Adjusted for inflation, and quantitative easing, that makes out to be about $125 per pound, now?
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
Many service companies were charging $30/lb for R22 twenty years ago. O_o
TDD
100% markup seems to be about the minimum.
Many folks don't understand that other factors come into play concerning the price of refrigerant. Government regulations require that the serviceman have a refrigerant recovery unit on the service vehicle and other equipment that may not be seen by the customer at the time of service, then there is the stack of paperwork required by the EPA. Admittedly, only the larger service organizations will abide by all the regulations because they're bigger and juicier targets for overzealous regulators. The little guys don't have much to lose and usually aren't worth the trouble for the EPA SWAT team to hunt down. ^_^
TDD
Plenty of slab houses have a mechanical closet for HVAC. Attic HVAC is just cost-cutting, pure and simple. Not worth the cost "savings" IMO.
My AL house is on a slab. The downstairs air handler is in a closet with a
25x25 return grille right in front of it. This house has an unfinished basement and both air handlers are in the attic. Both the returns and the cold/warm air grilles are in the ceiling.
Well, I'm retracting what I said anyway. Don't know enough about it. Just thought the attic was a bad place because I've never seen it. My sis has a 1st floor condo in Florida and everything except the condenser is in a closet. Real quiet too. But it's a small place and the ductwork is probably only in 2 walls. I'll have to look at that next time I'm there. Thinking about it, I don't even know where the condenser is, and since the mech room is in the center, it puzzles me that the refrigerant must make a long run to the outside. Has to be at least 30' to the outside from there. My condenser is only about 6' from the evap. What you said about running the duct work in the attic makes sense. Then it makes sense to have the air handler there too. So I take everything back.
You can go like 100ft with lines if you have to. The attic ones here typically have 50 ft or so.
A big potential advantage to having it inside the house is it can make servicing a lot easier. Some of the attic ones here have walk-in attics, which make that point moot too.
Like everything, there are tradeoffs. A utility closet air handler is in a more comfortable work location, but you generally get single side access. An attic mount air handler is in a more uncomfortable place to work, but you generally get all sides access to the unit. When I replaced my attic mounted air handler at my current house before doing anything else I finished out a complete decked work area around the unit's location as well as a walkway to it. That small amount of work went a *long* way towards making it an easier space to work in, even with low headroom. Far better than trying to balance on joists or move around small boards to sit on, and you can put tools down without loosing them in insulation.
Your house is on a slab AND has a basement?
How does that work?
Magic or folded space alla Dr. Who's Tardis. ^_^
TDD
Yep.
The slab is in Alabama[1] and the Basement[2] is in Georgia. Big house - two states and four air handlers. ;-)
[1] Attached to a house [2] Under this house (it's a weekday, so it's Georgia)
Someone once asked me what state I was in? My answer: Confusion. ^_^
TDD
My taxes are going to be a real mess this year (wife lives and works in AL, I'm work gin in GA and my pension is paid in AL), so next April I really will be. It was bad enough last year, but I just claimed non-resident. Can't do that this year.
AZ, recent visit, less than two weeks ago. Visit from factory recommended and fully certified, etc. cost $49.95 included 'courtesy' pressure checks on 3 zones. BUT,...an empty Heat Pump required 9.5 lb of R22 at $50/lb !! plus tax
Ouch! And, thanks for providing real number.
I installed a splilt system, years ago. Came without the usual factory charge, I had to put in the five pounds of freon.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
AZ, recent visit, less than two weeks ago. Visit from factory recommended and fully certified, etc. cost $49.95 included 'courtesy' pressure checks on 3 zones. BUT,...an empty Heat Pump required 9.5 lb of R22 at $50/lb !! plus tax
NW Indiana, had unit checked and charged just last week.
$85 service call $10 freon for all of 3 lbs.
The customer who called me last week, said he was retired. Lives in a big house, his pay- ments must be killing him. And, the real estate market is ded.
He balked at $25 a pound, and $25 labor to put it in. No pleasing everyone. Bet you wish for that price, for your heat pump.
Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
AZ, recent visit, less than two weeks ago. Visit from factory recommended and fully certified, etc. cost $49.95 included 'courtesy' pressure checks on 3 zones. BUT,...an empty Heat Pump required 9.5 lb of R22 at $50/lb !! plus tax
R22 or R410?
Too bad you oscillate between states that have income taxes. You could move a bit farther south, to Florida, and avoid all that silliness. Or, go west, young man. There are actually seven states without an income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming).
I really should. But I went (both places) were the job is.
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