (two numbers; for the fan and compressor) and voltage when buying a replacement. Another thing you can do to avoid a service charge is periodically blow out the condensate drain.

I don't pay for annual AC checkups. The technician cannot tell you when the capacitor will fail, but if they are doing regular checkups, it should provide for periodic capacitor replacements, but they almost never do. The things they do does nothing to extend the life of your system or to prevent a failure. It is just a money maker for the company. To me, charging $225 to replace a capacitor during a regular checkup is a double charge and outrageous.

Seems easy enough and cheap enough to do yourself. I did. But…

- Make sure you order the correct capacitor. A mistake could be expensive.
- Order it soon so the A/C doesn’t fail while you are waiting
- Be extremely careful while replacing it. These mistakes you only get to make once.

OR… Pay the experienced professional to get the correct part out of his truck and replace it on the spot.

Is it abuse or is it fair market price a convenient, quick, safe, professional repair?

You *can* measure the capacitor to see if it is beginning to degraded. You can’t tell when it will fail but you can tell that it is no longer operating at full capacity.

I don't have a problem with the $225 charge to replace a capacitor on a unit that has failed. But, to visit the house for a scheduled annual checkup, and to want $225 to replace a capacitor that has not failed, and to also charge the customer for the annual checkup is not appropriate. If you are visiting the house annually for preventive maintenance, capacitor replacements should already be included.

Probably for the same reason that so many use a certain HVAC company that charges 2-3 times the "munny" than other companies.

I would like to know how many capacitors has that service rep replaced within the past week for $225, and how is the customer supposed to know if they really needed to be replaced?

That is exactly what my reason for starting this forum. The Villages has 150,000 people, most of whom haves no HVAC knowledge. Many of our contractors abuse that position. It is said that one of the most common AC problems are from Capacitor issues. Most of us simply wait until we have an AC issue. Then we call the HVAC expert to diagnose and fix the problem.

It is warm season and you have the thermostat set at 75 degrees. Then one day you notice that AC is on but temp exceeds setting. Gradually temp rises to uncomfortable. What to do? Call trusty AC company. They come and check Temp and setting. They check internal fan and it is working. They go to outdoor fan and compressor and that is buzzing or not running. Most likely a capacitor change. Spend 10 minutes to change out $15 capacitor and you are happy to get cool air. They charge you $200+ and you may even tip them.

Waiting for first HVAC company to step up and offer guarantee that checkup includes replacement of capacitor or free Capacitor replacement if failure within 1 year.

The current routine is a scam.

or learn to do for themselves

Who was the company? It would help all of us. I actually have my system maintained 2x a year, right before the heating season and in the fall.

Scam artists are Every ware!

When we first bought our home in TV (the Villages) I got a cold call from a HVAC (Furnace and Air Conditioning system) contractor offering a low cost $39.00 checkup of our system. Ok, I said, I would like to get a local guy and not a big Chane Shop. He went through his routine. I had already changed the Hepa filter. He had blown out the condensation drain. Went to the compressor and checked pressures as I watched. Then he went back to the Gas Furnace itself. He opened the inside up and put a meter he called a Megger on the wiring inside. He then proceeded to show me how the furnace was showing a very low reading and by his indications was going to fail. He indicated that the furnace and AC system need to be changed. He even told me he wrote a book on how to test systems this way.

It was then I told him back in the day I worked as an Industrial Electrician for 10 years. That I had gone to a Vocational High School with a background in Industrial Electricity. I also explained that I worked for an Electrical Testing Company as a field Engineer doing testing and documentation for the NRC in a Nuclear Power Plant during the final 14 months of construction. I proceeded to explain that I have used the type of meter (Megger) in the past and was very familiar with the protocols necessary to produce the needed results. I then said do you really want to stick to that story? He never missed a beat and tried to tell me the entire system needed changed. What I should have done was reported his attempt at fraud but I did not. I paid his fee, $39.00 and told him to go that I did not need his service. What a Con Artist. I feel sorry for those who don’t ask for a second opinion or are trusting and get taken advantage of.

I'll add it to the list of already "existing scams" by every business which currently services my property.

I had a tepid air issue where my HVAC worked perfectly fine except for the heater blowing lukewarm air all of a sudden. Tech guy decides to change the capacitor without even telling me and charged me $250. It of course did nothing to fix my problem but they told me to wait for hours before the heat would work. WTF!!!!!! I sent them a text saying we ALL know the capacitor had nothing to do with my issue and that I was VERY DISAPPOINTED with that visit. Next day they taped my check to my door. Good for their karma!!!

