AC checkout/tune up $89 a good deal?

Watch the price of any other parts they might suggest are needed. A few years ago wee took advantage of one of these "special offers" for servicing our furnace. A capacitor was OK but only just. To buy a replacement there and then from the service guy would have been $80, but he said that if I went to their office it might be a little cheaper. I bought one from another a/c place for far less -- maybe $20 or less.

Perce

I'd want to discuss what that includes, and watch the guys like hawks with microscopes, while they were on my property. Overall, I'm suspicious of offers that sound good. I'm just not that trusting.

trader_4 posted for all of us...

And I know how to SNIP

I see these all the time. Have you had it serviced in the past?

If so, didn't that company that performed that service meet your expectations?

If you didn't have it serviced, why not?

The co. is in business to make money. Do you think it does this for $89? Especially with 2# of freezone? I doesn't go anywhere unless there is a leak. Plan for the sell. They will. They may not be shysters but know what to look for that will fail. You get what you pay for.

Hi, Maybe bait and switch artist? It is 95.00 arount here. I used them once and when tech told me I need this and thaty, I just said,"Thanks for heads up. I'll follow up on them" I cleaned washed coils at the end of the season and he said I need cleaning, etc.

Is that $95 for an honest guy or $95 for a bait and switch? Also, I assume that $95 is in Canadian $, so that probably translates to a little less than the $89 there.

I guess being smarter than the average bear, we can do that too! I guess he could let all the freon out. But Stormy says it ain't got no freon, so I guess he can't do that either... :)

I regret to be this cynical, but I suspect trouble. They will either find or cause some more expensive repair for you.

In the 15 years that I've owned this house, I've paid not one dime to anyone to perform any service on the (now) 39-year-old furnace or the (I think) 18-year-old A/C unit, and same goes for gas water heater, gas dryer or washing machine (both of those also being 15 years old).

Have just turned on the A/C unit the first time this season a few days ago. Works fine.

Turned off gas to the furnace pilot light just recently too (it's been a cold spring).

A few years ago I asked the guy who was installing our next-door neighbor's new A/C about getting ours serviced. He said, "If it's working OK, leave it alone."

Perce

Yes, definitely less: the $20 (approx.) capacitor was the dual one for the A/C (I diagnosed the problem myself). The replacement for the furnace was $6 on eBay.

Perce

I've seen units which "ran fine" but were in serious need of professional cleaning. The challenge is to find a company that does good and honest cleaning.

A few years ago I took the cover off the condenser unit and cleaned it with a garden hose and a nozzle that gave me a high-velocity spray. Last year I partially removed the evaporator A frame out of the furnace plenum and cleaned it with a combination of vacuum cleaner and high-pressure air.

I also removed a couple of baffle plates that forced all air through the A frame so that about 1/3 of the plenum opening was free of airflow restriction and the other 2/3 would have to flow through the A frame. This took some load off the fan and made the furnace more efficient for winter heating. I noticed no reduction in the house cooling performance last summer after doing that. In fact, the extra airflow made just having the fan running (without A/C on) was probably more sufficient more of the time.

Hmm I never turned off pilot when I lived in Scarboro. Moisture concern. Even out here in Calgary I keep pilots on. Only pilots are in the fire places. That 39 year old fura/c tune up costs 160.00, recharging the system properly; evacuate refrigerant Puron and weigh and recharging is 260.00 from a releiable service guy.

Hi, That part, cleaning I do it myself. Not that hard. At end of season I do it. Just turned on A/c last week and guess what, there is frost warning out tonight. Wife went out after supper, covered tomato and cuke plants.