according to contractormag.com
Munn's Sales & Service in Fruitland Park Florida is a "mechanical contractor"

They ( Munn's Sales & Service ) reported $ 140 MILLION of revenue in 2013
$ 70 Million in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning and
$ 70 Million in Plumbing.

Perhaps they are doing some things right, to please the customer,
in order to generate that amount of revenue.

Trane or Carrier makes no difference. How it's installed makes all the difference. Was it evacuated long enough? Does it have the correct charge ? Is the line set the correct size ? Is the blower running at the correct speed ? Is the tonnage correct for the space ? Has the transformer been tapped for the correct voltage ?
The correct installation determines the life of the unit. Shortcuts are made because of time constraints or lack of knowledge or apathy. IMPO

My comment was not about parts for a 17 year old AC unit. Read my post carefully, my present unit less than 10,years old. Surely you understand AC units are not like automobiles which have model changes every year. AC units of today are virtually the same as they were 40 years ago. A compressor is a compressor is a compressor and is only different in sizes. The only AC parts not usually in stock are compressors and the reason is the cost of over $2000 each.

I have been told dozens of times that AC units in Florida only last an average of 10 years. I believe this is accurate as I watch most of my neighbors having their AC units replaced at about this lapse of time. You do present some valid points BUT, there are differences. One of the main components that fail are the cooling coils. Several years ago cooling coils were all made of copper. In today's units the coils are now made of aluminum and much thinner than the copper coils.

What is your basis for stating Munn's techs not being knowledgeable with older AC's? As I recall, Munns was the primary AC contractor in the Villages from the onset.

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE "THE REST OF THE STORY" WITH YOU. As soon as the problem was found to be the compressor, Ted, from Munns went on a search to find a replacement compressor. Within a few hours, a replacement was found in Ocala. A Munns employee was dispatched to get the new compressor. Munns did not stop there, at 8PM a tech came to my home to install the new compressor. At 10:30PM I had air conditioning again. I cannot praise the Munns company enough for going the extra mile. And the final good news, my extended was still in effect until September 16th. My cost was ZERO !!!!!!!!

Warren, was the purpose of this thread for you to vent? That's fine if that was the case but several posters have offered good advice. I would be very grateful for their input.

The cooling coil you are referring to is the evaporator or in the instance of a heat pump it is called an inside coil. The gauge of the coil does not determine its longevity. If the line set has been evacuated properly there will be no acid present in the system thereby negating the porosity of the evaporator. Up selling is the reason for systems bring replaced within 10 years. The typical Florida technician is trained to upsell rather then repair the problem. He receives a commission for his efforts. I am a commercial HVAC professional that knows full well how these guys operate and frankly I find it disturbing and IMHO borderline criminal .

Your comment about compressors is not exactly true. There are piston and scroll compressors, although most are scroll today. There are one-speed and two-speed piston and scroll compressors. There are a couple of different manufacturers, although I believe Copeland is the largest in the residential market. The last time I had a compressor replaced it took 1 day to get the part from a regional distribution center and it was a 2-speed Bristol, not exactly a common compressor.

You must have missed my reply thanking a poster for their good information. Unfortunately sometimes people seem to get a different message than I intended.

Once again the message was missed. I understand your comments BUT a person must remember Munn's was not installing hundreds of different kinds of units. I would offer a safe guess that there are probably 10,000, maybe 20,000 units just like mine here in the Villages. Same model, same brand same size, same compressor..

My only comment here is that I know for a fact that several of my close neighbors when having AC problems, it was found the air handler coils had cracked. Probable due to vibrations in the motor. I am now on my second unit, and fourth compressor. Two on each unit. Is it your opinion that the coils found on today's units are as good in quality as the old copper coils of say 40 years ago???

I would say that nothing mechanical is the same quality as it was 40 years ago. I know of units that are from the late 60's still running the original compressor and blower motor. The machine panels weigh a ton and the electromechanical parts are indestructible as well.

Let me add this. There are many reasons why a compressor can fail and there are many problems a compressor can have that a tech would condemn it for replacement. For him to say that your compressor needs replacement, ask him why. What exactly is wrong with it ?

AC out again
 

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