Have a 12 year old Rheem 5 ton system that just had a yearly service and there is a small coolant leak somewhere in the system. Losing a little less than a lb a year in coolant. On top of that the fan blade was loose and the fan motor and capacitor are needing to be replaced in the next year. Service also showed some growth in the plenum and they recommended replacement.

All in the replacement of the fan, fan motor, capacitor, plenum with a UV led light to kill mold growth was around $5000 without the leak repair which I imagine is a condenser coil, probably another $1500.

After getting the repair quote I had them quote a full system replacement to get an idea and that was around $15k for compressor, furnace, plenum and putting the furnace vents in which are non existent due to house being from 1979. Brand being quoted is Day and Night. Am I right to think the full system replacement is the way to go in a few months? Anything I am missing? Should I wait till the fall for another quote when it's normally cheaper to replace?

Yes, I also was a frog in a pot of ever-warming water on the stove, resisting Replace over Repair in those waning years. After all, Carrier was the original and always a good brand. 20-20 hindsight & spreadsheet proved that we eventually paid 76% in Repairs compared to this system's New price in-the-day.
Parts found were out of town & "last one" with supply/demand prices & delays
in the 14-20 life ending years that finally forced us into an all New (sans ducts) system.

Happily the learning curve with New is EZier than other Gen-Z gadgets and never been so HVAC pampered in comfort & energy bills since 1980 in this aging, leaky house.
$16k 4Ton Variable HeatPump Trane, almost top grade in-the-day, long-time expert installers (Aggieland attacts the best, in all brands).

As for brands, Consumer Reports has lots of data for their ratings but also most will advise, it's equally important WHO installs a system, as some can take a perfectly good SEER and cut it in half ... for starters.

Let us know how it all turned out?

I can't really give you any advice on the potential 'mold' issue in the plenum. I just don't have any experience there.

But, if all you need (other than the small refrigerant leak) is a new fan motor and capacitor, and perhaps a fan blade (if it doesn't just need to be tightened on the shaft), I'd say $5K is way, way high. A single-speed fan motor will cost about $150 for parts, and a capacitor about $25 for an American-made one.

Now, if you don't do it yourself, you need to pay for the labor, and those guys don't come cheap and do deserve to be paid -- just not at heart surgeon rates.

As for small refrigerant leaks -- always check for the easy stuff first. Many times I find leaks on the caps for the service ports. A new cap/gasket and a little Nylog Blue will almost always fix that, even if the Schrader valve stem is leaking. *

I also see leaks sometimes on the large metal caps that cover the service valves. Many times a little Nylog Blue will take care of those as well.

You can check for leaks yourself with a $10 liquid leak detector solution. If you want to get more 'pro', spend about $250 for an electronic leak detector, and you'll be able to find leaks just about anywhere, including in the condenser or evaporator coils.

Leaks in the condenser (outdoor) coils are fairly rare, barring mechanical damage. Leaks in the evaporator (indoor) coils are more common. It seems I get about 10-15 years on an evaporator coil. I've never had a condenser coil leak, but hey, anything is possible.

Good luck. If you just want to buy a new system, get one. It's your money and home.

* {If you want to actually change out leaking Schrader valve stems while the system is still charged, you need to buy a valve stem tool for about $75 to do it. It's not hard}.

The $5k includes the new plenum ($2500) and a $600 UV light to prevent mold. It still seems high but not sure if that is summer pricing?

Bert315 said:

---

The $5k includes the new plenum ($2500) and a $600 UV light to prevent mold. It still seems high but not sure if that is summer pricing?

---

HVAC trades certainly are busier when it's hot, and guys can be pickier about which jobs they'll take and how much they'll charge.

I've known some HVAC guys who've left that work for the electrical trades (generally industrial stuff) because they told me they'd feast in the summer and starve in the winter.

So, to your question -- if you can put it off 'till November, I'll bet you can get some more 'reasonable' quotes, especially if you check with 3 or 4 different companies.

He wants to sell you a new system

Get a second opinion