Surge Protector for AC Units?

I dont know why they replace the contactor unless it wasnt working. Could just be piece of mind for you though.

$1200 seems high for a surge protector and contactor though.

Maybe a few hours labor. The contactor for my unit is like $40 or less and the surge protector is around $65 depending on what unit they are quoting.

Surge protector isnt necessary unless you want one.

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ETA: Can you do any of this work?

These are the notes from the invoice: 022 carrier electric air handler / 2013 carrier r410a communication system
performed ac tune up and found all components to be working. refrigerant levels checked good. washed and cleaned outdoor unit.
i did find the inside and outside system to have no surge protection on it. i would recommend adding a surge protector to the in’s side and outside equipment
i also found the contactor with some voltage drop across it which is a duping the contactor is not making great connection and could fail
customer wants son to look at estimates

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i did find the inside and outside system to have no surge protection on it. i would recommend adding a surge protector to the in’s side and outside equipment

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Another option would be getting a whole-home surge protector installed in your home panel. It may not protect your unit from a direct lightning strike but even an outdoor surge protector on it wouldn't protect it from that. Less likely since it is low to the ground though.

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I installed this model Eaton surge protector in my panel in about 30 minutes. It requires a 2-pole 50A breaker so if you aren't comfortable shutting the main power off for your house, adding/swapping a breaker, and mounting this thing, I would pay someone to do it. (got this pic off DuckDuckGo - not my installation)

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i also found the contactor with some voltage drop across it which is a duping the contactor is not making great connection and could fail
customer wants son to look at estimates

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What happens with contactors is over time the contact surfaces start pitting and increase contact resistance. In simple terms, the metal gets deformed and doesn't make a solid electrical connection and a lot of heat is generated. It would definitely be a good idea to replace the contactor.

If you want a sealed unit that has a longer lifespan, I'd recommend the Emerson Sureswitch. it is an enclosed solid-state contactor that has a considerably higher lifespan than a regular contactor. Plus it has built-in brownout protection to not damage your unit during a sporadic outage.

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I installed this myself. It is a "Whole House" surge protector. It took about 30 minutes to install, including adding the 240 vac circuit breaker. Works very well! Of course it was about $75 cheaper when I bought it 4 years ago, but that discussion is for the Politics board.

Home Depot

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Surge protectors are great, but lots and lots and lots of homes/electronics have survived without them for a long time.

The contactor could be an issue and fail later on. They are super easy to change. Since its your mother and she's 92, Id probably be proactive and just have it changed.

Id definitely get another quote though, $1200 seems a little steep. Do you think you could handle the work yourself? What surge protectors are they quoting?

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Spot on