‘How on earth can I trust [them]?’

A homeowner was disappointed when he received a ridiculous markup on HVAC repair prices. original poster shared Experiences on Reddit’s r/homeowners forum explain how old air conditioning units need new refrigerant.

Originally the HVAC tech told the OP that refrigerant would cost $300 per pound. Since the OP works in the construction industry, they asked friends who work in the commercial HVAC industry to purchase the refrigerant directly and were able to purchase it for just over $30 per pound.

“If these places are charging $70 per pound, expect a 20-30% increase in ingredients.” wrote OP. “I’d say fine, but $300 is a 900% profit. The whole point is obviously to keep the repair price high enough that you have no choice but to buy (or possibly finance) a new system.”

OP’s air conditioning unit is old so they planned to replace it completely in a few years. But after this experience, the OP was hesitant to move forward with a new candidate in the near future.

“How can I trust buying a new system from someone who is trying to drive me over the coals on a simple repair job?” wrote OP.

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The OP gave Redditors an update on their HVAC tech journey and noted how they found a local contractor that was both friendly and affordable.

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