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Home Repair Main level AC is OUT!!

Discussion in 'Homeowners Corner' started by ALOEL, May 31, 2011.

  1. southernwalkres

    southernwalkres New Member

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    Been in our house almost four years, and each summer our A/C has failed. We have Goodman units and each year the contractor claims Freon leaks have caused the units to not be able to cool the main level.

    This really shouldn't be an issue every year and I'm wondering if the units aren't rated/capable of handling the load (we set the thermostats at 78), or if we were sold a dud.
     
  2. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Im wondering the same thing because it seems a broadlands-wide issue and Im wondering if a class-action suit may be warranted? No? Just wondering, that's all...since I'm learning that SO many of these goodman units are having problems leading to many folks replacing them sooner than later.
     
  3. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    simple.. cheap builder grade goodman units that don't hold up over time.

    Cheap product - poor quality.
     
  4. Mike-and-Kim

    Mike-and-Kim Member

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    FWIW ours in the attic went bad after 11 years, the one in the basement is still going.

    Consumer reports puts them at 16% repairs, Rheem and Ruud were at the top at 10%, Trane was at 11%.
     
  5. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Yeah....the basement one is still going strong...Correct me if Im mistaken, but I would think that the heat in the attic is a big factor in why these units are problematic? Maybe it doesn't handle the heat very well in the attic?
     
  6. vdb

    vdb New Member

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    Try Steve Thomasson Heating & Air Conditioning. He replaced our heat and AC units (as well as many people on our street) and we found him to be great as well as fairly priced. He also delivers humidifier and air filters to us each year and he's coming back soon to upgrade our thermostat. 703-708-9227.
     
  7. BzyCookn

    BzyCookn New Member

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    We were told the very same thing from various HVAC contractors when we received quotes on our new Carrier unit. I have yet to meet anyone in Broadlands who has been satisfied with their Goodman unit.
     
  8. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Today, the A/C guy came to my house and jabbed at the goodman unit and said--these are junk. I remarked that VM put them in. He rolled his eyes and said that the developer wanted to save $$$ by getting the cheapest units possible so to maximize their profits...consumers be damned.

    At any rate, he replaced the motor of the attic fan...he didn't have to remove the outside mushroom cap nor did he have to throw away the fins of the fan...Just simply swapped out the motor and put a new one in. He put in the SAME brand motor and it was off and running...Its been running for the past five hours...its helping cool the attic down and it will take some time........but I think I may have to call Climatic because of the low freon level....He said that the attic AC unit needs more freon...the main floor/basement is fine because its cool enough...

    Honestly, I don't think that the goodman unit was built to handle the heat levels in the attic.

    This blows!
     
  9. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Freon- How much does Freon nowadays cost per pound? I heard its like 179 for the first pound and then 60 for the subsequent pound thereafter...Is this on target with some of you getting more freon recently???
     
  10. Mom8386

    Mom8386 Member

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    Why would you have needed a new unit? The capacitor being out won't cause a unit to be a total loss. Our capacitor on our heat pump for the sunroom was out for a week or so. Also, the capacitor was free under our maintenance plan which costs less than $600 for 3 units, more like $350. A capacitor costs about $10-15 brand new and apparently is very easy to replace. It took maybe 5 minutes for our hvac guy to figure it out and replace it.

    Capacitor's go all the time. Not a big deal and nowhere near $100. Our hvac guy said he'd replaced quite a few in the last few weeks.
     
  11. luftinarr

    luftinarr Member

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    Well, because the chainsaw like sound that was coming from the unit would not have been good for the overall condition of the unit.


     
  12. Mom8386

    Mom8386 Member

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    That little piece of info would have made a difference, btw. The capacitor won't do that. When the capacitor goes, the outside unit just quits running. What you said was the capacitor failed, nothing else. So, what was making the chainsaw sound?
     
  13. luftinarr

    luftinarr Member

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    No idea. The repairman replaced the capacitor and now it's fine.
     
  14. southernwalkres

    southernwalkres New Member

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    Okay, so we got the original installers of the AC unit to come out to the house to find the source of our cooling problem. They found a cracked evaporator coil on the interior air distributor. Good news is the coil is covered by warranty. Bad news, all the labor that goes with it is north of $1,100!!! That sounds steep to me.

    Anybody else have a similar problem/repair? Any recommendation about the proposed fix?
     
  15. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    sounds high to me. My bet is you are being forced to pay everything but the part itself.. so all the refrigerant.. plumbing needs.. etc

    It is a significant job - but your cost sounds like 60+% of a replacement cost out of warranty.
     
  16. TeamDonzi

    TeamDonzi ShowMeTheMoney!

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    How does one find out if the coils are under warranty? I don't think I have manuals for these units, purchased in 2/2005. I have every manual they gave me, but not these. Because of course, ours died last night.
     
  17. TeamDonzi

    TeamDonzi ShowMeTheMoney!

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  18. TeamDonzi

    TeamDonzi ShowMeTheMoney!

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    http://partner.goodmanmfg.com/goodman/warLookup/pages/requestFormPCPage.jsp

    Found this link, but Van Metre didn't register these and I do not have the manuals either. When searching by the S/N, it says, "Warranty Information Not Available", they had 60 days after install to give us all a 10 year and/or Lifetime compressor warranty, but they didn't do it....."The 60-day registration period has expired to qualify your product for a 10-year parts limited warranty or, if applicable, a lifetime limited warranty. Your product is registered for the standard product warranty." (Because I just did it)

    FROM GOODMAN:
    When it comes to limited warranties, we believe that we offer coverage like no other company in the HVAC industry.


    We were the first company among HVAC manufacturers to offer 10-year Parts Limited Warranty* coverage on all functional parts. In January 2005 we became the only HVAC manufacturer to offer a Lifetime Compressor Limited Warranty* on the compressor in our air conditioning products and a Lifetime Heat Exchanger Limited Warranty* on the heat exchanger in our furnaces. On select gas furnace units we offer a 10-Year Unit Replacement Limited Warranty.* If the heat exchanger fails in the first 10-years of operation, we’ll provide a new equivalent replacement furnace as long as you own your home. Limited Warranties like these can only come from a company that is 100% certain of the quality and reliability of its products. When you choose the Goodman brand not only will you receive exceptional value, you’ll also get the best quality that we can offer.

    “Thank Goodness for Goodman.”

    Full details on all limited warranty coverage are available for each of our featured products. To view the warranty certificate for a specific product, please click on Product on the left navigation bar and then selected the product of choice. At the top of the product page you will find a warranty link to the warranty certificate. You can also get a copy of the warranty from any dealer.

    When it comes to worry-free limited warranties, the Goodman brand stands behind its products equal to any other brand in the indoor comfort industry.

    * To receive the 10-Year Parts Limited Warranty, Lifetime Compressor Limited Warranty, Lifetime Heat Exchanger Limited Warranty (both good for as long as you own your home), and 10-Year Unit Replacement Limited Warranty online registration must be completed within 60 days of installation. Online registration is not required in California or Quebec.
     
  19. Mom8386

    Mom8386 Member

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    We had the second capacitor replaced in a week today. First it was our heat pump and then today it was the main level unit. Only one unit left to go lol.
     
  20. flynnibus

    flynnibus Well-Known Member Forum Staff

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    teamdonzi - that sounds like a retail/consumer warranty. It may not even apply to contractor grade equipment. It's not uncommon for these types of companies to have different product lines with different warranties for their wholesale/construction vs consumer market products.

    not saying that is the case here, but is a possibility
     

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