Compressor or New condenser:

If your unit is a R410a freon the cheaper choice is replace the compressor.

However, warranty on compressor only is 1 year. So this may work or it may not leading to more expense.

Depends on what was determined to be the cause as to why the compressor failed.

If your plans are to stay at this property long term probably a better idea to replace the condenser as your warranty on new equipment should be no less than 10 years parts, you can purchase extended warranty coverage but this will require annual maintenance or the extended coverage is rendered mostly worthless.

The cost can be argued to the moon and back, the cheaper the cost typically the lower the skill level of those installing it... the lower the skill level of those installing it can effect many things: such as performance of the system, premature failure (compressor trouble) etc.

Compressor trouble can run you in circles --- from noise related problems (start up and or constant noises) to erratic stop / start issues, improper cooling and so on.

A licensed HVAC contractor can cut costs by hiring unskilled installers to do the work.

I can only guess as to why a 7 year old unit suffered a compressor failure. In my book that is considered premature failure. It could be do to a myriad of things that could partly be related to how the household is run.

As an example the AC unit is never maintained 'properly' --- things like that cause the compressor to 'run hot'... once that happens, failure is guaranteed --- just a matter of time. "So you can see, blame game as to why is quite complicated."

People have been programmed by manufactures with gimmicks. Led to believe the problem they are having is related to the name on the side of the equipment.

I service the Katy, Texas area. I do all my own installs and repairs. Nearly 26 years experience.

Where are you located? Prices of equipment installation varies across the country. I would estimate replacing the condenser with the same Goodman GSX13 3.5 ton is going in the range of $3000 - $3500. Unfortunately it is the busy season where prices are higher, and the quality of installation drops.

Great comments all! More variables!

- the literature on the warranty says 10 years if registered at installation; 5 years otherwise. The ac came with the condo unit purchased new. I don't know if they enforce that distinction. The contractor seemed to think he could get a warranty replacement.

- 1 year warranty on compressor-only option could be a dealbreaker. don't like that.

-what are the ramifications of mismatched Goodman/non-Goodman?

- Is it unbalanced if condensor is 3-ton and original was 3.5 ton? I believe the 3.5 ton was oversized. 1600 sf ranch. only one 12x12 room has vaulted ceilng. My former home did fine with 2.5 ton and 1900 sf. I know about load calculation stuff, but still....

-I was considering getting 2nd opinion on compressor failure. Not sure its worth the $ and super hard to get service techs. Maybe if I give you a little rundown you can comment on if it sounds like 2nd opinion warranted:

When I turned the ac on at thermostat, the unit did not go on. fan only. (I didn't actually realize that until later in the day when the sun was beating in the house and it wasnt cool. the fan-only was more functional than I expected) I checked breakers. I suspected mouse-chewed wires as some neighbors have had that problem, but not me. He examined the contact thingie and said it wasn't working right. he could fiddle with it and make it work for a second or two, but ended up saying it had to be replaced. He did so and unit sounded fine. I was happy camper. We went to basement to finish up the "tuneup" for the service call. When we came back to the outside unit, it was super super loud and not its normal sound. He had some gauges hanging off it and I think he said it was overcompressing. He concluded that the compressor malfunctioning burnt out the contact thingie (my word not his!)

Does that sound legit?

-I'm in Massachusetts... everything is super expensive.

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another advantage to getting new condensor would be to improve on decibels. They installed this unit right next to the deck. And its loud. (75db) It should have gone on the side of the building which is about 6 feet away from the furnace. instead they ran lines 20-30' to the rear. Other similar end units at this complex have condensor on the side. Different contractor probably. I could have it moved. Quote was another $950!

- 1 year warranty on compressor-only option could be a dealbreaker. don't like that.

Clarification: If the unit is under warranty, you would get the balance of whatever the manufacturer warranty is. So depending on that, it could even be less than a year.

Because this was tied to a new construction unit, it is probably 5 year part only. It's very rare for new construction to register the unit. If you are the second owner it would be 5 year part regardless if it was registered or not. (*these are current rules that may change in the future)

-what are the ramifications of mismatched Goodman/non-Goodman?

None, provided the person doing the work knows what they are doing. It will not be AHRI certified install, but AHRI numbers only work out by what? --The person doing the work knows what they are doing.

If you do an AHRI certified install you will have a matched system if that is your goal, but the cost to do so will cost more.

I do it all the time and I live in a hot sticky climate in Katy, Texas. (Ultimately it depends on the goal of the home owner.) If you want a longer lasting solution then replace the whole system... but that is going to cost more.

Things like selling the home, wanting to turn it to a rental, longevity of how long you plan to live there all come into play.

- Is it unbalanced if condensor is 3-ton and original was 3.5 ton? I believe the 3.5 ton was oversized. 1600 sf ranch.

It sounds over sized, but there's more that goes into determining proper sizing than just merely stating square foot numbers. If it really needs 3.5 ton and you put in a 3 ton it won't keep up when you need it most: heat wave.

Considering you're in Massachusetts reducing capacity a bit probably won't hurt you any. Provided of course the work is done properly. (<broken record talk, put it on repeat)

-I was considering getting 2nd opinion on compressor failure. Not sure its worth the $ and super hard to get service techs. Maybe if I give you a little rundown you can comment on if it sounds like 2nd opinion warranted:

....When we came back to the outside unit, it was super super loud and not its normal sound. He had some gauges hanging off it and I think he said it was overcompressing. He concluded that the compressor malfunctioning burnt out the contact thingie (my word not his!)

