Help! Major freon leak

[missusliz]

Hi, I started up my unit for first time this year and it was running for about 20 min then made this loud noise like a 'powering down'. Then, we were given the freon show as it sprayed out of the top of the unit for about five minutes! It is a three year old Lincoln 2 ton SEER 10 High Efficiency C/A unit and I'm at a loss. I have a manu warranty but how much is that worth?? Thanks in advance, really...

Liz

[todouble]

better call a contractor in to fix it...more than likely not under warranty unless you bought an extended warranty with it and then it probably only covers parts if your lucky. be prepared to fork out some money its not just gonna be a simple service call....

[subcooled_]

It's not always possible to fix a leak in a coil. Call a contractor to repair, preferably the installing contractor.

[missusliz]

I called Sears who installed it, and they can't get out until Thurs. Yep, its only a parts warranty from the manu, any idea at how much I'm looking at? I know its $90 just to look at the darn thing...ugh.....I had a burst pipe in my ceiling and I'm just getting the house together from that disaster, when it rains it pours, eh? (pardon the pun...) Also, what could be the cause here? Why doesn't anything last like it used to? My parents got a Hoover when they were married and I was still using it when I was 17 years old...those were the days.

Liz

[OregonYeti]

Ohhh that suqs. Not gonna be cheap to fix if the warranty is expired. Get the installer to cover everything possible--don't give in too easily. They should last 15 years or so with few major problems.

Sears hmm, they subcontract most of their installations. Be polite but insist on good service.

[mr horsepower]

mam. with all due respect, how in the world would we know what its going to cost you to fix something we haven't looked at? did Sears know? (loaded question there, i know they didn't) furthermore, your join date shows you have just joined this site. did you not see the part about no pricing questions or did you think they were just kidding? sorry but we truly can't answer your question. and even if we knew enough to answer your question, we couldn't answer your question. hope it goes well for you though. :)

[the dangling wrangler]

Read the rules NO PRICING in this forum.

[vet]

Seen and heard this many times once while standing over one, I think your compressor is shot. Terminals In your compressor gave up and it will be alittle costly since the lines are sure to be contaminated, probably thru your breaker quickly too? You will want a new compressor, lines flushed,new driers,and vaccumed,also you will need them to return afterwards to replace your driers again to insure a clean system. Told my boss tha,t once and he ignored it since it was his friends, well two weeks later I was back to change them and re-clean the system.

[OregonYeti]

Compressor shot? Not likely. Unless they kept running it after the blast. You were kidding, right?

[subcooled_]

Seen and heard this many times once while standing over one, I think your compressor is shot. Terminals In your compressor gave up and it will be Little costly since the lines are sure to be contaminated, probably thru your breaker quickly too? You will want a new compressor, lines flushed,new driers,and vaccumed,also you will need them to return afterwards to replace your driers again to insure a clean system. Told my boss tha,t once and he ignored it since it was his friends, well two weeks later I was back to change them and re-clean the system.

Wow! That maybe the luckiest over the internet diagnosis ever! Or you could be completely wrong.:D

[Mr Bill]

If it took 5 minutes to blow the whole charge it was probably overcharged and that probably caused whatever that did blow to blow, even the red rag recovery machine is faster than that. :eek:

[ga-hvac-tech]

Mam, I do not know how forceful you can be, but if it were me I would push Sears for a new unit, at their expense. A unit 'blowing up' after only 3 years is not normal.

It is my opinion that something was probably not done correctly during the installation. But proving that will be tricky.

Best of luck to you mam, you probably will need it.

[mr horsepower]

Wow! That maybe the luckiest over the internet diagnosis ever! Or you could be completely wrong.:D

lol. i need a receptionist that has that ability. with gas prices the way they are, it'd help to always know what parts to take before even seeing the job. :D

[OregonYeti]

Probably the line set and the electric panel are shot too :D

[missusliz]

Hi, I guess I wasn't really looking for a price as much as an explanation as to why a 3 year old unit is acting like this. It was not cheap and I live in Michigan's depressed economy, ha. I was hoping it may be an easy fix. I know you can't see it, just looking for a few hypotheses, which I did receive and appreciate. To those of you who chose to offer me advice and not silly forum rule 'scoldings', THANK YOU! I will take your good wishes to heart on Thursday, (grin).

[badbillr]

I think what Vet might be trying to convey is a possible reason for the spewing freon coupled with some hope. what if the compressor blew a terminal out of the ceramic insulator, the compressor would be useless, but it still should be under the 5 year compressor warranty. labor would be extra, of course. at least they wouldn't have to purchase a compressor, that alone is a big plus. if two copper lines rubbed together and created the leak, that might be under warranty as well, under the part where it says, free from manufacturer defects. lines rubbing together or otherwise bursting from no explainable reason I would seriously consider that a manufacturer defect.

one good thing about doing business with sears, they stand behind their warranties. I believe their slogan at one time used to be" Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed" best of luck. if this is gonna cost mega bucks to fix from sears, get at least 2 other quotes before repairing. prices vary greatly between companies for the same repairs. if you end up paying too much because you were not able to get other quotes, that is simply your fault!

[vet]

Thats all Im saying guys is that (I) think this could be a very good possibility like your coil diagnos, sorry if I jumped the gun but Im sure she thought it seemed like 5 min, to me it seemed longer when I watched them blow. hopefully Im wrong but the cost will be high either way, and all we are give\ing is our opinions any way.

[Shophound]

Compressor terminals is not a bad guess, due to "powering down" sound followed by sudden eruption of refrigerant disclosed by the OP. That's what crossed my mind when I read it.

If the breaker simultaneously tripped, and if the OP had disclosed a wicked acrid smell that still lingers around her unit, it would almost be a foregone conclusion.

[missusliz]

Lingering "wicked, acrid smell around the unit", yep, that's what I have. I called Sears corporate and found someone who agreed with me, that three years is too new for something of this nature to happen. Sounds like they may be helping me out. They also filled out an accident file on it even though no one got hurt. I will let you know what the tech says tomorrow...thanks everyone!

[tinknocker service tech]

i also had the first thought of compressor terminals blowing out
hope sears steps up for you this shouldnt happen in three years

[the dangling wrangler]

I think most of us feel it's the compressor terminals,from your explanation.Don't think too highly of Sears just yet. Get back to us after they talk to you. Good Luck

[d_griff]

first thing i thought when reading this,compressor terminal blew out,i agree, which i hope is the case because they should cover most of the repair if so.
just had one on a herman nelson classroom ventilator(mquay),copleland scroll, the damn thing is less then 2 years old,blew out while the kids were in class,you could smell the burnt oil in the hallway,some if the kids were so frightned they let them go home:eek:

[missusliz]

OK my dear HVAC friends...the technician came out today and gave me a prognosis. The fan motor went bad, sprayed oil all over the unit...b/c of this, the compressor went and sprayed freon all over the place...thus...the whole unit needs to be replaced at the pretty sum of $643. That's the labor cost, parts are covered. However, I am going after Sears on this as a malfunctioning fan motor was the cause, and who is responsible for that? Not me. I want some accountability. Wish me luck!

