Current Events > How does it cost fucking $40k to replace my AC units?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I got three companies to come out, and the quotes for a complete AC and furnace replacement is $34k, $46k, and $42k wtf brah. I thought itd be like $20k max.

Last summer I had to replace mine. It was 12k

Its a grift by big AC. The AC companies own those guys and control the price!

Dont fall for it!

So the 4-ton / 100k BTU AC/furnace unit is about 17 years old, and it struggles to cool our house (like house is at 80F when outside is like 90F with the AC on 24 hours). The AC finally hit the bucket, and it broke today.

Instead of trying to fix it, I figured lets upsize to 5-ton / 120k BTU, and also add a 4-ton mini split system to supplement.

HVAC replacement is kind of a scam and every company will recommend a replacement if the unit is beyond a certain age regardless of the level of damage.

Find someone willing to diagnose the actual problem and replace the part. The control board on my HVAC broke and companies recommended a new unit for the house until I bought a new board for $100 online and replaced it myself. Years later the fan blew and, again, recommendations for a new unit. So I bought a fan motor for like $150 and replaced it myself. The outside fan blew a capacitor which was a $20 part.

Inflation and higher wages.

IdiotMachine posted...

I got three companies to come out, and the quotes for a complete AC and furnace replacement is $34k, $46k, and $42k wtf brah. I thought itd be like $20k max.

How big is the AC?

You don't need A/C problem solved

Arr, avast ye! Shiver me timbers, ye scallywag! How in Davy Jones' locker does it cost a bloomin' fortune of $40k to replace yer AC units? Blimey! Ye've got three companies parading 'round like a pack of hornswogglers, and their quotes be soundin' like a bunch of bilge rats! $34k, $46k, and $42k, by Blackbeard's beard! Blast me barnacles, I thought it'd be a measly $20k at most!

But fear not, me hearties! This ol' pirate's got a tale to tell. Ye see, the cost of replacin' AC units can vary like the tides. It depends on the size of yer ship... err, home, the type o' units ye be needin', the quality o' the gear, and the complexity o' the installation. Aye, the scurvy dogs of a company ye choose may have their own way of doin' things, addin' to the booty they be chargin' ye.

But fret not, matey! If ye be thinkin' those prices be higher than a crow's nest, ye can hoist the Jolly Roger and seek other bids. Cast yer eyes on different service providers, compare their offers, and demand a treasure map that shows ye the breakdown of costs. Don't be afraid to haggle like a true pirate, savvy? Remember, ye be the captain of yer own ship, and ye can chart a course to a fair deal.

So batten down the hatches, me matey, and set sail on yer quest for a better bargain. May the winds of fortune blow in yer favor, and may ye find yerself an AC replacement that won't make ye walk the plank o' yer hard-earned doubloons! Yo ho ho, and a bottle o' rum!

IdiotMachine posted...

The AC finally hit the bucket, and it broke today.

in that time frame. days later we're all cooking in that house. the only relief was that goddamn A/C and now BIG A/C is trying to screw us over with highway robbery repair prices.

If you're replacing, switch to a heat pump

Tyranthraxus posted...

How big is the AC?

Currently 4-tons, but nowhere enough. Hence:

IdiotMachine posted...

So the 4-ton / 100k BTU AC/furnace unit is about 17 years old, and it struggles to cool our house (like house is at 80F when outside is like 90F with the AC on 24 hours). The AC finally hit the bucket, and it broke today.

Instead of trying to fix it, I figured lets upsize to 5-ton / 120k BTU, and also add a 4-ton mini split system to supplement.

Starks posted...

If you're replacing, switch to a heat pump

lol no thanks. Natural gas is far cheaper vs electric. Though the supplemental mini-split system will be able to provide heat, but that wont be needed.

How big is your place? I've got friends and family in the hvac business and am curious to see if they think 4 ton is big enough.

How many units do you have?

IdiotMachine posted...

lol no thanks. Natural gas is far cheaper vs electric.

it's true. that is why i choose not to run the in-house heating. easily rack up the electric bill 100 or more dollars per month.

s0nicfan posted...

Find someone willing to diagnose the actual problem and replace the part. The control board on my HVAC broke and companies recommended a new unit for the house until I bought a new board for $100 online and replaced it myself. Years later the fan blew and, again, recommendations for a new unit. So I bought a fan motor for like $150 and replaced it myself. The outside fan blew a capacitor which was a $20 part.

All of this, with the exact prices to match for me. Fixed all of this in of no more than two hours total over the many years. And a good amount of that time is reading and making sure you're doing every step right.

It's so much cheaper and faster to fix it yourself.

Bishop_Hastur posted...

How big is your place? I've got friends and family in the hvac business and am curious to see if they think 4 ton is big enough.

Total livable square footage is 5,400sqft. The main floor is 2,200sqft and has cathedral ceilings of up to 24ft in height. I have no attic also, and I have 7 skylights, and 20 rectangular glass vertical windows on the roof line.

When the house was built, basement wasnt finished so its like 3200sqft, which I guess 4-tons is good enough (though idk why they would think that what with the cathedral ceilings, no attics, and windows everywhere). But now that the basement is finished (complete with its own entrance and giant 4x4 egress windows everywhere), it counts as livable space.

Have you considered having two small/medium units, with each cooling half of the house? My parents did that once and it worked out. I assume that its less stress on the units and if one goes out, youve got a cool half of the house.

Payzmaykr posted...

Have you considered having two small/medium units, with each cooling half of the house? My parents did that once and it worked out. I assume that its less stress on the units and if one goes out, youve got a cool half of the house.

Wed have to rip out the existing ductwork to do split units. So instead, I was recommended to add a mini split.

Hold up i know the actual answer to this:

They changed federal regulations for this stuff a year or two ago. Some old HVAC refrigerants got banned, existing units can't handle the new stuff and they need a total refit, pipes and everything. They aren't making replacement parts for the old stuff because of this, supply dries up, prices go through the roof etc.