Go to trade school: Don't get tricked

So it's summer, and that means our air conditioning stopped working. Of course!

Please read our last summer's report here: click here for the AC troubles. Click here for last year's July report.  And, click here to see what happens without air conditioning. 

Once you're up to date, let me tell you our current story. 

Two weeks ago, I called Landmark AC to have someone come out to do a diagnostic check of our system. Is it working? Does it need freon? Tell me if I really need a new cooling coil like the guy said last October, etc., etc. It had been working pretty well. It couldn't keep up with the most recent really hot days, and so we wanted to know where we stood with the unit. 

A new guy came out. Let's call him Tim. He said our system looked great. He said it was a little dirty, and he asked for bleach. He opened up part of the interior workings and poured in it. He also did a chemical rinse on the outside unit. I specifically asked him about the freon and any other issues he saw. 

He said our system was perfect. It was at least half a ton too small for our square footage, but we knew that. He said that the unit was practically as good as new (it's about 8 years old), and he said he had no recommendations other than the cleaning, which he performed. 

Should I mention that I loved him already? 

To recap, two different people from the same company had separately told us we needed a new cooling coil and a new transformer. One of the previous people told us we needed a cooling coil because our freon was leaking. According to Tim, we didn't even need to be topped off on our freon....so no leak from last October. 

I paid Tim for his time, and we felt great. 

This Monday, two weeks from Tim's visit, our upstairs stopped blowing air. Totally stopped. Our downstairs still blew air, but upstairs, not so much. 

I called Landmark AC, and requested someone to come back out. I reminded them that Tim had just been out and said our unit was in perfect condition. The lady on the phone said, "well, our computer shows that you need a new cooling coil from last October. Have you gotten that done yet?"

"No," I said. "Because, Tim said everything was fine two weeks ago." {Said not in a nice voice}

The lady said she would send Tim back out that same day. 

I called Chris and begged him to come deal with this. My entire summer last year was defined by dealing with the air conditioner. I just couldn't handle it any more. Thankfully, he was able to oblige me. 

I had a late evening client meeting that day, and so the rest of this story is told according to Chris. 

Tim inspected our system, and he observed that the upstairs was not blowing. 

He did some investigating, and he told Chris, "It may be your damper."

We replaced that last year. 

Hmmm, okay let me look more. It could be your circuit board.

We replaced that last year. 

Well, let me check your freon again. Nope, there's no leak.

So, that 'you need to buy a new cooling coil for $1600' from your colleague was a lie. 

Finally, Tim said, I THINK IT'S FAULTY WIRING. 

Tim says, "The faulty wiring would mean that the unit isn't getting the right information from the thermostat, and so it doesn't always know when to shut the dampers and blow more air."

OOooooooohhhhhhh

Tim stripped the corresponding wire, plugged it back it, and cold air blew upstairs. 

Seriously? 

Chris asked Tim why the previous people would have basically "made up" issues with our unit. 

"We get paid on a percentage of each house visit," he says. "The more you need us, the more we're paid. And, they probably didn't think about the wiring."

OOoooooohhhhhh

Tim charged us a tiny fee for his time (he actually spent 2 hours at the house, but charged us for much less), and we still have cold air upstairs. 

Could this be true? Could our air conditioning be just fine? Could this be over? 

Dear Tim, make it true!

AC has AC troubles

This post is about air conditioning. Don't feel pressured to read it. However, if you know anything about air conditioning, or know someone who knows someone, please continue. Also, if you want to read someone else complain, press on. 

On July 13th, our air went out. Our house was still under the warranty from our seller's, and the warranty company sent out a repairman from AirGo. Let's call him Mr. A. He arrived and found that our fuse to the outside condenser had been tripped. He fixed it, and went on his way. 

On July 19th, we were not getting air upstairs and called him back. He returned, and replaced our upstairs damper, which controls air flow between the up and down stairs. 

On July 21st, we were still not getting air throughout the house. He returned and installed a new control panel, with the diagnosis that the control panel was not properly cutting the air on and off. 

On July 30th, I was out of town, and Chris called me to say there was no air. I called a new company at this point, mostly because our warranty had expired and because I no longer trusted AirGo. 

I called Landmark Heating and Air, and they came out that evening. We'll call him Mr. L. He found no air running, and he found a bad dual capacitor in the outside condenser. He replaced that part, and the air ran properly. 