[ga-hvac-tech]

Go get 'em Sister! Glad it turned out as well as is has so far... $600+ is a lot better than a few thousand.

[the dangling wrangler]

OK my dear HVAC friends...the technician came out today and gave me a prognosis. The fan motor went bad, sprayed oil all over the unit...b/c of this, the compressor went and sprayed freon all over the place...thus...the whole unit needs to be replaced at the pretty sum of $643. That's the labor cost, parts are covered. However, I am going after Sears on this as a malfunctioning fan motor was the cause, and who is responsible for that? Not me. I want some accountability. Wish me luck!
I don't like raining on parades but, Sears has MUCH deeper pockets than you. Time was when Sears was one of THE best places to spend your money. But that's not true today. Good Luck ,& get back to us with your results.(Don't expect too much) I'm not 100% with his diagnosis either.

[missusliz]

The tech told me they are replacing the unit with a SEER 13, I had a 10...that's at no cost to me as I believe they don't sell my unit anymore or something like that...it was a Lincoln. Says it will cool house better and will be a bit better on my electric bill. I suppose that is a bright spot in all of this, eh?

Also, last year the fan wouldn't go, so I went out and turned the fan blades manually a few times to loosen it up and it ran after that for the season. I totally forgot about this until he mentioned the fan motor today. So it was going bad last year as well. I wish I would have remembered that before I turned it on for the first time this year, ugh.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Hmmm, There is a fly in the ointment here...

When a higher SEER condenser (outside unit) is installed, the coil (part above the furnace) has to be either changed also or modified (add a TXV valve).

I suspect you will get one of those 'bait and switch' approaches when the tech gets out there. They may tell you that you need the coil changed also, and it is this much extra (the coil change is technically correct BTW). They may also try to sell you a whole new system.

I would get the guys/gals here to explain the details to you about 10 and 13 SEER in detail, as well as the pros/cons of older and newer equipment. This way, you will be ready for them if they throw this 'curve' at you.

[the dangling wrangler]

If they are putting a 13 seer in then you REALLY NEED an up-graded evap. coil to get a true 13 . Wanna bet who would get to pay for that? Hoping you have a bunch of fight in you . You're going to need it. Again, Good Luck in this comedy of errors.

[HPLearner]

Hmmm, There is a fly in the ointment here...

When a higher SEER condenser (outside unit) is installed, the coil (part above the furnace) has to be either changed also or modified (add a TXV valve).

I suspect you will get one of those 'bait and switch' approaches when the tech gets out there. They may tell you that you need the coil changed also, and it is this much extra (the coil change is technically correct BTW). They may also try to sell you a whole new system.

I would get the guys/gals here to explain the details to you about 10 and 13 SEER in detail, as well as the pros/cons of older and newer equipment. This way, you will be ready for them if they throw this 'curve' at you.

I think you are probably right about the on-the-spot upsell.

Independent contractors do the work for Sears, and are free to negotiate with the HO. During a recent hot water heater install, seems an additional $XXX was required for the install, over and above (more than 50%) the cost of the water heater. They have you at a disadvantage; what are you going to do, say "No, thanks, I don't need hot water/AC that bad anyway."

Stand your ground if it's truly a not your fault failure. You might want to have a qualified third party give an opinion as to the cause as well.

[the dangling wrangler]

Try to have that third party there the same time as the Sears sub-contractor. That should be fun. Please tell the third party involved what's going on first. The show alone will be worth the service call.

[mark beiser]

Wow! That maybe the luckiest over the internet diagnosis ever! Or you could be completely wrong.:D

Well, from the description of there being a sound like it "powering down", then refrigerant blowing out of the top of the unit for 5 minutes, my very first thought was compressor burnout with blown terminal plug...

It being installed by a Sear subcontractor only adds to the likelyhood of that being the case. :rolleyes:

I make it a personal policy to never buy anything from Sears I can't haul home and install/assemble myself. ;)

[missusliz]

Sears won't talk to me about possible compensation until the technicians's report is submitted. However, I did email Emerson Motor (the manufacturer of the malfunctioned fan motor) with the problem...however, I am not hopeful. I also called Sears about my concerns about replacing the coil above the furnace and how that was not mentioned or recorded in the estimate. They can't discuss that either until the tech puts in his report. We shall see...

As to standing my ground, doesn't look like there is much to stand on. The warranty for parts is being utilized, the $643.50 is pure labor. The warranty expressly states that it covers malfunctions and will replace part but not cover labor. Sounds like its all on me. If anything, I want to give Emerson a small migraine over their bad part that will cost me alot of money. Part of the labor is for $210 (tech helper). I want that job. To be paid $210 to drive out and help the guy lift a unit that will be placed right next to the existing unit? That's too hefty a price and I'm not cheap!

[lra]

This all being conjecture @ this point, I too thought comp terminals. If the up-sell is necessary, the refrigerant line size should be checked. Very often what was acceptable sizes for 10 seer will not be acceptable for 13 seer.

[the dangling wrangler]

Correct me if I'm wrong. Didn't you say the unit is 3+ years old? It being a 10 seer, I don't think you have more than a 5 year compressor & 1 year warranty on the other parts. What's the beef with Emerson? Not trying to insult you , but you didn't buy the highest price unit, and you didn't get the best warranties either.

[d_griff]

Sears won't talk to me about possible compensation until the technicians's report is submitted. However, I did email Emerson Motor (the manufacturer of the malfunctioned fan motor) with the problem...however, I am not hopeful. I also called Sears about my concerns about replacing the coil above the furnace and how that was not mentioned or recorded in the estimate. They can't discuss that either until the tech puts in his report. We shall see...

As to standing my ground, doesn't look like there is much to stand on. The warranty for parts is being utilized, the $643.50 is pure labor. The warranty expressly states that it coveres malfunctions and will replace part but not cover labor. Sounds like its all on me. If anything, I want to give Emerson a small migraine over their bad part that will cost me alot of money. Part of the labor is for $210 (tech helper). I want that job. To be paid $210 to drive out and help the guy lift a unit that will be placed right next to the existing unit? That's too hefty a price and I'm not cheap!

i dont mean this to sound rude...but you know if you called last year when the fan motor went bad you wouldnt be having this problem..pay now or pay later...good luck and dont tell anyone about you spinning the motor last year

[d_griff]

and BTw i know a few guys who install for sears and do very nice work and know what they are doing

[LHEBERTLJ]

Here Goes The Sarcasm Again!

