Furnance blower wheel replacement

[Mikhail]

Hi guys.
Last week my traine xe90 start making horrible noise, because blower wheel broke down in 2 pieces. Anyway, I called hvac guy. He replace it for me for $400 part and labor. He didnt had part in his truck, so he came back next day with new part. Now, my question is: did he charge
me too much for this kind of repair? Blower wheel is 11" wide and 10 inches diametr. I think this part should be around $100, but I might be wrong.
Looking for your comments guys!

 

[ctjohnson]

I do not think you where overcharged.

The part was $100 plus the guy had to make two trips, pay taxes, insurance, any required licensing fees, fuel for vehicle, cell phone bill you used to reach him, advertising costs, and a host of other things that customers like you don't think about.

On top of all that, he should be fairly compensated for his expertise in diagnosing and repairing the problem.

If you wanted it fixed for $100 you always had the option to drive down to the HVAC supply store and gotten the part and replaced it yourself.

 

[mjoekingz28]

well described ctjohnson,

Sometimes we dont think of those criteria either since we are being absent-minded and forget what all it takes or just do not realize the production that must take place to get things done!

 

[G McKay]

I replaced one of those once from a wheel I bought at Farm and Fleet for about fifteen bucks. Is that where he had to go to get one?

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

well described ctjohnson,

Sometimes we dont think of those criteria either since we are being absent-minded and forget what all it takes or just do not realize the production that must take place to get things done!

People fail to do the math of how much time that was actually involved in troubleshooting the bad blower/going to find the wheel/getting the old wheel off and reinstalling it.
I had a guy complain to me last week when I told him I would charge him $50.00 to install the transformer on his furnace that he bought for $20.00 at a local supply house,so he decided to install it himself.
2 days later after he burned up the new transformer and the board in his 20 year old fj furnace he wanted to know if I could come fix it for $50.00 still?
I told him I was too busy ,hes been calling and bugging me everyday since then.
When he asked me the 1st time I was sitting at the supply house killing time 5 mins from his house but my price was too high for a simple fix he said.
Now Im sitting at my house with my nice warm furnace,and the price will be much higher.

 

[joel63]

People fail to do the math of how much time that was actually involved in troubleshooting the bad blower/going to find the wheel/getting the old wheel off and reinstalling it.
I had a guy complain to me last week when I told him I would charge him $50.00 to install the transformer on his furnace that he bought for $20.00 at a local supply house,so he decided to install it himself.
2 days later after he burned up the new transformer and the board in his 20 year old fj furnace he wanted to know if I could come fix it for $50.00 still?
I told him I was too busy ,hes been calling and bugging me everyday since then.
When he asked me the 1st time I was sitting at the supply house killing time 5 mins from his house but my price was too high for a simple fix he said.
Now Im sitting at my house with my nice warm furnace,and the price will be much higher.

This guy got just what what he asked for.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

This guy got just what what he asked for.

 

[pepi]

I do not think you where overcharged.

The part was $100 plus the guy had to make two trips, pay taxes, insurance, any required licensing fees, fuel for vehicle, cell phone bill you used to reach him, advertising costs, and a host of other things that customers like you don't think about.

On top of all that, he should be fairly compensated for his expertise in diagnosing and repairing the problem.

If you wanted it fixed for $100 you always had the option to drive down to the HVAC supply store and gotten the part and replaced it yourself.

X 2 I would have charge 600, 200 extra for complaining, that was a quick turn around.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Looking at your location, it says Washington DC area. I'd guess that the cost of living is a lot higher there than it is here and the hourly rate/service call charge is going to be higher too.

part $100, sevice call $75? x 2 = $150, we're at $250 locally. If you called after hours and the guy came out, that's an upcharge for the service call.

 

[dreasoner]

I sincerely doubt the service tech was able to go to a big box store to buy the replacement blower wheel. Trane has had at least in the past, a tendency to use OEM only parts. That means simply that most parts have to come from Trane only and you must be a Trane dealer to buy the parts. An OEM part is probably more than 100.00 with the industry markup. The question I would have is what caused the blower wheel failure. The cause could be anything from a known part problem to an installation problem.

