Call anybody else, be warned. August 2024, residential AC about 8 years old stops cooling. Called Gary Ricks, remembering good experiences from around 2014. An appointment was available the same day, which is usually a positive but the reason for availability is now apparent and it isn’t a good thing.
Technician Greg was at my home less than an hour before reporting the fix was going to be upwards $1000, depending on refrigerants. Not unheard of or too alarming, price wise, for what I thought was finding the leak and physically fixing it. In hindsight, the speedy resolution was because instead of finding the leak physically like most recommend, Greg opted to use a leak sealant chemical “EZ Seal” to fix, then added refrigerants for a total cost of $727. Without knowing the location or size of the leak, and also without any guarantees offered.
Sure enough two days later the AC is back to the same place it was before. Come to find out that the product used could potentially force me to replace the entire AC unit with a leak this size. A many thousand($4000-6000+) dollar ordeal. Calling Gary Ricks Inc. was a waste of time and money due to them skipping a corner, and also haphazardly released ~3lb of refrigerant into the environment or my home depending where the unknown leak actually is.
Please view the attached images for an example of the exorbitant prices and results you can expect, and more about the product that is being dumped into Gary Ricks’ customers AC units willy-nilly to make a quick buck at the potential expense of their property.
I am sure the response will be that the risks were explained and accepted. In truth the explanations were vague and implications and options not fully explained. When we as customers call a service business, we are placing our trust in YOUR expertise. You can’t expect the customer to know what’s best, that's YOUR job. Why would a professional even suggest such a risky solution as a first step? This is like a doctor suggesting a life threatening surgery before getting an x-ray and exhausting less invasive and dangerous means of treatment.
Naturally, I requested a refund. I am a fair person, I just want it made right. If not a refund in whole then in part based on labor performed and costs closer to real material expense plus actual overhead. The offer in recompense was $450 towards a whole new unit, many thousands of dollars already likely up-charged as well to cover, and even potentially made necessary by the lack of care and diagnostic integrity used when not fixing the issue the company was contracted to fix. My AC is 8 years old, replacing it shouldn’t be in the conversation here, and last ditch products like Easy Seal should not have been used so quickly.
Others I’ve spoken with since in the Cache HVAC community have disclosed to me their lack of faith in the ethics and practices of Gary Ricks Inc.. Upon mention of the name, “say no more” was the negative sentiment regarding whether the costs were competitive and the work correct.
They’ve also disclosed to me their own prices. For example, $35 per lb of R410a, instead of about $100. The refrigerant wholesale is a bit above $10/lb apparently, but fluctuates. Covering overhead and making profit is an expected part of doing business, but to this degree is outrageous if you ask me. The other guys charge $100 for EZ Seal, but likely offer follow up if it doesn't solve the issue. Just what supposed expenses are being lumped into materials here?
Your customers deserve better. Luckily there is better in the area in other HVAC companies.
Week Later Update: Was properly (physically) diagnosed with step by step investigation, including use of nitrogen tank by other company. Leak was audible, and easily found by the technician from the other company. It was too large for EZ Seal to fix, and in a place it could be welded. Issue fixed within a couple of hours for $340 total, about half of the cost of Gary Rick's material costs alone. Most of which was the cost of adding proper amount of refrigerant(6lbs, not 3.5) to the system.