All Forum Posts by: Grant Lovell

Quote from @Grant Lovell:

Quote from @Bill B.:

$3,500 is INSANE cheap if it’s a complete new system, take the deal and run. You will take at least a $5k hit selling with a bad ac unit. You might get an extra $1-2k if you list with new ac unit this year. So it will “pay for itself”. 

The $3,500 would be to put in a new compressor. I am looking at $8,100 to replace the entire unit. Do you think it still makes sense to replace the entire unit? Thanks

I had a brand new unit installed on emergency over a long weekend on a 2,353 sq ft house in Sun City (next to Phoenix) and it was $4550 total including needing a crain to get it onto the roof. 

If you are perched on the side of a cliff or putting it on a second story or have 4,000 sq ft maybe it's that much more.

Have you gotten 3 quotes?

$3,500 is INSANE cheap if it’s a complete new system, take the deal and run. You will take at least a $5k hit selling with a bad ac unit. You might get an extra $1-2k if you list with new ac unit this year. So it will “pay for itself”. 

Quote from @Grant Lovell:

Hello,

I have a house where the A/C has gone bad. The unit is also almost 20 years old. I have a quote to fix it for $3,500. I am also planning on selling the house later this year. Do you think it is worth it to go ahead and get the unit replaced, or will I not be able to recoup that money in the sale of the home?

First, you didn't say what part is broken. I had an HVAC guy tell me I needed to replace the unit but a differnt HVAC guy replaced the capacitor for $85 and it runs very nicely. A lot of the places I buy have 20 plus year old HAVC units and usually with a couple of hundred bucks they are up and running just fine. None of the fixes I've need are anywhere near $3,500. That's almost enough to simlpy put a new one in.

If it's the condenser, that can sometimes be easily fixed. 
If you are low on coolant, it probably just needs to be filled up.

Sometimes plumbers know enough about HVAC systems that getting a plumber to take a look at it is worth doing. Since they don't sell HVAC units, they can be more forthcoming.