 

[jimindm]

I will tell you some of my HVAC repair stories. We put an addition on that required a new, bigger furnace about 12 years ago.

I should say that the guy that put it in was sort of a friend, but came recommended by several other friends. It was installed in the fall, and the next winter season it would not light off. It was about a month into the season I called him and he replaced the glow stick and said it is ceramic, and maybe it cracked in installation.

The next winter rolls around, a month into heating season same thing, again under warranty.

Third year rolls around again a month into the season, no heat. This time he says I will have to pay for the part, but he will install it. Charged me $100. One problem for him is I grabbed the box right away and told him I would throw it away.

By now I have had this furnace apart several times to know what it was, before I even called him about the problem. I took the box over to the supply store, to get one for the next time, because I just knew it was sooner or later going to go out when it was really needed.

The guy at the supply store says do you want that style or the better one. I asked about the better one, and he said they have had so many problems with the OE style that they have redesigned them in the aftermarket. The original was $18 and the redesigned one was $40. I bought both. The one eventually burnt out again, and I replaced it with the better one, and not had a problem since.

early this summer my furnace started vibrating. I called another referred HVAC guy. He came out and tore the furnace down. Him and his guy were here two hours or more, and they had the blower in and out several times. He finally just said, I do not know what wrong, call me when it gets worse.

About two weeks later the furnace was trying to walk across the floor. He came out and determined the center had broke out of the blower wheel. Motor, blower wheel installed was about $600.

A few weeks later the wife turned the air on and no condenser fan operation. I called the HVAC store and the part was $300. Called the furnace guy again and he stopped, it was a capacitor and he topped the charge off for $100.

Some time later this year, the outside unit just would not start. Called him and he was right here and looked at it and came to get me. There is a large tree near and a limb had fallen at some point, knocked out two window screens and tore the little wires out of the unit. Two wire nuts and a handshake he was gone. No charge.

End of the cooling season, last week of needing the AC it quits again. This time it is toast, compressor failure. He looks at the unit, says he will likely have to change the a coil also. Heads to the basement and says he will call me in a few hours.

Stps back to look at the furnace and shows me where the original guys have creating the plenum out of the a coil. Half of the house is getting air flow that is not even going through the coil. That half is the west side and upstairs. The two places that you need cooling the most.

Will have every thing replaced in the spring for $6k. The original guys did me no favors. The wife want to change up the landscaping where the outside unit sets. Knowing that we will not have AC until that area is ready for the new unit, likely moved the landscaping project to the top of the summer list of honey dos.

 

[G McKay]

A repairman can't charge someone extra just because: 1) they don't know which part to carry.

2) their company doesn't equip them with enough/the correct parts

3) ie, they have to go and get parts and come back the next day just so they can charge someone double. That is unacceptable.

Companies like ADT, DIRECTV, TIME WARNER, SEARS, etc. have a set charge for a service call. Mostly $100.00 whether it is for an hour or five hours. Sears may be a little different but the last time it was $100.00 for the first hour.

This is why people need to ask a company about the bill when they call. The company should also be smart enough to ask for a motor type, serial number, model number, etc. at the initial call to get what information they can. If a company can't tell how much the labor is going to be from the start, the customer should call someone else.




$400.00 is way too much

 

[exmaxima1]

Hi guys.
Last week my traine xe90 start making horrible noise, because blower wheel broke down in 2 pieces. Anyway, I called hvac guy. He replace it for me for $400 part and labor. He didnt had part in his truck, so he came back next day with new part. Now, my question is: did he charge
me too much for this kind of repair? Blower wheel is 11" wide and 10 inches diametr. I think this part should be around $100, but I might be wrong.
Looking for your comments guys!

When the blower wheel in my Carrier furnace started rattling after 3 years (sounded like a waterfall) I tried to buy the part, but Carrier will only sell to their service guys. So I measured the wheel and bought a better one---welded, not just kinked---using my buddy's HVAC acct number. Cost less than $40. Took about 20 minutes to replace, and been working fine for over 10 years.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

A repairman can't charge someone extra just because: 1) they don't know which part to carry.

