HVAC tech broke heat pump

[280Ackley]

Thanks for all the replies and pm’s offering help!

A little more details. The first visit from the tech I had the same questions as to what caused the fuse to blow. He said the fuses were mismatch and the one that blew was an old one. He said he cheeked everything else and couldn’t find an issue. It was over a 100 degrees the day it blew.

The second visit was a different tech. I knew it was a different issue when I checked and it showed a low pressure switch fault. After he found the leak, I asked him if it could have damaged the compressor and he said it was a definite possibility.

After visiting with the sales manager on the phone, I do believe they will try to make this right by repairing this unit or discounting a new unit. Just to make sure I have another company coming Monday to take a look also.


Here is the line that broke.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Thanks for all the replies and pm’s offering help!

A little more details. The first visit from the tech I had the same questions as to what caused the fuse to blow. He said the fuses were mismatch and the one that blew was an old one. He said he cheeked everything else and couldn’t find an issue. It was over a 100 degrees the day it blew.

The second visit was a different tech. I knew it was a different issue when I checked and it showed a low pressure switch fault. After he found the leak, I asked him if it could have damaged the compressor and he said it was a definite possibility.

After visiting with the sales manager on the phone, I do believe they will try to make this right by repairing this unit or discounting a new unit. Just to make sure I have another company coming Monday to take a look also.


Here is the line that broke.
View attachment 748351

Small line is likely an oil return line or expansion valve equalizer line. Not really sure with our seeing your unit, not that it really matters.

 

[BBob]

Here is the line that broke.

Simple repair. They should have that done in no time. It'll take longer to evacuate the system than to fix the line.

 

[280Ackley]

Well I guess I have to much faith in people. The owner finally called me back after 4pm today and said that it was a coincidence that the line broke and they are not responsible and will do nothing. So I recommend never doing business with Lazer heating in Clarkston Washington!!!

 

[BBob]

Too bad but seems par for the course. Everybody seemingly has enough work that some don't care if they lose a customer. It's just like the car sales thing, "There's always another customer that will walk through the door".....

 

[280Ackley]

The crazy thing was I wasn’t looking for a huge discount or anything just a simple I’m sorry and getting fixed. We know the unit is getting old and would have replaced it probably with them!

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Too bad but seems par for the course. Everybody seemingly has enough work that some don't care if they lose a customer. It's just like the car sales thing, "There's always another customer that will walk through the door".....

exactly what I have always said.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Have another Co. do the repairs and get as much time as you can get out of the system. Other option will be $$$$. But you mentioned your system is around twenty years old, that's at least five years past normal life expectancy .

 

[BBob]

If you’re going to fix it I’d do it as soon as you can. The longer a system is left open the more moisture contamination can happen. The oil will absorb the moisture and it doesn’t like giving it up even with long evacuation times. Moisture in the system will eventually cause acid formation and can cut the systems lifespan. Make sure they replace the filter dryer and consider adding a suction dryer and an acid neutralizer with the repair.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

If you’re going to fix it I’d do it as soon as you can. The longer a system is left open the more moisture contamination can happen. The oil will absorb the moisture and it doesn’t like giving it up even with long evacuation times. Moisture in the system will eventually cause acid formation and can cut the systems lifespan. Make sure they replace the filter dryer and consider adding a suction dryer and an acid neutralizer with the repair.

I agree with everything except the neutralizer unless you had a compressor burn out, which you didn't. If you do repairs yourself, pay attention to the oil in the vacuum pump, if it turns cloudy, that is a sign of moisture in the system, very bad in many ways, as Bob mentioned. You will likely never get it out. I really don't think that is a concern in your case.

 

[DanMan]

In my 30 years of hvac service I've seen a lot of these small bleed tube failures. If there was vibration then the joint was likely stressed and weak, after 20 years it was likely weak and stressed even without vibration.
No way I could hang the failure on the tech.
That said - I could never turn my back on a customer in this situation. If it broke lose 2 days after I had moved or altered those lines, I would be there and make the repair immediately without second thought. I would then honestly explain the copper stress failure, and accept zero responsibility for causing it. I would state what the repair would normally cost and leave it up to the customer how much if anything they felt like giving me.
This or similar situations has actually occurred on me a number of times through the years. A few times they have given full payment, usually more like half, a few times nothing at all. For those that don't respect me enough to give a partial payment, I will never provide them service again but at least my conscious is clear.
95 % of my work is for longtime customers or their personal referrals. Just treating folks right ( both ways) keeps my schedule full with zero dollars spent on advertising.

