HVAC technicians recommend expensive repairs without clear explanation

“Needing some advice, is this something I need to take seriously and pay or can I get away with it for a while? Thanks in advance! submitted by /u/winsomeStep [link] [comments]”

“Have a 15-year-old trance that two different techs told me needs a new heat exchanger. The homeowner is a close friend and said we can definitely do it on our own. Everything I see says that is a bad idea. Is changing a heat exchanger something two kinda handy dudes can do? For reference, I had to look up what a heat exchanger was. submitted by /u/chickentender777 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone. Please bear with me on the amount of info but I feel I need to explain the circumstances of scenario happening. So, I had a new York hvac system installed in late May of 2025. Air handler in attic with heat pump/condenser. I’m not knowledgeable enough to say more specifics. I have kept a yearly service care contract with the company that sold and installed it. I got a remainder to schedule my fall checkup which I did and got an appointment with a window of 8:00-10:00am. The morning”

“My hvac guy says my heat exchanger is cracked, I don’t believe him. Is he trying to scam me submitted by /u/freddygg1234 [link] [comments]”

“Had a HVAC inspection set up through a company that had a rep at Lowe’s. He came out and said this may be a crack in the heat exchanger. The entire scenario was very high pressure and the reviews on the company are mostly fake 5 star reviews or 1 star reviews that the company engages in scammy practices. As far as I know he didn’t do any other pressure tests to determine leakage. Quoted me 4K to replace the heat exchanger (which may be under warranty - XV80 Trane from 2012 - and a failing leaky”

“He found a small leak and the compressor would not fire up, even with a “hard start” kit. System was installed in 2021, and it’s a Trane 3ton with an LG compressor. Don’t want to pay another diagnostic fee for a second opinion so I figured I’d see y’all’s thoughts. submitted by /u/ctw1987 [link] [comments]”

“I’m not an HVAC technician so maybe this is perfectly correct but I wanted to ask because the plumbers at this job messed up a lot of other things. submitted by /u/anonymousJ73 [link] [comments]”

“One of our AC units went out yesterday. The technician apparently (said to my husband not me) said that it might be more worth replacing the whole unit as parts might become unavailable. However, looking at my home inspection the unit was manufactured in 2020, so it seems a bit soon to be worried about not getting parts and my inspection estimated another 10 years (as of now) out of the unit. So I was leaning towards just a repair. However, when I got the repair quote it was close to what I was”

“Had a ceiling leak and they came out yesterday and said it was all fixed. Started leaking again from ceiling 7 hours later and ac shut off that time. New guy from same company came out and said it was clogged again. Is it even possible to clog again that fast? Or was it likely not fixed the first time? submitted by /u/Aggressive_Cup_9608 [link] [comments]”

“I'm putting together a basic HVAC maintenance checklist as a homeowner trying to learn. Two things I'm still unsure about: If the condensate drain line clogs, is it okay to clear it myself (wet/dry vac on the outside end, or a vinegar flush), or is that better left to a tech? For window units, portable ACs, and ductless mini-splits, is rinsing and drying the filters about all a homeowner should do, or is there more to it? Thanks, just trying to figure out what's safe to do myself. &#”

“So, I have had some less than stellar service from my last HVAC company for my propane furnace. The questions before the detail: Is this whole "old and low pressure" like a scammy thing found in shady HVAC people? The part is new. Is 10 years for a propane furnace considered OLD? My reading says prepare for replacement in the event of failure after around 15 years... but service and replace parts up until then... We've just gotten to 10 years. Read the "Current" section b”

“I just had my my a/c replaced and this is the state of the indoor return, with a visible gap. submitted by /u/finetime341 [link] [comments]”

“Hey! Our HVAC went out and a client of mine’s husband is an HVAC technician so we asked him over the phone what might be wrong and he just instead came over, diagnosed and replaced a bad capacitor within an hour of reaching out. Gave him a nice bottle of wine but wondering if I should offer something else or some money as well? Not sure what the standard thanks is for doing a favor on a Sunday for a spouses friend! submitted by /u/howdoesitallfit [link] [comments]”