2) their company doesn't equip them with enough/the correct parts

3) ie, they have to go and get parts and come back the next day just so they can charge someone double. That is unacceptable.

Companies like ADT, DIRECTV, TIME WARNER, SEARS, etc. have a set charge for a service call. Mostly $100.00 whether it is for an hour or five hours. Sears may be a little different but the last time it was $100.00 for the first hour.

This is why people need to ask a company about the bill when they call. The company should also be smart enough to ask for a motor type, serial number, model number, etc. at the initial call to get what information they can. If a company can't tell how much the labor is going to be from the start, the customer should call someone else.




$400.00 is way too much

If the customer cannot relay the motor type, serial number, model number, etc.?
A service truck has a finite amount of space, as does a building. It is near impossible to carry every part that might ever be needed on a service call.
As for determining cost, how is a repair service going to determine cost before they determine what the problem is?
It is not the repair services fault that the customers unit has broken. It should not cost them to repair the customers unit.

 

[Brian_WK]

This sounds a bit high but not unreasonable. In newer furnaces I would only do OEM. Anything else you are going to be underrating the blower or possibly over amping the motor. Parts are usually readily available in a day if you get the order in by 2pm if there is no supply company local where you can pick it up. Older furnaces put in what ever you can get to fit because most likely you aren't going to find a direct replacement.

Never Trane furnace OEM wheel Id say at least $100 cost plus markup so $150 + (2 X $100 hour labor) + mileage or trip charge + taxes = $400

That is if he put it in 1 hour and he was located within a half hour.

Some furnaces are a huge pain to change the blower wheel in. You have to remove the circuit board, the drain trap, the blower housing, remove the wheel from the motor, remove the motor, remove the blower housing access and then put it all back together and wire it all back in. all this while sitting on the floor working a foot off the ground. It takes time.

Brian

 

[Casey69]

the draft blower pooped the bed in my old furnace. i disconnected the wire harness & the 3 bolts that held it to the furnace, then started calling around to buy the part. no one would sell me the draft blower, as i didn't have a hvac license; had to go through licensed tech, who charged me $150 for the part & $175 for the "labor" (he was in & out of my house in 15 minutes).

total screwjob.

 

[dreasoner]

You could always study and take the licensing test. Problem solved.

 

[Mike007]

A repairman can't charge someone extra just because: 1) they don't know which part to carry.

2) their company doesn't equip them with enough/the correct parts

3) ie, they have to go and get parts and come back the next day just so they can charge someone double. That is unacceptable.

Companies like ADT, DIRECTV, TIME WARNER, SEARS, etc. have a set charge for a service call. Mostly $100.00 whether it is for an hour or five hours. Sears may be a little different but the last time it was $100.00 for the first hour.

This is why people need to ask a company about the bill when they call. The company should also be smart enough to ask for a motor type, serial number, model number, etc. at the initial call to get what information they can. If a company can't tell how much the labor is going to be from the start, the customer should call someone else.

Sure, HVAC guys should all be driving an 18 wheeler full of parts.

 

[Muzzy]

I wouldn't expect to have a skilled trade stop their truck in front of the house for less than $300. Add parts to that and $400 seems pretty reasonable. You're paying for their knowledge and experience. If its a simple repair when the furnace isn't needed, its worth it to investigate and try to replace the defective parts yourself. After all, you can always call in a professional to fix it if you strike out. However if its wintertime and the weather is getting cold, you want a person who's been there before.

If you are happy with their work, I would not hesitate to pay the bill. You have to heat the house one way or another.

 

[exmaxima1]

I wouldn't expect to have a skilled trade stop their truck in front of the house for less than $300. Add parts to that and $400 seems pretty reasonable. You're paying for their knowledge and experience. If its a simple repair when the furnace isn't needed, its worth it to investigate and try to replace the defective parts yourself. After all, you can always call in a professional to fix it if you strike out. However if its wintertime and the weather is getting cold, you want a person who's been there before.

