Prowler Doug
Northern CA
Senior Member
Joined: 08/07/2006
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This is a home furnace. Okay the furnace has been problems ever since it was so called new. We live in a 500 home new subdivision. We were the second to last home to be finished and I learned that they buy all the HVAC equipment for the entire project at the beginning and store it until they need it for the track they are building. We had spiders and cobwebs in orifices that made it fail for the first couple of years. After warranty was up I had a company coming out twice a year to service the HVAC system. A couple of years ago it failed again had the service company come out to tell me it needed a new inducer draft motor. They quoted me $850; I asked for a break down on parts and labor they stated “It is a package deal”??? Whey the tech was here he smacked it around with a hammer and it worked again for two years. Well guess what? I didn’t light when I tried to use it a couple of weeks ago. I decided I would call a different company they came out and said it needed the same part. He hands me a bid for $1035 and again I asked for the breakdown. “He said it’s a package deal”. To make a long story short a called a contractor friend of mine and talked with his HVAC guy. Luckily he was an installer for my brand of furnace. He sent me to his wholesaler and I bought the motor for $88.07. I had to pull one cover off removed 7 screws two wires and a vacuum tube. It took me 30 minutes to change. I must be in the wrong business how in heck can they charge that kind of money for labor? I am in the automotive business in California and the bureau of auto repair BAR would put my butt in jail for that.
Just a rant I feel better now. I may attend a HVAC school open a shop and do this work at a fair price. I may become rich.
Doug.
2005 1500 Hemi Ram
2007 Fleetwood Prowler Classic 240 RKS
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Mountain Jack
Shangri-La,Mountain in SW OR, above the Gold Creek
Senior Member
Joined: 09/19/2001
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Yup,i do much of the work around here myself, cuz some folks ain't Honest.
You done GOOD BRO...
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Silverwinger
Western Washington USA
Senior Member
Joined: 09/17/2002
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Noticed that my next door neighbor had a furnace service truck in his driveway, I recognized the company name because it had been part of a recent local tv story about shoddy and shady dealings, as soon as the truck left I saw him outside and asked him what the problem was, he said he had been noticing really poor heat output from his furnace (electric) the service tech told him that his best recommendation was to replace the entire unit as it would be cheaper than repairing the present one, quoted him $950 for the job, then charged him $75 for the house call. Thankfully he told him he would need to consider it before committing to it, I told him about a well respected local outfit to call first, he did so and the tech who came out replaced 2 of the 3 heat elements in about 20 minutes and charged him $72 for the complete job. His furnace works like new again.....
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