General HVAC question re. longevity of unit

[CarCrazyRDM]

So this question is actually in regards to the unit for the downstairs of our house but there seem to be some knowledgeable folks on this forum in regards to HVAC stuff so I thought it couldn't hurt to ask. But we have a Rheem gas pack (may not be correct terminology... one unit contains both electric A/C and natural gas heat) that was built in 2003. In the event someone wants it the model is: RRKA-A024JK06E.

We've had problems with it since we moved into the house 2 years ago and are currently going through the process of having the evap coil replaced (paid for via a home warranty). My question is, our home warranty expires at the end of this month and I am wondering if it is worth renewing (about $500)? It was paid for by the sellers for the first year and last year I renewed it at the recommendation of an HVAC guy who said the coil was rusted out and would almost certainly go bad sometime in the near future... he was right, and the warranty was worth it (probably a $1000 - $1500 repair).

What I'm curious about now is will the compressor go next? If it does will that cost more or less than the $500 warranty? Do compressors usually out last the coils? If we're going to get another 3 - 5 years out of this thing now then I'll just bank the $500 and plan on putting it towards a new unit all together when this one finally lets go. But if there is a good chance of the compressor quitting in the next year then I may go ahead and re-up the home warranty.

Thanks for any input,
Ryan

 

[txst]

A compressor replacement is going to cost more than $500 (probably around $700 - $1000). Personally, I wouldn't replace a failed compressor on a 15 yr old unit, unless a warranty paid for it. In general, packaged units tend to last longer than split systems, as they are assembled and charged correctly in a factory, and they usually have less refrigerant charge than a split system which helps reliability. Your system is almost 15 years old and is probably a 10 SEER system. Minimum efficiency is now 14 SEER so you would see a decent reduction in your cooling bills if you were to replace it. If you trust the technician who is replacing the coil to do it correctly - can braze well, replaces the filter drier, pulls a good vacuum, and puts the proper amount of refrigerant in the system, the compressor may last a few more years, assuming it wasn't damaged by the leak.
If money is tight, roll the dice - you can probably get through the cooling season and save some money for replacement next year or longer. As long as the gas heat exchanger is OK, there really isn't a lot of really expensive repairs you could need over the winter on the furnace.

 

[Trey T]

I'm not entirely familiar w/ home warranty, since I'm a DIY guy from all directions, but why didn't they replace the entire blower cabinet (evap. coil and furnace)?

 

[CarCrazyRDM]

txst, thanks for the info. I got word yesterday afternoon that our evap coil finally came in and the techs will be out on Sat. to install it. So I'm definitely going to pick their brains about the overall condition of the unit and what they'd recommend when they are there.

Trey T, I presume because it was cheaper to replace just the coil I imagine. My hope was that whatever quit working would cost so much to try and repair independently that they'd just replace the whole unit (or at least I could opt for that by kicking in some extra money) but it didn't turn out that way. And especially since we are at the end of our contract with them (literally 10 more days) they're just going to do the bare minimum.

I'm usually against home warranties because in general I think you're wasting your money if you are half mechanically inclined, which I tend to think of myself as being. With that said, HVAC is something a little more specialized and I don't have the equipment for and so quite honestly I renewed this home warranty specifically for our downstairs HVAC unit. Thankfully it paid off. Actually more than I anticipated... our attached garage door opener quit as well (was 25 years old!) and I didn't even know it was covered but turns out it was. It was something I could have done in an afternoon myself and it's always aggravating dealing with the warranty company but bottom line is we got an upgraded unit (with a little upcharge) installed for "free."

 

[soob]

You _are_ wasting your money with home warranties even if you get a new evaporator coil out of it. A 15-year-old system isn't long for this world. If you get another compressor next year, you'll still have a bunch of old parts in there that won't last forever. It's going to have other issues sooner than later and you're going to need to dump a lot of R22 into it to keep it going.

You should have just taken the money they gave you for the evaporator and put it toward a whole new system.

 

[CarCrazyRDM]

We will need another unit there is no doubt but if $500 gets us another 3 years out of it as opposed to us having to drop $5K this year, then to me it was worth it. Just like extended auto warranties, they're a gamble... one that worked out in our favor this go around. I'm just trying to determine if it's worth risking it again. I'm leaning towards no at this point and just going to hope with a new coil we'll get a few more years of use out of it and then we'll drop the coin for a nice new unit.

 

[vavet]

I'm push you the other way. Perhaps the warranty company will eventually buy you a new system. They don't want to waste money any more than you do. There's also a possibility they'll look at your claims history and jack up the rate before you can renew.

I'm not sure if home warranties work the same way aftermarket auto warranties work. Aftermarket automotive warranties typically dictate how much they'll pay (usually straight book time) for a given repair and sometimes it's at a reduced hourly rate. It's up to the shop if they accept that compensation or if they might share the loss with the technician doing the work.
If home warranties are the same way, I could certainly envision a world where certain, more reputable contractors would not be willing to provide service for them. These are probably the contractors who have enough business already because they're that good.

 

[Trey T]

I read that wrong, you have a package unit, right? it's a single unit that sits outside of the home, right?

 

[CarCrazyRDM]

vavet, you are correct, the current warranty company we are with (2-10 Home Warranty... which has horrible reviews and has been difficult as hell to deal with... stay away!) did jack up our rates, almost double, if we want to renew. I wouldn't go back with them anyway though even if we were to renew. However, I have a quote from AHS for around $450 - $500 and they are a more reputable company.

And you're also correct in that after a certain dollar amount they'll just opt to replace the whole unit. Now of course they'll only pay for the bare bones model but you can upgrade for additional fees. But many have still come out ahead going this route, as we did with our garage door opener. Yes you may spend $2000 out of your pocket but if they're covering what would have been $5000+ out of your pocket (but probably half that at their negotiated rates and wholesale costs) then you've still done alright. And I have been pleased with both the service providers who have been out to work on our unit. They've both been very upfront and honest about how the warranty stuff works and as I said earlier, the first guy was the one who convinced me it would probably be a good idea to renew b/c he saw the coil was on it's way out. He was right.

Anyway, we'll see. I appreciate the input here. I really didn't intend for this post to turn into one about home warranties, I'm just interested in whether after a coil replacement on a 15 y/o unit what is the likelihood of the compressor lasting 1 yr, 3 yr, or 5 years more? I realize there are other components that could fail as well but the comp is the most costly. If I have an idea about it's longevity that will better help me determine if "risking" the $450 on a home warranty is worth it or not.

But I am hopeful this will get us through a few more years, I won't waste the money on a warranty, and we'll just save our pennies for a new unit when this one finally craps out. As mentioned before, I'm going to pick the brains of the techs that come out on Sat. to replace the coil and go from there.

 

[CarCrazyRDM]

I read that wrong, you have a package unit, right? it's a single unit that sits outside of the home, right?

Correct.

 

[yeldogt]

The warranties on RE transactions provide some piece of mind ... and it sounds like you are about even on the 1k purchase price (you and the seller) they often cost more for the seller .. $500 sounds cheap.

Personally I would have tried to work a deal with the replacement company to get a new unit -- paying the difference. Did they give any idea of the overall condition? Most of the units have the evaporator before the heat exchanger -- so this can rust out the heat exchanger.

AC compressors can run for 20 years or fail in short order.

 

[GTA Matt]

I have ahs, and while I'm typically against warranties, it paid off last year when my compressor, well pump and dishwasher all died within weeks of each other. For the record my compressor was 20 years old. I would have liked the whole system replaced, but if it buys me a few more years for $75 I can't complain.

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