Air Conditioner Repair Recommendation Wanted
My air conditioner (Carrier) broke last Friday, after only 4 years of service. The air conditioner in my car lasted longer than that, despite it got frequent shakings, sometime violently. So, I am looking for a repairman or repairshop that can fix it and get it to last at least as long as a Japanese car's air conditioner does. All recommendations are appreciated.
Answer:
I've had good luck with ARS/Osgood. Better luck than I had with a service company named like a small mammal that makes a big deal out of being locally-owned. I'll spare the story. I used to be in the AC bidness. Left it in '95, so I don't know how "up-to-date" my info is. I'll mostly speak as though it were still '95, fwiw. Carrier makes damn good machines, but they don't (or didn't) qualify their dealers. Anybody with a state AC license and a checkbook can be a Carrier dealer. I looked over the list of central Texas carrier dealers, (http://www.rmadden.com/carrier/locator_info.asp?Branch=Austin) saw a few crappy ones (already listed in other thread articles), LOTS that I never heard of, and a few that I know and respect. Osgood and Stan's have always been high on my list, even though I never worked for them. They were truly respected competitors. I hope their quality work hasn't changed over time. The company that installed the AC is probably the only one that will honor any kind of parts AND labor warranty. If the labor warranty has expired, your choices are wider. If you just want the damn thing fixed, your choices are wide open. Any company in town should be able to get repair parts, and possibly even get warrantied parts for you. (Again, all they need is an AC license and a checkbook!) Strand Bros, A-Plus, Calvin Faught and sons, Christianson, and City Refrigeration are all companies I'd recommend. Airco and Colley Company are both run by excellent technical people with major personality problems, so you'll probably get a good technician at your house if you use them, but the next time you call, don't expect the same person to still be working there. Good luck, and hope things have stayed enough the same that my input is at least *some* value!