“Hey there, I have a corolla 2021 LE (it has the new frowned upon r1234yf chemical) where the AC isn't cold as before anymore. I went to a shop to get it diagnosed and I wonder if the procedure is standard everywhere else: I called the shop, they said to leave car in the morning I arrived, they gave me form to fill out and sign, they said it'll be done by end of day End of day arrives, shop calls me and tells me what's wrong with it. They gave me estimate over the phone. Vehicle lost”

“Had a “local” company come out today for my between season tune-up. First they did was tell me my duct work is old and is falling apart and say they will send me a quote (have not got that yet). They do wind up telling my my outside coils need a chemical spray down and not a normal rinse. They send me a quote for $260. Afterward I get another quote for an ignition module for another $470. I have not any issues so far with my equipment since I had another company replace my evap coil. I’ve declin”

“Hey r/hvacadvice ! I had a recent inspection of my ductwork and was advised to have a full replacement. From what I can see it’s mostly, or all, hard duct. Not sure of the age of the existing ducts but they estimated 30+ years. It’s old. Home built in 1958. There are patches of insulation missing on the ducts exposing bare metal, it’s a bit torn up elsewhere. My cooling bill is a bit on the high side even after insulating my attic as well. Package unit is older but operating well. The air is wor”

“I recently had a new hvac system installed through my home warranty program and just got the HERS test back saying the total air leakage is nearly 95%. I've had to chase them for a month to get this report. This seems absurd for a brand new unit and is leading me to believe that the system was not installed properly rather than just a normal sealing issue in the ducting. Is this a fair assumption? They are trying to charge me nearly $1000 to come out and seal the duct boots and plenums- woul”

“I've had 4 quotes. Only one installer recommended replacing the line set. AI when asked, says it should always be replaced with a new install to insure clean lines. HVAC guys, what is the way to go ? Thanks in advance for your insights. submitted by /u/roonie1 [link] [comments]”

“HVAC tech was performing regular tune up checks on the furnace and mentioned the heat exchanger may leak CO and gave the attached pics. He is suggesting to go for a change of the HVAC as the unit is a Trane 15 years old and replacing the heat exchanger will cost above $1600.. Trying to figure out the extent of the damage and does it needs a full replacement.. any ideas pls.. submitted by /u/Party-Membership-795 [link] [comments]”

“We got our AC and Bryant furnace installed by the same company within the last few years. We signed up for their maintenance plan and they do our yearly maintenance on both units, which extends the warranty (parts/labor) on each. They did the furnace check today. They said the furnace looks good, but the condensate pump and the drain tube need replacing. They quoted $581 for both replacements. Questions: 1) Is that a reasonable quote? I'm in the Chicago area. 2) Are those repairs DIY-able? I”

“Ok I will do that, thank you! Everywhere I called was locally suggested on Yelp and stuff and they all insisted that they won't even come out until I pay the diagnostic fee”

“I'm looking for advice on how bad it is, and also to compare to what a technician says. What do you think happened based off the events, and is it fixable or needs to be fully replaced? I figure it is very likely I am to blame, as I did not know better. Please save your harsh comments on the lack of intelligence on my part. I'm learning the hard way clearly. Series of events: First rain (w/ thunderstorms) in a while Power outage (brief, maybe 10 sec) Noticed no cooling. Main breaker flip”

“My Trane CleanEffects filter failed. HVAC tech said it was the board and not worth fixing. I was quoted a very high price ($3500 IIRC) to replace it with a standard filter box which I declined. Instead, I bought a BAYFTFR17M 5" pleated filter. MERV 8, but it's available in MERV 11 or 13 too. This filter has to be specifically made for this application. It even has a notch to clear a guide pin in for the cleaneffects collection cells, and a tab that fits with the CleanEffects door. I had”

“I've been having trouble with clogged drain lines. I have three ac units in my house. I understand that there's a baseline materials cost for each unit but I received a quote for over 1.3k for clearing out my units. Am I reasonable in thinking they're adding in some "service charge" overhead on all three cleanings? submitted by /u/finding-meaning-01 [link] [comments]”

“HVAC check up; tech says ‘indoor coil found with plenum growing bacterial growth’ ‘Clean air and order control’ system definitely a new one for me to see Pricing seems ridiculous and work seems over the top for the issue but not familiar with bacterial problems. submitted by /u/RevolutionaryEcho [link] [comments]”

