re: 5 ton AC unit 5+ pounds low on freon - did I get screwed?

Wouldn’t cool at all 5lb low

Seems like he screwed you. Don’t call him back. Right now cost of freon 22 has dropped dramatically to about $15 per pound wholesale. This is due to all the knock off brands.
If you were 5-7 pounds low, you would be getting very little cooling and system would be icing up.

20 years is a pretty good run for an AC. These guys are dishonest as frick though. I'm pretty sure there is an R22.compatible freon which might be what's on eBay.

quote:

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You can't convert an AC system from R-22 to R-410A. They are not compatible with each other. Below is the link to this article

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technically you can if you swap the outside unit and can swap the txv or piston on the inside unit (if it doesn’t have a capillary tube.) but if your system is that old, you should just replace the entire system if you are considering just the condensing unit.

if you are going to use an alt refrigerant, use Mo99, it’s the closest thing to R22 (chemours/dupont now make both Mo99 and 407c and have said Mo99 is the closest thing to R22), doesn’t require any line set changes (im assuming your house isn’t over three stories high) and works with POE or mineral oil.

You just screwed yourself. You can get a new 5 ton Trane for $7K which is 410a Puron.

R-22 is around $140/lb and he put the R-22 substitute mix in your system for $80. Many call it R-22 but the pressures are out of whack. Your compressor will fail in 6-9 months as a result and will need a new unit anyway.

Find a new AC man.

That one part was just out of warranty, and the unit was only 5 years old at the time. My other unit was a Carrier also, and lasted 18 years. It's freaking crazy that a blower costs that much. I remember replacing one on the old system for like $80-$120.