When I was active in the trade, a $7,000 estimate generally meant the equipment was going to be about $3,500. We took the cost and doubled it for a total price. Our development in Arizona was built in 04-06 and by 2010 about 8 of the heat pumps had been replaced. With the stories of R-22 on the news, none of those pumps were given a repair estimate. The $7,000 was replacement cost of the entire unit both inside and out.
Our invoices always carried a parts list, pricing plus labor, tax and all. If they ask me if that is what I paid for the parts, I used to say, "Those prices are exactly what you would have had to pay for them unless you went used or outdated. Since I have to guarantee my work, I can't go with used or outdated equipment. All has to be factory fresh. That usually stops any further inquiry and if not, I then said, "You have me at a disadvantage with pricing. I don't do the buying, just the installations." If it does go any further, one can try to explain that "if you were to buy 15 of these condensing units, you can get a discount too but it won't be as much as you'd like."
Of course, you could always just try to answer the question! ; )
Congrats. Now hold a strip of paper above the fan grille, if the free end hence the air goes pretty much straight up, you are OK. If instead the air exits at an angle outward from the center, in a diverging cone shape the condenser coil is dirty and needs to be cleaned before you fry another motor.
See page 8 of the installation manual (link below). Are you in disagreemment with it?
If the condensor coil was dirty, the heat pump would run longer or more often than it normally does, now wouldn't it?
Bill
No, note the center arrow pointing straight up, on a plugged condenser the air is flung more out than up by the blade tips with none from the center, on a clean unit it does go straight up from the center around the motor. Some does still fling outward from the tips.
A plugged condenser is harder on the fan motor in 4 ways:
Why yes it would, but we don't notice slow changes very well, and coils don't usually plug up overnight.
Sorry forgot to trim.
The fan blade is not positioned correctly on the motor shaft will cause problems too.
I always look for that sweet spot in the venturi. ^_^
TDD
In the experiment you suggested in your earlier post above, you didn't say to hold the "paper strips" over the *center* of the fan grill. That's where we had a communication breakdown. What you wrote or copied below is much clearer.
The original motor was over 10 years old, I'll believe that the bearings gave up due to old age; I will monitor for other symptoms of a plugged condensor just in case. Thank you for your concern.
Bill
Daniel is correct about the air flow, I use a shop rag to illustrate the problem for customers but the air stream should feel like that on your hand if you hold it out the window of a vehicle moving 30mph. ^_^
TDD
What means, if it's a converging cone?
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
Congrats. Now hold a strip of paper above the fan grille, if the free end hence the air goes pretty much straight up, you are OK. If instead the air exits at an angle outward from the center, in a diverging cone shape the condenser coil is dirty and needs to be cleaned before you fry another motor.
One of my memorable "no cooling" calls. Turned out to be clogged condensor that looked perfectly clean. That bit of wisdom did come along, but it was hard won, and some what painful.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
Daniel is correct about the air flow, I use a shop rag to illustrate the problem for customers but the air stream should feel like that on your hand if you hold it out the window of a vehicle moving 30mph. ^_^
TDD
Yes, in my case, I measured the distance of the blade from the fan grille and positioned it on the new motor so that this dimension was the same. The replacement motor was actually a little shorter, so this was a simple, but important, step.
Even above the center, where the air flow is straight up?
Bill
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