- Local time
- 1:24 AM
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2020
- Messages
- 9,368
- Reaction score
- 22,455
- Location
- western Maryland
So, my heat pump has been acting up. Aux heat works, but it's $$$$ so I had a company I've worked with in the past, come out and diagnose. Turns out, the control board on the exterior unit took a power hit and is DOA. $109 diag trip, I'm good with that and it's paid and done. He checked voltages; there is low voltage control signal coming into the board, but not going out (the thermostat sends voltage when it calls for the compressor to turn on). He jumped the terminals and it fired right up. It was working fine before we had a power outage a week or so ago, and I've never had a refrigerant-leak issue in the 12 years I've owned the house, so I'm confident the board will fix it.
They called with an estimate to replace the board - $260 part, $150 labor, $79 "return trip", $89 "expenses and overhead". I asked for the part number, because I got on the mfr's site last night and found 3 part numbers for my unit. Turns out it's a supersession (I'd found parts that ended in -02 and -04; they're spec'ing a -08; photos look the same as far as design and connections so I presume it's just the "latest version); I checked the part number they gave me and it's $93 on amazon, to my door.
Politically...would you have the company fix it, to keep a good relationship with them for future service calls? Or replace the board yourself? Ordinarily I'd just have them do it (and I may still)...but right now I'm working part time so I'm keeping as much of a clamp on the budget as I can. And, I have garage door springs that I need to replace as well, which is another ding to the budget....
I've done plenty of low voltage work in the past - I used to install architectural and theatrical lighting and dimming; low voltage control circuits; network components...swapping a board is simple enough. I just don't want to potentially cause problems if I have an issue that I can't easily do myself in the future.
Thoughts?
They called with an estimate to replace the board - $260 part, $150 labor, $79 "return trip", $89 "expenses and overhead". I asked for the part number, because I got on the mfr's site last night and found 3 part numbers for my unit. Turns out it's a supersession (I'd found parts that ended in -02 and -04; they're spec'ing a -08; photos look the same as far as design and connections so I presume it's just the "latest version); I checked the part number they gave me and it's $93 on amazon, to my door.
Politically...would you have the company fix it, to keep a good relationship with them for future service calls? Or replace the board yourself? Ordinarily I'd just have them do it (and I may still)...but right now I'm working part time so I'm keeping as much of a clamp on the budget as I can. And, I have garage door springs that I need to replace as well, which is another ding to the budget....
I've done plenty of low voltage work in the past - I used to install architectural and theatrical lighting and dimming; low voltage control circuits; network components...swapping a board is simple enough. I just don't want to potentially cause problems if I have an issue that I can't easily do myself in the future.
Thoughts?