I bet a lot of you belong to the "HVAC crapped out at the worst time" club.

Sybertiger

Sybertiger

Known around here
Jun 30, 2018
6,258
20,469
Orlando
This time it crapped out at the official worst time. Died Saturday afternoon and it's 90+ degrees and sunny outside. I called the installer to take a look but they are all booked up today. I think it's the blower motor (again) so I'm going to risk $300 and change it out myself since the 10 year warranty just expired two months ago. It's the same error code from 2 years ago when it was changed out. Two years ago while under warranty it still costed me over $400 for labor to change out the motor since only parts are included under the warranty. Over the phone the tech told me if it's the motor again it's $1,200 for the motor and I assume another $400 for them to spend 10 minutes to change it out. Why $1,200 for a $300 motor? Trust me, I looked at the replacement they put in two years ago and it's just a generic Genteq motor not a special Trane gold plated one.

I have to say that after having this Trane system for 10 years I'm not impressed with Trane. Had the techs come out here at least 4 times in 10 years and that doesn't include the two times I replaced the starter capacitor myself. I don't think I'd do Trane again. Maybe go with Daikin the next time or just go lowball and do Goodman then expect it to be similar to how the Trane got derailed a half dozen times the last 10 years.
 
Last edited:
  • Sad
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: bp2008, samplenhold, johnfitz and 3 others
I pulled out my hurricane backup window AC and mounted it this morning in the master bedroom so I can survive 4 nights until the replacement motor comes in. Bedroom is now 69 degrees and the rest of the house 87 degrees.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TonyR, observant1, CanCuba and 3 others
I've had good luck ordering parts from SupplyHouse.com. I thought my inducer motor went out, so I ordered one. It ended up just being some water in the housing. I drained it, and it's been good to go. I kept the new one because it was cheap enough to have, just in case. A couple months later, in the middle of a really cold winter, a neighbor asked if anyone happened to know of a supply house that was open on the weekend because their inducer motor went out... I offered mine up and all they had to do was replace it. They had heat, and I had a new, spare a couple days later.
 
  • Like
Reactions: observant1, bp2008 and Sybertiger
That sucks man. Been there
 
  • Like
Reactions: StevenFromTexas and Sybertiger
I’m guessing the outside unit is running and freezing up but the inside blower is not running? Probably blower motor as you say if so.

Your blowers shouldn’t be going out that frequently. I’m guessing you are changing filters regularly? Daiken and carrier are good. But so is train so maybe you just got a lemon…
 
I bought a new house in 1992 that came with a Trane 3.5 ton AC system. When it was about 18 years old an AC tech convinced me it's about time to replace it, even though it was still working. I went ahead and replaced it with another Trane system, but the compressor went out within the first year, then a little later the evaporator coil developed a leak. It was all repaired under warranty, but was still a headache to deal with.
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: TonyR and StevenFromTexas
Sybertiger said:
This time it crapped out at the official worst time. Died Saturday afternoon and it's 90+ degrees and sunny outside. I called the installer to take a look but they are all booked up today. I think it's the blower motor (again) so I'm going to risk $300 and change it out myself since the 10 year warranty just expired two months ago. It's the same error code from 2 years ago when it was changed out. Two years ago while under warranty it still costed me over $400 for labor to change out the motor since only parts are included under the warranty. Over the phone the tech told me if it's the motor again it's $1,200 for the motor and I assume another $400 for them to spend 10 minutes to change it out. Why $1,200 for a $300 motor? Trust me, I looked at the replacement they put in two years ago and it's just a generic Genteq motor not a special Trane gold plated one.

I have to say that after having this Trane system for 10 years I'm not impressed with Trane. Had the techs come out here at least 4 times in 10 years and that doesn't include the two times I replaced the starter capacitor myself. I don't think I'd do Trane again. Maybe go with Daikin the next time or just go lowball and do Goodman then expect it to be similar to how the Trane got derailed a half dozen times the last 10 years.
Click to expand...
Any major lightning storms lately? If so, run a ground rod (8') right next to your unit pad and ground the unit directly to that ground rod. I have a 10 year old Trane hybrid unit that has run perfectly. I have the service tech come out and do a cleaning on it every other year, but they don't really find it dirty. I use a good filter and change it out regularly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: garycrist
Smilingreen said:
Any major lightning storms lately? If so, run a ground rod (8') right next to your unit pad and ground the unit directly to that ground rod. I have a 10 year old Trane hybrid unit that has run perfectly. I have the service tech come out and do a cleaning on it every other year, but they don't really find it dirty. I use a good filter and change it out regularly.
Click to expand...
No nearby lightning strikes but I do notice occasional power issues as evidenced by the UPS for my BI system kicking in every once in a while. I have a whole house surge suppressor. I clean out the leaves from the outside unit and using either Simple Green or a cleaning foam to clean the coils every year. Air filters are changed regularly. I was using MERV 13 but dropped down to MERV 11. We do run our AC units a lot here in Florida. The last couple of years we really didn't get a lot of rain in my area....it rained all around us so we didn't get the cooling effect of a T-storm. As a result, there were days when the unit was logging 16 hours of run time per day.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: garycrist
I grew up in one of the hottest parts of Los Angeles. Until 1973, we had swamp coolers that maybe brought the temperature down to the 80s. When I was a kid, we didn't really notice, You don't sweat when you only weigh 60 pounds or so, and there wasn't a lot of A/C around, certainly not in the schools and none of my friends had it. In '73 my parents put in central air, and for a month we had the unaccustomed luxury of cold air in the middle of summer. Then the electric bill came, and we rarely used it again. It was actually hotter in the house than it had been when we had the swamp coolers.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: CanCuba, garycrist, Sybertiger and 1 other person
Sybertiger said:
Maybe go with Daikin the next time or just go lowball and do Goodman then expect it to be similar to how the Trane got derailed a half dozen times the last 10 years.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear about your HVAC failure..