[mrs reb77]

Have you had yearly maintenance on the unit? That's the first question we would have to ask. Annual maintenance may have found the issue with your motor last year thus preventing the bigger problem this year. Also, the forum rules do state no pricing--you shouldn't post dollar amounts, it is fair to everyone this way.
Sounds like everyone here is wishing you luck with this issue, hope it turns out well for you.

[the dangling wrangler]

Here Goes The Sarcasm Again!

Wrong! Sarcasm & reality are two different animals.
Bet ya if you read the fine print in the owners manual, it
says something like, "For the warranty to be valid, the owner has to have receipts for the yearly maintenance." If you think that's sarcastic, then so be it . But who ever reads (what we call knee pads), those stupid papers?

[missusliz]

Yeah, that yearly maintenance crap cracks me up...they called it a maintenance free unit. Why would I need maintenance?? What an oxymoron. Emerson, the maker of the fan emailed me back. Here it is...

If our motor failed, it would not cause the compressor to fail. We
have
a 1 year warranty with the manufacturer.
The refrigerant (probably R22 not Freon) is a gas and would not go all
over your lawn if I did escape, and this would not normally happen even
if a compressor failed. Be sure you have the right electrical power to
provide to the unit. If you do not, this can cause premature failure
of
the electrical components. The cost effective replacement would be a
new unit from Sears, Wal-Mart, et

"We have a one year warranty with the manufacutrer." It says Emerson on my fan, they aren't the manufacturer?? Not feeling too good about this, ha ha.

[the dangling wrangler]

Yeah, that yearly maintenance crap cracks me up...they called it a maintenance free unit. Why would I need maintenance?? What an oxymoron. Emerson, the maker of the fan emailed me back. Here it is...

If our motor failed, it would not cause the compressor to fail. We
have
a 1 year warranty with the manufacturer.
The refrigerant (probably R22 not Freon) is a gas and would not go all
over your lawn if I did escape, and this would not normally happen even
if a compressor failed. Be sure you have the right electrical power to
provide to the unit. If you do not, this can cause premature failure
of
the electrical components. The cost effective replacement would be a
new unit from Sears, Wal-Mart, et

"We have a one year warranty with the manufacutrer." It says Emerson on my fan, they aren't the manufacturer?? Not feeling too good about this, ha ha.
Plain & simple, this is NOT Emerson's cross to bear. Their motor has lasted well over the one year warranty. Direct your anger at Sears (most likely the salesman). Again,it's
really not Emersons fault. Who said this unit was
maintenance free? I'd have to see a copy of your owner's paperwork. Not sure it will say that. READ your paperwork. I've never heard of maintenance free on a unit, quite the contrary. That would generally void a warranty. And again, Good Luck.

[missusliz]

The fan motor is self contained and cannot be oiled. This was the cause of the problem...I don't know how I could have avoided it with annual maintenance. What kind of maintenance would be done on a unit like this on an annual basis?

[the dangling wrangler]

The fan motor is self contained and cannot be oiled. This was the cause of the problem...I don't know how I could have avoided it with annual maintenance. What kind of maintenance would be done on a unit like this on an annual basis?

Hi. This is Mrs. D. The motor outlasted Emerson's warranty by 2 years. There is nothing you could have done yourself to prevent it. Sometimes these things happen, lightning, squirrels, ants...etc. How's this -How many
times has that little motor turned around in the course of being in operation for 3 years at 1075 revolutions per minute? You do the math. It's alot. And then again, it could have just been the capacitor. That's why you need to find a good, honest man, like my husband here, to service your unit on a yearly basis. It's also VERY important to change your filters every month. If you do that, you'd probably never even have to see us. You need to think of the system as a whole, and not just one piece. Dirty filters can and do blow compressors. I've learned that much in my apprenticeship. Really important. And, easy to do. Preventative maintenance does cost money, but over the long haul you save more money.

[missusliz]

Mrs. D, thanks for the quick reply! What filter?? Where would that be located? They told me when they sold me the unit (and the tech told me this today) that there is nothing I have to do to the unit, ever. Please tell me about the filter, I'm interested! I don't see any kind of filter on the unit. Thanks in advance, Liz

[subcooled_]

Mrs. D, thanks for the quick reply! What filter?? Where would that be located? They told me when they sold me the unit (and the tech told me this today) that there is nothing I have to do to the unit, ever. Please tell me about the filter, I'm interested! I don't see any kind of filter on the unit. Thanks in advance, Liz:eek:

The filter in/by your furnace. If it's dirty, it can cause a loss of efficiency and can even take out your compressor. A lot of people think because it's by the furnace it's only used for heating. Truth is it's more critical for A/C than for heating.

[the dangling wrangler]

Mrs. D, thanks for the quick reply! What filter?? Where would that be located? They told me when they sold me the unit (and the tech told me this today) that there is nothing I have to do to the unit, ever. Please tell me about the filter, I'm interested! I don't see any kind of filter on the unit. Thanks in advance, Liz

Hi, Liz. The filter(s) I'm referring to are the return air filters in the wall or ceiling and maybe one at the furnace or air handler in your attic or closet. The salesman was trying to make a sale and didn't know or care, and the installer probably took it for granted that you already knew.
Very unfortunate for you.

[tinknocker service tech]

I wish you luck on all of this

have you ever heard the saying
a cluster f===

this is what is going on here

first. I agree with Emerson about the motor. I see motor fail all the time and not cause this

the compressor will build pressure and in most cases go off on over load or internal bypass

there isn't enough oil in that motor to sprue all over the bottom of the unit or compressor to shout out anything either

sounds like one of two scenarios here
the compressor terminals stake on were loose and overheated burning out the terminals blowing a hole. Not likely but does happen

the guy that installed it didn't follow proper procedures and there were contanents in the system eating away at the windings till they shorted causeing the terminals to blow out. This is the more likely probability
the fact the motor stopped probably added to the out come but this was building since it was installed bad motor or not

now they are installing a 13 seer unit on a ten seer coil with absolutely no regard to the out come that you will have to deal with in the end

you have a problem with sears for sure and i sugest you follow up on it before you are out a lot more money

[missusliz]

OK, I'm a nut job about changing my furnace filter, so that's definitely out. When I lifted the top of the unit today to get the model number off the fan, their were thick clumps dripping out of the fan motor. There is definitely a film of oil all over the unit, saw that myself. After reading what you guys wrote, I had him check to see if it had tripped, he put the sensors on the two fuses, and they had not tripped. That's just FYI. I don't know if that helps in any prognosis. If there was any chance that this was an installation problem, the whole thing would be covered by Sears, but not sure how I would prove that. Thanks for all of your input!