I would agree if only that were always true. My mother, >80 at the time, called the furnace guy when her furnace would not light. Guy spent over an hour, shrugged, said the furnace was too old and needed to be replaced. And of course charged $180 which could be partially offset on a new furnace.

My mother wanted my opinion, so I made the 100 mile trek to take a look. The computer light code said the flue was too congested to allow the burner to ignite. Took it apart and found a dead bird. Problem fixed. I swear this didn't take me more than 20 minutes.

You would think an experienced/trained service guy could have figured that out.

 

[brewchief]

A repairman can't charge someone extra just because: 1) they don't know which part to carry.

2) their company doesn't equip them with enough/the correct parts

3) ie, they have to go and get parts and come back the next day just so they can charge someone double. That is unacceptable.

Companies like ADT, DIRECTV, TIME WARNER, SEARS, etc. have a set charge for a service call. Mostly $100.00 whether it is for an hour or five hours. Sears may be a little different but the last time it was $100.00 for the first hour.

This is why people need to ask a company about the bill when they call. The company should also be smart enough to ask for a motor type, serial number, model number, etc. at the initial call to get what information they can. If a company can't tell how much the labor is going to be from the start, the customer should call someone else.




$400.00 is way too much

So by this logic I should be able to call the car dealer and tell them make model and vin number and they should give me an exact price to fix my truck without looking at it to determine what's wrong. Good luck with that.

We use 12' box vans as service trucks and still have to chase parts, we carry the common failure parts for the furnaces we see most in our area, nobody can have every part on hand.

We charge a 89$ diagnostic fee and then quote the needed repairs from a flatrate book, customer knows the exact price before we make the repair in 98% of our calls.

If we have to return later that day or a few days later we do not charge a second service call, only time we would charge a second service call is if a customer declined a repair that we could complete at that time.


There is serious lack of skilled HVAC techs right now, the stuff other companies do scares me at times, we shut down a furnace last week that had over 3000 ppm CO in the exhaust, even a small failure in the heat exchanger could prove deadly yet another company said it was fine and turned it back on without doing a simple combustion test.


Do you really want the cheapest guy you can find?

 

[Muzzy]

I would agree if only that were always true. My mother, >80 at the time, called the furnace guy when her furnace would not light. Guy spent over an hour, shrugged, said the furnace was too old and needed to be replaced. And of course charged $180 which could be partially offset on a new furnace.

My mother wanted my opinion, so I made the 100 mile trek to take a look. The computer light code said the flue was too congested to allow the burner to ignite. Took it apart and found a dead bird. Problem fixed. I swear this didn't take me more than 20 minutes.

You would think an experienced/trained service guy could have figured that out.

You've certainly got me there. This up-sell type of service visit is incredibly frustrating.

 

[Rockhead261]

Hi guys.
Last week my traine xe90 start making horrible noise, because blower wheel broke down in 2 pieces. Anyway, I called hvac guy. He replace it for me for $400 part and labor. He didnt had part in his truck, so he came back next day with new part. Now, my question is: did he charge
me too much for this kind of repair? Blower wheel is 11" wide and 10 inches diametr. I think this part should be around $100, but I might be wrong.
Looking for your comments guys!

WHL02168 Blower Wheel, $122.90 wholesale, ~$200 retail. 1.5 - 2.25 hours labor, ~$175-300 depending on the market. Sounds like you were treated fairly.

 

[truckman5000]

A repairman can't charge someone extra just because: 1) they don't know which part to carry.

2) their company doesn't equip them with enough/the correct parts

3) ie, they have to go and get parts and come back the next day just so they can charge someone double. That is unacceptable.

Companies like ADT, DIRECTV, TIME WARNER, SEARS, etc. have a set charge for a service call. Mostly $100.00 whether it is for an hour or five hours. Sears may be a little different but the last time it was $100.00 for the first hour.

This is why people need to ask a company about the bill when they call. The company should also be smart enough to ask for a motor type, serial number, model number, etc. at the initial call to get what information they can. If a company can't tell how much the labor is going to be from the start, the customer should call someone else.




$400.00 is way too much

Sounds about right. All trucks would need is 10 cable boxes, 500ft of cable and 100 coax connectors....



