Anyone know anything about Air Conditioners?

Question

My grandma has an AC in Palm Desert, CA where it gets ridiculously hot during the summer.
She went out there and it wasn't working so she called someone and they put some freon (I'm not sure how to spell it) and then it worked. The guy told her she would need to replace it. I want to go out there but its too hot to stay without an AC. What are the chances of the AC working.

Answer 1

there is a very good chance of the unit working, for how long depends on how fast the freon leaks out....the reason to replace it for him was that it leaked...what needs to be done is have someone look at the unit find the leak and see if it can be fixed reasonably, and to compare that to the cost of just replacing the bad pieces or installing a new system....then do what you decide is the most economical for you .....the law doesnt require you to fix or replace the unit because of the leak...you can just get it recharged with freon every year

Answer 2

Did the tech tell her if there was a leak? If so, just the line needs to be replaced. But then, it will need to be recharged with the freon. If it is the unit he says needs to be replaced, which I doubt if he got it working again that quickly, then I would get a second opinion. Could be fan motor, condenser, etc., many things could need replacement, not necessarily the entire unit. If there was a worksheet, and there should have been, perhaps the info is on it, and she can let you know. Whether or not you will have air when you get there, depends on if it was a leak, and how fast it is, if so. Hope I helped. I live in Phoenix, so I understand about a/c and services.

Answer 3

Without reading the report the repair A/C technician supplied it would be difficult to ascertain whether it would have a chance of working, albeit temporarily. Sometimes the gas leaks are minor and repairable but over the years the A/C unit can become more unreliable and it is advisable to replace machines that are starting to show signs of wear and tear.
There are some great bargains out there for new A/C units, A/C has changed from a luxury to a necessity these days, especially in places like Palm Desert :-)

Answer 4

He might have said that for any of several reasons:
1) He might get a commision (or business) selling new air conditioners.
2) It may need a type of Freon which is no longer legal. This makes replacing (the Freon) expensive.
3) It may be leaking. It may be better to replace than try to find (or fix) the leak.
4) It may just be inefficient. It may be using
lots of power to deliver not much cooling.
5) It could be so old that parts have deteriorated. It may be dangerous to use,
like not having an electrical ground or
something.

She may want to get a second opinion, preferably from someone who is completely
independent, and has nothing to gain by
if she buys a new system. She may also
want to get *reasons* it should be replaced.
Her local electric utility may provide free
advice or service in this regard.

Answer 5

There could be several reasons why he said she needs a new one. For one if it still runs on R12 she'll spend a fortune recharging that everytime it leaks out.

It's possible to find the leak, but that costs money as well, it could take the tech some time to find the leak, and thats if theres just one, plus the time of fixing it, recharging it, and re insulating the line.

He might have been saying it because it's old, and feels it she would be better off just replacing it and getting something with a warranty, and is more efficent, than the unit she currently has.

If still in doubt it never hurts to get a second opinion, I hardly doubt the service tech is filling her up with a bunch of bs, just because she is old.

Good Luck

Answer 6

i live in houston, the most air conditioned city in the U.S
work for an H.V.A.C. manufacturer.
any system that has ports on it for testing or servicing will at sometime leak, it`s only a matter of time until the unit will require more refrigerant, the amount of time one cannot guess at, when it needs it, it needs it.
go visit your granny, the worst thing that would happen is you will either sweat a little or stay at a motel

Answer 7

almost 100%. When the refrigerant leaks out, it usually takes years to do so.

Sometimes, too, service men find a minor electrical problem they can fix for nothing, then claim they added refrigerant so they can charge the old people over $100 for a service call. After all, its their fault for getting old and being helpless, isn't it? And everybody does it, don't they?

In other words, many a/c service people are scum.

Answer 8

It'll work until it quits. ~

Answer 9

76.45%