[the dangling wrangler]

OK, I'm a nut job about changing my furnace filter, so that's definitely out. When I lifted the top of the unit today to get the model number off the fan, their were thick clumps dripping out of the fan motor. There is definitely a film of oil all over the unit, saw that myself. After reading what you guys wrote, I had him check to see if it had tripped, he put the sensors on the two fuses, and they had not tripped. That's just FYI. I don't know if that helps in any prognosis. If there was any chance that this was an installation problem, the whole thing would be covered by Sears, but not sure how I would prove that. Thanks for all of your input!

My husband doesn't believe for a minute that it could blow the terminals and not trip a breaker. Not saying it can't happen, just highly unlikely. You'd be miles ahead to hire an independent, honest contractor to give you an honest appraisal of the situation. Please don't go for the $19.95 deal. Ask on this website for someone in you neck of the woods. It will cost a service call, but money well spent.
It's a good possibility they can locate a warranty compressor for you, so you'll just have to pay his labor. Stuff happens. Sorry for your trouble with Sears, but I have a gut feeling you haven't seen it all yet.

[missusliz]

Yeah, I hear that. But Sears charges you $90 just to come out, so I'm already invested here. I am a teacher making $23k a year and absolutely cannot afford to pay for two tech visits. I'm afraid I'm in with Sears now for the long haul.

[OregonYeti]

Man, you are married to Sears and can't get divorced. That's too bad.

[hvaclogic]

I thought Sears was selling Carrier now.

[the dangling wrangler]

Yeah, I hear that. But Sears charges you $90 just to come out, so I'm already invested here. I am a teacher making $23k a year and absolutely cannot afford to pay for two tech visits. I'm afraid I'm in with Sears now for the long haul.

Hi, Liz. Mrs. D, again. You need to work your butt off on this one. You GET your $90.00 back. As far as I'm concerned, they mislead you into thinking that you didn't need yearly maintenance. That should be taken off of the repair charges, if you grant them the job. You are not tied to Sears, per se. It's out of the 1st year covered warranty so in reality any licensed contractor can take over. Haven't they screwed you enough? You should be screaming rape down at their main office, for what little good it will do. They should try to work with you, but I'd be surprised if they did. It's not your father's Sears, anymore (sadly).
If they won't work with you...

[acmech13]

It cracked me up when i started reading this 10 seer high efficency 3 year old system. You must have sucker written on your head. 10 Seer was lowest on the market for efficency 3 years ago. Im not even sure if they were on the market 3 years ago. Wish i heard of this lincoln brand of central ac units. You get what you pay for. Being cheap will cost you so much more in the long run. How can you he most expensive appliance you own is maintenance free. Do you believe your car is maintenance free. Quick question but how caked up is your condensor coil? Stop going with sears and as around find who takes care of your friends or coworkers hvac equipment. All that oil your finding is from your compressor. I had to sell someone a brand new system today. They believed there system was under warranty. noone serviced the system from the day it went in. warranty void. Yet im not selling them no condensr. there getting hit hard new condensor and air handler. 410 system. they thought the pm's we do were a waste of money now they wishing they kept up with it.

[subcooled_]

"Im not even sure if they were on the market 3 years ago" acmech13

Ten SEER was the bottom of the barrel up until January 23 2006. At that point the only way to get one was if it was still in the pipe line as they can no longer be manufactured.

[acmech13]

i guess back 4 years ago when i was still doing installs on new construction all i was seeing where 13 and 14 seers. i had a friend who use to love installing those builder models but i worked in those oversized homes. So everything was top of the line infinities. zoned out to the balls. Using sensors in the rooms.

[tinknocker service tech]

10 13 or what ever seer that unit if it were installed properly should have lasted 15 years mim

the oil as has been stated is from the compressor. As the refrigerant was beeing blown out so was all the oil in the compressor. This is where the guy from sears has lied to you again by saying the oil was from the motor

I can understand your situation but at the same time you are putting out a lot of money for the work and you arent getting any truthfull answers for what happened

the compressor should have a five years warrenti

Imo as i have siad this is all signs of poor instalation and a guy covering it up

compressors dont die the are killed. been said here many times

[the dangling wrangler]

It cracked me up when i started reading this 10 seer high efficency 3 year old system. You must have sucker written on your head. 10 Seer was lowest on the market for efficency 3 years ago. Im not even sure if they were on the market 3 years ago. Wish i heard of this lincoln brand of central ac units. You get what you pay for. Being cheap will cost you so much more in the long run. How can you he most expensive appliance you own is maintenance free. Do you believe your car is maintenance free. Quick question but how caked up is your condensor coil? Stop going with sears and as around find who takes care of your friends or coworkers hvac equipment. All that oil your finding is from your compressor. I had to sell someone a brand new system today. They believed there system was under warranty. noone serviced the system from the day it went in. warranty void. Yet im not selling them no condensr. there getting hit hard new condensor and air handler. 410 system. they thought the pm's we do were a waste of money now they wishing they kept up with it.

Mrs. D again. Please reread her post. She's a teacher that is pulling in a whopping $23K, most likely went with Sears because of the long term, high interest financing. Plus, Sears used to be a name you could trust. Not everyone can afford high dollar equipment. Lighten up, and quit insulting people. Now, what can we do to help her. Where are you, Liz?

[tinknocker service tech]

It cracked me up when i started reading this 10 seer high efficency 3 year old system. You must have sucker written on your head. 10 Seer was lowest on the market for efficency 3 years ago. Im not even sure if they were on the market 3 years ago. Wish i heard of this lincoln brand of central ac units. You get what you pay for. Being cheap will cost you so much more in the long run. How can you he most expensive appliance you own is maintenance free. Do you believe your car is maintenance free. Quick question but how caked up is your condensor coil? Stop going with sears and as around find who takes care of your friends or coworkers hvac equipment. All that oil your finding is from your compressor. I had to sell someone a brand new system today. They believed there system was under warranty. noone serviced the system from the day it went in. warranty void. Yet im not selling them no condensr. there getting hit hard new condensor and air handler. 410 system. they thought the pm's we do were a waste of money now they wishing they kept up with it.

man the last thing this person came here for was to get jumped on
this isnt her fault. As much as some would like to thing lack of service could have caused this it didnt
the least we can do is try to offer some constructive advise to get her through all the bull that is being handed to her by a sears service jerk

[Atticmonkey777]

I was a sears HVAC contractor for 3 years....and since pricing is a no-no here...lets just say they charge nearly 3 times the normal HVAC contractor costs for a system install. They can afford to warranty and or replace your unit a couple of times if need be. Just be pushy in the politest way you can. Always ask to speak to a "higher-up" if you dont get what you want. Eventually that "higher-up" is gunna say to someone..."why am i dealing with this?...just make the guy happy." and again....dont buy from sears....their mark-up is rediculous.

