AC compressor quit working. Only 2 years old.

[floridafam]

The compressor in our 2 year old AC unit quit working. The AC company that installed it came out to look at it and had to order the compressor from CA. The compressor is covered under warranty. Labor is not as they expired when the 2 years was up. The AC company just said it’s going to be $1500 for labor and shipping of the compressor. What??????? Why on earth would we have to pay for anything other than labor?

 

[barkley]

i am so sorry! by any chance did you pay with a credit card b/c some will have warranty extension provision for purchases. if not i would suggest speaking with the hvac company and looking at if they offer any kind of hvac home warranty plan. we pay a few hundred per year to ours and it covers most parts and labor as well as them coming out once per year to do a top to bottom inspection (also bumps us to the front of the line for repairs/no evening, weekend or holiday surcharges for emergency repairs).

 

[floridafam]

It just feels so wrong. I don’t get why we have to pay for anything other than labor. They want to charge us for processing the warranty, recharging the system, and I think even shipping of then warranty unit. Because of a part that is covered under a 10 year warranty. Trane should pay that. They want $1450. It’s infuriating.

 

[tvguy]

It just feels so wrong. I don’t get why we have to pay for anything other than labor. They want to charge us for processing the warranty, recharging the system, and I think even shipping of then warranty unit. Because of a part that is covered under a 10 year warranty. Trane should pay that. They want $1450. It’s infuriating.

Interesting. I had a diverter valve failure about 20 years ago on my Trane heat pump. It was a few months short of 10 years old, and Trane paid for everything under warranty.
I replaced it in December after 31 years with an American Standard which is the same company as Trane. 10 year warranty on parts, only 2 years on labor. I guess they cut back on the warranty because some people are okay with replacing an HVAC system every 10-15 years. I am not.

 

[Lehuaann]

It just feels so wrong. I don’t get why we have to pay for anything other than labor. They want to charge us for processing the warranty, recharging the system, and I think even shipping of then warranty unit. Because of a part that is covered under a 10 year warranty. Trane should pay that. They want $1450. It’s infuriating.

Charged for processing the warranty? You should be able to do that yourself with some info off your unit. I would call Trane directly and see what your options are with them.

 

[ronandannette]

It just feels so wrong. I don’t get why we have to pay for anything other than labor. They want to charge us for processing the warranty, recharging the system, and I think even shipping of then warranty unit. Because of a part that is covered under a 10 year warranty. Trane should pay that. They want $1450. It’s infuriating.

Nope, nope, NO!!! Call another reputable, licensed HVAC contractor in your area and give them a shot at it. Any of them (with proper credentials) can claim the parts warranty for you. Labour charges are legit, which you already understand. The rest of what they're telling you is pure BS. Also nothing to lose by trying to call Trane directly for their take on it. Good luck.

 

[LYSE]

Get several quotes there are many hvac companies that can handle the warranty claim

 

[floridafam]

I’m not kidding when I say we had absolute trust and confidence in this AC company and we have used them for almost 20 years. But we feel blindsided. We are good on the labor but why should we be responsible for anything else?

 

[floridafam]

I have a call into Trane.

 

[cvjw]

Had a similar experience with the warranty on a rheem hot water heater. Quit working while under warranty. The part to fix it was free, but the labor was about the same price as getting a new hot water heater. And the part was back ordered due to supply chain issues. Such a waste of money. We got another new hot water heater that wasn’t a rheem.

 

[shh]

please update us if you can, to let us know what Trane told you or if they were able to help.

 

[kymom99]

It’s crazy, I remember the days when under warranty meant it didn’t cost you a cent.

 

[floridafam]

I called Trane this morning and the guy I spoke with was useless. He kept repeating a script and didn’t offer any help.

 

[Lehuaann]

I called Trane this morning and the guy I spoke with was useless. He kept repeating a script and didn’t offer any help.

According to the website, you are supposed to contact a Trane Local Dealer https://www.trane.com/residential/en/dealer-locator/

Not sure if your HVAC company is listed as a dealer, but the first thing I would do is obtain or search for a copy of the original invoice that shows the model/serial number installed. Then have one of Trane’s authorized dealers look into the warranty process for you.

 

[floridafam]

According to the website, you are supposed to contact a Trane Local Dealer https://www.trane.com/residential/en/dealer-locator/

Not sure if your HVAC company is listed as a dealer, but the first thing I would do is obtain or search for a copy of the original invoice that shows the model/serial number installed. Then have one of Trane’s authorized dealers look into the warranty process for you.

The company that installed it is a Trane dealer. They called Trane from our house to order the warranty replacement. I’m still waiting to hear back from Trane after my frustrating phone call this morning.

 

[shh]

The company that installed it is a Trane dealer. They called Trane from our house to order the warranty replacement. I’m still waiting to hear back from Trane after my frustrating phone call this morning.

omg - I am so sorry you are going thru this - ridiculous - the darn unit is practically new! They should be apologizing and making things right. Normally I'd suggest going up the corporate chain via email, but you have no AC - and they know it. So you can only hold out so long if you run into the same charges with another authorized dealer/repair place.

When all this drama is over and you're back in cooler surroundings, I'd recommend pursuing this like a stubborn pitbull (no offense to pit bull owners lol - they're adorable!)

Don't let Trane get away with this crap. Be a royal PIA - a thorn in their side until they agree to a refund of any shipping costs they charge you. It's a matter of getting beyond the front line service reps - all they have is an automated script - they're powerless to make things right. I think you have a legit claim here. But it'll take time and patience to work through it - AFTER you get your ac working again

 

[Lehuaann]

The company that installed it is a Trane dealer. They called Trane from our house to order the warranty replacement. I’m still waiting to hear back from Trane after my frustrating phone call this morning.

Our HVAC manufacturer (Rheem) does not warranty labor or service to remove/install parts, so our dealer gave us a separate 2 year labor warranty.

Fees to recharge the system are pretty standard, even under warranty.

It’s unfortunate that the dealer is charging for processing the warranty and Trane is charging shipping fees for covered parts.

You could always get a 2nd opinion and labor estimate from another Trane dealer.

 

[starry_solo]

Read the warranty to see what it covers and what it doesn't.

 

[cobright]

First step is to ask the service company for a diagnostic report. What failed? What’s being replaced? The whole compressor unit? That seems suspect to me. You usually have the legal right to keep any part replaced under a warranty.

What it sounds like is Trane just lets the tech send the full unit back (at your expense) and sends them a remanufactured unit to install. Which is nuts. They’re taking your fully charged unit then billing you to charge the “new” one.

None of this smells right. Tell them you want to know which part of the compressor failed, you’ll pay a reasonable bench fee and make a decision after that. For all you know, the problem is a $35 capacitor.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

We replaced 2 AC units about 3 years ago. Have yearly service contract with company that installed it and they come out every summer and winter to just check it over. The yearly service contract is $300. Had them out for the summer check up and all was well except about 10 days later the AC wasn't getting really cold. Guy came out, said it was the compressor. Ordered part and said we're still under warranty and he came back a couple of days later to install. We have a Lenox.