Our HVAC service techs have utility box trucks loaded full of service material.
50% of the time, we need to return.
People dont realize, that theres more bands of furnace's, boilers, ext than cars.

If you're a car guy and know how that works. It like asking an auto tech to come replace your hvac blower in you're 70 corvette.
He would charge alot more than 400$ and would make at least 2 trips to you're house.

I had a ******** customer come into my office today. Demanding he was over charged. And plumbers were a rip off. I told him we work off of a 12% profit. He said ********. I printed out the last year statement close from the company. It showed 4%. Told the guy, your job was $200. I deal with 4 mil. a year and hope to profit 4% this year.....Something to think about.
Im at 4% because I treat employees good

 

[exmaxima1]

WHL02168 Blower Wheel, $122.90 wholesale, ~$200 retail. 1.5 - 2.25 hours labor, ~$175-300 depending on the market. Sounds like you were treated fairly.

I don't believe that's the correct PN, as it's bigger at 12" diameter x 12" long, but it is interesting that anyone can buy that part on Amazon for less than "wholesale"---$114 delivered.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XBUAG1Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[bonneyman]

I have to go gets parts all the time because of all the specialization that's taking place. I use generic parts where possible, but, more and more that's no longer a viable option.

Don't know the OP's locale - or all of the specifics - but, that sounds a bit high.
Blower wheel is around $150 with markup, assuming I can get the specs off of the broken pieces and get a universal replacement from the local motor shop. If I have to go get it I keep the clock running to and from the warehouse. Time to troubleshoot, obtain part, and get it repaired should be 2 and a 1/2 hours. That includes cleaning and oiling the blower motor and housing. The way I fly, that brings the total to a tad over $300, plus tax.

 

[truckman5000]

I don't believe that's the correct PN, as it's bigger at 12" diameter x 12" long, but it is interesting that anyone can buy that part on Amazon for less than "wholesale"---$114 delivered.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XBUAG1Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I get this all the time..
OK..You have no heat and its 0 out..Sorry mom, have to order on amazon, ill get it at the house tomorrow, and ill be out the next day (2 days latter) hope ur pipe's freeze lol....
The Tranes/ carriers companies carry a mark up on material, to keep their buisness running to have available parts. Sometimes its 40% cost.
The other brands can use retrofit stuff.
Major brands, lennox carrier trane use their own ****.
We dont have time dealing with dicking around with online ****.
If ordered through a dealer, its correct.

If ordered online. And its wrong and the customers home freezes up..that's a problem.
Or you return to the job and the online part dosnt work.

$400.
part 100$ tax plus mark up
$140
1-hr diag./ travel
$120
.5hr ordering/ tracking/ ship
$60
1.5hr return, pick up part, install, check operation.
$180

I would charge
$500 "BE" or $550 at 10% job. So when you called to complain, i can remove 50$ and you would be happy....

Every state is different. I live in Mass. so 50% goes to taxes

 

[Mikhail]

This sounds a bit high but not unreasonable. In newer furnaces I would only do OEM. Anything else you are going to be underrating the blower or possibly over amping the motor. Parts are usually readily available in a day if you get the order in by 2pm if there is no supply company local where you can pick it up. Older furnaces put in what ever you can get to fit because most likely you aren't going to find a direct replacement.

Never Trane furnace OEM wheel Id say at least $100 cost plus markup so $150 + (2 X $100 hour labor) + mileage or trip charge + taxes = $400

That is if he put it in 1 hour and he was located within a half hour.

Some furnaces are a huge pain to change the blower wheel in. You have to remove the circuit board, the drain trap, the blower housing, remove the wheel from the motor, remove the motor, remove the blower housing access and then put it all back together and wire it all back in. all this while sitting on the floor working a foot off the ground. It takes time.

Brian

It happened last sunday at 6am. He came in sunday at 3pm, took old blower wheel out in 30 minutes. You are right Sir, he had to remove circuit board, drain trap, blower housing, motor, bunch of wires etc. He came back monday at 7pm, and finished everything by 8pm. His travel time is about 20-30 minutes each way. This furnance was installed in 2007.