[Mr Bill]

.
the oil as has been stated is from the compressor. As the refrigerant was beeing blown out so was all the oil in the compressor. This is where the guy from sears has lied to you again by saying the oil was from the motor.

I totally agree with that!! that amount of oil was not from the motor and the motor mfg. is not at fault were is the LP and HP cutouts in case of motor failure? seems like the condenser mfg. should be concerned about that not the motor mfg. problem. :rolleyes:

[the dangling wrangler]

Hey, Liz. Mrs. D again. My husband said he'll come look at it for nothing, if you're in the Houston area. Our contact information is in our profile.

[OregonYeti]

Very cool!!

[tinknocker service tech]

if in jersey so will i

[joeywrists]

if you where in the new york metro area id take a look but i kinda doubt you are since teachers here make like 50k or more starting

[missusliz]

Hi Folks,
Unit has been dropped off and scheduled for install on June 1st. However, you guys have turned a light on in my head. If this is a wrong diagnosis, and it truly is an installation issue, then Sears is liable for the repair. It can't be the fan motor, as well all know now, so what is the problem? I am putting that in Sears' lap. I want them to get to the bottom of it. They keep saying there is no way to tell, ha ha. I told them that the clause is in the warranty, I want a WAY to tell. Can't get hold of tech, still trying. I want another diagnosis. Thanks friends. Oh, and thanks for all the offers for 'look-see's'. Unfortunately, I'm in Michigan. Nice thoughts--appreciated.

[the dangling wrangler]

No problem Liz . I happen to be a pilot. All I'll charge you is for avgas,about $5.50 a gallon. I'm guessing about $12-1500. When should I file my flight plan?

[kedalion]

Wish i heard of this lincoln brand of central ac units.


Lincoln is actually manufactured by InnerCityProducts (Owned by Carrier) and they are mainly marketed in Canada.
When I worked at Pameco, we sold Heil units to Sears, but put a Kenmore tag on them when they came to pick them up. Sears will go CHEAP.
Missusliz, pester the crap out of them. Keep asking to speak to someone up the ladder and they will eventually do what's right. Good luck

[chucko615]

Missusliz when you said the tech told you the fan took out the compressor. I thought he was feeding you a line of bull. I've seen fans go bad and the compressor keep chugging along, until it over-heated. Then it would shut down on internal overload and restart after it cooled down.

[missusliz]

Well, if the fan shut down, what caused the compressor to go? Can't go higher up at Sears, once you hit what they call 'executive customer service' which is just another $5.00/hr paid talking head, they tell you over and over you can't go higher. I also had to email Sears Canada and have them forward my correspondence regarding this issue as Sears USA has no contact information available. I even called the corporate office in Chicago, didn't get anywhere. The 'higher ups' sure have themselves insulated well from customer problems. Its never ending. My only hope now is to get a hold of the technician and have them explain to me IN DETAIL what really happened to my unit and to tell me if possibly the problem is due to installation problem. Sheesh. I never got a headache from a problem before, this is a first.

Just for kicks and giggles, I have a Sears lawnmower (my fourth in two years) that won't start this season. Had to hire a lawn service again. Every year, I perform the required maintenance, drain the oil, drain the gas, etc. and every year, it won't start. And every year I take it into Sears for repair/replacement/ or out of my pocket upgrade. This is nuts. Sears quality? My rear end.... Lawn mower is out of warranty, so my problem now.

[Mr Bill]

. Sears quality? My rear end.... Lawn mower is out of warranty, so my problem now.

Kmart bought Sears, Roebuck & Co. for $11 billion now it basically the bigger K. :D

[beenthere]

Not to burst your bubble, but if you had anual maintainence done, they might have found that bad fan motor last year, and you wouldn't be in this situation.
You discovered it last year, but did nothing about it. (Customer neglect/abuse)

And yes, the fan motor could have caused the compressor to over heat often enough to rupture the electrical head.
No telling how long it ws running too slow, or over heating and shutting down on thermal overload. And then your compressor blowing the internal high pressure relief valve.


What ever you do, don't tell sears you knew about the motor not working right last year, and didn't call for service.
Because that will void your warranty.




Emerson warrants the motor for 1 year to the manufacturer of the condenser.

[Shophound]

Just for kicks and giggles, I have a Sears lawnmower (my fourth in two years) that won't start this season. Had to hire a lawn service again. Every year, I perform the required maintenance, drain the oil, drain the gas, etc. and every year, it won't start. And every year I take it into Sears for repair/replacement/ or out of my pocket upgrade. This is nuts. Sears quality? My rear end.... Lawn mower is out of warranty, so my problem now.

You can drain the gas from the tank, but if you don't get it out of the carbueretor float bowl, that gas will go bad, turn to varnish, and make you cuss and snort come spring time and multiple pulls on start rope yield no putt-putt and smell of fresh cut grass.

I have a Sears walk-behind big wheel mower. It started givng me fits. Wife went to Sears and got tune-up kit, consisting of spark plug, oil, air filter, and fuel stabilizer. While she was doing that I disassembled carb and gave it a good cleaning. She got back, gave me the goods, I changed the oil and put all the new goodies in...now I get lots of sustained putt-putts after I pull the starter rope, and my brother-in-law gets to cut the grass. :D

[tinknocker service tech]

at this point sorry to say it will only be spectulation on what caused the compressor to blow

i say and believe it was contanaments in the system eating at the windings

if this were an older compressor i can see a fan motor taking it out but this unit has about 9 months use as a whole if that

to prove it was install related will be tough since any evidence is now gone

stick to your guns on this and since this is an intercity product or carrier i would recomend you file a complaint to them and see if it goes any where

sometimes the manufactor has a lot of pull

[acmech13]

The guys sears is gonna sell out are installers. They may not be able to answer you on what went wrong. Most of the time companies like sears will send out a install crew. They will do most the work and then a tech will show to start the system when they are done. Good luck with your new system. Its time you start paying for a pm every spring. Your lucky there not asking for recites of pm's performed every year. Where i work your warrenty would be void.