Does that sound legit?

Sounds like a lack of experience or the inability to properly explain things in a non-technical manner so you can understand it.

Compressors do not 'over compress' -- technically it's impossible without breaking something then there is -no compression-. You can get a second opinion but if you don't find someone with 'real world' experience you'll probably get sold on something. That's what these kinds of service providers are banking on.

I service the Katy, Texas area.

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Unfortunately it is the busy season where prices are higher, and the quality of installation drops.

I don't have any of those problems... I have time to post here don't I?

You mean to tell me you mismatch equipment to fix it and you still don't have any trouble in a hot and sticky climate like Katy, Texas?

I post here all summer long, what does that tell you?

COMPRESSOR OR CONDENSER:

An air conditioner compressor is one of the main components of the unit. It also is the component that is not diagnosed correctly most often. Many times if the compressor is thought to be bad, it turn out not to be the issue.

https://www.heating-air-conditioning.net/

There are four kinds of compressors used in air conditioning units. Rotary, common for window AC units and a few central AC units. Reciprocating, most common for use in split air conditioners that are lower efficiency. Scroll, in high efficiently is the most common. Variable speed, also known as inverter drives are used in high efficiency that are way up on the line. These all range in durability and price.

There are diagnostic tests a technician uses to check if you will need an AC compressor replacement. They will first see if there is an electrical issue with the compressor. A multimeter is used for measuring resistance, after making sure the terminals or wires have no damage. If the technician gets a reading that is high when the AC unit is cool, your compressor is bad. If readings from each of the terminals are low, your AC compressor needs replacement.

Prior to replacing the AC compressor, see if your warranty is still good. If not and the cost for the AC compressor replacement is more than half of what a new system costs, you should consider replacing the system instead.

If the compressor was proven to be bad and you are having it replaced, the technician will need all power to the system shut off. They need to recover all of the refrigerant from your AC unit due to EPA regulations. Be sure the technician checks for leaks after sealing the system.

https://www.heating-air-conditioning.net/

Get regular maintenance done on your AC system to help avoid compressor problems in the future.

Another issue that your AC may have is with the condensers. These carry the water along the unit to give the best cooling. Due to them carrying water and coolants, they are open to several hazards. Your AC condenser can have a buildup of debris, minerals, which will make the unit less efficient. Some other reasons to make a condenser fan stop working include:

1. A bad run capacitor. This component jump starts the motor each time it starts. Cost for AC capacitor replacement ranges.

2. A bad relay on the condenser fan. When starting and stopping the unit, the relay is what turns the motor off and on. The make, model, and contractor doing the replacement is what the cost for replacement depends on.

3. Motor in the condenser is burnt out. This can make the motor move slow, or not at all. If having AC condenser replacement, be sure specifications for the new motor is the same as the original. If not, your utility bills will be more costly and the AC systems life span will be shorter.

If experiencing any issues with your air conditioning system, call a technician to diagnose the problem. They can help you decide if you should replace or repair the components, or have a new system installed.

Lots of good info @mini-split. Thank you.

> It also is the component that is not diagnosed correctly most often.

good to hear, especially since I decided this morning to get a 2nd opinion from a highly rated company nearby. I don't know why I didn't call them earlier. I used them decades ago at a previous home and there was some issue, but not about quality. Something about service calls required fuel delivery or service contracts or something like that. They used to deliver my oil and service the furnace and they installed a bew central ac system too. No longer important to me whatever it was why I stopped using them... My sister has been using them happily for decades too and my nephew is on a waiting list to get brand new central AC from them. He's very picky about suppliers like me, so I think I'm on the right track.

I also have two appointments with two companies to get a condenser quote, one of which is the above company.

I definitely decided I would not get a new compressor whether its in warranty or not and its probably not. $1350 labor for a 1 year max warranty just doesn't sound smart.

That simplified my choices. So why not invest a couple of hundred more if it could save me $3-4K. Especially if the timeline to get a new condenser installed could be considerable and summer's coming fast! That alone is worth taking a chance. The risk is another company seeing an opportunity to upsell me, but I feel pretty good this is not that company.

And as soon as I made that appt, it felt right. Maybe something in the back of my mind was nagging me about the previous service tech. Can't put my finger on it. Nothing obviously wrong. He was supposed to get back to me about warranty research and condenser pricing options, but have not heard a peep.

Even though a new condenser has a bunch of advantages and I've come to terms with the hit on the HELOC, it would be wonderful if this one is fixable.

Thanks for all your helpful information.

UPDATE: A/C is up and running just fine. brrrrrrr.... :-)

The screaming loud noise could not be duplicated. He checked and re-checked everything. He had no explanation for it. We discussed the concept of first company just trying to upsell compressor/condenser, but it doesn't make sense because they never got back to me with prices. This tech said he loves doing 2nd opinion service calls because it is very satisfying to save customers thousands of dollars and be a hero!

Time to go write a good review somewhere! I usually just write bad ones.

WendyB,

There are good techs out there. (not to toot my own horn, lol)

The problem is finding them, listening to them, not clouding your vision by money.

Easier said than done sometimes...

I service the Katy, Texas area.