 

[Mikhail]

I get this all the time..
OK..You have no heat and its 0 out..Sorry mom, have to order on amazon, ill get it at the house tomorrow, and ill be out the next day (2 days latter) hope ur pipe's freeze lol....
The Tranes/ carriers companies carry a mark up on material, to keep their buisness running to have available parts. Sometimes its 40% cost.
The other brands can use retrofit stuff.
Major brands, lennox carrier trane use their own ****.
We dont have time dealing with dicking around with online ****.
If ordered through a dealer, its correct.

If ordered online. And its wrong and the customers home freezes up..that's a problem.
Or you return to the job and the online part dosnt work.

$400.
part 100$ tax plus mark up
$140
1-hr diag./ travel
$120
.5hr ordering/ tracking/ ship
$60
1.5hr return, pick up part, install, check operation.
$180

I would charge
$500 "BE" or $550 at 10% job. So when you called to complain, i can remove 50$ and you would be happy....

Every state is different. I live in Mass. so 50% goes to taxes

You right Sir, ordering parts from amazon wouldnt work for me, it would take too long! Prices on internet is very different for traine wheel, from $100 to $175 plus shipping.

 

[exmaxima1]

I get this all the time..
OK..You have no heat and its 0 out..Sorry mom, have to order on amazon, ill get it at the house tomorrow, and ill be out the next day (2 days latter) hope ur pipe's freeze lol....

The point I was trying to make is that the pricing for furnace parts is all over the map. You say $122 is "wholesale", yet it is even higher than Amazon, and you suggest the "retail" is $200. And you want nearly 2 hrs of expensive labor to order it and go pick it up. Isn't the cost of ordering it part of the markup? And don't those distributers have delivery men?

In reality, your true cost of that part is more likely somewhat less than $100, so you are making nearly $300 on just one part. Sure, time is money, but why should a consumer expect to pay you $100/hr to order a part and drive a van to the store?

This whole industry of punitive pricing based on how much can be squeezed out of a customer will eventually be its own demise, and yet another industry will be dominated by immigrants willing to work for a fair income. It's no wonder that so many customers are buying from big box stores that offer fixed pricing for most standard installations.

 

[Mike007]

Some customers will understand the cost of running a business. I don't even bother trying to explain it to them anymore. It goes in 1 ear and out the other. They probably think a loaf of bread should cost a nickel too.

I charge $480 for a service call that involves me acquiring a typical blower wheel and installing it during normal business hours.

 

[acmikee]

Technicians only get paid for the hours that they can bill so the have to add travel time in. Plus time for picking up the part. And the installing the new part. Oh and you want a warranty on top of that. @$400 you got off cheap.
Don't forget the office personal, specialty tools, insurance, taxes, licenses, vehicle, gas and maintained...

 

[brewchief]

The point I was trying to make is that the pricing for furnace parts is all over the map. You say $122 is "wholesale", yet it is even higher than Amazon, and you suggest the "retail" is $200. And you want nearly 2 hrs of expensive labor to order it and go pick it up. Isn't the cost of ordering it part of the markup? And don't those distributers have delivery men?

In reality, your true cost of that part is more likely somewhat less than $100, so you are making nearly $300 on just one part. Sure, time is money, but why should a consumer expect to pay you $100/hr to order a part and drive a van to the store?

This whole industry of punitive pricing based on how much can be squeezed out of a customer will eventually be its own demise, and yet another industry will be dominated by immigrants willing to work for a fair income. It's no wonder that so many customers are buying from big box stores that offer fixed pricing for most standard installations.

In a lot of cases parts are cheaper on the web then at my local wholesalers, no way I want to try to warranty parts with them no matter how cheap stuff is.

Every one of my wholesalers will deliver, one or two can get you stuff the same day and the rest get it to you the next day before 5pm, most folks don't want to wait 24 to 48 hours for heat or A/C.

There is far less profit in this business then most think, 3 to 5% profit at the end of the year means everything went well.

The big box stores around here simply add 10-15% to the job and sub it out to the cheapest contractor they can find, the work done by some of them is subpar at best.

