So I have a leak in my A/C unit and I am about 6#s short of freon, to refill this would be about $400 given the price of R22 right now/$60 a lb. Or I could get a whole new American Standard 2.5 ton unit with a furnace (as I have an old furnace) for the low price of $4600 installed. Anyone deal with any other companies or have any experience with this? Didn't really budget for that right now, so I might have to go out and buy a couple window units for now..ugh!

Ask the guy if he can discount the freon fill or subtract some of the cost incase the refill doesn't work and credit it to a new unit. A few years ago,we had a guy tell us everything looked fine BUT our house wasn't cooling. A different guy came out and gave us some more freon and our unit has worked very well since that day (about 4 years ago)


Window units? Nowadays they have the air conditioners you can move around inside your house. Don't know how good they work.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

The leak needs to be fixed before more freon is added, or that will leak out as well. AC systems don't lose freon unless there is a leak. It could be a small pinhole leak, or your evaporator coil could be leaking in many places. There is a dye that a service guy can pump into the system. Once the dye has had time to cycle throughout the system, he can check all solder joints for leaks with a black light.

Having said that, a new system will be much more energy efficient. $4600 isn't outrageous for a new furnace, condenser (AC), evaporator, and line set (the big and small copper lines). If you do have a whole system upgrade, make sure they run new a line set.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Just Write it off

Sounds like your furnace might need a new Johnson Rod installed.

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I had to fill it up last year with about 4#s or so and am almost bone dry, so obviously there is a leak somewhere. I have about a 20yr old system currently and it's probably in my best interest to get a whole new system. The guy said he could pump nitrogen into the system and find the leak and that would cost about $300 or so, but if it's the coil I'd have to get a new system anyway as it just doesn't make sense to fix it.

I guess I'm just trying to see about how much I should expect to pay for AC unit and furnace, I am going to call around but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

A dirty furnace filter, or a dirty condenser coil could cause your system to not work properly. When your AC isn't running, spray the coils outside with Simple Green. Let it sit five or ten minutes, and then spray the coils with the hose downward at a 45 degree angle. Do this once a month, or when a visual inspection shows that dirt and dust have accumulated.

Change those filters often, people. Don't buy the fancy 3M filters. They almost stop too much air, especially when they are dirty, or worse clogged, which many people let them become. Buy the cheap, 99 cent filters, and change them every month.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

Sounds like a question for Murph.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

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Where are you located, vendor? I know a guy...and can give you his number if he services the area you're in.

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usually you can find a service guy to do on the side and 400 $ sounds insane...i have paid 100 $ before ..just because dude came out right away...if you live in the city i can probably give ya a couple guys numbers to fill ya up for the summer....if i were you and i was going to buy a new condenser/coil and line set and furnace i would buy it myself at marzullo supply 88th kedzie..you do not need a refrigeration card... buy everything yourself and save 35% and have a tin knocker or hvac guy install....the new condenser comes with enough gas if you can keep the line set under 25 feet...

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PM sent

(not me for once!)

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No offense meant but the whole "I gotta guy" way of thinking should not apply to some guy coming in to fuck with the air you breathe or a furnace. I would go with a reputable firm (If there are any). If something screws up,you want to talk to a company not some "gotta guy" guy.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

This is true.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way

I used to have a guy who would come out and refill the freon but I'm kind of looking to fix the issue instead of having to band aide it every year. I also wouldn't be looking to go with the "i got a guy" route to install a new system, I think I would feel better about having a warranty and such.

Pretty lame dude. Most "gotta guys" in this field are pretty sharp. Joe schmoe can't go buy this stuff. You have to be EPA certified. They don't exactly hand those out. This isn't like some shade tree mechanic who does brake jobs when he's not an accountant.

Some if us are trying to start businesses here. Please don't simply talk crap about us.

Reputable firms? Some big name firms with big ad dollars are shady as fuck. They'll put a 3 ton ac unit in and not bother with any type of load testing or design. They won't check your airflow. They won't care if your ductwork can only handle 1200 cfm and they're putting in a 5 ton unit.

Now to the question... A 20 year old system might be using a refrigerant that's harder and harder to come by every day. Its increasing rarity is increasing its price dramatically. Some refrigerants have tripled in price over the last two years.

If you're leaking that much you should find and fix the leak or replace the evap coil because you're fucking up the atmosphere and throwing money out the window. Its probably time for a 90+ furnace anyway. Com ed and nicor will combine for over 600 in credits too if you upgrade. Not to mention massive utility savings.

But jimmy, you're giving.out some shitty advice. If you don't know, just don't post it.

