Caveat Emptor



For reasons which are beyond my ken the builders of our Glen Oaks Ridge Condo’s decided to place our central air-con and heating units on our flat roofs. (Maybe it made the internal duct work easier to install).

My unit is about 11 years old and provides more than adequate cold air in summer and heat (for a few days) in winter.  I have it serviced every three months under contract with a local firm.

Today the “service technician” told me that the coil was “impacted beyond repair” and that the unit needed to be replaced (at a cost of $5,300).

He took me up onto the roof to view the “damage”, but as far as I was concerned he could have been a brain surgeon explaining some wondrous surgery.  I did not know what I was supposed to be seeing.

I agreed to have the unit replaced and gave him a deposit of $500.

Then I began to think!

1. His report said that the coil was rusted.

2. He asserted that the system was under strain because of mould and dirt.

3. He said that the unit had been improperly installed.

AND YET!
4. I did not see any rust.

5. The internal filters which he replaced were not particularly dirty.

6. If the unit had been improperly installed, why has it worked so well for 11 years?

7. Why have no previous service technicians noticed these problems?

8. If there are such major problems, why am I getting such good cold air?

SO

I have placed the replacement on hold until I can get a second opinion.

I am sorry to be suspicious about a reputable local firm.  But $5,300 is a lot of money.

Caveat Emptor.
Location: Glen Oaks Drive East, Sarasota, FL 34232, USA

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