Do your own heat pump HVAC work?

(If there is a previous thread on this, please point me there.)

Has it ever occurred to you that it is just too damned expensive to keep your modern, complicated house HVAC heat pump system working, and you would like to do your own repairs? I would even like to be able to perform a DIY compressor replacement, because otherwise if your compressor fails you really have no cost-effective solution except to replace the entire outdoor unit. Also, many such systems came equipped with inferior reciprocating compressors, and would be much more dependable if the old recip were replaced by a scroll compressor when the original compressor dies.

The windings on my original recip compressor motor burned up before it even blew the circuit breaker. Those are pretty crappy windings, IMHO! Time for an upgraded compressor.

It seems to me that you could buy a fair amount of HVAC service tools with the money you'd save, and then could do your own repairs in the future for free. You need somewhat different equipment to replace compressors than to do general service work, though.

Whatsay, Mopar guys? Thanks!

In some areas of the country, technicians are required to be licensed. Also...

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations require that technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment that could release ozone depleting refrigerants into the atmosphere be certified in proper refrigerant handling techniques. Individuals cannot buy refrigerants without the appropriate EPA 608 Certification.

The fine can be pretty steep.

With that said, the tradesmen are damn expensive but most often it is the service company that is making the bulk of the profit. Best bet is to find licensed guy how will work for the labor and buy the materials and even the tools yourself if needed.

snate, your reply is well taken. I didn't know that I'd be unable to buy the refrigerant.

I will try to take your suggestion and find someone licensed. Thanks a lot.

You might be able to GET licensed. Some places like Johnstone supply require a tax no. or business license before they will sell to you, same with some refrigerationparts wholesalers. My old junk is R22 and I still have some R22 refrigerant, as well as a spare compressor. Mine is AC only, tho, not heat pump. I used to do this work "in a previous life."

Realistically, tho, there are LOTS of problems with heat pumps that can throw you through a loop if you aren't educated in these systems. Problems with partially leaky reversing valves, check valves, etc are somewhat rare but also can be difficult to diagnose.

The greatest majority of heat pump failures are from poor sizing and poor ductwork design, and not keeping the system serviced. Clean coils, blowers, filters, keep motors oiled if applicable, and install a system to manage the electric emergency heat. In my day it was "outdoor thermostats"

"Your mileage will vary" with a heat pump depending on local climate. 'Up here' is very borderline, unless ground sourced

Interesting topic. Looks like things all changed just over a year ago. Not clear what fines are against the buyer; what I have found is fines on sellers failing to verify certifications. And that still leaves legally handling the 'freon' which is different regs.

Looks like you can get your 608 certification.....I've found online courses and tests.

Not sure what the licensing requirements are in your state however; that is a matter entirely separate from EPA cert's and regs.

The interesting thing is, "I guess" Lowes will sell complete equipment to just about anybody. I helped put a new furnace in my neighbor's house and added AC. It was a precharged 410A system which I never worked with previous. 410A runs some pretty high head pressures, and you need gauges with more pressure range. Friend of mine who is in the business came up with a small amount of 410A which I used to evauate and sweep the tubing, and it turned out due to a short run the unit was a bit overcharged.

Other problem with older (R22) equipment is parts. I've no idea what the status of getting a TXV, or replacement coils.

The whole mess seems to be in a state of flux, political and otherwise

A story from the old days:

When I first got into HVAC, I worked for a very small outfit in Spokane, there were 4 of us including the owner. The owner was a quiet man but very intelligent. We "got into" building some refrigeration dehumidifier dry kilns for lumber. We built at least one 120 hp, I think 2 80 hp recip, and two units using 60 hp Micom screw compressors. All these were shaft drive. We are talking a kiln you can run a RR flatcar into. Units used R12 back then.

One unit the mechanic finished up and poorly thought out the suction line. Bear in mind that copper has a tremendous expansion rate. The evap was about 8 ft long, the suction line made a 180 bend and came clear back down the length of the evap, plus some more maybe 8 ft to the compressor Anyhow the change in temp caused the suctionline to crack a fitting and dumped 250 lbs of R12 right out the window. I believe back then we were paying way under A BUCK A POUND for R12 in 120lb cylinders

nm9stheham said:

Interesting topic. Looks like things all changed just over a year ago. Not clear what fines are against the buyer; what I have found is fines on sellers failing to verify certifications. And that still leaves legally handling the 'freon' which is different regs.

Looks like you can get your 608 certification.....I've found online courses and tests.

Not sure what the licensing requirements are in your state however; that is a matter entirely separate from EPA cert's and regs.

Click to expand...

The fines are mainly against those who " knowingly release or mishandle refrigeration". The certifications for the most part just gives you the "right/ privilege" to play with the chemical and open up the systems. I have never been asked for certification buying equipment of tools, just the chemicals.

A 608 cert is fairly easy to get cuz they mainly want to drive home the laws... I've seen guys walk out of the two day course with the paperwork but still not know which end of the torch is the hot one. Don't get me started on the 609 automotive cert.

Expectation management. Knowing the life expectancy of your unit (just like a roof).
Find a local small HVAC guy and have him come out twice a year and service your system, clean coils, etc. Pay in cash.
Don't use cheap filters, but also don't run the extremely high end "allergen" filters, middle of the road
And last thing, have a solid home warranty, read the fine print, and if the unit fails unexpectedly, get a new one.

snate66 said:

The fines are mainly against those who " knowingly release or mishandle refrigeration". The certifications for the most part just gives you the "right/ privilege" to play with the chemical and open up the systems. I have never been asked for certification buying equipment of tools, just the chemicals.

A 608 cert is fairly easy to get cuz they mainly want to drive home the laws... I've seen guys walk out of the two day course with the paperwork but still not know which end of the torch is the hot one. Don't get me started on the 609 automotive cert.

Click to expand...

Thanks.. helps me understand the situation, and jives with what I have found.

Even in CA I bought 4 lbs of old R12 from a warehouse @ $8/can. I just had to print out a disclaimer that was aware of compliance and I would not resell the Freon. Pretty lax even for CA!

I’m lucky, I have the help of my neighbor, who wasn’t an HVAC technician, but was a plant manager for a large company. They sent him to school many times to learn different vocations so he could do the repairs the plant needed instead of hiring them out. This also included the HVAC requirements of a large plant, both big and small. I would concur with the above mentioned avenue of seeking out a small business person in your area who is licensed but has minimal overhead. There are many guys like my neighbor who are retired but still retain their certification to do small jobs for extra money. Al goes to the retirement communities and services their furnaces and A/C for minimal fees to help retirees stay warm and cool within their budgets!