Sitting on the couch last night and I hear an awkward noise followed by a prolonged hiss. I knew what it was before I got up, but I still held out hope. Turns out hope was of no help and it appears the compressor on the heat pump gave up the ghost, along with all of its R22.

So obviously it's an older unit, would love to replace the whole thing but if we can get it into next spring it would help financially. It's made by International Comfort Products model N2H324AKA100, for Tempstar and the likes. Is it worth the effort to try and find somebody to replace the compressor or just go ahead and start getting quotes on a new unit?

Get a couple of quotes for both options.

Buy once, cry once, so buy a new unit. Cost of parts and labor again and again will justify a new unit. The efficiency alone will make up some of the recurring costs.

You are going to have to find someone local you can trust to explore both repair and replace options.

You are going to ask all of your local friends for recommendations esp. if they have bought a new system recently. Other than that.... there's the phone book.

I got about 5 people come to look at my old system (it was still working, so I had time) and give me recommendations. I learned a lot about what was available and made sense for my application by talking with them and comparing their recommendations and bids.

I was able to then decide exactly what equipment I wanted and then I focused on local contractors who handled that particular equipment. I was able to get it really cheap once I was focused on an exact make and model #'s. The guy I hired had a crew available and nothing to do that day since another job fell through. I had exact model numbers and all he had to do was pick it up at the supply house. He gave me a price, only about 10% over the supply cost of the equipment if I did it that day. He didn't make much, but he didn't have to send his two guys home.

Knowledge gives you negotiating power.

quote:

Originally posted by MattW:
Sitting on the couch last night and I hear an awkward noise followed by a prolonged hiss. I knew what it was before I got up, but I still held out hope. Turns out hope was of no help and it appears the compressor on the heat pump gave up the ghost, along with all of its R22.

When that happened to one of my units a few years ago, I considered alternatives short of buying a new unit. But what turned the tables for me was the cost of recharging any repair job with fresh R22. That made a new unit suddenly seem like a bargain.
 

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:

quote:

Originally posted by MattW:
Sitting on the couch last night and I hear an awkward noise followed by a prolonged hiss. I knew what it was before I got up, but I still held out hope. Turns out hope was of no help and it appears the compressor on the heat pump gave up the ghost, along with all of its R22.

When that happened to one of my units a few years ago, I considered alternatives short of buying a new unit. But what turned the tables for me was the cost of recharging any repair job with fresh R22. That made a new unit suddenly seem like a bargain.
 

THIS. R22 is somewhere around $80-100 per pound and my guess is you'll need 6lbs just to recharge the system. If the compressor took a dive, and it's an old unit which I'm guessing it is since R 22 was phased out around 2009, REPLACE. If it was something cheap and simple, yeah fix. But not a compressor. You'll spend 60% of replacement cost or more just to replace the compressor and recharge, then a year later the evaporator will go or something else.

Four weeks ago our old A/C compressor died ( on a 93° day).
Got quoted $2,000 just to repair existing unit (Old Freon and is way under sized) or $2,700 for a new system from the plenum to compressor!
They installed the new correctly sized unit last week.

The company ( and the HVAC guy across the street as well) said the old Freon is almost $100 per pound as the Government is phasing it out.
I too was just going to fix the old unit to limp along for a bit as we're wanting to replace the furnace in a year or two.
But not at that price.
The company installing our system nailed their quite of $2,700 right on the head.
Not a dime more.

About what I figured, replace it all. Just terrible timing as last week the final bill(s) for my appendectomy came in. $7,500 deductible plus some other stuff my wonderful insurance plan didn't pick up.

I've at least got a 1 ton portable unit up and running that we use on job sites to get me through the weekend till I can get people out to give me some estimates. I don't care to suffer, but my wife and 2 dogs are a different story. I'm fairly new to this area so I'll have to do my research on who to go with.

When our home was rebuilt, we had a zone system put in. Costly, but nice

quote:

Originally posted by ulsterman:
When our home was rebuilt, we had a zone system put in. Costly, but nice

This place will be sold or become rental property in the next 2-3 years. Going to keep it simple/cost effective. We're in a town home, I was really hoping it was one of my neighbors units that shit the bed

Yeah, that's too bad. Compressor and loss of the refrigerant probably makes replacement the more sensible option unless by some miracle a repair is only a few hundred.

My AC didn't work this year, but I was able to get away with a voltmeter confirming power from wall, but not making it to the unit. 2x fuses later and I was back in business.

If the $ and timing is that bad, perhaps a couple window units or try and get through the rest of the summer with the 1-ton and replace it next spring?

Look into rebates and tax breaks. Vermont has been offering huge deals!

quote:

We're in a town home, I was really hoping it was one of my neighbors units that shit the bed

Talk to your neighbors. Maybe there is someone who does the systems in the complex that will give you a good price

If the compressor shit the bed, blew a pin and lost all the charge... get quotes for a new one, as the cost of repair is not worth the return.

Given the model, I'm curious as to the serial number?

quote:

Originally posted by Excam_Man:
If the compressor shit the bed, blew a pin and lost all the charge... get quotes for a new one, as the cost of repair is not worth the return.

Given the model, I'm curious as to the serial number?

Serial is E072939750

New unit. Too costly to repair. Good install is essential.

R-22.Hahahahaha.

quote:

Originally posted by MattW:

Serial is E072939750

Manufactured the 29th week of 07, so 10 yrs. old.

5 yr. compressor warranty.