Buying AC Equipment without a license

[Baja500]

Its this just in AZ where any unlicense hack can buy
equipment . I mean we go to all the problems on being legit; but for what ? this guy purchased a heatpump
split on line, delivered to his home ,line sets. drier the
unit and instructions on how to installed ,,
well I got call for an estimate just to installed it, I said
hell no,, point is do other states allow homeowners or just
about any body to buy without credentials, or is it the
supply houses screwing legit contractors.
by the way the heat pump was a 5 ton the house no more
than 1200 SF.

[raidersfan7]

WOW ITS ONLY AZ BUDDDDY RU AZ NATIVE???HYE HOWS BIZ AT "JBI"?

[21degrees]

That will be some serious cooling, Wonder what load calculation was.24000 to 36000 btus. Hey maybe he wants to keep his windows open while running A/C.

[The Malster]

Unfortunately It's not unlawful to purchase equipment online and there are plenty of sites that allow that and provide installation video's, some states are taking a harder stance on homeowners installing their own equipment but until its totally outlawed its still legal, now of course they are not suppose to play with the refrigerant lines but we know the rest of the story there as well.

Some will say its ok to install the equip for the homeowner others will disagree and say a person is providing a hack service and a disgrace to the industry

I guess it depends on the area your in as well, in well established areas where jobs are plentiful a person can pick and choose, in a lot of rural areas some others are not as fortunate and will let their financial well being be their guide.

As long as they know how to install it and not fix it when its broken its still money to the professional

[RoBoTeq]

Originally, EPA requirements for cfc certification included refrigerant bearing split condensers and heat pumps. At the very last moment, after obtaining the approval of the HVAC industry to require cfc certification for working with cfc and hcfc refrigerants, the EPA changed the requirement to not require cfc certification to purchase refrigeration bearing split outdoor units. In other words, we got screwed again by the government.

Licensing does not have jurisdiction over the purchase of refrigerant bearing products other then allowing wholesalers to use licensing to refuse selling equipment at wholesale costs to non-professionals in the HVAC industry.

So yes, this happens everywhere, not just Arizona.

[raidersfan7]

good answer robo

[flange]

Not onlu does it happen all over, around here it is a disgrace on friday afternoon to see how many trucks are at one particular supplier to pick up equipment for their saturday side jobs. The supply houses are busier on friday afternoon than any time of the week. Most of these vehicles are commercial guys buying equipment for cash on the account of the company they work for. I would love to video tape this event one week and send it around to employers, but I am pretty sure they know it is happening and just do not care as we are generally busy all the time in this area.

[Richard Kletty]

Yes it happens everywhere. Of the 3 supply houses I deal wih 2 will openly sell to unlicensed folks. One has a "licensed contractors only" policy but... a few folks get throught the cracks Im sure of it.

Next session it will come up again and hopefully SC will pass the law that equipment be sold "only" to licensed contractors. Florida has the right idea on all this IMO.

The law should be passed nationwide: no license, no equipment. A law also should be passed nationwide which penalizes unlicensed folks when they are caught purchasing equipment or doing side work.

Its a pipe dream Im sure but hopefully SC will get the no sale law passed next session. It almost passed last session but some folks didnt like the verbiage.

[highlifesipper]

I think it's a problem and should be regulated by distributors. For the most part it is in my area. Signs on the front door that say "Contractors only", but the online thing is interesting.

What I really have a problem with is the guys running to the supply house and buying equipment for side jobs. That doesn't happen with my guys. I got navtrak on all my vehicles and my office manager makes a check real quick each morning to see if there was any movement. I've already let my distributors know that nobody buys anything without a p.o. Even tools! We get great pricing and I pass that on to all my guys, but we pay for it and they pay us back. They can come to me if they want to put a system in for immediate family only i.e. parents, grandparents and siblings. They get everything at cost and I ask if I can come around for support. That's great marketing when you do that.

A home owner buying a system on their own?...well you saw what happened....5tons for 1,200sq ft. That's awesome! That guy was trying to save money, but I probably could have gotten him that same unit, marked it 50% and given it to him for the same price he paid, and would have saved him some money cause he doesn't need a 5ton. If a homeowner wants to try that, fine, but I'm touching it with a 10ft pole.

[papa_jo]

Yes it happens everywhere. Of the 3 supply houses I deal wih 2 will openly sell to unlicensed folks. One has a "licensed contractors only" policy but... a few folks get throught the cracks Im sure of it.

Next session it will come up again and hopefully SC will pass the law that equipment be sold "only" to licensed contractors. Florida has the right idea on all this IMO.

The law should be passed nationwide: no license, no equipment. A law also should be passed nationwide which penalizes unlicensed folks when they are caught purchasing equipment or doing side work.

Its a pipe dream Im sure but hopefully SC will get the no sale law passed next session. It almost passed last session but some folks didnt like the verbiage.

we don't buy stuff from those suppliers here in columbia richard<ones that sell to anybody> even if we got to go out of the way for a part. sure they still do business but f-ck them

[RoBoTeq]

we don't buy stuff from those suppliers here in columbia richard<ones that sell to anybody> even if we got to go out of the way for a part. sure they still do business but f-ck them

As a contractor I had the same attitude and as a salesman for a wholesaler I have that attitude even moreso. Who needs the hassles that follow HOs screwing up equipment or even parts? I have no problems selling filters or humidifier pads to HOs at retail prices, but that's about it.

[Baja500]

How many of you, now contractors started out doing side jobs, I mean I did ; but did any of us started up doing hack jobs? back in the 90s the market wasn't so trashed Trane and Carrier ruled then came goodman. gibson and the latinos buying licenses in Phx, prices crashed so did quality
any body with a chainsaw was installing ac units, now homeowners buying their machines online? closing shop myself I saw greener pastures in cabo wabo servicing some ritzi residences down there just hope my compadres dont follow, by the way how can somebody with limited english can pass the bussiness managent and trade exam
I know I know $10.000 bucks cash' that easy moneytalks in AZ

[RoBoTeq]

How many of you, now contractors started out doing side jobs, I mean I did ; but did any of us started up doing hack jobs? back in the 90s the market wasn't so trashed Trane and Carrier ruled then came goodman. gibson and the latinos buying licenses in Phx, prices crashed so did quality
any body with a chainsaw was installing ac units, now homeowners buying their machines online? closing shop myself I saw greener pastures in cabo wabo servicing some ritzi residences down there just hope my compadres dont follow, by the way how can somebody with limited english can pass the bussiness managent and trade exam
I know I know $10.000 bucks cash' that easy moneytalks in AZ

Really? 1990s heh? Funny, I was seeing the then big four changing their pitiful one year warranty with 5 year compressor warranty to a full 5 year coverage to keep up with the rapidly growing Goodman brand in the 1980s. Where were you?

Just before the 1980s it was Rheem and Ruud that were considered the "sell to anybody" brands with plenty of Carrier's being sold by contractors to property management companies. Goodman no where near invented the allowance of HVAC equipment being bought by anyone with the cash.