I have Central AC in my home.

No its not, the person that came out said the unit is fried and its out of freeon and wanted me to buy a new unit at 2400. We cant afford that. Its only 10yrs old.

ttt628 said:

I have Central AC in my home. ...

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Not anymore ... :huh:

10 years is at the end of the life range for central AC unit.
You will have to replace the compressor or the entire outside unit. The coils need to be checked to confirm they are in good shape and compatible with any new unit installed.

If you upgrade to high efficiency unit then you may qualify for IRS tax credit.

Sorry that you cannot afford the repairs but this is not an electrical issue.

George6488 said:

10 years is at the end of the life range for central AC unit.

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You cannot be serious. 10 years for a split central A/C system?? I know systems that are going 30+ years on trouble free.

A ten year old system should be repaired, not replaced. Unless of course you are doing it to take advantage of a higher efficiency system.


ttt628, the person that came out is an idiot and wants the job of installing a whole new system whether it needs it or not.
Find a new person.

I agree with Pete. 10 years isn't long at all. I am an AC tech and it could be something as simple as a relay switch and a charge of freon, which will run you way less than a replacement. Check the relay switch. This doesn't cost more than $50.
Check for a freon charge first. If good, check the relay switch, on the unit. When your system is switched on, it sends approx 24 volts to a switch in the unit called a relay. This activates the AC in turn activating approx. 120/220 v to kick your fan on cycling your unit to start the compressor. If your relay is not recieving this voltage from your thermostat it will not turn the fan on, and the compressor will not start. If your relay is good, I would then check the thermostat. They tend to be changed more often, and are inexpensive. Compared to a new unit, these are the steps to take. Once your fan is operating, so is your compressor. Then you can see if the air is cold.

J-Daddyshammer

Over in France the cheap unit will last 12 to 15 years but a good one will go for 20 to 25 years.

ttt628.,

Try diffrent contractor some case they may able salvage your unit one way or other so try it.

Merci,
Marc

Salvaging an AC unit is not an option unless you know someone that will recover the refrigerant, dehydrate and recharge again for free, if no leaks are present. Thier is a reason we have to get a lisence for this stuff. Not just anyone can do it. These are enclosed hermetic units and have to stay free of moisture or it will not run right. Easier said then done, hence the costs. It's more cost effective if you test the unit for easy part fixes before diving into a large ac bill. Believe me when I say, just because you get a new unit doesn't mean it will run perfect.

J-Daddyshammer

Daddyshammer said:

Salvaging an AC unit is not an option unless you know someone that will recover the refrigerant, dehydrate and recharge again for free, if no leaks are present. Thier is a reason we have to get a lisence for this stuff. Not just anyone can do it. These are enclosed hermetic units and have to stay free of moisture or it will not run right. Easier said then done, hence the costs. It's more cost effective if you test the unit for easy part fixes before diving into a large ac bill. Believe me when I say, just because you get a new unit doesn't mean it will run perfect.

J-Daddyshammer

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I can understand your situation however as I quoted above I say get a contractor which it will have proper equiment to slove the issue some case it will be a simple repair or worst case senicero is replace the outdoor unit either by whole thing or just replace the compressour depending on what the legit HVAC do with it.

Merci,
Marc

frenchelectrican said:

I can understand your situation however as I quoted above I say get a contractor which it will have proper equiment to slove the issue some case it will be a simple repair or worst case senicero is replace the outdoor unit either by whole thing or just replace the compressour depending on what the legit HVAC do with it.

Merci,
Marc

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I apologize. You did state that, after I re-read! Correct. Whatever the option, a tech will diagnose and you can go from thier.

J-Daddyshammer

At least the circuitry -- relay, thermostat, etc. -- is a do it yourself part. But if you need to call a tech to do that troubleshooting also, it gets costly because you don't know which to go after first, the Freon or the circuitry.

My own central AC had the same issue last year. I was able to fix it myself, it was the circuitry that needed fixing. For all I know the Freon is not a strong as it should be but it's been going 25 years and still works.

Freon is only as strong as the equipment it transits through. If its cold, its good. In this case, call a tech. Service calls are not expensive to find out what the problem is and what the expenses will be. Happy trails!

J-Daddyshammer