 

[280Ackley]

In my 30 years of hvac service I've seen a lot of these small bleed tube failures. If there was vibration then the joint was likely stressed and weak, after 20 years it was likely weak and stressed even without vibration.
No way I could hang the failure on the tech.
That said - I could never turn my back on a customer in this situation. If it broke lose 2 days after I had moved or altered those lines, I would be there and make the repair immediately without second thought. I would then honestly explain the copper stress failure, and accept zero responsibility for causing it. I would state what the repair would normally cost and leave it up to the customer how much if anything they felt like giving me.
This or similar situations has actually occurred on me a number of times through the years. A few times they have given full payment, usually more like half, a few times nothing at all. For those that don't respect me enough to give a partial payment, I will never provide them service again but at least my conscious is clear.
95 % of my work is for longtime customers or their personal referrals. Just treating folks right ( both ways) keeps my schedule full with zero dollars spent on advertising.

I couldn’t agree more. I wish there were more people like you!

 

[CJohnson]

As a business owner I definitely see both sides of it. I’ve had people ask me to put band aids on equipment that should’ve just been replaced and the. They’ll call me a few weeks later when the equipment fails and try to screw me out of the money to replace it for free because obviously since I was the last person to touch it I “broke” it.

I was the business owner in your situation, I would’ve either ate part of the cost for the installation of the new unit or made an insurance claim to fix your unit.

I’d also be interested to know why the lines needed to be moved in the first place.

 

[hunterjmj]

The second tech probably could have got you going within a couple hours and been on his way. Too bad they didn't. Not dogging on all residential hvac companies but a lot of them run ridiculous flat rate charges. Best route would be to find an independent hvac contractor that charges an hourly rate. Like others have said, poe oil will absorb a ton of moisture in short periods of time. Good luck and hope you find someone to get your a/c going.

 

[280Ackley]

Well it turned out to be a blessing the owner of the first company was a tool. The second company’s owner came out first thing yesterday morning and looked over the system. We went over our options and his recommendations. We decided to replace the whole system since in our climate the heat pump is working hard year round and it is at the end of its life. He got me his estimate within 30 minutes and it was only a $1,000 more than I was quoted just for the outdoor unit!!! So we will have a completely new system installed Monday morning.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Well it turned out to be a blessing the owner of the first company was a tool. The second company’s owner came out first thing yesterday morning and looked over the system. We went over our options and his recommendations. We decided to replace the whole system since in our climate the heat pump is working hard year round and it is at the end of its life. He got me his estimate within 30 minutes and it was only a $1,000 more than I was quoted just for the outdoor unit!!! So we will have a completely new system installed Monday morning.

You without a doubt made the right choice. enjoy your new efficient system.

 

[280Ackley]

You without a doubt made the right choice. enjoy your new efficient system.

Thank you! I appreciate your input in this thread!!

 

[DanMan]

Glad to hear that it's getting resolved in a good manner. Always risky pouring significant money into an aged system. I hope that the new company does you a good installation and you get a long life out of the new system.

 

[WoodBow]

Glad you got a good resolution in the end. I have found that companies just make up numbers and hope you say ok. After the last work I had done, I decided I was done dealing with them. After a compressor took a dump, I decided to replace the entire 2 ton system. Ducts and all. I needed to add more ducts for an add on anyways. I spent probably a good 5 days installing everything. It just takes time when you are learning as you go. When I finally got everything up and running, all of the refrigerant leaked over night. I naturally assumed that it was my fault somehow, even though I pressure tested the system. When I pulled a vac again and then broke the vac with nitrogen, I could hear a very audible leak in the compressor. I pulled the fan and found a substantial leak on the small line coming out of the expansion valve, right at a solder joint. I felt really defeated to have done so much work, be totally done, and then have to do more work because of an issue with a brand new condenser. They are shipping me a new expansion valve but I guess I get to eat the cost for the lost refrigerant.

The up side is I have learned an immense amount though this undertaking and I should be pretty self sufficient for hvac work from here on out.

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