AC compressor disposal fee?

[Toasthead]

We moved into our house 2 months ago and the a/c stopped being cold a few days ago. We finally got someoen from our home warranty place to come out and check it out and they said the compressor is bust. He said the compressor and install should all be covered by the warranty, but disposal of the old one isnt and it should be about TWO HUNDRED BUCKS?!!?! Ive tried finding info on AC compressor disposal on the net, butI cant find anything. This is in Sacramento, CA by the way. Any one have any tips on where/who to call to get this info?


thanks !

 

[Kalvin00]

*cough*haulittosierrasthrowitoffacliffFTW*cough*

 

[Shawn]

tell him you'll dispose of it yourself and throw it in the dumpster. it's not like there will be freon in it anymore. :roll:

 

[EULA]

It does cost a lot to dispose of compressors, because they're supposed to be drained and dismantled. I've always just taken them to the dump...

 

[HappyPuppy]

Why would there be any fee to dispose of the compressor? Just throw it in the trash can.

When they remove the old compressor they have to evacuate the refrigerant from the system, so when they remove the compressor it's just a hunk of metal. What's the big deal?

I would ask those people a great big WHY?

 

[OdiN]

Strap about 50 M80's on it and let er rip.

 

[Toasthead]

Originally posted by: Shawn
throw it in the dumpster

yeah Im not sure what all is invloved here. I guess its hazardous materials? because of the coolant?

I dunno Im just getting the info bit by bti from my wife. The real tragedy is no AC for almost another week

 

[EULA]

shotgun slugs do a great job on draining coolant. They also leave quite a mark on microwaves...

 

[BobDaMenkey]

Dude, that's a bogus fee, tell them to give you the compressor.

I didn't have to pay any sort of bogus fee like that when I got my A/C replaced on my truck, and it's the same sort of system, just smaller. When you replace something major like that, you have to completely empty the system in the first place, meaning there isn't going to be anything left anywhere that would need to be disposed of.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: Toasthead

Originally posted by: Shawn
throw it in the dumpster

yeah Im not sure what all is invloved here. I guess its hazardous materials? because of the coolant?

I dunno Im just getting the info bit by bti from my wife. The real tragedy is no AC for almost another week

it will be drained of it's refrigerant when they take it out. it's safe to throw away.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Well, considering the cost of a new compressor I'd say you're getting off easy.

 

[Toasthead]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Well, considering the cost of a new compressor I'd say you're getting off easy.

thats why I INSIST on a home warranty when I buy a house. And the house is only 5 years old...I cant imagine whatthe heck the old owners did to the poor AC unit!

 

[woowoo]

The cold hard fact is that the warranty company does not pay the contractor squat.
The contractor is trying to recoup his costs.

I would have him "Pump it down" and leave it on the property.
The coils on the condenser are worth money.
Let it sit around and some crackhead will steal the whole thing.


I would also replace the entire condenser and not just the compressor.

You also need to figure out what killed this compressor and fix it too.

 

[Toasthead]

Originally posted by: woowoo
The cold hard fact is that the warranty company does not pay the contractor squat.
The contractor is trying to recoup his costs.

I would have him "Pump it down" and leave it on the property.
The coils on the condenser are worth money.
Let it sit around and some crackhead will steal the whole thing.


I would also replace the entire condenser and not just the compressor.

You also need to figure out what killed this compressor and fix it too.

It looks like they are going to replace the whole unit. The repair guys said it was the 4th unit just like this to go out in our area. Sounds like a good deal for me!

 

[TitanDiddly]

Is this a giant whole-house central unit? If so, gut everything but the radiator, flush it, then build a silent, passive watercooled system. The rad is so big, you don't need any fans, and you may even get away without a pump if you do things right.

 

[woowoo]

Originally posted by: Toasthead

Originally posted by: woowoo
The cold hard fact is that the warranty company does not pay the contractor squat.
The contractor is trying to recoup his costs.

I would have him "Pump it down" and leave it on the property.
The coils on the condenser are worth money.
Let it sit around and some crackhead will steal the whole thing.


