A Reddit user turned to the r/homeowners community for guidance after receiving an unexpected invoice for work on an HVAC problem that wasn't solved.
The homeowner explained that their HVAC system was replaced in January of 2023. After working properly throughout that summer and most of 2024, the rooftop condenser unit stopped working in October.
The HVAC company diagnosed the issue as a faulty breaker, charging $425 for the repair — $125 for travel and diagnosis, plus $300 to replace the breaker switch.
Unfortunately, the problem resurfaced one month later. The homeowner decided to wait until the following summer to address it, planning to hire an electrician instead. However, when the invoice for the HVAC company arrived, the original poster wrote: "I don't feel comfortable paying this invoice (AND paying an [electrician]) if there actually is something in the unit itself causing the problem."
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Fellow Redditors offered several perspectives on the OP's unique situation.
One commenter raised several red flags around the repair process, asking: "Was there not an electrician who participated in the installation of the new unit? Is the HVAC technician licensed to replace a circuit breaker? Did you agree to have them complete the work without getting a formal estimate of the cost?"
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Another Redditor with HVAC experience weighed in: "If they hired the electrician that wired it you shouldn't be getting a bill at all. If it was a replacement system and they reused the original breaker/panel, it's a legitimate bill and you need to pay it."
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