17 year old compressor about to bite the big one

[mainstreetprod]

I have a 112 year old home with two 17 year old split HVAC units. The tags are not legible but they are 4-5 ton.I purchased the home one year ago and got a one year Old Republic homeowners warranty (runs out Aug 18) that covers the HVAC units. The company has been great and has replaced a bad disposal, dishwasher, etc.

Last week the upstairs unit started blowing warm air. The warranty company sent a tech out who appeared to me to be a general appliance guy instead of an HVAC tech. He said the thermostat wire was loose and replaced the contractor. The unit ran a few hours and started blowing warm again. I noticed neither the fan or compressor on the outside unit were running, but it tried to start every few seconds on the thermal overload (not running, just clicking).

They sent the same guy out and since it had cooled off, it ran again. He claimed it might need more freon due to the long lines running up to the attic and added more to the system. I'm not an HVAC expert, but this didn't seem right to me.

The unit ran about an hour after he left and now will not start at all. I asked the warranty company to send someone else to check it out, and they are coming Monday AM. In my opinion, the compressor is about to be DOA. How can I convince the tech of this (assuming he gets it running Monday) and get a replacement before the warranty runs out? The warranty limitation is $.I realize the whole system should be replaced at this age but $ won't go far towards a new unit, so I just want to try to get a couple more years out of it.

[JasonHoustonTX]

Bite the bullet and upgrade your system. The increased comfort and energy savings will be well worth it. If you try to squeeze more time out of it, you will be throwing good money after bad and hances also go way up that it will break down while your have you in-laws over for dinner in the middle of July.

BTW. Here is a quick read on the dark side of home warranties

I have a 112 year old home with two 17 year old split HVAC units. The tags are not legible but they are 4-5 ton.I purchased the home one year ago and got a one year Old Republic homeowners warranty (runs out Aug 18) that covers the HVAC units. The company has been great and has replaced a bad disposal, dishwasher, etc.

Last week the upstairs unit started blowing warm air. The warranty company sent a tech out who appeared to me to be a general appliance guy instead of an HVAC tech. He said the thermostat wire was loose and replaced the contractor. The unit ran a few hours and started blowing warm again. I noticed neither the fan or compressor on the outside unit were running, but it tried to start every few seconds on the thermal overload (not running, just clicking).

They sent the same guy out and since it had cooled off, it ran again. He claimed it might need more freon due to the long lines running up to the attic and added more to the system. I'm not an HVAC expert, but this didn't seem right to me.

The unit ran about an hour after he left and now will not start at all. I asked the warranty company to send someone else to check it out, and they are coming Monday AM. In my opinion, the compressor is about to be DOA. How can I convince the tech of this (assuming he gets it running Monday) and get a replacement before the warranty runs out? The warranty limitation is $.I realize the whole system should be replaced at this age but $ won't go far towards a new unit, so I just want to try to get a couple more years out of it.

[beenthere]

prices are not allowed.

[vstech]

Hm.
17 is not outside the generic a/c lifetime. it could be a simple adjustment to get the compressor running properly, but the clicking and now not running, leads me to think the compressor is already gone.
I'd call my own service tech out to investigate the problem, and fix what's wrong or make a good explanation of why not.

[Florida Joy]

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[beenthere]

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