ReplyStrat can you edit the price out, rules
btw it didnt seem high to me IF they do it right, replacing driers etc.
Regular Guest
I have a 6 year old Carrier Comfort Series 50ES Air Cond/Heat Pump. Recently it hasn't been really cooling very well and my service company here in Los Angeles said I need a new TXV and the cost for the whole deal seems very high. How do I know if the price is fair?
The service dealer has been in business for over 30 years and I assume they are reputable.
Last edited by 63strat; 09-28-2010 at 08:11 PM.
Professional Member
Strat can you edit the price out, rules
btw it didnt seem high to me IF they do it right, replacing driers etc.
You sure are cocky for a starving pilgrim.
Regular Guest
Thanks, I didn't know about the rules, post has been edited. Yes, they are going to replace the dryers. I'm wondering if any of this is covered under warranty, since the unit is only 6 years old. They said they checked, and that it was not.Originally Posted by zachhvac
Professional Member
If you think it is to high then get a second bid. But remember we have had record heat here in LA so you might be waiting a while for some else to come out.
God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
Yep. Get another price or 2 on it.
Regular Guest
Well I don't know what you were quoted but I do know that there is a bit of labor involved so most of it is probably labor.If I'm right you might ask what a new E coil with the TXV would cost as there is slightly less labor involved usually.
Regular Guest
Thanks everyone. I got second quote from another very reputable authorized Carrier dealer her in Los Angeles, actually from the San Fernando Valley, and it is 40% less than my first bid. Same work detail: replace the TXV, replace the dryer, flush and replace with new R410A. I can't understand why there would be such a difference in price. One dealer is near Beverly Hills, maybe that's why they're more expensive? I don't know...
Professional Member
I saw the original price.
I would really be skeptable in your area, with the rate a company should have to charge about what you will really get.
First of all why are they flushing anything,its not a burn out just a txv change out.
And the new 410 a , i would probably recover and reuse after filtering it since it probably isnt bad.
Check the bbb or ask around, record heatwave, guys going low.
He may not plan on being around forever or he may run his shop like a starbucks.
You sure are cocky for a starving pilgrim.
Professional Member*
Why would they need to recover? Is it the outdoor TXV? Why can't this just be pumped down and repaired?
"We always fix it right the second time".
All posts are strictly my opinions and not those of my employer. I cannot make statements on behalf of my employer.
All advice posted by me is for educational purposes only, HVAC repairs should only be conducted by trained & qualified people.
God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
May be reasons that only a tech on site can know.
Professional Member*
Im doin an od txv on a 6 yr old trane this week .... The system has never had any r22 added .... I wont disturb the service valves either ....
My avatar is a picture of a Goodman Silencer .....These were commonly used in Goodman country ....Photos by hvac tech ( PaysonHVAC )
Regular Guest
Thanks again for the advice. Today another local company came over unscheduled, looked at the unit and said I was just low on coolant. He didn't think anything was wrong with the TXV. I asked him about a leak possibly causing the low coolant level, and he said they'd check for that. His repair would be very inexpensive compared to the others.
In the meantime, by a few minutes, I'd just already asked the 2nd company to do the job, and they had to order the TXV from Carrier. They're going on the diagnosis from the first company, the expensive one. I had to pay $75 to rush the TXV from Carrier in Tennessee.
Now I'm just not sure what to do. I don't understand enough about recovery and other things to make an informed choice.
Banned
Maybe some A/C have a pump down, but, I have never seen one with a receiver to into or a valve of any kind to isolate the e-coil from the condenser.
Jim
God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
Service valves to do that have been common on residential A/Cs, and heat pumps for a long time now.
Professional Member*
Maybe the first company is not just pumping it down, because he wants to do the job correctly. If the TXV is contaminated, that means you need to recover ALL of the refrigerant, and yes... that even means you have to replace that pesky filter drier that might be located inside the condenser. and no, that doesn't mean you can just add an extra filter drier outside the condenser.
Homeowner...
How did the two companies check the refrigerant charge? Did they have guages and temperature probes attached to the lines? This may be an indication of who is the correct tech... If the TXV is contaminated, internally restricted, or otherwise malfunctioning adding refrigerant may mask the problem and cause the system to run at higher condenser pressure, thus lowering efficiency and decreasing life expectancy.
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