Beware Mid-Florida Heating & Air trying to sell Surge Protectors
 

We had Mid-Florida Heating & Air come do our Furnace Cleaning and they came recommended. I don't doubt they did a good job, but at the end the guy said our outside Central Air Surge protector was "fried" and they could sell me one for over $219.00. He showed the surge protector to me in the original box.
Since I sell online, I asked if i could look the same exact one up, and sure enough, found the same one selling for $60.00. I told him what I had found, explained I felt that was a very big markup, and passed.
I will be purchasing my own and finding a local trusted electrician to install.
Anyone have a good electrician to recommend?

Doesn't SECO, our electric company, sell whole house surge protectors? We do not have one yet but you may want to call SECO.

If the surge protector was "fried" I doubt that the AC unit would be operational.

Be sure to check with Seniors vs Crime on hiring an electrician. They are open in Sumter County on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10-2. They will not recommend any specific electrician but will tell you if there are unresolved complaints about a company or person.

They also would be interested to hear about the experience you had with this company. Some of those "inspections or cleanings" are just a way to get into your system and tell you that you need more extensive work - when your system is fine.

I think a permit is mandatory for electrical work but Seniors vs Crime can tell you for sure.

We Had Pike install a whole house protector at the panel. I believe SECO provides a collar protector at the meter. I suspect someone knows the difference but we went with Pike since we are relatively new here and they did the original wiring during construction.

Lenhart's is very good and ethical.

Home Depot sells plug in whole house surge protectors--if you have the expertise to change a circuit breaker you can instal one of these-its a no brainer

Thanks I will check with SECO.