Sounds fishy! Find a different company. Rewiring the switch and cleaning the coil should cost no more than two to three hundred. The insulation should dry out on its own when you turn on the heat.

The float switch doesn't cause the AC condensate to back up. The float switch is there to shut the AC off if a back up occurs.

If not wired properly, the AC under a 'over flow' event keeps right on running to the point in which insulation gets wet among other things depending on how your system is configured and where it's located in the home. (condensation over flow or back up due to clogged drain)

Cleaning coil and blower would be an indication of not replacing filters a break in the return some where causing the coil and blower to become dirty. Did the tech provide you with pictures?

Insulating a Air Handler is something that is recommended by manufacturer's depending on where the air handler is placed. Under certain events in certain climates and conditions of those climates the unit cabinet can some times 'sweat'.

Most of the time this 'cabinet sweating' is a temporary condition. Dew point temperature is reached causing the equipment cabinet to sweat. Insulating the cabinet will prevent that.

however, this must be done in such a fashion that doesn't prohibit access to the equipment or the insulation must be resealed every time the equipment is serviced.

In a world of those who can't even replace service caps well I can't imagine that lasting very long.

UV lights are often recommended to kill / prevent mold growth on coils / interior duct work insulation plenum boxes. The problem is that to be effective all dark areas must be lit with UV lights and those lights have to be replaced annually to remain effective. It's a cost that never goes away.

Perhaps this company had a good reputation in the past. But for some reason they have decided they need to make money recommending repairs that are not needed.

What you do need is an easy way to clean your condensation line. I recommend you install a EZ Trap clear trap kit. The trap is clear so you can easily monitor build up of debris. It has caps you can pop open and clean with the included brush.

Thanks for all the responses! I got them to come down quite a ways by calling and questioning the cost. Mike_Home, that EZ Trap is awesome, I'm going to definitely install one of those! That will make life so much easier since SW Florida makes this drain line a continual burden.

One more question, the UV they installed has a crazy expensive bulb that they say I MUST get from a licensed dealer (vis a vis - them) because the ones online for cheaper void all warranties and will ruin the power pack. This is the bulb: Ultravation T3 Germacidal Bulb

He said it runs $240. If I look online for replacement bulbs for the Ultravation T3, they run $40. Is there that big of a difference? Also, is it true that THIS bulb (above) is built differently so that it doesn't matter whether you touch it with your skin because it has 2 layers? Will the Amazon replacements not be the same?

Sorry for all the questions, I've run into nothing but scams in 10 years of trying to maintain my AC in SW Florida and it seems I may be in the same situation again... I don't get it because I always check reviews. These guys have an A grade on Angie's List as well as 5 stars on Google Reviews with LOADS of reviewers. I feel like I need to take night school and start doing this stuff myself, lol.

An Ultravation T3 is an Ultravation T3 is an Ultravation T3................... ;)

DON'T buy the bulb from them - the power pack will be just fine! You've been had once - learn from bitter experience!

The power packs are pretty robust, they can fail just like anything else... but typically the bulbs differ in how they connect to a power pack. If you buy the wrong bulb you won't be able to get it into the socket.

No HVAC company is going to do a service for you for the same cost as it costs them to buy the bulb. The risk is if the power pack goes bad, they probably will not warranty it by claiming they have never serviced it. (replaced bulbs)

An HVAC service company can not stay in business, pay techs, dispatchers, managers and the long list of creditors required to run a HVAC service company, without charging a mark up on the services they perform for you. (capitalism 101)

It's 2019, not even I can survive on chips and beer money.

Can someone explain to me the purpose of the UV lights in this situation? Is the idea less mold will grow and thus the condensate drain will need less cleaning?

Well, mold on the coil will find its way into the home air and may eventually clog both the coil and the condensate drain. If you're sensitive to mold you'll suffer the effects. UV lights are pretty much standard in static antibacterial laboratory hoods and work just fine in that setting. So I guess the theory is similar that they will prevent growth of mold on a static coil (unlike placing them in the ductwork where the airflow over them will be sufficiently fast that they will have no effect on airborne mold).

I need to take extra precautions with a son who has horrible asthma. If there's a chance I can help him for $500, I need to take it...

If you have easy access to the drain pan, then I suggest using Pro-Treat 151 tablets. There are several types. This is made to stop the (black) algae, fungi and bio-fouling that can plug drain pans and drain lines.

It doesn't drain from the pan, it drains from the Air Handler itself. If water makes it to the pan, it has a second float valve in there to stop the AC. The primary float switch (inside the air handler) was wired wrong apparently and the AC would stop when the pan filled up. Maybe put one of those EZ Trap Clear Trap Kits in and then use tablets in there? Someone have a good link for proper maintenance on an AC in SouthWest Flordia (Compressor outside, Air Handler about 8 feet high in the garage)? Thanks, really need to get smart enough to stop having these big $ emergency situations...

"I f you have easy access to the drain pan, then I suggest using Pro-Treat 151 tablets. There are several types."

As was suggested three posts earlier? lol

I just deleted my post as apparently not worthy...

The purpose of the UV lights is to prevent mold growth. 4 things needed for mold growth to occur... same 4 things I have always stated.

(1) Damp (moist), (2) dark, (3) cool, (4) nutrients. Take one of those away and mold can not grow.

Dark? The UV light mimics sun light. Mold does not grow in direct sun light.

Dark, Cool & Nutrients are always present in a HVAC duct system in air conditioning mode. Moist is there if you don't have proper condensate drainage.

What is proper condensate drainage? In a highly humid climate this is quite problematic.

I am not referencing traps and drain pan pills. Perform a science test... (everyone can play) fill a pot with water and leave it on the counter. Don't let all the water evaporate, don't treat it with anything. Don't clean it out. How long does it take until mold / algae grows in it? Now imagine that in your HVAC system. Because if you don't have proper drainage, that is what you get. (proper drainage of the pot is that the pot is empty and dry... now what must be done to your condensate drain to do that?)

The con with UV lights is that there is a plethora of nooks and crannies within your HVAC duct system. Moss a form of mold outdoors grows where? (out of direct sunlight)

If you have someone with horrible asthma you may spend $500 a year or more just maintaining the system to do what you need it to do. (This isn't a DIY topic)