My issue was a disconnected duct under my house, which I fixed myself.

The moral of the story: educate yourself and let people know you are not a fool when they're trying to scam you.

No need for yearly check up. I had a co out 3 years ago and they said there was a part that would be needed eventually if not now for $500. A month ago I had another co out and he said everything was in tip top shape - be aware that they might be upselling - who knows? But once a year is needless in my opinion

I no longer attempt to work on my A/C outside unit after turning the wrong breaker off and taking a large 'bite' out of my favorite screwdriver. My most important lesson that day: let professionals work around high voltage stuff. :-)

There is no need to turn off the breaker. Just pull the quick disconnect.

I am convinced that a technician working on a brand new system would find the capacitor or fan motor or coolant or relay needs to be replaced. Every single time I've asked for maintenance on any home system I've ever owned, something critical is on its last leg. I've begun to tell them no. I'll wait until I perceive system degradation or go into actual outage before allowing repairs. It's my own, small act of resistance.

The problem with this story is the story. How much did said neighbor pay for the yearly check up? If it was $19.95, that isn't much to put toward the cost of replacing the capacitor. If it was $199.95, then you have a point. But at this point, you only have a story.

I have a contract with Sunshine twice a year service. Last visit noticed the capacitor needed changing and he changed no charge. He even changed out my filter I bought and had in my garage, no charge. He Took the time to describe everything he was doing. I tipped him generously. We both left happy.

My experience:
Woke up very early one morning to an unexpectedly warm house. Thermostat said cooling was on, air handler was moving air, but outside unit wasn't running. Checked the float in the drain tube to find it was full of water - drain tube was plugged. A few minutes outside trying different things to clear the drain got things working again.

After that I started running a gallon of hot water through the line on the first of the month. While I am working in that closet, I also look for leaks around the hot water heater and tap on the expansion tank to make sure it still has air in it. Simple enough to remember to do on the first of the month and haven't had a drain problem since.

Signed up for a maintenance plan to check the system. Tech came and cleared out the line, cleaned the coils, and confirmed it was working properly. Two or three visits later the tech advised that the capacitor was reading low and should be replaced. He offered to do it for somewhere between $80 and $150 (don't remember exactly but was less than $200). I declined the offer then changed it myself (being very careful) for about $30.

On the next visit the capacitor tested good. This seemed to surprise the tech which makes me think they might refer to their past records before they arrive.

Observations:
1. It is far easier to pour a gallon of hot water down the drain tube than to try to unplug it at 3AM.
2. The technicians don't always find something wrong on every visit
3. These technicians appear to be fairly honest - they didn't try convince me to pay them to replace the capacitor the first time and they acknowledged it was working properly the next time (after I had replaced it myself)
4. The annual checkups are not absolutely necessary if you keep up with regular maintenance.
5. If you don't have annual checkups or don't pay to have the capacitor replaced then it would be wise to have a spare on hand - Amazon delivers quickly but a house becomes uncomfortable even faster

Yes, it would be nice if a maintenance plan included replacing the capacitor every couple of years - the part is inexpensive and the cabinet is already open. Unfortunately, I have not heard of a plan that includes this.

After shutting down power, do you leave the terminals attached to the capacitor while jumping to discharge? Or should they be disconnected first?

Chuck Farrell AC replaced a capacitor on a unit they installed for $120, which I thought was reasonable.
I'm thinking of DIY next time as it's out of warranty now.

You should discharge the capacitor and then disconnect the terminals. A lot of posters recommend replacing the capacitor as a DIY project. However, I doubt that many homeowners will actually do this. I am pretty handy around the house, but I leave HVAC repair to the technicians. I have watched the YouTube videos on this, but I still let a technician replace the capacitor. But, I don't think it is worth paying a company for 6 month or even annual maintenance of the HVAC system. If it is not broken, don't fix it. You do need to maintain the condensate drain and replace the filter. These are easy and important DIY projects.

These are my thoughts as well.

Since the concern is with you accidentally touching something and getting a shock, I would discharge the capacitor before attempting to do anything else.

I agree 100%. These $20 capacitors you get on Amazon are Chinese knock-offs and don't last as long as the "good" american made ones. These cost about $60-$70 and is what the HVAC company installs. Even so, with labor, you shouldn't be paying any more than $125 ish to have it replaced. True, it's a DIY project but not easy enough for just anyone to do.

