SolvedCommercial HVAC
Anyone dealt with a rooftop unit cooling the space unevenly during occupied hours in Toronto?
Asked by Mia Parkerin Toronto, Ontario· 3/22/2026· 1980 views
I'm in Toronto, Ontario and dealing with a 9-year-old rooftop unit in our semi-detached home. Over the past week, it has been cooling the space unevenly during occupied hours and we're now noticing the technician who came out last time did not leave any actual readings behind.
One contractor quoted C$455 for repair, while another jumped straight to a C$10,301 replacement because of the age. The weather here has been dealing us cold snaps followed by mild afternoons, so I do not want to wait too long, but I also do not want to approve the wrong scope.
If you were comparing bids on this, what would you want checked first? I especially want to know how much weight you would give to economizer settings, supply temperatures, occupancy schedules, and sensor calibration.
commercialrtucontrols
8 Answers
42
✓ Accepted Answer
The recommendation should be tied to measurements, not just the age of the equipment. Age matters, but it is not a diagnosis on its own. For a rooftop unit that is cooling the space unevenly during occupied hours, the first things I would ask for are economizer settings, supply temperatures, occupancy schedules, and sensor calibration. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Toronto, Ontario, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
17
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We used the directory reviews to filter out firms that were vague about what they had actually tested. That saved us a lot of time. We had a related issue with our rooftop unit in Toronto. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Harper Hughes·3/23/2026
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What helped us most was breaking the quote into labour, parts, warranty, and optional upgrades. The expensive bid looked very different once it was itemized. We had a related issue with our rooftop unit in Toronto. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Daniel Thompson·3/23/2026
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The recommendation should be tied to measurements, not just the age of the equipment. Age matters, but it is not a diagnosis on its own. For a rooftop unit that is cooling the space unevenly during occupied hours, the first things I would ask for are economizer settings, supply temperatures, occupancy schedules, and sensor calibration. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Toronto, Ontario, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
11
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I would compare how clearly each contractor explains the diagnosis, not just the price. The clearer company ended up being the better hire for us. We had a related issue with our rooftop unit in Toronto. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Laura Murphy·3/22/2026
7
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We used the directory reviews to filter out firms that were vague about what they had actually tested. That saved us a lot of time. We had a related issue with our rooftop unit in Toronto. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
Priya Mitchell·3/23/2026
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If this landed on my schedule, I would want to document the core readings first and then explain exactly why the repair does or does not make economic sense. For a rooftop unit that is cooling the space unevenly during occupied hours, the first things I would ask for are economizer settings, supply temperatures, occupancy schedules, and sensor calibration. If the contractor is recommending bigger work, ask them to explain which measurement supports that recommendation and whether they ruled out airflow or controls first. In Toronto, Ontario, pricing can move around, but the diagnostic process should still be clear.
1
0
What helped us most was breaking the quote into labour, parts, warranty, and optional upgrades. The expensive bid looked very different once it was itemized. We had a related issue with our rooftop unit in Toronto. Once we forced every quote into the same format, the decision got much easier because the weak recommendations stood out immediately.
James Miller·3/23/2026