Should I Keep Trusting My AC Guy?

[hvacvegas]

You, landlord, are a bait and switch customer.

Cheap cheap cheap, untill the guy does it. Then the day of, it's expensive, expensive, expensive, hoping he'll just give it to you.

[Texas-Tech]

In your original post you said he installed a used "condenser", while later you keep refering to a compressor. Which did he actually install?

[timebuilder]

I have used a sole proprietor AC guy for quite some time. But I am constantly nagged by doubts about whether I could do better. I have a few rent houses. The AC condensor went out on one last Nov. and I wasn't prepared to buy a completely new system, so I asked about a used condensor and he happened to have one and installed it for a reasonable price. Since then I read up and it seemed like it is foolish to replace a condensor without also changing out the coil. This is a very old system.
The other rent house he did a check up after purchase and okayed the system and then my husband had to go back with an air compressor and clean out the line because we had water--a few days later. And a month later the bearings went out on something and I had a $ AC repair from a company who worked weekends--which he doesn't.
The house before that he okayed the system when we had the house inpected. After the remodel and before renting itit was summer and the AC wasn't very cool. He came out and added a wire kit of some sort and said we were good--until we went out of town a month later and the AC compressor went out. The guy our tenants called said the wiring problems were common before compressor burn out. (We were out of town).
But he has put two systems in our house and they work fine. And he has 20 years experience. And he is not stupid. But I wonder... It seems like he gives us advise that benefits him and not me long term. I just want to spend my money wisely--I could have paid for the coils when he installed the condensor andhe knows that. I just didn't want to spend $ if I didn't have to on a rent house.
Now if I want to change out the coils it is labor intensive $$$

From your post, I surmise a couple of things:

1) You are lucky to have him
2) You would be paying a lot more than what you have been willing to pay (which is what this guy charges)
3) Really good guys often won't deal with landlords. I wouldn't, because I'm also a RE licensee.
4) See number 1.

[JWB]

You claim to trust your ac guy as the name of your thread implies. He is willing to work with you and you do things differently then 'regular' customers.....but you know that because you have tile countertops. My boss would not allow some of the things that you are asking him to do. They would claim that there is no money for them in those practices. They are right and I sometimes hate them for that. I would keep trusting him and understand he is trying to work with you. Mechanical systems aren't entirely predictable, just like craigslist purchases of all sorts. You win some and you lose some. I have left jobs and had other components fail. It sucks for all involved. You, him and your tenants. Good luck in your decisions. All of them.

[Rob_in_WV]

You claim to trust your ac guy as the name of your thread implies. He is willing to work with you and you do things differently then 'regular' customers.....but you know that because you have tile countertops. My boss would not allow some of the things that you are asking him to do. They would claim that there is no money for them in those practices. They are right and I sometimes hate them for that. I would keep trusting him and understand he is trying to work with you. Mechanical systems aren't entirely predictable, just like craigslist purchases of all sorts. You win some and you lose some. I have left jobs and had other components fail. It sucks for all involved. You, him and your tenants. Good luck in your decisions. All of them.

Not trying to get off topic, but I feel its another answer to her question about a blower failing a month after inspection and I'm sure its happened to many on here: I went 2 months ago to a home and replaced a bad blower motor, I replaced with a brand new one right out of the box and new capacitor, 2 days later we get a call that new motor had failed. I looked it over nothing done wrong on our end, the new motor just failed. It happens its a mechanical device and it will eventually fail and often times without warning. It's one of those things that can make a contractor look bad even though they don't deserve it.

[JWB]

Not trying to get off topic, but I feel its another answer to her question about a blower failing a month after inspection and I'm sure its happened to many on here: I went 2 months ago to a home and replaced a bad blower motor, I replaced with a brand new one right out of the box and new capacitor, 2 days later we get a call that new motor had failed. I looked it over nothing done wrong on our end, the new motor just failed. It happens its a mechanical device and it will eventually fail and often times without warning. It's one of those things that can make a contractor look bad even though they don't deserve it.

exactly. we try. we aren't perfect. neither are the components we install.