[missusliz]

Trust me, I hear ya on the PM's. To tell you the honest truth, I had no idea that it required PM's. Until I picked up the warranty and saw that clause, I had never heard it mentioned by anyone. It was at the bottom in fine print. If I would have known, I certainly would have done it. I wish the sales rep or install crew would have mentioned something...I do believe this may have prevented this mess....Why is all evidence gone on investigating into a possible install problem? The unit is still out there, hooked up. The new unit is sitting next to it still in its carton until June 1st.

On the stinkin' lawn mower, I took it into this great mom and pop shop that reminds me of my grandpa's old garage...I love that place. They will take care of me...Can't wait to hear my lawn mower go 'putt-putt', ha.

[missusliz]

Update--I'm out! I called Sears to find out why there was such a ridiculous labor charge for this install. Let me start by saying I have the patience of a saint. They transferred me 17 times...yes 17 times. Once to a company that had no connection to Sears, another time to Citibank (manages their credit card, I guess...I do not have a Sears CC). I called Sears Holdings in Chicago, I asked the receptionist who I talk to when going through normal channels offered no satisfaction (I was completely polite, curtious), she transferred me to customer service. I called again and asked not to be transferred, told her that route was exhausted, she transferred me to them again, called back a third time, again. Called back a fourth time, she hung up on me (must have caller ID). I am 38 years old and have never experienced anything like this in my lifetime. I am truly in AWE. Shabby quality coupled with this complete lack of service--I called back customer service and told them to cancel the install, I am going with an independent contractor! I feel relieved, very relieved. Now, suggestions on how to find someone honest? For what its worth, I'm filing a complaint with the BBB.

Thanks everyone!

[missusliz]

OK, I talked to some friends, got a good reference on an HVAC guy, he's coming out tomorrow to install it for $500 less than Sears wanted to charge me! I'm not putting the original price on here, as I have picked up you guys don't want pricing on here, and I will honor that. I can't thank you people enough for all of your attention and good advice...you have saved me alot of money! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!:) :)

[beenthere]

OK, I talked to some friends, got a good reference on an HVAC guy, he's coming out tomorrow to install it for $500 less than Sears wanted to charge me! I'm not putting the original price on here, as I have picked up you guys don't want pricing on here, and I will honor that. I can't thank you people enough for all of your attention and good advice...you have saved me alot of money! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!:) :)


before you let him touch it.

You better get the ok from Sears.

They own that new unit, not you.(since they didn't install it yet)

If you have it installed by someone else with out their ok, they can charge you for it.
And possibaly press criminal charges if you don't pay them.

[missusliz]

I know, this has me worried. However, I did talk to Sears, explained that I was indeed in possession of the unit from the Sears service center, that the new contractor would install it, and that I was cancelling the install from the Sears service center. The warranty expressly states that they pay for the parts. They even said, "If you need any further parts, call the Parts Dept." I couldn't have been more clear. What do you think???

[tinknocker service tech]

i agree with been if that unit has not been installed and signed off on then it belong to sears and you can wind up buying it for what ever price they want and your friend and you can have charges filed

find out if this friend can get you a unit and install it and send that thing back to sears

[missusliz]

Ha, getting out of bed with Sears is even difficult, why am I not surprised?

[beenthere]

You talked to someone on the phone.
You got any thing in writting?
If that new unit dies in a month.
You have no warranty from Sears.
Your friends installer won't buy you a new one will he?

Your missing the big picture.
Your walking over a ten dollar bill to pick up a penny.


You blew your stack at Sears, and may have cut your own throat.
Once some one else touches that unit,
They can void the warranty on the rest of the system also.

[tinknocker service tech]

got to be careful who you take to bed :D

[missusliz]

Number one, I never blew my stack at Sears. I kept my cool through the entire, miserable, awful, weary experience. I wouldn't wish that on my enemy. Seriously.

Number two, I don't lose any warranty from Sears, Its covered for another two years of my original warranty, parts only...whether a Sears tech installs it or a 'qualified technician' installs it, according to the warranty.

The only thing I lose? The chance to shell out an additional $500 to Sears for two hours of work.

I called Sears back to get clarification on the unit, they will call me back tomorrow after talking to the service center. I WILL get to the bottom of this before I have the new installer touch it. Thanks.

[tinknocker service tech]

if they dont have a problem with it then by all means go for it
you will more then likely get a better job from a real pro

[beenthere]

good luck

[OregonYeti]

Kmart bought Sears, Roebuck & Co. for $11 billion now it basically the bigger K. :D

It's sKears then.:D

[badbillr]

a few things kinda bother me about this whole situation. I think you are darn lucky that Sears is even helping you out. I am pretty sure you didn't let the cat out the bag about the fan motor quitting last year to Sears, so in essence, you were the contributing factor in the failure of this system. When you stated you took a stick to get the fan motor going, that pretty indicates to me that the fan motor was probably fine and just had a defective run cap. If you would have just called for service then, this probably would not be an issue now. Not to be a jerk, but electrical parts do fail as we have not yet perfected and conquered electricity itself. If we had, we would not have light bulbs that still burn out!!

The way I see it -- and this is only my opinion -- you are getting one over on Sears. You not informing them of this motor failure last year is DISHONEST and less than forthcoming. If you have any conscience about you, you should let Sears complete the job and pay them the labor amount they quoted you. You getting another HVAC person to do it "cheaper" is a slap in the face for Sears. Keep in mind, your new Hvac guy better have his own license and he needs to have an open account with the local Lincoln Distributor if you were to need warranty work in the future. If your HVAC guy can't provide proof of being a licensed contractor, your future warranty may be tossed away! People speak of accountability, look in to a mirror and you will get your answer. I do not advocate this kind of behavior, but if you do make out and all is good, so be it and best wishes.

[missusliz]

My lord, I don't have a dishonest bone in my body. By the way, ha, there was no 'stick' involved in getting the fan to go. Inconsequential, but really, there was no stick involved. When I 'unstuck' the fan last year, I really didn't give it any thought...I was just taking care of a problem myself, a minor DIY job, I guess. See? Consumers are not journeymen, but laymen. We don't go into a little situation like that thinking, "I'm doing something dishonest by unsticking the fan on my A/C unit"...we aren't doing this with warranty on our minds. Just solving the problem. If this was dishonest, trust me, it was not intentional. I simply went out there, moved the fan blade a revolution and the darn thing started. I never gave it a second thought. Ignorance? Maybe. Dishonesty? No.

