Need advice: frustrated with AC repair process and repeated issues
I moved in to my Pittsburgh home in 2023. The outside AC unit obviously crapped out that summer (because what other luck would a homeowner have?) and it was replaced with a ComfortMaker unit by company 1. The house still struggled to match the thermostat temperature in the summer (always 3-5 degrees off), except the basement which was a tundra, even with shutting the vents and putting magnetic blockers on them. We made due with fans, not using the oven or stove on select hot days, and buying vent boosters for the trouble rooms.
We had our roof replaced the summer of 2025 by company 2, hoping maybe that had something to do with the heat in the house (and it was 20+ years old). No luck. We also had our furnace replaced at this time which is when we learned the blower from the furnace is also what pushes the air out for the AC. They’ve tweaked it a few times due to loud noise over the winter.
May 2026 we had no cold air and company 1 told us the TXV valve was not operating properly (the one that was just installed in 2023) and the $50 part was covered but the labor ($2500) was not. We called company 2 for a second opinion who agreed with the diagnosis and offered to fix the issue for half the price.
Today, May 12, where the high was 74, my AC unit has been trying to get to 68 degrees for the past 6 hours. There’s also two upstairs vents that aren’t even producing any air flow. Is this normal? I literally cannot deal with all the phone calls/people anymore. I could just scream out of frustration every time the summer comes in this house because there’s always an issue.
I’m just looking for some advice, positivity, thoughts on what my next step should be. Get my ducts cleaned? Keep calling the same guy? Have any another company come out and see what they say? Move and never look back? Have the blower speed increased?
I live in a 3 bedroom raised ranch and change my filter regularly. Looking forward to hearing the people!