AC Getting Weirder

[theshadow]

Okay. Yesterday I asked about noise like "popping" or "fizzing" in the refrigerent line. At the time, the AC was working okay. This was a replacement, low-tier Carrier condenser unit installed a few days earlier.

This morning, the compresser quit. The thermostat was calling for cold, the condenser fan was running, but the compresser wasn't (couldn't hear it, no refrigerent noise, no cold air, tubing on both sides of the expansion valve were room temperature). Hours and hours later, the compresser started working again. The refrigerent noise started out as I'm accustomed to hearing... it sounded like water running through a pipe. About 10-15 minutes later, that same popping and fizzing noise returned, alternating with the normal sound. For now, I have AC again but I don't know for how long (and it's 90 degrees outside).

Any thoughts about this chain of events? By the way, the contractor's weekend tech and then the owner himself have been just insulting on the phone, refusing to believe that the AC wasn't working, and demanding "evidence" to the contrary.

[a\c don]

Call another contractor to look at it.
By allowing the unit to run like that you will most likely cause severe damage.

[theshadow]

I wish I could. The house is for sale and covered by a home warranty. This is the contractor they insisted I use for both the installation and the repair. The contractor refused to come and look at it today.

What kind of damage could occur and why?

Thanks, Don.

[smngmu]

Originally posted by theshadow
I wish I could. The house is for sale and covered by a home warranty. This is the contractor they insisted I use for both the installation and the repair. The contractor refused to come and look at it today.

What kind of damage could occur and why?

Thanks, Don.

You could do a lot of internal damage to the system.I don't understand how they "insisted" a contractor to sell/service if he won't come back to service it.I'd follow the advice of another company.If any thing arrises,you're just covering your tail.If he won't come back now,why would he come back out after it's sold?Sell another unit?

[danglerb]

This is a common "deal" when a house is up for sale, and most realtors suggest them. As soon as the home is on the market the "warranty" kicks in for all kinds of stuff around the house, and you pay nothing on the warranty until the house is sold and then it just gets bundled into the final price and the new owner has the option to pay again to keep it another 12 months or whatever.

Service calls aren't free, but they are beyond dirt cheap, but they are NOT same day, more like same week or 3 or 4 days. It doesn't cover any existing problems, but almost anything around the house that breaks is covered from faucets to pool motors and AC.

I had a pool motor go out and it took maybe 4 days to get it running, they pulled the old motor and actually had it rebuilt and the same motor went back in. As I remember each "event" required a copay of less than $50, but from the guys attitude the "warranty" didn't kick in much if anything else.

If its working, and the guy says let it run, I would let it run and hope it dies in flames so you get a replacement.

[billva]

you better hope it's working when prospective buyers come look at it.

screw that crappy home warranty, hire someone yourself and have it fixed properly.

[ARPA]

Originally posted by theshadow
I wish I could. The house is for sale and covered by a home warranty. This is the contractor they insisted I use for both the installation and the repair. The contractor refused to come and look at it today.

What kind of damage could occur and why?

Thanks, Don.

Hmm:

I do some work for "some" warranty companies. I have also been on service calls that the warranty company has sent me on, and not their regular service company, for a second opinion, or when the home owner had a valid reason not to have the original service campany out.
But, warranty companies are not on my list of get there right away type of calls. So, there is a reasonable amount of time for me to get there. If I am not busy, OK, the same day, if I am busy, may take 3 or 4 days.

By refusing to get there the same day, did he refuse period, or just that day........

[a\c don]

Originally posted by arpa

Originally posted by theshadow
I wish I could. The house is for sale and covered by a home warranty. This is the contractor they insisted I use for both the installation and the repair. The contractor refused to come and look at it today.

What kind of damage could occur and why?

Thanks, Don.

Hmm:

I do some work for "some" warranty companies. I have also been on service calls that the warranty company has sent me on, and not their regular service company, for a second opinion, or when the home owner had a valid reason not to have the original service campany out.
But, warranty companies are not on my list of get there right away type of calls. So, there is a reasonable amountof time for me to get there. If I am not busy, OK, the same day, if I am busy, may take 3 or 4 days.