“I just got a quote to replace my Lennox HS29-024-5P AC condenser fan motor for $2500...it felt absurd and I'm handy enough, so I decided to look up how to do it. It seems easy enough -- I believe the OEM replacement part is here ( https://www.supplyhouse.com/Lennox-68J97-1-6-HP-Condenser-Fan-Motor-230v ). Am I missing anything? Is this really that easy or are there any gotchas? Do I have the right part? Here are some pics of the unit for reference. Note: I did have a hard start kit installed”

“Hi all. I am very much an HVAC layman. USA, Midwest. A few weeks back I had to replace my 25+ year old AC/furnace unit fully. I worked with a company who has provided exemplary service many times before. I took the opportunity to have a "whole home" dehumidifier installed as well (AprilAire E100). After a few weeks of checking my digital thermostat periodically, I can see the humidity readings are still generally over 60%, and have shown no real improvement. So I took a closer look at”

“I am a new homeowner and admittedly do not know much about HVAC systems. Had a technician come by today to inspect HVAC system because we only had one overall house inspection since buying a few months ago. Technician says that bacterial matter is building up because UV light installed is an "incorrect" model that isn't rated for limiting bacterial spread and is instead only rated for dust, this explanation doesn't really pass the smell test for me. He quoted 1) an $11K full in”

“Any feedback other than the feedback the ac unit is giving out would be helpful. A company was a referral from two previous family members who had their ac and heater installed. The company installed this Trane system in Sept 2024. The moment the guy pulled up his truck with this monster sitting in the bed of the truck my initial reaction was, isn't that too big? My townhome is around 840 sq feet, 2 levels of cooling space. Upon it being installed in Sept 2024 for $7k it was loud, as loud as”

“My unit is barely 2 years old. and already got a huge quote to fix it. https://preview.redd.it/l9xed6khzoph1.png?width=465&format=png&auto=webp&s=6b3d0d28cf7247b698be004e2d5cbd81c48f8653 initial service call quote tech's readings. submitted by /u/herro-World [link] [comments]”

“Condenser broke, technician said changing condenser will cost around $1900, but he found an open box unit, not used, that will cost be $1700. Labor and parts. I had used this guy before to replace ac motor of my other unit one time and few other in my community has recommended him. So I think I can trust him with his advice. But I am little concerned changing whole unit. House and unit is 10 yrs old. Please suggest. Edit: Sorry Compressor not working. It didn’t literally break but AC was not thr”

“I run a small property maintenance outfit in TX and sub out HVAC. I want to understand this well enough to not get sold something, and well enough to not cheap out and cause a callback. 3 ton R410A split, outdoor condenser failed. Indoor coil is original and working. Sub says both have to be replaced together. Owner wants outdoor only. My understanding is that condenser only is still legal in 2026 if you can source matching 410A stock, and the practical problems are availability, no warranty on”

“AC was acting a bit funny not cooling as well and about 5-7* diff. between intake and vents. It eventually would get down to 74-75 but took a while. Had a tech out and after saying they would do a leak check (for $318'ish...) and he found this immediately after pulling the panel on the upstairs unit. Obvious leak with hissing and bubbling when hit with solution. He kindly "helped" me on the leak search (only $180 for 5 screws which I should have thought to do myself...) as it was s”

“I have a guy at my house rn to look at my AC that's tripping a breaker. The company said it was $149 to come out for the call. He got here and says the $149 just covers his cost to get there, and diagnosis of the problem costs extra, like $600 for up to 2 hrs of diagnosis. I thought the 149 would cover diagnosis Is this normal? submitted by /u/isu1648 [link] [comments]”

“We had our new AC installed yesterday and found this after., a lot of damage insulation of the refrigerant line. Some were torn with visible pipe and some were taped up to hide the pipes. All of this are going to the evap coil. I’m worried that the pipes up the ceiling have damaged insulations too due to how they install it (squeezing the pipes under a tight gap) and might cause condensation and eventually water damage/molds. Thank you! submitted by /u/ExpertConcern6166 [link]”

“Have gotten a few quotes from companies in my area with good reviews, looking to get some advice/opinions. All quotes include evap coil and labor Quote 1: Coleman XC3 13.4 SEER 2T unit - $5900 Quote 2: Bryant Legacy Series 13.4 SEER 2T unit - $6500 Quote 3: Lennox 13.4 SEER 2T unit (didn't specify exact model) - $8000 Quote 4: (this one has not come yet so quote is unofficial, but they lost their prices online) Ducane 15.4 SEER 2T Unit - $4800 Seems like a no brainer to go with the Ducane, b”

