DIY – Do-It-Yourself

Good Idea or Bad Idea?

As you read articles here on AskBoyd.com you will see several stories that focus on some unfair practices by HVAC Professionals that involve over charging for services and obscene prices for HVAC equipment installations. This would lead you to believe that DIY is the way to go. It is very important to understand that DIY HVAC is in some cases a great idea, but in most cases, these projects can be daunting and are not for everyone.

Let’s look at what is involved in a few of these projects and then decide if you are up to the task.

Air Conditioning unit replacement: This usually involves removing the existing outdoor condenser or heat pump and replacing it with a new unit. That sounds easy, right? Well, it is, if you know what you are doing and have the proper tools to do it. To remove the existing unit you, by law, must evacuate the existing refrigerant from the system. This requires two things that most of us do not have, an evacuation pump that removes and stores the refrigerant and a CFC Refrigerant Certification. Ouch!! Now what do you do?

Because of these restrictions and rightfully so, as the handling of refrigerant chemicals can be dangerous because of extreme temperatures and high pressures that can harm humans if subjected to either, and the ever present concern of releasing the CFC related chemicals into our atmosphere that are illegal to expel, it would appear that you are not going to be able to do this project yourself. But all is not lost.

What you can do, is purchase your equipment from a reputable company that specializes in making HVAC equipment available to homeowners. This will be the most important step you will take. In many cases the money that you will save will be so dramatic that you will wonder why you have not done this before.

Next, you can prepare the site location for your new equipment. This may include grading an area outside of your home and installing a new pad, either prefab or poured concrete. You can also run and secure a new refrigerant lines set between the outdoor unit and the indoor coil. Because you are not directly handling refrigerants, you are allowed and most likely capable of doing this portion of the job. Depending on building and electrical codes in your area, you may be able to run electrical connections and have those ready for professional connection or possibly make these connections yourself. You can purchase and install a new thermostat if needed as well. As you can see, there is plenty that you can do yourself that will save you money in the end.

When the time is right, hiring a local professional to complete the project is the best option and may be the only option. But remember that the money you have saved by purchasing your own equipment and the pre-work that you have done yourself will pay big dividends.

Here is an example of potential money saved by DIY:

Professional installation of a 3 ton Air conditioner, Line set and Thermostat.

Equipment - $1,800

Install Supply - $ 400

Thermostat - $ 120

Labor - $ 600           Total $2,920.

DIY Project

Equipment - $1,200

Install Supply - $ 300

Thermostat - $ 60

Labor - $ 300           Total $1,860.

Disclaimer: DIY is not for everyone and this article is not recommending that this practice is for everyone. If you are the type person that does not enjoy or get personal satisfaction from doing this type of project yourself, don’t do it. If you do not have access to the proper tools or do not have the skills to do this level of work, don’t do it. If you do not have the time to invest to make sure and do all the required steps correctly, don’t do it. If your situation is that of an emergency, requiring immediate action in order to regain cooling or heating conditions for health purposes, don’t do it. If your area has codes that do not allow for this type of project to be completed by yourself and requires license, don’t do it. But, if you like the challenge, are mechanically inclined or handy, get personal satisfaction from doing a job yourself and like to take control of your hard earned money, you just might be a prime candidate for DO-IT-YOURSELF.