On August 2nd, the air went out. Mr. L came back. When he arrived the unit was running properly; although, it had not been earlier in the day. He spent a lot of time looking at the system, and found that the zone control panel was using the system transformer, and the cover on the control panel says that the system needs two transformers to run properly. We only had one. He disconnected the upstairs damper (the one we had replaced), and left both dampers open all the time. He said that the system would work fine this way until we needed to run the heat, and then we would need the upstairs damper to close on command. He suggested that when we are ready to turn the heat on, he will come back, reconnect the damper and install a second transformer.

Last night, October 18th, the air went out. I called Landmark after hours, and they sent out Mr. L2. He found the unit and pipes to be frozen. He was able to thaw it, and found the unit low on freon, which he filled. Then he performed a Leak Search (I capitalize it because the cost of it must require it.), and he found a leak in the cooling coils. He said with the refilled freon, we would be able to have cool air until the freon ran out again through the leak and everything froze. This could be days, months or years, as he couldn't predict how fast or large the leak is. 

I have intentionally left out prices from this long and sad story, but let me tell you that a cooling coil is more than our monthly mortgage. 

We told him we would think about the cooling coil, but as we had cool air for the night, we sent him on his way.

Is it really possible that all of these parts have broken in three months?

To review, we've replaced:

1. Upstairs damper
2. control panel
3. dual capacitor 
4. The threat of a second transformer (although not purchased)
5. And now, the threat of cooling coils

Have we been duped? Do any of these people know what they are talking about? My only hesitance from suing all of them is that after each one came out, the air did work for another period of time. On all of the receipts, it says "Now running properly." And it was.

Feel free to click on COMMENTS below and sound off about your own home repairs, any suggestions for us, and your credit card number if you want to donate to our cause. If you need something to write in the memo line, the foundation is named, "The Keep Chris Cool and Complaining Free Foundation"

Peace Out, July

Thank God it's August. July overstayed her welcome and cost me a fortune. I'm none too sad to see her go. 

My house took July's presence personally, and she fell ill.

House got overheated. A man came to woo her back below 87 degrees. He visited her three times, until finally he offered her a new damper motor. This made her happy. But only for a short period of time. 

A few days later, House became upset again, and the man returned. He returned another time after that with a control panel, and this seemed to make her happy. Until a few days later when thoughts of July turned her sour again. 

She became hot and wanted nothing to do with the first man. So another one was summoned. 

He came quickly and showered her with a new dual capacitor. This lightened her spirits, and she had a glorious weekend. 

Now, it is Monday, and House is sad again. She finds August not much better than July in fact, and has requested her latest caller to be summoned. We hope he brings something to cool her 87 degree heart.

What Hapens When...

When Your Air Conditioner Stops Working?

1. First you wonder if it just got really hot that day, and it's not cooling down quickly. 
2. Then, later than night when you return from dinner, and the house is 89 degrees inside, you realize it's broken. 
3. First thing the next morning, you call your home warranty company to file a claim...on a Sunday. 
4. Then you wait. 
5. Then nothing happens. 
6. And it gets hotter. 
7. By Monday, you're so hot that you call the warranty company and the designated repair company 6-7 times, each. Just to let them know that it is TRULY 89 degrees inside your house. 
8. Then you wait. 

What Happens When It's 89 Degrees Inside Your House?

1. You stop cooking. 
2. You eat a lot of watermelon.
3. You sweat sitting still. 
4. You develop pimples from the sweat from sitting still.
5. You refuse to blowdry your hair. 
6. You close all window blinds in an effort to block out the sun's hot rays. 
7. You sit in the dark because even the heat from light bulbs is too much. 
8. You find your animals laying stretched completely out on hard surfaces. Even the counter island, and you really can't blame them. You think you might try it.
9. You take a cold shower for fun. 
10. You take a shower in the dark. Refer to #7
11. You sit outside because it's actually cooler. 
12. You close every door in an effort to keep each room's hot air to itself.
13. You stand in front of the thermostat and contemplate the fact that it can actually display the digits 89 degrees.
14. You go to Lowe's and buy a KUL unit and install it in your bedroom. 
15. You can't believe you have cooled air again. 
16. You never leave your bedroom. 

And so, here I sit in our dark bedroom with un-blown hair, a belly full of watermelon and still slightly sweating.

We would have called our own repairman before it got to this, but the house is still under warranty, and who wants to pay for something when they don't have to? 

I guess people who enjoy an air conditioned house where they don't have to sit in the dark with nasty hair, sweating with their animals.