There is a reason why the country pushes home ownership. There is so much of the economy that is driven by home ownership. It is very important to have ideas about all you need to keep up maintenance of your house and yard otherwise you will be fleeced by various professional providers. Thank God for the internet we now have a tool for knowing when we are being fleeced.
My HVAC system just went out. It was blowing air but was not cool air. There was an intermittent humming sound coming from the condenser. The first guys out said the compressor was shot, and wanted about $3,000.00 to put in a new one otherwise I would have to buy a new unit, current unit is about 10 years old. They charges $100.00 to come out by the way.
Second guy out, said the system just needs a new capacitor and hard start unit with a thorough cleaning, system tune-up, and new filter. He did this and the system is working fine.