About Tim McAuley Expertise can answer general questions on air conditioning & heating. cannot answers questions on appliances.
Experience 19 yrs wholesale distribution of refrigeration & A/C equipment and related parts, 1 yr manufacturers representative for air conditioning & heating equipment, 10 yrs manufacturers of A/C & Heating equipment, 3 yrs with contractors as a mgr of service & sales. Currently employed with a manufacturer of heating & cooling thermostats for residential and light commercial applications.
Education/Credentials high school, some college. Many industry related schools & seminars, manufacturers education programs.
Question QUESTION: We bought a manufactured home in an adults-only community. It is a
double-wide, built in the 1970s. The air conditioning is strong in the back
(bedrooms) but barely comes through the vents in the living/dining room
and kitchen. We had an air-conditioning guy (found in the yellow pages)
come out and look under the home. He told us that the duct work is
crumbling and has fallen apart in places. This seems to make sense, as our
electric bill last month was $380.00. His price for complete replacement of
all ductwork under the home is $975.00. We are wondering if that price
seems reasonable. Thanks for any help you can offer!
ANSWER: Bob - $975 sounds reasonable, but I say that w/o knowing what his hourly rate is and how much & what size ducting he plans on using.
Ask him to give you a detailed estimate showing costs & what he plans on doing. He should be using galvanized pipe, well insulated, not flexible duct. Ask him how long he warranties his work for.
Good Luck
Tim
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Tim
Thanks so much for responding so quickly. This guy (Taylor Air & Heating in
Apopka, Fl) will not be using galvanized pipe because there is not enough
room under the home for it. He has to use the flexible duct. He uses a crew
that works after-hours. His card says he has been in business for 20 years.
He's a local guy, but we know nothing about him... thus our concern about
the price. We already had to pay him $50 just to come and look at the duct
work. I am going to phone him again to see if he will give details of what he
plans to do. It's so hard - knowing nothing about air conditioning, duct
work, etc.!
Thanks, Bob
Answer he should give you back your $50 if he does the job for you. And maybe you should call out another contractor to give you a quote. Make sure he gives FREE estimates. Make sure that whichever contractor you use, that they are licensed and insured. You might want to check with the BBB & state contractors board to see if any complaints have been filed.
I wonder why he works "after hours". Is this someone who works for Taylor? Is it the owner of the company?