Thanks.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

DS,
If my furnace goes out in the middle of winter,should I call "gotta_guy" who put it in some 3 years ago and since has left the area? Hey,didn't mean to step on any toes but your opinion is no better or worse than mine. Personally,my choice is to go with a reputable firm which I have had in my area for the 25 years I lived here.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

You just do whatever you want to do. I really don't care if you want to pay triple for the exact same guy. Once again, the "gotta guy" cannot buy the refrigerant unless he's licensed by the EPA. He's not just some jerk with a manifold gauge. Just stop giving out bad advice. You're out of your element donnie.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

i agree with darkside.... i have friends who are tin knockers and some who are service guys (b card) 597 pipe fitters ...both do this for a living...it is not rocket science ... i would bet my paycheck that the guys i know who have been doing this for 15-25 years are far superior to the workers that install for four seasons...my friend is a salesman at four seasons ..i have seen their work and prices... and you run a far greater chance of problems from the crew of dudes who slap in 2 units a day and slam everything together than a guy on the side .if ya want to spend an extra 2k go ahead.

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i generally try to cut out the middle man every possible time...you are aware they buy in bulk and make most of their money on selling the unit to ya and not on the install right? labor is cheap for the big companies..like 13 bucks an hour cheap.

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Interesting how you avoided the comment I made about getting ahold of these "on the side" guys if your furnace blows out. "On the side" means nobody is flying out to your house in the middle of winter to fix it because they have their own jobs to go to. A lot of times,you might get charged just a little less than a regular place. You just have to ask yourself if it's worth it.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Jimmy, I'm just not interested in getting into one of these bullshit internet fights with you. It's pointless. It's got me so fucking tired out of this place that I just don't have the interest in it anymore.
You have your opinion already. Listen, you got no heat and you call me at 2am I'll come out and fix it. I'll fix it right. If it can't be fixed I'll honestly show you why. I wouldn't bullshit you because I have a very good friend that does my auto work and I honestly feel a debt to the universe for his honest no bullshit help he's given me. I would like to be able to contribute back to the world in a similar way.
I've fixed a shit ton of furnaces already and found common problems and weird problems. If you call me at 1pm I might tell you I'll be there after work. Or you can call the big guys and have them come out and do the precise exact same thing for triple the price. Or maybe they'll give the wrong info like you got in your first post. It took 2 service calls to that "reputable firm" to get the right answer, didn't it?
I can tell by what you're posting that you really don't know what you're talking about. So I'll leave it at that. I'm out of this now.

My advise to the OP is simply this... don't just charge the unit. It's a cash waste. You can pay that money and pay it again next year, or you can fix the leak and get it done. If you do simply decide to charge it, you're going to need to go to several different companies because there are laws about condemning units that need repeat chargings of certain amounts over certain timeframes. Beware of that.

Check out Com Ed's and Nicors credits too. Might still be stimulus dollars available too, but that I'm not sure of. If you give me the specs on what you have now I can give you a quick payback model and tell you how long it'll take to make your money back on utility savings. Best luck. it's going to be hot this weekend.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

No. You should get an extra blanket, you pansy.

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Originally, we were going to have a Goodman Furnace/AC put in for a pretty low price. Called around and ended up going with a Trane Furnace and AC with 18 months zero interest about three years ago. The price difference was quite a bit and the Trane guy sat down with us and explained why. Basically the Goodman system wasn't big enough for our home. We have a 2 story 2100 sq ft house and we have not had a bill over 140 a month since we got it. Amazing how much we've saved. Plus the Trane guy gave us his cell number and said if anything ever goes wrong to call him personally.

Big initial cost but the savings have been big.

DS,
Your closing in on 26000 posts. I'm sure you knew what you were talking about in every single one. Yes,I'm not a refrigerant/furnace guy. That's why I call someone.
I think it's admirable in the service you provide,but that's just you. I just get a kick on your "Hub Arkush" like tone with me. You can insult me all you want,I'm just giving my opinion. That's what everybody does on here in case you didn't notice.

Have a nice Memorial Day!

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Well, since we are on the subject (I guess), I may need to replace mine next summer...

Opinions on brands?
Who to buy from?
A/C efficiency, what the hell does it all mean?!?!?!
What questions to ask etc
What is a reasonable price.

3200 sq feet, 2 story, 4 bedrooms.


Ready.................GO.

Let me give you my expert opinion: PM Darkside

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Settle down, let us keep this thread on track. If you two want to get naked and fight in jello, well, be my fucking guest.

Thanks!