 

[exmaxima1]

The big box stores around here simply add 10-15% to the job and sub it out to the cheapest contractor they can find, the work done by some of them is subpar at best.

Lowes charged me $150 to install a new water heater. That price included delivery of the new heater, removal/disposal of the old, plus the city permit. The installation was flawless---even the city inspector (who was a former plumber that installed over 1000 heaters) said he has seen no better. My wife said it took the installer about an hr start/finish, and he hauled that old 50 gallon away ALONE.

I had priced local plumbing shops and they all wanted over $500 (plus permit) for the same job. I don't know how Lowes can do it, but somehow it works.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

When the blower wheel in my Carrier furnace started rattling after 3 years (sounded like a waterfall) I tried to buy the part, but Carrier will only sell to their service guys. So I measured the wheel and bought a better one---welded, not just kinked---using my buddy's HVAC acct number. Cost less than $40. Took about 20 minutes to replace, and been working fine for over 10 years.

If you can change out a squirrel cage and reinstall everything in 20 mins youre the fastest hvac guy Ive ever seen!

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

If the customer cannot relay the motor type, serial number, model number, etc.?
A service truck has a finite amount of space, as does a building. It is near impossible to carry every part that might ever be needed on a service call.
As for determining cost, how is a repair service going to determine cost before they determine what the problem is?
It is not the repair services fault that the customers unit has broken. It should not cost them to repair the customers unit.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

This sounds a bit high but not unreasonable. In newer furnaces I would only do OEM. Anything else you are going to be underrating the blower or possibly over amping the motor. Parts are usually readily available in a day if you get the order in by 2pm if there is no supply company local where you can pick it up. Older furnaces put in what ever you can get to fit because most likely you aren't going to find a direct replacement.

Never Trane furnace OEM wheel Id say at least $100 cost plus markup so $150 + (2 X $100 hour labor) + mileage or trip charge + taxes = $400

That is if he put it in 1 hour and he was located within a half hour.

Some furnaces are a huge pain to change the blower wheel in. You have to remove the circuit board, the drain trap, the blower housing, remove the wheel from the motor, remove the motor, remove the blower housing access and then put it all back together and wire it all back in. all this while sitting on the floor working a foot off the ground. It takes time.

Brian

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

You could always study and take the licensing test. Problem solved.

Last time I needed my pacemaker replaced I tried ordering one online from medtronics,they wouldnt sell to me either.
Just mumbled something about liability and a medical license.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I would agree if only that were always true. My mother, >80 at the time, called the furnace guy when her furnace would not light. Guy spent over an hour, shrugged, said the furnace was too old and needed to be replaced. And of course charged $180 which could be partially offset on a new furnace.

My mother wanted my opinion, so I made the 100 mile trek to take a look. The computer light code said the flue was too congested to allow the burner to ignite. Took it apart and found a dead bird. Problem fixed. I swear this didn't take me more than 20 minutes.

You would think an experienced/trained service guy could have figured that out.

Theres a big differance between a real service guy and an installer that just knows how to sell new equipment.
There are crooks in every trade.
Ive been doing this for a while,I dont remember ever seeing a flue is too congested code.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

So by this logic I should be able to call the car dealer and tell them make model and vin number and they should give me an exact price to fix my truck without looking at it to determine what's wrong. Good luck with that.

We use 12' box vans as service trucks and still have to chase parts, we carry the common failure parts for the furnaces we see most in our area, nobody can have every part on hand.

We charge a 89$ diagnostic fee and then quote the needed repairs from a flatrate book, customer knows the exact price before we make the repair in 98% of our calls.

If we have to return later that day or a few days later we do not charge a second service call, only time we would charge a second service call is if a customer declined a repair that we could complete at that time.


There is serious lack of skilled HVAC techs right now, the stuff other companies do scares me at times, we shut down a furnace last week that had over 3000 ppm CO in the exhaust, even a small failure in the heat exchanger could prove deadly yet another company said it was fine and turned it back on without doing a simple combustion test.


Do you really want the cheapest guy you can find?