By refusing to get there the same day, did he refuse period, or just that day........

Thats a very valid point Arpa.

For what the HW company is willing to pay you get to them when you can.

[edward301]

I would turn it off, the compressor is shutting down
on internal overlead (overheating). Sound like it
is low on freon, but could easily be other things.

I would keep it off until some looks at it, or you
may burn it up.

[theshadow]

Just to clarify, I understand that the contractor wouldn't get reimbursed at the OT rate. Due to the weather, I'd have been willing to pay the difference (and the warranty company had no problem with that). What bugged me is that they refused to take the service call because they thought I was too stupid to recognize a non-functioning air conditioner.

[aircooled53]

Originally posted by theshadow
Okay. Yesterday I asked about noise like "popping" or "fizzing" in the refrigerent line. At the time, the AC was working okay. This was a replacement, low-tier Carrier condenser unit installed a few days earlier.

This morning, the compresser quit. The thermostat was calling for cold, the condenser fan was running, but the compresser wasn't (couldn't hear it, no refrigerent noise, no cold air, tubing on both sides of the expansion valve were room temperature). Hours and hours later, the compresser started working again. The refrigerent noise started out as I'm accustomed to hearing... it sounded like water running through a pipe. About 10-15 minutes later, that same popping and fizzing noise returned, alternating with the normal sound. For now, I have AC again but I don't know for how long (and it's 90 degrees outside).

Any thoughts about this chain of events? By the way, the contractor's weekend tech and then the owner himself have been just insulting on the phone, refusing to believe that the AC wasn't working, and demanding "evidence" to the contrary.

I would call Home Warranty company and suggest that they send someone to check out system, if you are as concerned about the system as you say;then you won't mind paying the overtime rate, and you will be cool today..

I see similair issues from time to time and would not say if this would cause serious problems or not, but, you should have it checked.
And I deal with all of them...

American Home Shield
Texas Home Warranty
Old Republic

[Edited by aircooled53 on 06-17-2006 at 07:50 PM]

[ARPA]

Originally posted by a\c don

Originally posted by arpa

Originally posted by theshadow
I wish I could. The house is for sale and covered by a home warranty. This is the contractor they insisted I use for both the installation and the repair. The contractor refused to come and look at it today.

What kind of damage could occur and why?

Thanks, Don.

Hmm:

I do some work for "some" warranty companies. I have also been on service calls that the warranty company has sent me on, and not their regular service company, for a second opinion, or when the home owner had a valid reason not to have the original service campany out.
But, warranty companies are not on my list of get there right away type of calls. So, there is a reasonable amountof time for me to get there. If I am not busy, OK, the same day, if I am busy, may take 3 or 4 days.

By refusing to get there the same day, did he refuse period, or just that day........

Thats a very valid point Arpa.

For what the HW company is willing to pay you get to them when you can.

I deal with Cross Country. I almost never talk to them. I collect the deductable off of the customer. I also have a high advanced pre-approved limit with them that covers the rest of my diagnostic charge and just about any repair work needing done.
On the occasion that I will need to collect more than my approved limit, I fax them for approval.
The customer calls me, never the warranty company, and my dispatcher sets the appointment to our schedule.
The other company that I deal with is Home Warranty of America, and only for second opinions, with never the customer paying me, just Home Warranty.
Maybe I miss understand, or vice versa, but, what I meant was when warranty clients call me for service, and want service right then, I tell them when I can get there, or they pay the OT rate if wanted that day.

[danglerb]

You are in a hot house with no AC, and maybe the contractor is just sitting down after a 14 hour day crawling in attics and dealing with customers, and just a bit of confusion at the start and nobody hears anything else the other says. I can just see where you start out with the sounds etc and go straight into the kook list of the contractor.

I've done tech support, and I've called tech support, so while I know customers hate being told to check that the power cord is plugged in, its still a common mistake.

Take a step back, and either deal with the slower pace of warranty work that costs you very little, or find a contractor and pay what he asks. Maybe your area is real different from mine and it won't take too many days to find a good contractor.