As someone mentioned, you can read the capacitor and know when it's starting to go bad and although the A/C might still run, it's putting more strain on the compressor which will shorten it's life. So waiting for the A/C to fail due to the capacitor is counter productive.

Capacitor
 

I had M&S come for the semi annual checkup. I was told I probably should get a new system. In the end, I was charged $264.00 after a $40.00 discount.

For those who believe that a yearly HVAC check-up and service is not needed are foolish. Why? Because the tech can find components such as the capacitor going out of spec which will put more strain on the compressor and shorten the life of your system. Also, cleanig the coils, inside and out, will make the system run more efficiently saving you money over time. They also measure the current the inside and outside fan motors are drawing, and test to make sure your Auxillary heat coils, which most have, are working properly. Also testing the coolant will let you know if you have a leak. Typically, you A/C should never need coolant unless there is a leak somewhere. Again, running your A/C with low coolant eventhough it's still cooling in your opinion will shorten the life of your system. There is no way to know unless you test the various items. Your HVAC system is not an item you should forget and don't do any maintenance untill it fails. In the long run you will be spending more money.

All this said, you need to find a company such as Sunshine, Munns, and other larger companies that don't need to resort to these scams to stay in business. And if you are one of those who are able to change the capacitor yourself, all you need to do is when the tech says it needs replacement, tell them you will do it next time around and do it yourself after he or she leaves. Just remember get the US brand capacitor such as this brand from Amazon which is what your HVAC company uses and not the cheap Chinese knock-offs. Make sure you check the rating you need for your machine. The cheap Chinese capacitors are less reliable and wear out faster especially in our hot Florida weather so in the long run it's not worth the savings. You get what you pay for.

Amazon.com

Capacitor
 

That charge was just for the capacitor.

One thing that has not been mentioned is that most new HVAC systems come with a 5-year labor and 10-year parts warranty. And yet, the company who installs it wants to immediately sell you a 6-month or annual maintenance program. Even if I did want them to check the system periodically, which I don't, I certainly wouldn't pay for it until the warranty expired. And, not having a maintenance program does not affect the warranty.

While I don't necessarily disagree, a plugged drain line will not be covered by the warranty and if a capacitor fails in the middle of summer the 10-year warranty is going to be little consolation while you sit and stew waiting for the repairman to arrive.

I'm on the fence about the checkups. I had them for a while, then I didn't, now I'm thinking about it again. For me it's a relatively small price to pay for some peace of mind.

Good advise.

One more advantage of some service contracts you you get priority service, important on an especially hot day and demand for service is high.

I feel our HVAC systems are the most important appliance in ANY Florida home.
And when replacing your unit, service, or parts, don't go "cheap" on yourself, use the top-notch like Munn's, Sun Kool etc. etc.

My Advice, and your welcome. :icon_wink:

I have never seen a maintenance agreement that guaranteed any priority service in writing. It is just a verbal promise. If you rely on one company to provide priority service, you may be disappointed when you need them to show up and they can't.

A few years ago, my AC stopped working on a Saturday morning in July. I called Munn's, and the problem was repaired within 4 hours. No maintenance agreement.

I'm surprised the tech was surprised the year later when he saw the capacitor was good after seeing it was goinig bad the year before because they see immediately the capacitor is now one of the cheap Chinese knock-offs vs the American made ones they all put in unless it's a small HVAC company looking to save money.

Well, I imagine it's because an aluminum can with three connections on top looks exactly like another aluminum can with three connections on top.

I wonder if there is any data on how much longer the American made capacitors last compared with the "cheap Chinese knock-offs." Are you paying more for longer life or are you just paying more?

The high-quality, American-made capacitor that I removed worked well for about ten years. If the cheap Chinese knock-off that I installed only work for five years and I need to replace it again I will still have saved about 1/3 the price of the expensive product.

BTW: I wonder how many are going to go out and purchase the item you linked in the post above only to find out it is not the right part for their system.

I find it amusing that Sun Kool lists a 21-point tuneup on their website. It says nothing about the capacitor, but they will wash and "wax" the outside unit.

Call it a story if you want, but it is standard fare. I did not ask what the Check Up fee was because I knew it was not $19.95. For the record , it was $130.

The villages and they want to make money