“Hi so our hvac system is 6 years old. We have apparently multiple leaks in a component inside the furnace. So the repair person stated to fix the issue it would be 4-5k depending on part, more Freon, and labor. He is going to check the price on the part and will let us know tomorrow. He stated that if we don’t want to fix it that we could just get a new hvac system. Didn’t tell us the price on that. Since this house on newer side was built in 2020, they are going to check if there is any warrant”

“I called a company that I'd worked with a few years back, and told them that the unit was making a sort of humming or buzzing sound but wasn't actually running. The guy said he'd call his boss… no way to know if he did or not, but he said that his boss had said to give me an estimate on a new air conditioner! They had not examined the unit… am I crazy, or was this completely unacceptable? submitted by /u/Ecstatic_Act [link] [comments]”

“Today we had a company come out to look at our A/C as it hasn’t been cooling for the last 3-4 weeks. he said the control board is fried and needs to be replaced for $1400 and he said that isn’t even a guaranteed fix to the issue. The system is from 1988. is this price insane or should we call someone else out to fix it? He started off wanting to sell us a whole new system but we don’t have that kind of money right now, but I just feel like he’s just inflating a lot to get us to buy a whole new s”

“Hello there! Looking for some advice about whether something is reasonable or not. Of course AI is telling me it isn’t, but I think I would rather trust humans. I have a 12 year old Trane HVAC unit. The furnace part checks out well, it is the AC unit that is causing issues. It stopped cooling so I had someone come out. Upon inspection he found the compressor was bad and I agreed to fix that. I think it was $330 and then the service fee was $119. So around $450. It was raining so he originally sa”

“Got a quote today because my 11 year old system is leaking and wasn't maintained at all. Are these 3 options reasonable in your opinion? (Used AI eraser to hide address) submitted by /u/ApprehensiveTree5588 [link] [comments]”

“AC condenser is sinking on one side. I’ve gotten 2 quotes between $2500-$3k, which seems high to me. Does anyone have experience with this or can comment on what a ballpark cost should be? I’m located in suburban Massachusetts if it makes any difference. TIA. submitted by /u/ItsMeMofos13 [link] [comments]”

“I had three group of HVAC folks came by. My unit is a 2003 Trane x1000 that take R22. Only upper story. 1st company told me i need a brand new one or else refill using R22 which is very expensive at 3k. 2nd company said I might have a larger leak and told me it's gonna be around 7k for just replacing the condenser unit. Third company is a contractor himself, paid him $300 which appearently worked for a week or so, then stopped working again today the condenser blows cold air (which supposed”

“Im two years in I’ve never replaced a coil, txv, or compressor or done a leak search . Both the companies I’ve been at say these repairs aren’t worth it and just offer a new system. Is this common or do I just work for hacks. I feel like one cause I’ve never done any of it wondering if finding someone who will teach me it next cooling season is worth it cause I eventually wanna be on my own. submitted by /u/HelpfulParfait6890 [link] [comments]”

“I was told today that we’ll have to replace our entire system due to a refrigerant leak coming from this broken terminal on the compressor. I just wanted to confirm this wouldn’t be something fixable with the compressor terminal repair kits I’ve seen online. submitted by /u/xsigil93 [link] [comments]”

“My AC stopped working and I had a tech come out to look at it. They told me I had a coolant leak. While looking for the leak they snapped a photo of my heat exchanger and told me that it had a crack. They then red tagged the unit and told me I should replace the AC and heater. The unit is only about 11 years old and I just want to make sure that is really a crack and I am not being taken advantage of. submitted by /u/Used-Tea-1928 [link] [comments]”

“My 2019 A/C Coleman model TC4B4221HA evaporator coil failed so it has a leak. I received a quote to replace the coil and refrigerant for $5,948. The tech also said the compressor could be damaged but it’s still under warranty but the labor would be an additional $3,181. So a total of $9,129. This seems damn steep. I’m going to get a second estimate from a different company, but am I just better off buying a whole new system? submitted by /u/BlackOmaha [link] [comments]”

