I need an HVAC expert.

[Clod Stomper]

Hopefully someone willing to diagnose my system in exchange for gun parts.

Circumstances are forcing me to sell my house, but the HVAC isn't working.  It quit a few years ago.  I heat the house with wood and cool it with a window unit, but the realtor thinks it will sell easier with a working heat pump.  

When it first quit working, I had someone come out and look at it.  He said that the gas had all leaked out and the compressor was ruined.  I want to make sure about that before I replace the compressor.

I have a couple guns I can trade.  Or gun parts, mostly AR stuff.  Reply or PM me, please, and hopefully we can work something out.

Thanks,

Will

P.S.  If you want to give me suggestions about what to check, that's fine too.  I don't have any specialty tools, but I can figure out simple things.

[RED333]

The oil the is used in the compressor is good at sucking water from the air, the term is "hygroscopic", if it did leak out the gas the system needs to be replaced if it has been down a few years. Depending on the age of the system it is not gona be as good at heating or cooling as a new one. The cost of R22 is crazy these days and it goes away in a few short years. Your realtor is correct about the heat for the house and selling easier. Ether bite the bullet and replace the system or cut the price of the house so the new owner can have it replaced.

Edited December 6, 2016 by RED333
Because I can

[NextExit]

Did it quit all at once or did you notice it wasn't blowing as cold as the summer went by?  Did they show you the gauges showing that there's no freon?  Does the fan on the heat pump come on or is the unit just making a humming/buzzing sound?  Compressors are expensive.  I've seen 4 year old heat pumps that are cheaper than a new compressor.  If it's an R22 system, I just happen to have a 30lb jug.  My neighbors unit died on him 2 years ago.  Said he needed a new unit. (it's about 20 years old)  I put about 2lbs in it and it's been working since.  BTW, I'm not an HVAC technician but I did stay at a Holiday Inn   However, @RED333 is right.... if it's an old unit, it may be best to just figure that into your sale price.  Some home buyers are fussy and may have a brand preference or might want a slightly larger unit. 

[glock55]

You might included a home warranty with the sale. You can get them for around 600 hundred dollars. They can cover seller and buyer. Get one and have the warranty repair before sale 

[i1afli]

2 hours ago, RED333 said:

Your realtor is correct about the heat for the house and selling easier. Ether bite the bullet and replace the system or cut the price of the house so the new owner can have it replaced.

+1

But I'd price the house as if the hvac worked, then plan on reducing it during negotiation because no matter what you price it at the buyer will expect a reduction when they find out that the hvac needs replacement. 

But I think the best thing to do is go ahead and replace it and then advertise that it has a brand new hvac system...then it becomes a positive selling point. 

Edited December 7, 2016 by i1afli

[Raoul]

Fix it or replace it. If the house is financed via any government backed loan, i.e. FHA, VA, FNMA a non working HVAC system will kill the loan. IMHO unless you have a cash buyer you're screwed without replacing the HVAC.

[mikegideon]

1 hour ago, Raoul said:

Fix it or replace it. If the house is financed via any government backed loan, i.e. FHA, VA, FNMA a non working HVAC system will kill the loan. IMHO unless you have a cash buyer you're screwed without replacing the HVAC.

This

[ken56]

Replacing the system can be expensive but like others have said, you will be better off on the selling price if it is  a new system. That being said, how old is the system now? If it has truly leaked out the Freon then there is a hole somewhere that needs fixin' or its just going to leak out again.  Don't just replace the compressor if that's what someone suggests.......you will likely be unhappy with the result  if there is still a problem somewhere else in the system. The problem could be something as simple as a bad condenser or the control board. Was the guy who checked it out in the first place trustworthy in you opinion?  Or was he just a guy with some gauges? Get a second opinion from a trustworthy repairman.

[Clod Stomper]

Thanks everyone. 

Paying to replace the whole system right now isn't an option. Just can't afford it.

It stopped working a few years ago. I just noticed that it wasn't blowing warm air (it was winter), so I went outside and it wasn't running.

I called Hiller Heating and Air. That's what he told me. That the gas had leaked out and the compressor was probably bad. The outside unit was installed in '08. The inside unit, I don't know. But that's probably where the leak is. It would have to be fixed as well. 

I'll ask my realtor about the home warranty option.  Or maybe we can negotiate with the buyer to replace it with the equity after closing. 

I got a number for another HVAC guy. I'll call him today to come out and check it again to verify the problem, then go from there. 

Thanks,

Will

Edited December 8, 2016 by Clod Stomper
Typos

[Wingshooter]

American Home Shield:

https://shopping.ahs.com/buyonline/?&mkwid=s_dt&pcrid=115909868338&pmt=e&keyword=american home shield&pdv=t&src=&mm_campaign=4ba1af906554aede504a53d63e96a2c9&MarketingPartner=Google&AdType=CPC&Campaign=Home+Shield+Brand+eCommerce+-+Exact&gclid=CLTU_-LX5NACFZ26wAoduDQFsw

 

I have a love-hate relationship with them. They tried to deny coverage to replace one of my HVAC compressors because the repair guy said I didn't maintain it by having it cleaned regularly (he obviously just wanted to sell me a new unit at full price). I eventually won that battle, but it was a pain.

They have replaced multiple hot water heaters, repaired refrig, repaired dishwashers, repaired washers and dryers, and fixed my HVACs several times though over the years. Costs about $450/year and $65 per service call. If you go this route, just make sure your unit looks clean and like it was functioning and failed because of normal wear. 

