I have a problem with my outdoor Air conditioning unit. A Service technician prescribed by the home warranty company inspected the unit a first time and filled it with Freon indicating that there could be a leak.

After about 3 weeks we had the same problem and the technician has indicated that the evaporator coil needs to be replaced. He has given me an invoice for out of pocket expenses to the total of $ 480/ - as follows;

Reclaim of Freon - $ 250/-
Disposal of Coil - $ 100/-
Sealant / Drain Pan - $ 130/- ( the handwriting is illegible)

Are the costs reasonable? - it seems a little high to me.

Any response is appreciated.

Thanks
Superrao

The home warranty is supposed to replace the coil

What's up with the out of pocket expenses?

The reclaim charge for freon as you call it is to high to start with.

You can dispose of the coil yourself since it will have no gas in it.

Sealant and drain pan? The drain pan comes with the coil.
I would be calling the warranty company because you are being taken for a ride.

I am a licensed HVAC mechanic and you have a rip-off artist. You may be able to find the leak yourself by first looking for an oil leak around refrigeration tubing. Usually they are from a sloppy weld and rarely in an evaporator coil. A leak does not just "happen." It comes from vibration causing a crack or from a tube rubbing against something. You can shut off unit and look carefully and use soapy water to find it. He violated the law by not fixing it the first time. Too many of these scam artists just "put freon" in an AC when a leak is a serious problem that will cause a compressor to fail. Many times they will put freon in a unit when it is dirty and freezing up due to reduced airflow. In that case it needs cleaning, not freon, but they will add freon to raise the pressure and stop it from freezing and ruin your unit. DrTom4444