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WantDastardlyBack t1_j6jlj6p wrote

Reply to comment by Cease_Cows_ in who recently got a heating oil bill? by lottabigbluewater

Some of this could tie into the issue that I have to write about constantly for an HVAC company down south. January 1st, the government upgraded to SEER2 ratings, so some older heat pumps and central and mini-split systems are no longer in compliance.

It's making HVAC technicians down there struggle to find parts that meet the new SEER2 ratings, and if they had any remaining stock that isn't in compliance with the new ratings, they can't install anything legally. I don't know how this plays out up here, but I know my client has been heavily focused on pointing out that it's going to be trickier to get some parts for older equipment.

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Aperron t1_j6js4kz wrote

Different issue.

Mini splits just generally aren’t designed to be overly serviceable from the start. Unlike a traditional central AC system where the components are usually fairly universal and can be mixed and matched, they’re generally proprietary and model specific with the model lines refreshing every year or two with little to no parts compatibility between refresh cycles.

Lots of small plastic parts and clips, delicate mechanisms with tight tolerances and electronics that fail with the slightest power surge or just from normal use due to being designed so tightly to spec for efficiency.

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