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donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

[Rant] My A/C has died

While I was away over the long weekend. I got home last night to find the house boiling. The outside unit was not working and I could see and oily substance on it.

The thing is only 8 years old and hopefully repairable. The question is how quickly. I will be calling this morning.

DKS
Damn Kidney Stones

join:2001-03-22
Owen Sound, ON

DKS

said by donoreo:

While I was away over the long weekend. I got home last night to find the house boiling. The outside unit was not working and I could see and oily substance on it.

The thing is only 8 years old and hopefully repairable. The question is how quickly. I will be calling this morning.

Possibly a blown start capacitor. The oily fluid is from the capacitor. The cost for repair is around $200, including labour ($100 for the part and $100 for labour or whatever the minimum charge is). Other than being messy, it's a common thing to go and a quick replacement, unless you have an odd capacitor type that has to be ordered.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

said by DKS:

said by donoreo:

While I was away over the long weekend. I got home last night to find the house boiling. The outside unit was not working and I could see and oily substance on it.

The thing is only 8 years old and hopefully repairable. The question is how quickly. I will be calling this morning.

Possibly a blown start capacitor. The oily fluid is from the capacitor. The cost for repair is around $200, including labour ($100 for the part and $100 for labour or whatever the minimum charge is). Other than being messy, it's a common thing to go and a quick replacement, unless you have an odd capacitor type that has to be ordered.

That is possibly good news. Just a matter of getting someone here.

HaroldReyes
@rogers.com

HaroldReyes

Anon

You can eaily fix urself if u know a thing or 2 about electrics. Part is easily 30-50 and u can save laobour if u do it urself

p.s. Forza Espagna

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
WAAAAH,I don't have A/C and live without it....

Mike2009
join:2009-01-13
Ottawa, ON
TP-Link Archer C7
Technicolor DCM476
Grandstream HT701

Mike2009

Member

said by elwoodblues:

WAAAAH,I don't have A/C and live without it....

You must be crazy!

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

said by Mike2009:

said by elwoodblues:

WAAAAH,I don't have A/C and live without it....

You must be crazy!

I am, I just refuse to pay the Electrical tax on one, I see my neighbours electrical bill in the $200 range and cringe.
peterboro (banned)
Avatars are for posers
join:2006-11-03
Peterborough, ON

peterboro (banned) to donoreo

Member

to donoreo
My central air died 4 years ago. My brother is a licenced AC guy with his own business and said he can get me a practically new unit for free.

I decided to offset the carbon footprint from my V8 cars and make Wolfie happy by not fixing it. Joking.

Although I could easily pay the hydro I decided if my ancestors could live without it so can I. Certain family members don't share my enthusiasm for this perspective though.

Mike2009
join:2009-01-13
Ottawa, ON
TP-Link Archer C7
Technicolor DCM476
Grandstream HT701

Mike2009 to elwoodblues

Member

to elwoodblues
said by elwoodblues:

said by Mike2009:

said by elwoodblues:

WAAAAH,I don't have A/C and live without it....

You must be crazy!

I am, I just refuse to pay the Electrical tax on one, I see my neighbours electrical bill in the $200 range and cringe.

When it's really hot I pay around $250-$280 for 2 months. It's well worth it as the second floor bedrooms become unbearable without it.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

Anyone know some good AC guys in Toronto? The guys my father in law used cannot make it before Friday afternoon. That means if they have to wait for a part....over the weekend.

I cannot stand the heat, never could. I barely slept last night with the windows open and a fan blowing directly on me.
donoreo

donoreo

Premium Member

I found one that can do tomorrow morning. They said the oil could be the sign of a major leak as well. I think capacitor makes sense since the fan will not start. It makes sense with a leak the fan would still go, but it would just not cool.
donoreo

donoreo

Premium Member

Good news, they must have had a quick fix, they said they can make it to my place today.

FaxCap
join:2002-05-25
Surrey, BC

FaxCap to donoreo

Member

to donoreo
said by donoreo:

They said the oil could be the sign of a major leak as well.

Oil in an A/C unit??? I thought they used one of the new Freon replacements??

FaxCap

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

said by FaxCap:

said by donoreo:

They said the oil could be the sign of a major leak as well.

Oil in an A/C unit??? I thought they used one of the new Freon replacements??

FaxCap

The unit is only 8 years old, so it should not have freon in it.

FaxCap
join:2002-05-25
Surrey, BC

FaxCap

Member

said by donoreo:

said by FaxCap:

said by donoreo:

They said the oil could be the sign of a major leak as well.

Oil in an A/C unit??? I thought they used one of the new Freon replacements??

FaxCap

The unit is only 8 years old, so it should not have freon in it.

That's why I said "Freon replacements".

FaxCap

LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA

LazMan to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
There will also be some oil in the loop and compressor as well - without knowing where the oil came from, impossible to say if it's repairable, worth repairing, or what the cost will be...

I know a good mechanical guy out of Bolton, little out of your area - but he does work for me all over the city, if you want the name and #, send me a PM... No idea how busy he is this week, or when he could get there...

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

"He's dead, Jim"

The compressor is gone. They said that they have replaced 4 of these same ones in my neighbourhood themselves.