Yes, I have an International Comfort Products 3.5 ton AC unit (apparently that's the parent company of Carrier), it has failed twice in the last 5 years, both due to failures of the start capacitor, and at nearly the worst time each failure. I finally got wise and bought a spare start capacitor. :mad:

FWIW, I am fairly confident that Daikin is the parent company of Goodman. I don't know what minor differences there are between Daikin-branded units and Goodman, but I would be interested if anybody here with intimate knowledge honestly believes there are any significant differences..

And while we're on the topic, if anybody has any constructive criticism of Goodman/Daikin, I'd like to hear it, since that is one of the options I'm considering for a replacement of my HVAC, my decision is imminent (next week or two). Also, if there is a good reason to avoid a 2-stage AC unit, I'd also be interested to hear the reasoning.. Thanks..
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sybertiger
Smilingreen said:
Any major lightning storms lately? If so, run a ground rod (8') right next to your unit pad and ground the unit directly to that ground rod.
Click to expand...
You do Not ever want more than one Earth ground rod used on your home in a remote location. You Only use 2 ground rods when they are located close by each other at the service panel entry, and the two rods are bonded together, to achieve the correct grounding resistance.
 
  • Like
Reactions: observant1, Sybertiger and Smilingreen
I've got a 14 year old two-stage Carrier system, only thing that has gone out in that time is a capacitor on the condenser, which I replaced myself within an hour of it going out. My wife doesn't give me shit anymore about spare parts, because it has saved us several times - and a lot of money. Keep a spare motor, contactor, and capacitor on-hand for the future. You won't be sorry. Sybertiger - my parents had a Trane system. Bought their top of the line model furnace and ac, had at least 3 issues that I know of in the first 4 years. I also think that Trane parts are much less available, and so is repair info. It's out there, just not as common as many other brands.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sybertiger
Oneup said:
You do Not ever want more than one Earth ground rod used on your home in a remote location. You Only use 2 ground rods when they are located close by each other at the service panel entry, and the two rods are bonded together, to achieve the correct grounding resistance.
Click to expand...
I have two ground rods, one for my HVAC and one for the house service. They are both sunk within a foot of each other and they are Physically bonded together. I put the house HVAC on one as lightning takes the path or least resistance to ground. So, both rods are at the same earth potential. My HVAC unit sits right next to the service entrance. Why invite lightning inside the house if I don't have to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Oneup, Sybertiger and CanCuba
It is not the direct strike that causes ALL of the damage it's
the leaders rising from every pointed and elevated or conductive
object in the area that helps too.
All kinds of funny places for over-voltage to rise it's ugly head.

It used to be the telephone lines, as most of the modem users
can attest. So 2 bonded rods are good but, those pesky control lines
going back to the thermostat can make a nasty scorch mark on the wall.
Or the rain gauge indicator for the sprinkler system etc.

I've even been zapped holding my hand on the down-spout of the house
to stop the water till it overflowed the gutter
The funniest part of lightning, is the dispersant is also the attractant!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sybertiger
About 10 years ago a buddy brought me a central AC compressor when my original one died. He found it in storage in his shop, He said the thing has been sitting for as long as he has been there and that has been 20 years.

So mine is at least 30 years old. I have replaced fan motor and a capacitor and I have had to do a recharge on it, but the thing keeps pushing cold air. I have no plans on retiring it.

I look at my AC compressor the same way I look at my freezers. I have 3 chest freezers in my garage and basement. I know all 3 of them are 30-40 years old. Between my AC and those freezers I am sure it costs me more each month because they are not "efficient," but I would rather pay a few extra bucks a month for extra electric than have to wonder every 5-10 years when something is going to go bad and have to buy a replacement.
 
  • Like
Reactions: samplenhold, garycrist, vandyman and 1 other person
RGL said:
I've got a 14 year old two-stage Carrier system, only thing that has gone out in that time is a capacitor on the condenser, which I replaced myself within an hour of it going out. My wife doesn't give me shit anymore about spare parts, because it has saved us several times - and a lot of money. Keep a spare motor, contactor, and capacitor on-hand for the future. You won't be sorry. Sybertiger - my parents had a Trane system. Bought their top of the line model furnace and ac, had at least 3 issues that I know of in the first 4 years. I also think that Trane parts are much less available, and so is repair info. It's out there, just not as common as many other brands.
Click to expand...
Do contactors go out that often to warrant keeping a spare?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom