it is nothing new, thieves and hacks have been around forever.
Honesty and reputation. How many times have you gone to a call and folks were told by another Tech. they needed a whole new HVAC system installed, that theirs were "Fried." More than once I have been called to see what I could put them in a new unit for, and I asked if they would mind if I checked their system first. More than once I found their only problem was the evaporator was completely stopped up. Then they candidly complain that now it gets too cold. I like those kind of complaints. Once a shorted control wire was burning up transformers. Oh, you need a new unit they were told. Simple things like this. I went to a call last week to find another company had gutted out the burnt up breaker assy. in a Trane air handle, and just wired it direct. It is still breaker-ed outside, and has a disconnect close by, but its still not right. Sadly, the customers never know. I wouldn't do that in my house. I was always taught by my Dad, "If you can't do it right then leave it alone, if you don't, then find another vocation." You may not make as much money initially, but your reputation will get you invited back into their home, and their friends. I'm not perfect, but I try to do a perfect job.
it is nothing new, thieves and hacks have been around forever.
Then again, I consider myself completely honest when I inform a customer that there is nothing obviously wrong with their system, no imminent component failures that I can detect; however it is over 20 years old with all original parts and it should be proactively replaced. Before expensive parts start failing, the coil starts leaking R-22 or while they can still get an 80%er.
Charging customers for bandaids on old equipment is often not in their best interest.
As long as you are honestly informing them of all their options and the consequences of each...
I completely agree. I did not mean to imply anyone here would partake in such practices. And you are right, when a system gets that old there is only so much you can do. Customers need to be advised that their system has outlived its expectancy, and prepare for a new system. I know too well that here on the Gulf Coast that micro boring in evaporators in our salty humid climate is a geographical battle. I have also literally seen capacitor terminals corrode away. The capacitor itself was actually good, but the ability to make a connection was destroyed. It was only my intent to say that "some" techs are not always forthright and magnanimous.
Parents called to have me look at their system a while back, seams they let a door to door salesman look at the furnace and air, and wanted a second opinion. They have a 5 year old goodman furnace and air combo, little bit of rusting where the burners fire into the HX, other than that, great shape
The salesman told them that the furnace HX was "probbally full of holes", the entire furnace was on its last legs, ready to rust out and collapse at any moment and that it was placing him and his family in immediate danger and should be replaced. On top of that, according to the salesman, his AC was full of "old freon" that was unsafe and could blow up at any moment, the old freon was toxic and would immediately kill his entire family if a leak occurred, which he guaranteed it would. What's more, he made this entire diagnosis without gauges, combustion analyzer, manometer or even a thermometer. I'm not even sure he took the door off
Had to go over and give it a through check to put my moms mind at ease, reduced gas pressure from 3.8 to 3.5 inches wc was the biggest problem I found. And assured her that my AC also uses R22 and I have no safety concerns
I don't know how some people sleep at night
Part of the problem is putting techs on commission with a low wage to go with it. They have to sell or go broke. Commission does not guarantee dishonesty, just makes it more likely.
Remember, Air Conditioning begins with AIR.
"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten". --Benjamin Franklin
"Don't argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience". --Mark Twain
http://www.campbellmechanical.com
"If you can't do it right then leave it alone, if you don't, then find another vocation."
Your Dad is great man I Hope You can still tell him that, If not Im sorry. Definitely Old school Irish Im sure there's definitely Mc in your DNA.
This world needs more of that.
Hope thread Stays on t0pic
Customer is alWays opposite of Left
He taught himself everything from sheet metal to algebra with a 9th grade education. He died in 1979, wish I could have learned more from him. I seem to have his knack that the way things work is just mechanical common sense, and sometimes ask folks, "You didn't know that?"