compressor oil change

[rjn2649]

Long story, but the short of it...used to have heating and A/c seviced by the same company once a year. They ripped my woman off big the one time I wasn't home $130 for a capacitor, that wasn't needed...Yeah they heard it and never got another dime.
BUT a couple months earlier I was talking to the tech and he told me we needed an oil change in our compressor, didn't do it, I sort of thought the oil was in the Freon? (AC is unknown to me) but it sounds logical to me...BUT after the cap incident I'm not sure.
It's been 2 years since the last service.SO when I call the new company I chose to service the AC should I tell them I want the oil changed as well as Freon top off...this system is from about 84

Thanks

 

[justinjoyal]

Did they say why they wanted to change the oil?

Also why do you want a refrigerant top off ?

 

[rjn2649]

It's not cooling as well as I feel it should, so I'm sure given that it's been 2 years it would need to be topped off, don't think the tech had a reason why to change the oil other than it's never been done....
And yes I do change my filters, vacuum out as much duct work as I can and there are no leaves, or **** around the outside unit.

 

[acmikee]

you do not need an oil change....I would like to see how they do it without removing the refrigerant and compressor.
try cleaning your condenser coil with simple green and water rinse it real good.
take your temp in and out before and after you clean the coil

 

[justinjoyal]

It's not cooling as well as I feel it should, so I'm sure given that it's been 2 years it would need to be topped off, don't think the tech had a reason why to change the oil other than it's never been done....
And yes I do change my filters, vacuum out as much duct work as I can and there are no leaves, or **** around the outside unit.

Refrigerant should not have to be topped off, so if it has to be, you got a leak.

It’s not a car. You don’t need to change the oil unless there is a contamination problem.

 

[mrpizza]

Name the company, they are shysters!!!

 

[BillK]

My HVAC system is about 15 years old and has never had anything done to it. Works fine, dont mess with it. Like the others said if it is not cooling properly it probably has a leak.

 

[monkeyspanners]

Domestic air con doesn't need the oil changing. Its only huge commercial systems that have oil change intervals.

Only time you'd want to change the oil is if the system had severe moisture etc contamination or you wanted to change from mineral oil to synthetic due to changing the refrigerant type.

 

[EOC_Jason]

Refrigerant should not have to be topped off, so if it has to be, you got a leak.

It’s not a car. You don’t need to change the oil unless there is a contamination problem.

^^^^^^^^^ Agree with both of those...

 

[danski0224]

Long story, but the short of it...used to have heating and A/c seviced by the same company once a year. They ripped my woman off big the one time I wasn't home $130 for a capacitor, that wasn't needed...Yeah they heard it and never got another dime.
BUT a couple months earlier I was talking to the tech and he told me we needed an oil change in our compressor, didn't do it, I sort of thought the oil was in the Freon? (AC is unknown to me) but it sounds logical to me...BUT after the cap incident I'm not sure.
It's been 2 years since the last service.SO when I call the new company I chose to service the AC should I tell them I want the oil changed as well as Freon top off...this system is from about 84

Thanks

The only way to "change the oil" in a residential type split system is to remove the compressor and dump out the oil.*

*Obviously, this should be done in accordance with all regulations. Residential equipment with a drain plug for the compressor might exist, somewhere. Probably on very old equipment.

This is not something that is normally performed, at all. If there is an oil contamination problem it isn't known about until the system is taken out by the by-products of the degraded oil. No one (well, probably no one) will test for contamination and log it on a regular basis. Certainly not the "$49.95 clean and check" guys, or anyone else with a flat rate teaser price.

Improperly installed systems will have oil problems. Moisture and acid.

Refrigerant doesn't go bad or leak out under normal conditions. Once the system is set up, it should be good... unless there is a leak or other problem (like no maintenance).

I would guess that your system has never been charged properly.

And, like it or not, the $130 for the capacitor is a fair charge. There's a trip charge, diagnostic charge and the part itself as a minimum.

People have no problems paying an appliance repair person $130 to ring the doorbell, and the repair charges start from there... and they never have the part- guaranteeing a return visit.

 

[mike93lx]

It's not cooling as well as I feel it should, so I'm sure given that it's been 2 years it would need to be topped off, don't think the tech had a reason why to change the oil other than it's never been done....
And yes I do change my filters, vacuum out as much duct work as I can and there are no leaves, or **** around the outside unit.

You would be best to save the diagnosis for the professionals, otherwise you will likely pay for service and repairs you don't need.

