a/c evaporator coil leak

[Rick]

Hello, My unit froze up the other day, a tech came out and diagnosed a leak in the evaporator coil. It's a 5 ton Trane model TWH060P150F0, about 11 years old and located in the attic. The outside unit was replaced

6 years ago because of a lightning strike. The tech said the coil was aluminum and could not be repaired. He gave me 2 options, replace coil $1676 or replace entire air handler $2779. I would like to know, first are these price quotes reasonable? And should I replace just the coil or the whole unit?

TIA Rick

[Greg O]

Geez!! Darn near $1700?!! The Trane coil must be made of gold, or the tech gets $250 an hour for the job! Sounds real high to me. The last evaporator coil I replaced was $175 for the coil and 4-1/2 hours labor. In this area that comes about $500. Granted labor rates in many areas are 2X what they are here, but I still can't see the job running over $1000 on the high end. But hey! It is a Trane! Like we say in the trade, "Nothing runs like a Trane, and when one crashes, nothing is harder to get back on the tracks either!" Greg

[Jerry L]

[GeoeMan1]

Trane coils very seldom leak. However, they are made of COPPER. Maybe the coil is leaking in the center of the fins, which would require a replacement.

Also, you won't get a Trane coil for $175 ! I know, I was a Trane dealer and back six years ago we WISHED we could buy them for that price wholesale! But, I guess that is why I have only once in 25 years found one that leaked.

I bet the guy is changing out the entire air handler. If so, remember people, we can't see the job. Maybe it is one of the worst installations you can imagine and this service person is thinking of cleaning up a real mess.

Rich

[GeoeMan1]

Was this an air handler like the other post or was it a coil over a furnace?

I'm not exaggerating, I have only found one Trane coil to leak in all the years they have belonged to American Standard.

Hmmmmm.. Rich

[jim]

i was quoted a $1100 for a 3 ton unit for the box in the attic(evaporator coil).. and i thought that was high.... guess i was getting a good price... now 5 ton units are bigger and might be the reason why the higher price???? but for $2779 i would expect them to do alot more than that.. but some guys operate like this and quote all high prices...if they find people who dont want to pay that then the move on to someone who will... they will always be making money.. if not yours then someonelse's money....

[HeatMan]

Get another bid for the replacement....

[CBHvac]

In all fairness Greg..it might be in a bitch of a spot.

[Dorot29701]

My two year old Carrier sprung a leak in the evaporator coil - it was replaced free with me paying the labor.

Anyway, we discussed it first because it wasn't covered by warranty (just had one year) and the repairman told me that it cost almost as much to buy a new coil as it did to buy a new air handler. Don't remember the exact figures but he told me what they were - and he was right.

Think if it were me I would just buy a new air handler. Eleven years is a good run.

Dorothy