Freon leak

[papillon103]

Can someone please advise me. I have a 14 year old unit. (under the home, split system) It froze up on us. My service tech added freon and said we were ok. This year he said I have a small leak . He used a sniffer under the home, I was there and didnt see the leak register, he said I was leaking and should replace the unit under the home, for $. He said almost all units this age have this problem. OK, but what do I do going forward?. Replace the unit, or go new for the entire AC? Anyone have this issue?

[coolwhip]

At 14 years old, I don't think I would invest alot of money in repairs. Instead, I would consider replacing the system....condenser and fan/coil.

Get some estimates, make sure your contractor of choice does a load calc. and pulls permits for the job.

You will be better off with a new system and a 10 year parts warranty.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Goodmorning,

A split system has outdoor and indoor units... is this a description of your system? BTW: Site rules say no pricing... one of the site moderators will be along soon and take out your prices.

It is not unusual for the indoor part of the system to sprout a leak somewhere's around half to three/fourths of the life of the AC system. Honestly, it sounds like yours lasted longer than most. You must live in a drier climate.

The old rule of thumb (not many apply, but I will give it to you anyway), is when a system is over 10 years old... a large $$$ repair is not a good investment.

Efficiencies of newer units are higher now, as well as options for a more comfortable house. I would look at it from a 'how long will I stay in the house' view: If I would be there five or more years... and the $$$ was not an issue... then seriously consider a whole new system. If I knew I was moving in a few years... I would get a couple more folks out, and explain to them I did not want to spend much $$$. See what you learn from a few more Pro's.

Does this help?

[martyinlincoln]

A 14 year old system is not worth sticking that much money in.

[nismo1]

Money dictates everything is this industry. Second opinion is good if you don't trust your contractor. Just remember cheaper don't mean better and it isn't always apples for apples. Techs should be able to show u the leak if you're crawlin under there or he didn't find it and he's guessing. Reasonable guess though. Ideally complete new system based on

age alone.

[amd]

A plugged evap coil can easily be misdiagnosed as a leak by an incompetent technician.

[mrushing]

call a pro

[John Markl]

call a pro

I admire your thoughtful responses....:cheers:

[eric1589]

14 years old.... just get a new system. the energy savings over the next couple years should offset the upfront price

[amd]

^Ya right!

[acwizard]

Replacing the complete system would be in your best interests if you are planning on staying in your home for many years to come. All leaks can be found and repaired. It can be time consuming and expensive. Have any major repairs been made to equipment in last few years. If the answer is no, then consider yourself lucky ,time is not on your side. All of us here can tell you how customers have spent more money repairing old equipment than if they had just replaced it. Financing and rebates are usually available that can help make the upgrade more affordable.