Do we have any HVAC companies represented here on the HI board?

I'm an expat living in South America. I have an ac unit out at my house in Trophy Club. First call came out, topped off with Freon and left. One day later it was blowing hot air. I asked if they looked for a leak and they said no. Asked if they would return to look for the leak and said they don't recommend repairing a 14 yo unit and quoted a replacement unit (ball parked $10k).

I called another company out for a second opinion. They found a large leak in the coils and quoted $3880 to replace and refill.

First question, would yall replace the coils and continue with the old system? Or should I be seriously considering replacing the whole system?

Any Aggie AC companies in the area that would like to take a look?

For those in the business, does the coil replacement cost look to be in line?

This is a giant PITA dealing with this from 3,000 miles away. My family lives there still but they are in Seattle for an extended trip.

TIA

I sense your frustration given you are out of pocket and this type of thing happens. Been there.

I have seen some professional A/C companies post here before, so perhaps they'll weigh in.

In the meantime, being a guy who repairs his own A/C stuff (I reluctantly did plant maintenance for years when needed) here is what I'm seeing right now for cost of materials:

1. 'Freon' -- I'm assuming with the age of your system you have R-410A. A 25lb cylinder currently is between $250 and $300, and I'll say your system will use 10 pounds or less.

2. Evaporator Coil (indoor) -- I've got a 48,000 BTU coil on order right now (Amana-Goodman) and it's costing me $785. I have heard some manufacturers really overprice replacement coils or extend lead times on them in order to encourage equipment replacement, so I can't really say what a coil for your exact unit should cost.

There are 'generic' coils available but most A/C guys don't want to screw with a retrofit if something doesn't fit exactly the same as the one they're taking out.

Again -- these are cost of materials ONLY. A good A/C man deserves his pay, so figure whatever labor rate is current (I really don't keep up with that) and figure the guy might be there a half a day. It's expensive for A/C companies to send guys out in trucks and techs are in high demand and some aren't so good, sadly, and the boss has to eat their poor work and factors all that into his prices.

So, to sum up -- I'd call around and get some prices and try to keep the total cost of the job less than $2.5K. Given that it's hot right now and all the guys are busy, you're at a disadvantage, but it's worth a few phone calls. Having the manufacturer and model # of the indoor air handler will be required to get a good estimate, and you need to tell them whether it's in a closet or up in an attic. Don't blame them for charging more for an attic job either. It's brutal up there right now.

In any case, good luck.

We just replaced a 22 year old AC with a new Trane. My son in law is a commercial HVAC guy and priced my old coil at $5k, at cost. Decided to drop the money on a new unit given the age of the unit and the fact that my wife was quite unhappy with one unit down. Guys that replaced the unit bid a coil replacement at $6700.

I have used Mechanical Air Design out of Carrollton many times and would highly recommend them. They're very up front and honest and will shoot you straight. We have a 22 year old unit that still blows cold and had a leak this year. Kris was my technician and said he wouldn't replace yet and injected some stuff to help plug the leak. Been working fine ever since. Kris and Robert are both great, knowledgeable, and will give you their honest opinion. Good luck. Not a fun deal in Texas in the summer.

HouseDivided06 said:

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I have used Mechanical Air Design out of Carrollton many times and would highly recommend them. They're very up front and honest and will shoot you straight. We have a 22 year old unit that still blows cold and had a leak this year. Kris was my technician and said he wouldn't replace yet and injected some stuff to help plug the leak. Been working fine ever since. Kris and Robert are both great, knowledgeable, and will give you their honest opinion. Good luck. Not a fun deal in Texas in the summer.

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I would second this recommendation, used these guys last year for maintenance on a home that my wife and I purchased in 2024 and they gave great advice on how to maximize the life of our current unit and potential upgrade opportunities for when we replace it down the road.

NOT HVAC here only a residential architect

and Old enough not to waste what's time is left on earth to worry cost-savings (it's a trap!)
"it's the cheap man that spends the most"

you go to the Trane website, find some dealers in your zip code
filter list with google reviews
filter again with BBB reviews
then order a complete re-do with variable Trane system(s) +
checking for duct leaks and no haggling over price ASAP !

then go to sleep for a couple of decades if you also bought their semi-annual tuneup contract

Quote:

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Show me an A/C man today who doesn't think an evaporator coil leak requires a complete new system and I'll show you a roofer who can't find hail damage.

- Ribeye-Rare

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