They can install a KeepRite unit on Thursday for a little over $3000.

I am doing research on it. 10 Year parts warranty, 10 year compressor warranty 1 year replacement warranty and they give 1 year on labour.

zacron
Premium Member
join:2008-11-26
Frozen Hoth

zacron

Premium Member

I don't beleive that... Check the capcitor, what exactly died? How long did it run with the damage done?

Z

Styvas
Who are we? Forge FC!
Premium Member
join:2004-09-15
Hamilton, ON

Styvas to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
said by donoreo:

"He's dead, Jim"

The compressor is gone. They said that they have replaced 4 of these same ones in my neighbourhood themselves.

They can install a KeepRite unit on Thursday for a little over $3000.

I am doing research on it. 10 Year parts warranty, 10 year compressor warranty 1 year replacement warranty and they give 1 year on labour.

We had a 2-ton, 16 SEER KeepRite installed on Thursday for $2,200. 10 year warranty on parts, 10 years on compressor, and 1 year on labour. So far it's working well through this heat wave. As I understand it, if you are replacing an existing unit with a more efficient unit, you're eligible for $400 back from the Province.

LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA

LazMan to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
Keeprite's common enough, pretty basic unit, but nothing wrong with them, as far as I'm aware.

I had a 1.5t American Standard (which is the same as Trane - produced at the same factory) installed last year for about 2k, all in, but it was new old stock - 13 seer.

3k seem about right, maybe even a shade low, based on quotes I've been getting for my new place...

Wolfie00
My dog is an elitist
Premium Member
join:2005-03-12

Wolfie00 to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
said by donoreo:

"He's dead, Jim"

The compressor is gone.

Hmm.. that's probably the case, I obviously have no reason to second-guess their diagnosis. But ironically, I was going to post earlier to be careful about shady repair types. I had a few of those crooks around in the old house when it still had the old water-cooled unit which failed more or less like clockwork every year! Finally got rid of it and got a nice Carrier unit that worked great all the rest of the time I was there. But one thing I learned is to be careful who you use for repair services. Unfortunately I'm damned if I know how you can really confirm that it's the compressor. I probably shouldn't be putting paranoid ideas into your head but somehow A/C repair types in my experience have always been the worst. If anything happened to mine I would probably want to use the original installer or at least a trusted authorized service outfit.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo to Styvas

Premium Member

to Styvas
said by Styvas:

said by donoreo:

"He's dead, Jim"

The compressor is gone. They said that they have replaced 4 of these same ones in my neighbourhood themselves.

They can install a KeepRite unit on Thursday for a little over $3000.

I am doing research on it. 10 Year parts warranty, 10 year compressor warranty 1 year replacement warranty and they give 1 year on labour.

We had a 2-ton, 16 SEER KeepRite installed on Thursday for $2,200. 10 year warranty on parts, 10 years on compressor, and 1 year on labour. So far it's working well through this heat wave. As I understand it, if you are replacing an existing unit with a more efficient unit, you're eligible for $400 back from the Province.

That is a better price than he is giving me for a SEER 13.

Damn, I hate researching crap like this. Does that installer do Toronto? PM me is you want.

Styvas
Who are we? Forge FC!
Premium Member
join:2004-09-15
Hamilton, ON

Styvas

Premium Member

PM sent.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues to donoreo

Premium Member

to donoreo
Here is are a few places to get ballpark figures.

»www.airmakers.ca/air_con ··· onto.php
»www.beatheat.ca/pb/wp_b1 ··· 2e6.html

DKS
Damn Kidney Stones

join:2001-03-22
Owen Sound, ON

DKS to donoreo

to donoreo
said by donoreo:

"He's dead, Jim"

The compressor is gone. They said that they have replaced 4 of these same ones in my neighbourhood themselves.

They can install a KeepRite unit on Thursday for a little over $3000.

I am doing research on it. 10 Year parts warranty, 10 year compressor warranty 1 year replacement warranty and they give 1 year on labour.

Happens. The signs are there, to be sure. I have a KeepRite. Good middle of the road brand.

Mike2009
join:2009-01-13
Ottawa, ON

Mike2009 to donoreo

Member

to donoreo
I have a ten year old Keeprite and it's been very efficient and reliable.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo to elwoodblues

Premium Member

to elwoodblues
said by elwoodblues:

Here is are a few places to get ballpark figures.

»www.airmakers.ca/air_con ··· onto.php
»www.beatheat.ca/pb/wp_b1 ··· 2e6.html

Airmakers gave me a good price on a higher model, still a Keeprite, and can install tomorrow morning. They are going to drop by this afternoon for a site check.

I checked them on Homestars and they got a 9.9 review.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

Have them take Dalton's rebate off the top.

donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON

donoreo

Premium Member

said by elwoodblues:

Have them take Dalton's rebate off the top.

We are going to discuss cash prices.

elwoodblues
Elwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in

elwoodblues

Premium Member

said by donoreo:

said by elwoodblues:

Have them take Dalton's rebate off the top.

We are going to discuss cash prices.

Cash is always good, as long as there's still a warranty.