There are several answers for you, first AHS pays its contractors so poorly they cannot make a profit without finding additional work to be paid by the homeowner. So take the cash ( ANS has to pay you the amount they would pay the contractor) out and have you preferred contractor perform the work.

Second the code requirements will be specific to your state and or municipality but if the plenum matches they coil and it should I see no reason it should be required. The other requirements you listed seem to be unnecessary as well especially the drain pan.

 

:Faint:

I don't even know where to begin...home warranty company strikes again.

If you had good experiences with your regular guy, have him out again and just get what you can from the warranty people.

You should have an overflow switch, for sure. The rest depends on your local authority.

 

Tech tells me that AHS will replace the coil at no charge, but that I need the following work done to bring unit up to code:

1. Emergency drain pan $xxx.xx (I have a stamped pan)
2. In line pan overflow X2 $xxx.xx
3. Access window $xxx.xx
4. Plenum R4 to R6 $xxx.xx

Tech stated that he CANNOT perform coil replacement without these "deficiencies" corrected as they are required by code.

Thanks in advance!

Mike

Mike, this money for the above will go into the folks pocket that changes out the coil, they make very little changing out a coil, you can't blame them, I would not change out a coil by itself for what AHS would pay. Like Al/Classical said, take the money and run. :grin2:
If the home was built in 06 I doubt you need all the other stuff. What part of town are you in?

 

I live in Cypress (unincorporated Harris County) TX. The drain pan that is installed is not rusted or pitted and has a float switch installed on it. Drain lines are functional - regular AC company checks everything twice a year. They have never said anything about code violations or problems.

How would I check to see if plenum matches coil? The AHS tech simply stated that it is now required by code and that I was luck that I don't live in Houston because I would have to upgrade plenum to R8.

How would you go about finding a leak? Would you use a sniffer? UV dye? The reason I am asking is that the original AHS repair company was VERY SHADEY and may not have actually filled my unit all the way up and charged me for it anyway. Since AHS only pays $10 per pound of R22 it made my portion of the bill astronomical!

What would be the going rate for changing out the coil and adding 3-5 pounds of R22?

 

Mike, Why won't your regular co. warranty the coil? any a/c co. can warranty most anything. I use a electronic leak detector, if someone saw oil inside the evaporator, that's a good indication you probably have a leak. How long a period after the condenser coil was replaced until the evaporator started leaking?

 

Sorry, but we can't discuss pricing on this site.

I've edited your posts.

 

Drain pans have been code forever...low bid put the system in, low bid is working on it now..take the money and hire a real contractor

 

Sorry!! Won't happen again.

 

Mike, it's not like you killed someone, lots of folks post prices by mistake, "who reads rules right?" your forgiven, please keep us posted on your decision/outcome. :grin2:

 

You can also contact your local township code office, and they can tell you just what the requirements are now in your area. Then, if you have an insurance claim, it is VERY good to have a code compliant installation.

 

Right! But in Cypress, that's like a suburb of Houston, that's in the county you're free to do whatever you want out there no code required. Well probably building codes but no ac, electrical or plumbing codes are enforced or permits required in the county.


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Ha! I guess than means part of Texas are still like the Old West!!!

 

They really are.


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Actually in Texas you are required by TDLR to perform your work to current code requirements regardless of location. You are not required to upgrade the plenum to R-8 unless it is replaced and you do not have to replace the plenum just because you are replacing the coil.

That does not mean it should not be replaced, I generally replaced supply plenums when I replaced coils. There are two considerations to determining the need for replacement. First is the interior of the plenum dirty and full of mold or other irritants and second, how close to the original dimensions are the new coil to the old coil.

Since the house is only nine years old I doubt the plenum is in that poor condition.

I also question the original diagnosis regarding the condenser coil having a leak, not an issue I have encountered with Goodman units or for that matter any brand in the last fifteen or so years. Now evaporator coils are a different subject and I would not give you ten cents for any brand but Aspen.

My advice is talk to your regular contractor or Mr. Bill about having a new Aspen coil installed and just take the money from AHS. I would also counsel cashing out the AHS policy and just pay for real contractors to maintain your house you will never get satisfaction working with a HOME WARRANTY COMPANY

 

Good word Al.....


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Bill want to retire from service work and move to Killeen and teach, I am having the best time of my life and we need another instructor.

 

I'm flattered Al, but I'm no Al, I am decent at service and repairs, but not much else, by choice, all I do now is just run service, I love it! I had a job offer as a tech support person at the local big supply house, but I could not work for anyone after 31 years working for myself, not only that, like I told the supply house, I would have to get out of bed in the morning. :grin2:

 

glad you are imparting your wisdom to the next generation classical!

 

if the new coil will fit inside the drain pan, and it is not compromised, there is no reason for a new pan.

if the current plenum is not damaged, and will fit the new coil, there is no REQUIREMENT to change the plenum... however, the plenum may be too small for the system CFM, or too damaged for the system. R8 is a requirement on new installs, but I"m not aware of any codes that require upgrades...

third... if the house was build in 06, I find it HIGHLY doubtful that R4 is used in the plenum... R6 should have been the insulation standard then... may have even been R8...

What is an in line pan overflow?

why would he need an access window if he's putting in a new coil? an access window is to clean a coil... put in existing ducts to gain access for service/cleaning...

now... if I was quoting a new coil, I'd recommend a float switch protected main drain, and a float or water sensor secondary, and a proper pan that has a water sensor shutoff in it... attic water damage is serious mess... I protect the daylights out of any attic coils I install... I'd happily walk away from a job if I felt condensate protection was needed, but the customer would not pay for it.

 

What is an in line pan overflow?

I was just guessing he meant float switch. :grin2:

 

Just to be clear about something here, if this is a 10 year or younger goodman, you should be able to get a direct replacement coil.

No major modifications required. Slide in, slide out.

At worst, a hole needs to be drilled to modify where the suction line leaves.

 

Only has ten years if registered within sixty days of installation.

 

he did not say warranty just direct replacement. Slide out slide in.

 

There's a major misconception by people that home warranties pay for everything as long as you pay your deductible. This is not true, ESPECIALLY when it comes to HVAC work. Home warranty companies pay as little as possible, and often they don't vet the people they use for service. This leads to the dreaded "non-covered charges". Some guys legitimately charge what they are supposed to charge to do the job properly, but a lot of guys use these as an excuse to pad their bill.

Your code questions: I don't know about the insulation, but if you currently have a pan and it doesn't leak I can't see why you would need a new one. If you don't have an overflow switch you should, whether code requires it or not. The best advice is what others have said - contact your local code authority (city, township, county, etc).

The BEST advice I can give you is to take the cashout option from the warranty company and call some other reputable contractors out to look at your system. You may need to invest in a leak check to be sure, but in the long run getting it fixed correctly will save you a ton. With R-22 prices creeping up, anything leaking needs to be corrected now before it becomes prohibitively expensive to recharge them.