I would also replace the entire condenser and not just the compressor.

You also need to figure out what killed this compressor and fix it too.

It looks like they are going to replace the whole unit. The repair guys said it was the 4th unit just like this to go out in our area. Sounds like a good deal for me!

You may want to go to www.hvac-talk and do some reading.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Ever hear of a place called "White Rock Rd."?

 

[marvdmartian]

This is like more of a "The state of California figured out yet another way to slap you with a large fee for doing something mundane, just because they can, all in the name of being environmentally friendly". :disgust:

It's like battery disposal fees. They take those things and recycle the lead in them to make new batteries (since the lead is the most valuable component). So why am I paying someone to take the battery, if they're just going to make money off of it???

I swear, sometimes the government makes me feel like the character in the old Back to the Future movies, Biff, when he found out that he had to pay to get rid of the manure that ended up in his car, and he realizes that they probably resold the manure. Geez, they get ya coming and going, and it's usually nothing but SH|T!! :roll:

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Toasthead

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Well, considering the cost of a new compressor I'd say you're getting off easy.

thats why I INSIST on a home warranty when I buy a house. And the house is only 5 years old...I cant imagine whatthe heck the old owners did to the poor AC unit!

Never used it? That would be my guess.

We had a home warranty when we bought our house but nothing broke so we never used it. Still, it's nice to have for the first year.

Our house was plumbed for A/C but didn't have a compressor so we had one installed last summer. It's really not necessary but it is damn nice to have when the temps get in the mid 80s to low 90s and there is little or no breeze.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: marvdmartian
This is like more of a "The state of California figured out yet another way to slap you with a large fee for doing something mundane, just because they can, all in the name of being environmentally friendly". :disgust:

It's like battery disposal fees. They take those things and recycle the lead in them to make new batteries (since the lead is the most valuable component). So why am I paying someone to take the battery, if they're just going to make money off of it???

I swear, sometimes the government makes me feel like the character in the old Back to the Future movies, Biff, when he found out that he had to pay to get rid of the manure that ended up in his car, and he realizes that they probably resold the manure. Geez, they get ya coming and going, and it's usually nothing but SH|T!! :roll:

Yeah, I'd rather have them piling up in junk yards instead...:roll:

Personally, I'd rather pay to have something recycled than just toss it in a giant landfill for free.

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: marvdmartian
This is like more of a "The state of California figured out yet another way to slap you with a large fee for doing something mundane, just because they can, all in the name of being environmentally friendly". :disgust:

It's like battery disposal fees. They take those things and recycle the lead in them to make new batteries (since the lead is the most valuable component). So why am I paying someone to take the battery, if they're just going to make money off of it???

I swear, sometimes the government makes me feel like the character in the old Back to the Future movies, Biff, when he found out that he had to pay to get rid of the manure that ended up in his car, and he realizes that they probably resold the manure. Geez, they get ya coming and going, and it's usually nothing but SH|T!! :roll:

Yeah, I'd rather have them piling up in junk yards instead...:roll:

Personally, I'd rather pay to have something recycled than just toss it in a giant landfill for free.

get off your horse. he has a point. why would you pay them to do something when they just recycle it and profit off of that too? why would most people bother?

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: marvdmartian
This is like more of a "The state of California figured out yet another way to slap you with a large fee for doing something mundane, just because they can, all in the name of being environmentally friendly". :disgust:

It's like battery disposal fees. They take those things and recycle the lead in them to make new batteries (since the lead is the most valuable component). So why am I paying someone to take the battery, if they're just going to make money off of it???

I swear, sometimes the government makes me feel like the character in the old Back to the Future movies, Biff, when he found out that he had to pay to get rid of the manure that ended up in his car, and he realizes that they probably resold the manure. Geez, they get ya coming and going, and it's usually nothing but SH|T!! :roll:

Yeah, I'd rather have them piling up in junk yards instead...:roll:

Personally, I'd rather pay to have something recycled than just toss it in a giant landfill for free.

Not everybody has $200 burning a hole in their pocket..

 

[amdhunter]

Keep it and throw it onto highway traffic. Cheap and fun.