Holy crap! We've only cracked $200 like twice ever. That's with two AC systems, bedroom at 66 even on the hottest summer night, basement dehumidifier running 24/7 during the humid months, and a second (half-size) fridge.

He's in Cali, you're in IL. That's the biggest difference in your bills.

Glad they got it fixed and working. Heat, humidity and poor health are a bad combination.

My wife has severe respiratory issues and ours went out earlier this year when we hit 100 degrees. Fortunately, we used our newly converted garage into arcade with its mini split as a life boat until it was fixed under warranty a few days later.

She still thanks me for talking her into finally getting that project done. Pins and games save lives.

I was not good at yearly maintenance other than changing the filters. One time we had a HVAC tech here who wanted to perform the $300 'clean and inspect' and I politely declined.

Fast Forward to me replacing the blower motor and obviously when you pull it out you can now clean the fins on the blower wheel. Unbelievable the difference in the amount of air a clean wheel throws vs the dust caked one I cleaned in the driveway.

"Proprietary parts would be major components such as printed circuit boards (PCB’s), compressors, or fans (indoor or outdoor). This goes for the majority of manufacturers. Capacitors, contactors, pressure switches, etc. can be replaced with aftermarket parts."

This is why you avoid inverters. That, and their high cost no matter who makes it. The benefit they offer is near-meaningless. What they are is the product of a group of engineers who needs jobs, and marketing execs who need to sell something new and shiny. Avoid it all like the plague.

As for traditional units....about 20 years ago our unit failed and I had an AC guy come out. He changed the run cap and the unit worked as intended. I paid him his service fee...plus his bill for the $125 cap. After he left...I started to ponder this and decided to look up on Grainger (probably the highest cost source of all) what a new name brand cap would cost. $8. I called the AC guy and he gave me the usual line about how the need to make their money....I told him I didn't expect him to charge me $8 but 1200% markup was a bit dear. That is the last time I ever hired an AC guy to do anything. The money I've saved has, I'm sure, funded at least one new pinball machine.

Salute! Obviously anybody that can work on a pinball machine can do most of their HVAC maintenance

Great news on the fix. Hope all is well with family. Was going to say for a quick fix in event of a long term mechanical issue would be to get a portable a/c unit. Type you can roll room to room and vent out a window. $300-400 would get a room cool quick in event of having an unexpected guest.

Holy shit, 900

I've had to replace both HVAC zones since COVID. The first was the larger zone, a 12 year old gas pack gave out in the Summer of 2020. $3600. Second zone (heat pump, similar vintage) gave out in June to the tune of $6800. I think those numbers illustrate the supply chain and inflation reality quite clearly.

It depends who you find. My replacement system in 2022 was only $850 more than one I replaced 12 years ago at my last house. More efficient system too and slighty larger.

$900 yipes! I’m bitching about $200. I’ll take my seat and be quiet.

I would have thought yours would be through the roof, you know, being a polar bear and everything.

Yup. Replaced mine today. $20. Did the trick.

Pinheads know how to replace the bad caps.

I assumed you knew to check the drain line. You quickly learn to check that first thing here in the South. When mine starts to clog, I'll notice it ain't quite cooling like it should be. I'm not sure why that is. Maybe water sitting in the pan wicks back up onto the fins? That may go on for a couple of days if I let it go. And sometimes those cutoffs don't work. All it is is a cork float. They do get stuck and not shut the system off. Then you've got a real mess.

Ryanstl: Good one! Actually, we just received most recent billing and it was $309 including an 8 day heat wave. 72 by day….65 by night. Not quite the Arctic. I’d go broke if I kept it like home. Regards, NHPB

The combination of Bakersfield heat, a big house (3600 sf) and PG&E power will do that. Cheap power is $0.24 per kWh, and in the late afternoons it gets as high as $0.56. On a bad day when it’s 108 we will use about 80 kWh.

I was just quoted $28,000 for a new Trane 5-ton heat pump and TAM9 air handler with radiant heat water coil and some other reconfiguration of ducts near the air handler. As if that weren’t bad enough, he says there is no supply of these units expected until late September with no guarantees. He also quoted me a Daikin setup at about $22,000.

I am also Waiting on figures from the Carrier guy. My old Trane 18 was 23 years old and first it had a bad capacitor. Service company came to fix, sparks flew and then they took it all apart and said “the compressor is shorted and the unit must be replaced”. Paid electrician to repair all the disconnect junctions and when turned on breaker for Trane unit it just trips immediately. Consensus was it is just dead. I have 4 other Tranes of same age. One has a dead coil so it is useless but I don’t need it to cool the basement. Thank god the two units for the bedrooms are working so I have a cool place to hide during this heat wave.

OP I am glad your fix was easy.

By the time I get my AC installed it wil be winter . Then the heat will break.

Houses are hard.