When their HVAC system died right before a heat wave, a homeowner knew something had to be done. However, the Reddit user was shocked when a technician told them they'd need to shell out $10,000 for a brand-new system because another company completed repairs for only $150.
"I decided to get a second quote from someone else in the area and told them exactly what the first guy told me. … He opened my machine up and saw the issue in seconds. Walked over to his truck, popped a new capacitor on the unit, closed it up, and walked off like a champ," they wrote.
One Redditor in r/mildlyinfuriating chimed in and confirmed this experience is all too common. "It was a plumbing company back in 2016 that taught me to always get a few quotes before doing anything. As a new home owner, I'd never dealt with contractors before. Learned a hard lesson and never made that mistake again," they said.
The poster was put in an uncomfortable situation — to shell out a ton of cash or deal with the dangers of a broken air conditioner. Heat is the top weather-related killer, and cold snaps can also be deadly. So, it's no surprise that heating and cooling account for more than 50% of energy use in U.S. households.
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Another user vented about a life-threatening issue associated with gas furnaces: carbon monoxide poisoning.
"I had an HVAC guy tell us we had a carbon monoxide leak. Had the fire department and another HVAC guy out. No leak. You can't trust people who are trying to sell you something," they said.
While the HVAC system was in working order, this Redditor was right to take the threat seriously. Carbon monoxide concerns should always be thoroughly investigated — and, if a risk is present, quickly remedied.
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You could also significantly reduce the possibility of CO poisoning by upgrading to a cost-effective, energy-efficient HVAC system, such as a heat pump, that uses electricity to transfer heat, meaning it doesn't store or burn fuel inside a home the way a gas-powered HVAC system does.
TCD's HVAC Explorer is a great resource to discover the right energy-efficient unit for your home. Palmetto, one of TCD's partners, can even help you install a new HVAC system for no money down with leasing programs starting as low as $99 per month.
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Every month 📆 A subscription plan may also reduce your overall lifetime spend on a system. Palmetto's program, for instance, includes 12 years of free maintenance.
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