HVAC warranty

[Mtneer]

A nightmare went to awesomeness when you find the right company. See below.

[.455_Hunter]

We had a 10 year parts and labor warranty on our split heat pump / AC system installed in 2014. That was good, because while the indoor units have been completely trouble-free, we are on our third coil and second compressor. Don't buy Daikin products.

[Mtneer]

Don't buy Daikin products.

Edit for follow up.

[Mtneer]

Following up my own post...this went from Hell to Heaven.

So our heat pump didn't kick over from heat to AC. We had an emergency furnace replacement during a major cold spell around the beginning of the year--I was out of town, wife had to handle everything. New hyper-expensive (err, high end) Lennox installed; works great. Way too cold to test the AC component of the heat pump.

Couple weeks ago, it's finally warm enough to turn from heat to AC...and it's blowing hot air. Figured it's just a wiring issue and call them up for what I figured would be a simple service repair. First guy arrives and has never worked on a Goodman; dinks around for an hour or so and can't figure it out...maybe this, maybe that. They come back a few days later with the "experienced" guy and the two of them spend a few hours testing this and that; even get on the phone with Lennox. Finally come back and say it's a bad reversing valve and the control board has gone as a result (both under warranty but not labor, etc).

Their insane estimate for repair was $6800 for a system that only cost $5500 to install, including labor, just 4 years ago. They wanted to drain it all, replace various parts, fill it again, and pay for their kids braces and a new boat. Wife has a near heart attack. I was figuring maybe $1000 - 1500 for fixing a stuck reversing valve. Time for a second opinion.

Call up Blue Sky Plumbing in Wheat Ridge, who had taken over the business from our original installer. A guy named Bill Connor shows up and, based on the initial description is ball-parking $4500, but wants a closer look. Could tell immediately this guy knows his shit. Things seem odd to him so he's going through diagnostics and talks to himself out loud so cool to follow his train of thought. He's good to chat with and I discover he worked on avionics on an aircraft carrier (EA-6B).

Took almost 3 hours to sort through all the wiring but turned out to be two wires connected incorrectly and one wire hanging free by the guys who installed the furnace and looked at it twice on followup. Total bill $375. We joined their service plan for an extra $200. Wife is over-the-top happy.

Bottomline, Bill at Blue Sky Plumbing has our highest level of endorsement!

[Hummer]

Glad it worked out and appreciate the tip, but tell us who are the knuckleheads who couldn't figure it out and were going to charge you $6800 to fix it. Local folks might like to know what outfits to stay away from. I've encountered some real cheats in the area HVAC.

[Mtneer]

Can't help but wonder if NOW Heating screwed us on the need for a furnace replacement too. We probably appear an easy mark due to proximity of rich homes.

One thing I learned is that Bill actually likes servicing Goodman units because repair parts are available immediately. With proprietary brands link Lennox or Trane, it can take days or weeks to get the parts even before covid. He thinks failure rates are the same and warranties are more sales pitch than reality.