“Recently the system we got installed last year had its line depressurized. Turns out part of the line they didn’t install the run internal in the house through a basement area had the leak they replaced the copper pipe after tearing things up (pic related) but after repairing the drywall I noticed and should have thought earlier they did not cover the pipe with insulation now days later all my dry wall is wet and I am thinking I need to tear it up again probably and cover the pipe run with insul”

“Hi all going to try this again. I had annual maintenance done on my AC and was told the capacitor could be replaced but not urgent. I went ahead and changed it out myself today but noticed there was 1 yellow wire unplugged (seen in the bottom left of the herm terminal). The picture is of the old capacitor. I put the new capacitor wires on just like how it was on the old capacitor in the picture. Is this normal/correct where one yellow wire should be left unplugged? I called the hvac company but”

“So I’d like me you have ac leaks and have checked everything from calling techs asking Reddit and still not finding the fix to your problem I will show through a series of pictures so this can be here for futures sake of other pour souls. Also for clarity sake I had a float less in the first photo and a floated pump in the rest I tried both the defect may be a company or model issue If your pump is pooling water as in photo 1 Then you move and re plumb it as in photo 2 and then you see photo 3 a”

“So Fla. I had my entire AC replaced two years ago and all of my duct work. The company did a decent job and all things went well. Fats forward two years I got the itch that someone should do an inspection to make sure nothing will fail. I had $100 to burn and the company that did the install offer this as a service. Well they sent me a video claiming we needed a soft start because their multimeter was showing wild fluctuations in voltage. My Spidey sense was tingling. If my house was sending &qu”

submitted by /u/neogx148 [link] [comments]

“Hello everyone, Had a regular scheduled maintenance and the guy is telling me I need to replace two of my units (I have 3 total 1 is new). I have the numbers below, everything appears to be working well on my end but he assures me it’s a ticking time bomb. Lower floor Readings: Evap coil very dusty and blower motor showing signs of buildup. Compressor amps rated 9.0 Compressor amps tested 5.39 Fan amps rated .7 Fan amps tested .71 Blower amps rated 1.6 Blower amps tested 1.4 Capacitor rated 30/5”

“Pictured is the inside of my return air box. AC tech wanted to install a UV light for $1400 but something tells me it wont take care of what is likely in the ducts. How do you all go about getting rid of this growth? Do I need to fork out thousands more for new ducts and a new box? submitted by /u/Itchy-Apartment-Flea [link] [comments]”

“Long time listener, first time caller - could you HVAC masters kindly tell me if I’m f$(@ed like it was suggested? HVAC company said they could not find a replacement metering device for my AC to repair it. Suggested replacement… I have no reason to doubt their work, but in the off chance someone can locate the metering device, I hope I could eke out another year or two with this before replacing. Midwest US (Ohio), home AC is cooling, but struggling lately and not lowering humidity in the house”

“I have a compressor going bad on a 6 year old Rheem 2 ton unit. Should I replace the compressor with a guy on FB marketplace for 2.5k, install a new system with a local company for 5-6.5k, or install a Mr cool heat pump DIY for 3.3k ? submitted by /u/fro-fro [link] [comments]”

“We have some bad duct work in our house's HVAC and for the last four years we have lived here the air flow has been really bad. Some rooms get blasted with AC / Heat and other parts of the house get barely anything. Also, the duct work damage is letting dust and whatever else into the system as well, bypassing the filter. We called in an hvac company to check it out. To redesign and replace all the duct work and replace both the ac unit (with heat pump) and the furnace, we were quoted $25k.”

“the HVAC repair guy just left my house a few minutes ago. my HVAC stopped pumping out cold air all of a sudden last night. the condenser unit outside was not moving at all. I called the HVAC shop this morning and they said it was probably a bad capacitor.(which turned out to be right) They scheduled me for first thing Tuesday morning, but the repair guy showed up half an hour ago anyway.(apparently he lives in the subdivision next to me) Anyway, I was happy that she showed up and I didn't ha”

“https://preview.redd.it/4fz149g2hwmh1.png?width=1348&format=png&auto=webp&s=fc49cdf78af277a89eb52a98963a0a86617fb41d Broke a copper line that is likely for refringent on my AC. Looks like I'll need to get a professional in here. Called three places for quotes so far, but two turned out to have the same exact AI phone operator and just don't want to deal with them. One local place will stop on by later this week, but over the phone explained that my unit uses R22 and are telli”