Did Hiller give you an estimate to repair it? If they say the compressor needs to be replaced, you might be able to get the model # of the compressor and find a remanufacture unit cheaper on line. Then just pay them the labor to install it.

Edited December 8, 2016 by Wingshooter

[peejman]

Be wary of home warranties. Read the fine print very carefully and make them explain anything you're unsure of. 

If you're reasonably mechanically inclined, DIY'ing the replacement isn't that hard. 

Edited December 8, 2016 by peejman

[Ronald_55]

10 minutes ago, Wingshooter said:

American Home Shield:

https://shopping.ahs.com/buyonline/?&mkwid=s_dt&pcrid=115909868338&pmt=e&keyword=american home shield&pdv=t&src=&mm_campaign=4ba1af906554aede504a53d63e96a2c9&MarketingPartner=Google&AdType=CPC&Campaign=Home+Shield+Brand+eCommerce+-+Exact&gclid=CLTU_-LX5NACFZ26wAoduDQFsw

 

I have a love-hate relationship with them. They tried to deny coverage to replace one of my HVAC compressors because the repair guy said I didn't maintain it by having it cleaned regularly (he obviously just wanted to sell me a new unit at full price). I eventually won that battle, but it was a pain.

They have replaced multiple hot water heaters, repaired refrig, repaired dishwashers, repaired washers and dryers, and fixed my HVACs several times though over the years. Costs about $450/year and $65 per service call. If you go this route, just make sure your unit looks clean and like it was functioning and failed because of normal wear. 

Did Hiller give you an estimate to repair it? If they say the compressor needs to be replaced, you might be able to get the model # of the compressor and find a remanufacture unit cheaper on line. Then just pay them the labor to install it.

I had them the first few years we owned our house. They replaced the water heater, dishwasher, and indoor HVAC blower without much issue. Took me several years to get the outside HVAC unit replaced even though it had to have gas added EVERY year when it got warm. Then they do not cover haul away of the old unit or a new concrete base if you need it. Used to be $35 per service call back then. I agree with Love-hate for them. They do not cover anything like faucet leaks or roof leaks. We dropped them when we finally got the outside unit replaced.

[MacGyver]

No warranty is going to cover a known pre-existing condition.  

[ken56]

If its at all possible to just replace the compressor it would be wrong to just get it going to sell the house with the system still leaking. We all know that a heating company would prefer to sell a $6000.00 new system over a 500.00 reman compressor. ( I don't know the actual costs, just throwing out numbers) The system is only 8 yrs old and if there were any warranty left to claim on they would just deny it  by claiming an improper installation. Systems should not leak period, no matter how old. There was evidently a pin hole in a solder joint somewhere or vibration wore a hole somewhere in the line.  There is  a dye that can be put into the system to locate any leaks. Talk to the Hiller guy to see if he could help you out on the side for the trade items you offered here.

[ken56]

Speaking of a bad install......who did the original install? Seems like it would be on them.

[MacGyver]

You're wasting your time on what ifs. You need to spend a few dollars on getting an honest diagnosis of what's wrong with the system.  Then - and only then can you make an informed decision about how to move forward.  

A system installed in 2008 isn't that old - many do have 10-year plus warranties on parts these days.  It's been sitting for a while - and unused systems degrade - but you need to actually have someone diagnose the problem.  

Are you upside down in the house?  If not, I'd consider a small home equity line of credit to fix the system.  That's going to get paid first upon the sale of the house, but the discount you'd take on selling the house without working HVAC would far outweigh the cost of putting a new system in or repairing the old one.  That's assuming a buyer could even get a loan funded without a working system.  

Are you working with a realtor?  Situations like this are where they're worth their money.   They ought to have some good, reliable contacts.  Mine does. 

[bud]

.

Edited April 26, 2017 by bud

[NextExit]

3 hours ago, ken56 said:

Speaking of a bad install......who did the original install? Seems like it would be on them.

Agreed. I could be wrong but I think units come with a 10 year warranty. Mine was made in 1989 and still going strong. Not to say it wasn't fixed at some point but I've been in the house 7+ years now and all I've done is add a pound of freon. 8 year old unit that's already quit working makes me think it could be something simple. (being optimistic) 

[ken56]

Have you checked the run/start capacitor? Is the electronic control board corroded? Those would be the 2 that you can take the little cover off and at least look at them. The capacitor's bottom should be flat, if it is bulged out its bad. Cheap fix if you do it, not so cheap if a service guy does it. There is a shiney silver sticker on it to tell you what size it is and it must be  replaced with one of the same electrical rating. If the control board is corroded and shorted then you can replace that yourself too, one wire at a time because the terminal are labeled. That's a more expensive part. The problem is finding a supply house that sells those things retail to the public.

[oldmustangjunkie]

Send me a link to the house for sale.  I'm looking for something in the Knoxville area.

[NextExit]

@Clod Stomper Just wondering how you made out with this.  Above average temps thru next weekend so it's a great time to fix stuff.  

[Clod Stomper]

Hey, I haven't been on in a while. Sorry, I wasn't intentionally ignoring anyone. 

I ended up getting the whole system replaced for a pretty good deal. My realtor knows a guy and the guy sold me a scratch-and-ding unit. I had to borrow the money, but it had to be done.

The house isn't really a fixer-upper. There are a few minor issues that I'm working on. I'm trying to get some money out of it. 

Oldmustangjunkie, I'll send you a PM with the address. It isn't listed yet, but you can check it out on Zillow or wherever. I have a contract with a realtor and I'm hoping to get it ready to list asap. 

Thanks everyone. 

Will