Getting one over on Sears? When you drop this kind of money on something that has an expected life of 10-15 years, you have every right to expect it not to blow up in three years, or after 9 months usage (as stated by a previous HVAC pro on this thread). I'm not getting one over on anyone, I simply want what I paid for. As for the motor? I had no thought to call them about it...never crossed my mind. I do think everyone does little minor repairs to the items they buy without thinking about warranties.

Oh, and by the by, I did tell Sears about the fan last year.

[chucko615]

Are you sure this guy is a Pro. I can't see anyone coming out, unhooking the old unit, flushing the lineset and coil of junk, welding in the new unit with filter dryers, coming back in a week and taking out the filter dryer for that kind of money. This isn't a 2 hour job as you may think.

[OregonYeti]

My lord, I don't have a dishonest bone in my body. By the way, ha, there was no 'stick' involved in getting the fan to go. Inconsequential, but really, there was no stick involved. When I 'unstuck' the fan last year, I really didn't give it any thought...I was just taking care of a problem myself, a minor DIY job, I guess. See? Consumers are not journeymen, but laymen. We don't go into a little situation like that thinking, "I'm doing something dishonest by unsticking the fan on my A/C unit"...we aren't doing this with warranty on our minds. Just solving the problem. If this was dishonest, trust me, it was not intentional. I simply went out there, moved the fan blade a revolution and the darn thing started. I never gave it a second thought. Ignorance? Maybe. Dishonesty? No.

Getting one over on Sears? When you drop this kind of money on something that has an expected life of 10-15 years, you have every right to expect it not to blow up in three years, or after 9 months usage (as stated by a previous HVAC pro on this thread). I'm not getting one over on anyone, I simply want what I paid for. As for the motor? I had no thought to call them about it...never crossed my mind. I do think everyone does little minor repairs to the items they buy without thinking about warranties.

Oh, and by the by, I did tell Sears about the fan last year.


You have me convinced. I think you deserve better than what sKears (sears with a big K in it) has to offer.

[tinknocker service tech]

wow lets beat up the fact of the fan motor
most of them are sealed baerings and i have seen a lot that after sitting all winter stick. A quick turn and off it goes. A little wd- 40 on the shaft doest hurt either

this person did nothing wrong IMO

this compressor should have lasted for more then 2 seasons. The fact she was told that all the oil all over every thing was from the motor leads me to think someone is streching the truth or hiding something

hope it all works out

got any pistures we have a thing about pics when helping a girl :D

[beenthere]

My lord, I don't have a dishonest bone in my body.


If you didn't tell them that the blower was stuck last year, and you had to unstick it.
You have atleast one dishonest bone in your body.

[the dangling wrangler]

If you didn't tell them that the blower was stuck last year, and you had to unstick it.
You have atleast one dishonest bone in your body.

And you're telling me the salesman was completely forthcoming and honest when he told her "No maintenance needed".

[missusliz]

Wow, the Sears service center called today to inquire into the appt cancellation. I told them my story and they felt bad for me. They said if I fax them the estimate from the independent HVAC guy, they will match his price on the install. Service Center people completely different than the corporate folks, go figure! Now, no warranty worries.

I did file a report with the BBB. Type "sears complaint" into google. You will be amazed at what you will find. Wow. a corporate culture of stating policy to its customer and sheltering corporate personal from complaints. Real problems here. I mourn the loss of another good American company.

[markwolf]

I do not feel you are owed anything you have not been offered.You knew the fan motor was not working right & ran the unit anyway without calling for service.Then you ran the unit into the ground.........chalk it up to a learning experience.
It would have been cheaper to get a new motor by far.

[missusliz]

Oh my lord, enough about the motor! It was running right, all last season!! Enough already, sheesh. The horse is dead, dead, dead.

[markwolf]

no it isn't really.If a motor does not start under its own power a little oil on the shaft or bearing is asking for trouble.If you have to push it to get it started there are problems.replacement is ALLWAYS the best option.

[beenthere]

The motor was running.
It may have been running at 70% of the speed its suppose to be at.
But you don't care, it was running.
It most likely caused this latest damage, But it was running.

[beenthere]

And you're telling me the salesman was completely forthcoming and honest when he told her "No maintenance needed".

Don't recall where she said the salesman said no maintainence needed.
Not saying she didn't post that.
Not saying he didn't say it.
I wasn't there to hear him say that either.

[the dangling wrangler]

Sorry, MissLiz. Don't blame the messenger for the message. You're going to be doing hard time on this one. This is considered a crime against humanity. No need to worry about air conditioning where you're headed. You did absolutely nothing wrong. As a previous poster already stated, most condenser fan motors these days have sealed bearings and no provisions to add oil. I've seen plenty of compressors blow terminals with good fan motors. These are mechanical devices. They break. That's how we stay in business. You might want to rethink a Sears installation, though. And no, I wouldn't be surprised about anything I read about Sears.

[the dangling wrangler]

Yeah, that yearly maintenance crap cracks me up...they called it a maintenance free unit. .

Here ya go.

[tinknocker service tech]

some have stated that the motor was the cause of this misshap
ok this has been beat up realy well and is a dead horse

now will some one explain how this motor caused the terminals to blow out


we all have seen this happen many times and the causes had nothing to do with the condenser fan motor

connectors loosend up and overheating
contanaments is the system eating the windings is a biggy
improper voltage
bad cap
brown outs is also a biggy

fan motor i am not buying it at all

i also see nothing done wrong buy this person in this situation just by sears or thier installer

[beenthere]

Here ya go.


LOL...


Just like a maintainence free battery in your car or van.
You don't need to clean the terminals.

And the battery labels says maintainence free.

[beenthere]

We've all seen terminals blown out.
And can't always find a cause.

A couple ways the fan motor can cause the comp blow out.

Slow fan motor causes high head pressures.
Fan motor running slow will cause the compressor to over heat.
This can loosen the elec connections on the compressor.
Over heating compressor will create acid and eat away at the windings.
Fan motor may have damaged the cap, causing it to make the compressor work even harder then just low air flow over the condenser.


Now how many of them were caused by the same circumstance as this one ?

None of us knows, because most customers won't tell us they had a fan problem last month or last year.

[markwolf]

Lets say the fan motor did not start.The unit was turned on & h.o. went to work etc.All day long this compressor starts with no fan causing it to shut down on internal overload until the compressor cools down & starts again.Making the compressor hot enough to fry eggs on all day.

even a first year apprentice should be able to make the connection between a failed fan motor/plugged condenser & a failed compressor.
Leaving a motor in operation that had sticking bearings is foolish at best without taking the motor completely apart for a bearing job or taking it to a motor shop so they can do it is gambling with your customers equipment.
I feel it is backyard mechanic stuff to suggest otherwise & it should not even be questioned as to what to do with a siezed bearing.
some of the advice here is just plain old wrong!
To top it all off the unit most likely did not have anual maintenance like ALL manufacturers suggest/require for warranty to be in effect.

