So just when the weather finally gets stinkin' hot,  my home AC unit craps out ...

After a quick inspection, I see that it starts and stops continuously
(... revs up, shuts down, revs up, shuts down, etc... )

Now, I know nothing about AC units, but this seems electrical to me.
So I do the usual, fuse, wires, thermostat check, and find nothing.

My wife, who has very little patience above 30C, tells me to just call the service tech...

I cringe at the though of that, but since I don't want to mess things up more,
I cave-in and call for a service rep.

I'm told it's $99 for a full diagnostic, plus whatever parts and extra labor are needed to fix it...

So the guys shows up at my place today, pops the cover off the unit
and says, "here's your problem, the run cap is shot".

Sure enough, the pop-can-size capacitor is a little bubbled near the top,
so I ask the guy "how much to fix it" ?

He takes out his little wireless invoice keyboard, punches a few keys, and says "$466 ... plus tax ! "

WTF ?????

I said,    " I only need the freakin' cap, not a whole new compressor !!! "

He says the cap is $217, his labor to install it is $150, ...plus the $99 "diagnostic" fee..

WTF ????

The cap has 3 wires with quick release spades ... 30 second job tops !

The cap itself looks like an Atari Big Blue Cap,  I figure $25, tops...

This guy wants $367 for THAT ???   WTF !!!!

I tell him (politely) to get bent, and that I'll do it myself.
to which he replied  "... well, you know, this is trickier than it looks,
and you likely won't be able to find that cap anywhere ...blah, blah, blah... )

So I still had to pay $99 for the 5 minute visit, but at least he didn't quite tear me a new one...

So for those who have the same problem with your AC,

Get one of these...
http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ370191710968QQcmdZViewItem

and do this...
http://www.paulstravelpictures.com/Air-Conditioner-Dual-Run-Capacitor-Replacement-Guide/index.html

and spend the $300 you'll save on something useful,
.... like a new plastic set, or pingulps for all your games, or something  !


...$466 + tax ...GAWD, I can't believe how much they screw people around like that...

/rant off...

[BTW, if anyone has one of these caps available locally (Ottawa), I'd be a hero in my house this week-end,
... which would go a looooong way to ease my pain when GJD's bulk vids come home...      ]

Thanks,
Steph

Can't you just steal your neighbours?  

Wow yeah i can understand your frustration.
My best friends brother actually is a furnace guy but very busy.
I will give him a call for you tomorrow see if he has any.
But if i remember correct gets is parts from lenox.
But there a few but might be this one give them a call cant hurt.
http://www.yellowpages.ca/bus/.....+ON&le=6d861d1ec

Good one! Most of the repairman hopes that we are all hopeless and scared. With the heat this one was thinking you were ready to pay anything to have your AC running, probably charges you double price!  But he won't probably learn nothing and still charge big rates to his next customer

Hate to burst your bubble. Here you thought the wife kept you around because you were brutally handsome. The reality is it's your Red Green skills that she keeps you.

I had this sort of thing with my swimming pool light. It was a going to be a couple hundred to have changed and the guy said he had to do it because it was "electrical" and water was an issue.

Turns out they use a sealed beam tractor bulb worth about $10 and charge 8 X that for the identical bulb in a different box. The the electrical part was a joke. It's low voltage and the whole thing sits in a sealed unit that you pull up above the water to change the bulb in.

Don't get me wrong I don't mind guys that are trying to make a a living but I do mind when they try to screw you to do it.

Had the EXACT same problem last summer.  Cost me about $180 installed including taxes and service call.  And I thought THAT was steep!

Quoted from necro_nemesis

Hate to burst your bubble. Here you thought the wife kept you around because you were brutally handsome. The reality is it's your Red Green skills that she keeps you.

No actually, she likes me for me for my brutally handsome Red Green looks !



...oh, and my NIB LOTR !

Steph

In MTL these guys are part of some sort of  Gimmic.......
getting the parts was next to impossible without a refrigaition "Licence" You gotta know the right people if you dont wanna get bent over  
oh yeah, BTW most of these 'Maytag repairman' dont know crapt when it comes to electrical problems

Bunch of F-ing CROOKS!!!

Quoted from Steph

WTF ?????

I said,    " I only need the freakin' cap, not a whole new compressor !!! "

He says the cap is $217, his labor to install it is $150, ...plus the $99 "diagnostic" fee..

WTF ????

I tell him (politely) to get bent, and that I'll do it myself.
to which he replied  "... well, you know, this is trickier than it looks,
and you likely won't be able to find that cap anywhere ...blah, blah, blah... )

Usually around here they knock off the inspection fee if you go for the repair and part (i.e. you only pay for the visit if you DON'T go for the repair).  I went with Reliance Home Comfort Insurance instead.  $18 a month and everything is covered, parts and labour.  Simple.

An HVAC tried to stick it to my inlaws for a heat sensor switch for their modular home..."rare expensive part, will take us 5 days, $200... etc."  I found it in 5 minutes for $20 on the Internet in the US (where all the parts stock is), had it delivered overnight reasonably and the dealer talked us through the replacement.  Couldn't ahve been simpler or cheaper.

With the internet, and shipping from the US who needs these jokers anymore?

Quoted from MAGNETO

In MTL these guys are part of some sort of  Gimmic.......
getting the parts was next to impossible without a refrigaition "Licence" You gotta know the right people if you dont wanna get bent over  

Yah, I'm getting that too...

Some distributors won't sell retail parts to yahoo's like me.

I've ordered the part on eBay ( $18 , SHIPPED ! ),
but it won't get here until Thursday...  summer will be over by then !  

So I'm still hoping to find one locally on Monday...

I'll keep you posted...



Steph

bunch of SOBing crooks!  
what value of cap you need?? ...probably rated 270 Volts?
you can try a an electric motor supplier,you dont need a 'licence ' to buy there  
Good luck Steph