I’m not real familiar with the whole HVAC process so:
Friday 7/10/09 – 4 guys on the roof in NYC to reattach 3
compressor units – same model, for pvt. home – less than 100lbs
per unit or there abouts. Maybe sweat 6 fittings per unit.
Recharge/fill with freon. Basically returning the units back
to where they were l week earlier. Six (6) and 1/2 hrs.
I was going nuts, but maybe, just maybe that’s how long it
takes. Personally I feel the milkman was there too and I
was bent over. Your thoughts please!!!!!!
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I say ten hours. charging units really take time, about two hours a unit.
Yea, But 4 guys???? And my other ???"s are, why no ball valves
quick connects for this sort of thing. Primitive by todays
standards of fittings. I feel the industry wants it this way
for the added labor and just standing there looking at that
meter. I was on the roof with them the whole time, very
frustrating to say the least. Reminds me of an electrician
friend who told me that back in the day, he showed up on a
job with a cordless screw gun. Told to go home and come back
tomorrow without the gun. "We hand screw ALL screws", I wonder
why, HA HA.
sounds to me the problem was you stood there and watched! thats always a no no. makes my blood pressure rise every time. :)
I've been in the trades for more that 30 yrs. Not an A-Hole. I DO KNOW that had I not been there, it would have been worse. One guy has his
meter hooked up pumping etc. Quite a long time, foreman goes over and
with a mirror finds a leak in one of their newly brazed joints. That
happened TWICE. These guys, if a rock group, would have been Motley Crue.
I know competence, this crew did NOT instill that in me.
Check the rooftop for the imprints of (3) lawn chairs, and (1) pair of work boots. Also check for beer bottle caps.
Work ethic was terrible by my standards, in another situation I
would have told them to leave but HAD to have the AC on for folks
coming in on Sunday.
Really could use an educated estimate on this job, time wise...
ok so you have 3 units,i'm assuming they had been moved for a roofing job etc.
so you have to set the units,maybe on some sort of protective pad.
then clean the lines,get the torch up there and get some fittings from the box.
go to the truck get the nitrogen,hook up hoses and give unit a blast with nitrogen. solder up the lines,repeat 2 more times. i can see 2.5 hours gone,easy
now hook up vac pump and pull vac for 30 mins, on to next,then last one. theres 1.5 in vacuum time.
now i would guess that at least one got charged during the pump down time, now charge up 2 more,another 2 hours. make sure everything is working properly and carry all equipment down to truck, another 1 hour. total of 7 hours and i would think 2 guys could do this as quick as 4 guys except for setting the units i think only 2 were needed.
when you have roof air don't expect any breaks,those guys would rather work on 3 units on the ground.
so what was the bill? i'm guessing with all the freon 6 hrs x 4 =24 x 70.00 hr
2250.00 total
the older i get ,
the more people tick me off
Edited 7/11/2009 10:50 pm by alwaysoverbudget
That's basically my feeling, 2 guys would have been enough for the entire job including setting the units, under 100 lbs. each. Time wise,
I'll leave that as is, but 4 men???????
I'm finding your last statement to be, ME ALSO. Getting cranky, and
especially in the situation I found myself in on Friday.
Edited 7/12/2009 6:50 am ET by Pelipeth
Clearly sounds like a job you should have done yourself. You would have saved time, money, and developed new interesting ways to hook up refrigerant lines.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
Doing it myself is and was out of the question, as I literally know nothing of that process, nor really care to learn, except the real basics. In talking with the lead man we joked about NOT having better fittings for a temporary disconnect for situations such as mine, and
admittedly saying it was for the labor factor. CA JING CA JING.
He said it's basically the same since Carrier invented AC.
Just a little tongue & cheek. HVAC is one thing I don't touch either.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
Never had it in my homes so never paid attention to it.
Your original comment did hurt me though........
with hvac you cant dose a system and be done, it really takes time, add some let it settle, add a little more let it setting, and with it be on the roof no shade. it really not uncommon. a/c takes time
Thanks for the input, I really do appreciate it. I've got alot of
responsibilities at this job and take them seriously. Hate not knowing
anything about one particular aspect. And as stated in other posts
these guys really didn't present themselves as tradesmen, to put it
nicely.
Will you need counsiling?:>)
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
Maybe group therapy will do.........
Great,now all those i've offended can get together in one location to bitch about me.:)
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
Time and material of job price?
This company was just signed on with a service contract, all general maintenance for the homes 6 units. The new roof came into play afterwards. So they did the dismanteling, discharge the system etc.
This service call was for getting them backup, 3 small units, so I
thought how long could this take, stupidly on my part, and said T&M
would be fine. I don't have a bill as yet. But, 4 guys, 6 1/2 hrs???? And I'm sure there will be travel time added etc. This is not MY
bill but an invoice going to my client, I just hate to see anyone
taken advantage of, no matter how deep their pockets.