[the dangling wrangler]

The whole thing in a nutshell is, none of us here can ever know for sure what the exact cause of the failure was. I'm siding with the home owner on this one. Let's face it, Sears isn't famous for hiring the highest bidder,and the customer has to live with the results. I've read too many comedy of error stories about dealing with Sears. Like almost all big corp's these days, the customer isn't given the respect they were 15 or 20 years ago. It isn't only Sears,but they come up on this site at least a couple of times a season. Keeping an open mind in this,we've only heard half of the story. So Liz , any way to get the techs side?

[Mr Bill]

And the beat goes on. :D
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l286/mrbillpro/drums_001.gif

[the dangling wrangler]

LOL...


Just like a maintainence free battery in your car or van.
You don't need to clean the terminals.

And the battery labels says maintainence free.

Aren't batteries a bit cheeper than condensing units? And I'll bet Sears would replace a battery in a heartbeat. No questions asked. Not trying to argue with you but, can you say you've never fudged on a warranty issue to go in your customers favor? I know I have.I say Sears can eat this one for "good customer relations". How many of us service our own units on a yeary basis? I can say in all honesty, I never have, and probably never will.

[Mr Bill]

. How many of us service our own units on a yeary basis? I can say in all honesty, I never have, and probably never will.

Hey I have about 5 used condensers in the back when my bites the dust I just replace it I don't have time to service it and it's more fun just to replace it. :eek:

[chucko615]

So now you want to open that "we don't service our own equipment can of worms"..........:rolleyes:

[Mr Bill]

So now you want to open that "we don't service our own equipment can of worms"..........:rolleyes:

Exactly I like that can of worms, Personally I am to busy service my customers units who cares about mine I have window shakers if my fails also I don't know of a good service tech can you recommend one for me? :eek:

[the dangling wrangler]

Do you think we can keep this thread alive long enough to compete with the 9mm thread, we've got 9 pages so far!A compressor blew out a terminal,big deal. I can't count the number of times this has happened. I'm trying to give a school teacher a break here. Most of us probably pay more in taxes than she takes home in any given year. There's not enough money in the world that would intrest me to become a teacher. I don't think she said what grade she teaches, but if it's from grade 6 up it's a dangerous job. Probably in line with a convience store clerk,or worse yet an A/C service man. I know a couple of teachers and like the police, they're WAY under paid for the jobs they do ."Kids" aren't "kids" any more after the age of 8 or 9 . More power to you Liz.

[the dangling wrangler]

Exactly I like that can of worms, Personally I am to busy service my customers units who cares about mine I have window shakers if my fails also I don't know of a good service tech can you recommend one for me? :eek:

You're a riot, Mr. Bill. Been eating some funny pills today? I've heard there's some good techs on this website, but I don't know, that's your call. Mrs. D.

[beenthere]

Sears can eat.
They wanted their standard fee for the swap out just like you would.

But their not getting it.
Hopefully the guys doing the swap out aren't pressured to do it fast.






And for the record, I service my heat and A/C every time they stop working. :)

[Mr Bill]

You're a riot, Mr. Bill. Been eating some funny pills today? .


Hey just trying to keep the stress level down, some folks get into these threads way to much like warfare, so I figure if I can interject a little humor now and then it might keep the strokes and heart attacks down a little. :D

[the dangling wrangler]

Hey just trying to keep the stress level down, some folks get into these threads way to much like warfare, so I figure if I can interject a little humor now and then it might keep the strokes and heart attacks down a little. :D

I agree 100%. I've wasted enough time on this thread, I could have replaced it myself. Happy Trails, MissLiz.

[ga-hvac-tech]

You know, I just cannot believe some of the posts I have read here.

We have a struggling single mom school-teacher that got taken by Sears (and we ALL know Sears is a joke--read the posts). This lady, just looking for some help, posts some questions.

Then some of the fine contractors try to beat up the customer that came here looking for help.

The majority of posters were helpful and supportive IMO. But the ones that went after the customer, especially the one that suggested this teacher will end up rotting in a place 'down below and hot'... well, that was over the line IMO.

I think I have read enough! Next time, I will go to another HVAC forum where folks treat the customers with a little more professionalism and respect.

Mods, it is my considered opinion that there should be some discussion about the way this thread unfolded.

[the dangling wrangler]

Sorry, MissLiz. Don't blame the messenger for the message. You're going to be doing hard time on this one. This is considered a crime against humanity. No need to worry about air conditioning where you're headed. You did absolutely nothing wrong. As a previous poster already stated, most condenser fan motors these days have sealed bearings and no provisions to add oil. I've seen plenty of compressors blow terminals with good fan motors. These are mechanical devices. They break. That's how we stay in business. You might want to rethink a Sears installation, though. And no, I wouldn't be surprised about anything I read about Sears.

Hope you didn't mean this. Please reread it. And if it wasn't directed at me, sorry, I apologize. I was trying to be a wise-a$$.

[chucko615]

I don't remember her saying she was a single mom. Low paid school teacher, yes. Myabe I missed it somewhere........:confused:

[Txvman]

I say we hunt her down, take away her a/c to maker her suffer ALL because she is a laymen and turned her condenser fan. I mean she COULD have consulted the internet right?

Oh please, this is all so ridiculous. She does not know HVAC like "we" do. I don't know about you, most customers I run into think that the heat and a/c come from the t-stat!

[ga-hvac-tech]

Hope you didn't mean this. Please reread it. And if it wasn't directed at me, sorry, I apologize. I was trying to be a wise-a$$.

Hey DW, Yes, I mis-read your post, and apologize to you.

It was the flavor of the part of the thread that started beating up on the consumer that irritated me.

Consumers will do what they can. It is IMO our job as professionals to HELP them get value for their hard earned $$$. When we do that, we are the 'good guys/gals' and get referrals. That is, IMO, the way business works.

[beenthere]

I remember the low paid teacher part.

She never said if she has a part time job in the summer either.

And most of the guys feeling sorry for her, wouldn't feel the same way if it was a man. :)

[the dangling wrangler]

And most of the guys feeling sorry for her, wouldn't feel the same way if it was a man. :)

Unless they were gay!

[jrbenny]

Good grief, Charlie Brown!

Thread closed.