Tell them what symptoms you are having and let them figure out the problem... Just like your doctor.

 

[rjn2649]

.....and, like it or not, the $130 for the capacitor is a fair charge. There's a trip charge, diagnostic charge and the part itself as a minimum. .....

It was during one of their $90 (or so ) annual furnace inspection, she thought this was a way to protect the 20 year warranty of the furnace, so my question to her was why wasn't the part covered? She gave me that looked like "I got screwed, and not the fun kind"
BUT the kicker is the fan turned on just fine, and both stages worked fine. When he installed the "new" cap it was totally wrapped in electrical tape. My belief was that it was used and his way to hide it.
SO no I don't think 130 for a cap is an OK charge... IF the blower motor didn't start and he came out and put on in, I think $130 would be fair. Actually even a bargain.

I won't post the name of the company here, but if anyone in the Chicago area wants to know the name of a company I will never deal with feel free to PM me...

 

[Milton Shaw]

Oil change for an a/c system is right up there with having to change blinker fluid or muffler bearings. Just another way for them to screw you. As "Monkeyspanners" said the only time to change is oil is if you are having to change refrigerants as some will not work with new blended refrigerants. Even then to change oil requires unhooking the compressor and sucking the oil out and changing all the dryers and accumulators out-something they I am sure were not going to do.

 

[TractorJeff]

Mine will quit soon because I typed this;
BUT!
I bought a 1975 house with almost as old A/C system.
4 or 8 years ago after buzzing for the previous Summer, it would not run.
Local Tech came out diagnosed it as a bad capacitor at a cost of $175.
He tried to put his gauges on to check pressures but couldn't get the one Schrader Valves to release? He tried to remove it with that special tool but couldn't. Finally giving up and screwing the cap back on after doping it to prevent leakage.
Last year the neighbor got his compressor moved to a different location on his house. His almost retired A/C guy came over and checked my pressures and resealed the damaged Schrader valve.
So I guess there is "No Oil Change"?

 

[bonneyman]

Repeating what others have said, the compressor is part of the sealed system. As such the oil in it is added at manufacture and doesn't need filling or changing. If you have a slow leak of refrigerant, some oil will escape with the freon as a vapor. Topping it off with freon doesn't replace any of that missing oil. So, as we did in the old days, repeated topping off could lead to low oil after several years. But by then the comp probably needs changing anyway, so.

$130 for a cap replacement is cheap these days. Most companies I know charge $300 or so for a compressor capacitor replacement.
I charge $60 for the service call plus parts. A typical compressor/condenser fan dual cap goes for about $30 or so. I double the price, so 60+60 = $120. But, my service call is for a hour, so, I'll clean the coil(s), check charge, tighten electrical connections, replace filter, check amp draw too - whatever I can squeeze into an hour. Cleaners and any additional parts are extra. But you're getting a full, real service call with me.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I charge $60 for the service call plus parts. But, my service call is for a hour, so, I'll clean the coil(s), check charge, tighten electrical connections, replace filter, check amp draw too - whatever I can squeeze into an hour. Cleaners and any additional parts are extra. But you're getting a full, real service call with me.

That's all what I consider part of "checking operation" after the repair, and anyone that considers themselves to be honest, competent technicians should be doing the same.

Tommy

 

[justinjoyal]

Repeating what others have said, the compressor is part of the sealed system. As such the oil in it is added at manufacture and doesn't need filling or changing. If you have a slow leak of refrigerant, some oil will escape with the freon as a vapor. Topping it off with freon doesn't replace any of that missing oil. So, as we did in the old days, repeated topping off could lead to low oil after several years. But by then the comp probably needs changing anyway, so.



$130 for a cap replacement is cheap these days. Most companies I know charge $300 or so for a compressor capacitor replacement.

I charge $60 for the service call plus parts. A typical compressor/condenser fan dual cap goes for about $30 or so. I double the price, so 60+60 = $120. But, my service call is for a hour, so, I'll clean the coil(s), check charge, tighten electrical connections, replace filter, check amp draw too - whatever I can squeeze into an hour. Cleaners and any additional parts are extra. But you're getting a full, real service call with me.

Your labor rate is only 60$/hour ?

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Your labor rate is only 60$/hour ?

Back when I was doing residential service work, the "Service Call" was just a flat rate charge to come out. It usually included 1/2 hour labor for trouble shooting. If the repair was completed within the 1/2 hour, all you paid above the $60.00 was the parts/materials (and tax). After that, the "regular" labor rates applied.

Tommy