AC Compressor Shuts Off Periodically

[Travis Bickell]

I was wondering if somebody could give me some advice on a problem I've been having with my Rudd Achiever 10 SEER AC unit. Problem may have started a couple of weeks ago when it wasn't cooling. So, I called an HVAC guy, who put 2 lbs. of freon in and charged me $209 ($109 for the service call and $100 for the freon).

Everything was working fine, but a few days later the system wasn't cooling again. So a different guy from the same company came out, and found that the breaker had tripped, evidently because the hardstart capacitor had blown. He wanted to charge me another $109 for a service call and $240 for the capacitor, which I suspected couldn't be more than a $50 part. So, I told him not to put it in, and I ended up going out to a local supply house where I bought one for $15. Put it in, and everything was working great again for a about a week.

Yesterday, however, the house was hot again, because the compressor had turned off, and the fan in the basement was blowing warm air. I checked the beaker, and found that it had not tripped. But I figured I would try flipping it on and off which, lo and behold, caused the compressor to come on.

Now, however, the compressor is turning off periodically, but turning back on when I flip the breaker on and off. So i'm basically at a loss as to what my next step should be.

I was therefore wondering if anyone could give me any advice on whether this is a problem I could fix, considering that i'm a fairly competent auto mechanic. Or should I bite the bullet and turn the problem over to a pro.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can give me on this.

[Noon-Air]

Oh goody....my favorite kind of customer.....not. There is a lot more to this story that is not being told.

[Stormin Mormon]

Well, Steve, isn't this one a classic. One for the archives? A car mechanic calls HVAC guy out to do the diagnosis, and then does his own parts swap. Now, comes to this message board for some more free advice to fix his AC on the cheep. Didn't we get one of these already this year?

[Stormin Mormon]

I'm remembering the woman who called me, about two years ago. The central AC had stopped working. She reset the breaker, and it tripped back off. After about a dozen resets, the breaker finally stayed on.

Some diagnosis later, I find that the blower motor had shorted. No big surprise, it's about six months out of warranty. And each time she reset, she sent a power surge through the control board. Which blew out, also.

If I may suggest, first you're far enough out of your field, that you're dangerous. Second, call a different service company. Sounds like that guy was going in more or less the right direction. But, there is so much more to check. Third, the reason HVAC guys are pricey is cause they have the training and experience to find the problem. They do not have the Kmart Blue Light Special 2.99 price on parts. That bit you did with the guy was really totally unethical business. I hope he got his $109 trip charge at least.

[Bubba]

Pretty much sounds like Stormy everyday only Stormy is trying to get money from people he calls customers. Bubba

[Bubba]

If help is needed just wait for Stormy to show up in his Pacer with the blue light special on top of the car. Bubba

[KJPRO]

Sounds just like Stormy.

I can't even believe you posted what you did here... I mean, from a guy that takes money from drunk ole ladies and kicks in door jambs...

[Travis Bickell]

Yikes! You guys obviously don't know the first thing about ethics. You expect someone to pay a guy $240 for a part that cost him $15 --an

1800% markup -- plus an additional 109 for the service call to diagnosis the problem. And after I already paid him 215 to diagnose and repair the problem.

How ethical do you think it would be for me to charge you 1800 for a fuel punp I pay $100 for plus 109 to diagnose the problem when your car is towed into my shop 2 days after I supposedly fixed the problem by replacing the distributor? Sure I could say that they were both bad, and gouge the shit out of you, but I have something called compassion.

You're right! I did come to the wrong place: Dante's 8th leve of Hell, where wrong is right and right is wrong

See ya!

[KJPRO]

Are you suggesting I quit stocking parts and tell my clients that I'll have it in the morning and fix it tomorrow? If so, my repair business would be very short lived.

[over a barrel]

Nope just saying that auto repair / supply chain is actually a poor example when comes to comparing with hvac.

Dont forget who the tools that makes the parts.

==

Funny thing, small town here one auto parts / repair shop that's it and when he can't turn bo more brake rotors cause the his lathe is broke well since I need a new alternator guess who makes the repair part ?

[Bubba]

Big difference in auto mechanic crap where the customer drives his little car right up to your rolling tool box. Our business requires us bringing EVERYTHING and I do mean EVERYTHING right to YOUR door just to keep you comfortable in your home. Bubba

[Noon-Air]

Is that bridge the one after the barn that burned down 2 years ago?? or the other one out by the south pasture at the Wilson place??

[Noon-Air]

The tech lost a lot of money on that call

The tech lost even more money on that call.... you must be trying to force him into bankruptsy. But if you called the same tech that was there the first time, the second trip should have been on his dime because he didn't get it right the first time.

The original problem still has not been corrected, so now you grasping at straws

Your next step is to go to

and find a contractor that knows WTF they are doing.

You already know you can't fix it...

[billy ray jim bob, hack at lar]

I have a real simple fix for ya....just keep reseting the tripped breaker, problem soved.

[Noon-Air]

The OP needs to call somebody that knows WTF their doing, instead of who has the cheapest service call fee, quit being a stingy cheap bastard, and let the man do his job.