A thread about being a homeowner:

(1) Last summer my AC started to go out. It would create puddles around the HVAC unit in the basement and it just couldn't keep my house cool. I had a couple of companies come out and look at it.

(2) Both said, after running some tests, there was a leak that was causing ice to build up around it and that it needed to be replaced. They weren't sure if the leak was in the AC unit or in the internal HVAC unit coil.

(3) Both gave quotes to replace just the AC unit (expensive) and the entire system (very expensive). We decided we'd take the less expensive option and just replace the AC unit in hopes that was where the problem was...

(4) ...and if it still didn't work we'd just replace the rest of the system afterwards. By the time we decided to do that, Fall had come and it had cooled down enough that we didn't need to run the AC, so we figured we'd save up some more money...

(5) ...and wait until Spring before doing it. The furnace worked fine all Winter, and now that Spring is here we thought we'd better get this done before it gets hot and needs to run.

(6) So yesterday the company we picked (still expensive, but significantly less so than the other one) came out and installed a new AC unit. By the end of the day, the owner rang the doorbell and said, "Do you want the bad news or the bad news?".

(7) Apparently the pressures weren't right and the unit was shutting itself off as a fail-safe in response. He said that only happens when the internal unit's coil is clogged, which means the whole thing needs to be replaced.

(8) I asked how that happens and he said it was "gunk that got in there from the original install and has built up over time", and I asked why it worked last year but not now and he said "I don't know, I'm as surprised as you are."

(9) So the only option I was left with was to replace the entire system (very expensive). And here's the point of this thread: what would stop someone like this guy from doing a 'faulty' install, telling me it's a bigger problem than it is, and leaving me no choice...

(10) ...but to spend another several thousand dollars replacing the whole system? Now, this guy has not given me ANY reason to not trust him, but the average homeowner (definitely me) doesn't understand the physics of an HVAC system at all.

(11) We are completely at the mercy of companies like this. It's a position I don't enjoy being in. Anyway, if you need me, I'll be keeping an eye on my bank account looking for that Stimulus Check.