No heat
No heat
The gas furnace in my attic stopped working yesterday. You could hear it trying to run like normal but there was no air blowing out of the air registers. This exact problem also happened about a week ago and I called a company that was able to come out on the same day and fix it. He replaced my capacitor and it started working. However, he said to keep an eye on it and that if it stops working again, then the problem is the motor and that would run about $600 to replace. Since it did happen again yesterday (just 1 week later), I guess that means my motor is bad.
So my questions are...since the unit is 17 years old, am I better off trying to buy a new furnace or should I just get the motor replaced? If I elect to replace the motor, does $600 seem like a reasonable deal or should I price that around? If I elect to get a completely new furnace, how much does this normally run and what brands should I be looking at? Should I have Home Depot / Lowes do the job or a heating/air company?
Thanks for any help!
So my questions are...since the unit is 17 years old, am I better off trying to buy a new furnace or should I just get the motor replaced? If I elect to replace the motor, does $600 seem like a reasonable deal or should I price that around? If I elect to get a completely new furnace, how much does this normally run and what brands should I be looking at? Should I have Home Depot / Lowes do the job or a heating/air company?
Thanks for any help!
Re: No heat
I'd look for a new motor. Electric motors are between $15 and $150.
I know some furnace guys and if you tell them your furnace is 15, 16, 17, 18, …, 99, …, 2000 years old, they always have the same response: "Wow, your furnace has lasted that long! That's amazing! It's time to get a new one." I suspect they would say the same thing if the furnace was 5 years old.
To me a furnace replacement is more about the burners. Are they rusted out? Do the flames come on? Do they turn off if the thing overheats because the fan doesn't work?
Anyways, you can call around and ask for prices on motor replacement and enjoy the variations in responses.
I know some furnace guys and if you tell them your furnace is 15, 16, 17, 18, …, 99, …, 2000 years old, they always have the same response: "Wow, your furnace has lasted that long! That's amazing! It's time to get a new one." I suspect they would say the same thing if the furnace was 5 years old.
To me a furnace replacement is more about the burners. Are they rusted out? Do the flames come on? Do they turn off if the thing overheats because the fan doesn't work?
Anyways, you can call around and ask for prices on motor replacement and enjoy the variations in responses.
Re: No heat
I replaced my motor several years ago. Got the replacement motor from Grainger. It was easy.
- cheese_breath
- Posts: 11769
- Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:08 pm
Re: No heat
That's probably best before you consider a new furnace. But if it comes to that the cost will depend on the size and construction of your home. If you do get a new one don't assume the old one is sized properly. Some good brands are Carrier, Bryant (made by Carrier), and Lennox. Besides burners another potential problem in old furnaces is leaks in the heat exchanger. You should get a carbon monoxide detector to warn you if it's leaking CO.livesoft wrote:...Anyways, you can call around and ask for prices on motor replacement and enjoy the variations in responses.
A new furnace will burn more efficiently than your current one thereby saving on fuel costs. But don't assume you need a new one just because it's 17 years old. My 29 years old Luxaire was still working fine when I replaced it in 2009. My incentive then was the government rebates for replacement were too good to pass up.
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
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Re: No heat
Shop around for a new motor and installation. $600 seems high. Have you googled the model number to see if anyone quotes a price on the internet?yolli71 wrote:The gas furnace in my attic stopped working yesterday. You could hear it trying to run like normal but there was no air blowing out of the air registers. This exact problem also happened about a week ago and I called a company that was able to come out on the same day and fix it. He replaced my capacitor and it started working. However, he said to keep an eye on it and that if it stops working again, then the problem is the motor and that would run about $600 to replace. Since it did happen again yesterday (just 1 week later), I guess that means my motor is bad.
So my questions are...since the unit is 17 years old, am I better off trying to buy a new furnace or should I just get the motor replaced? If I elect to replace the motor, does $600 seem like a reasonable deal or should I price that around? If I elect to get a completely new furnace, how much does this normally run and what brands should I be looking at? Should I have Home Depot / Lowes do the job or a heating/air company?
Thanks for any help!
If you do have to replace the furnace anyways, this is throwing good money after bad BUT it's the middle of a freezing cold winter, you don't want to have to make decisions in a hurry. In the summer you will likely get a better price from a contractor to replace the furnace.
Otherwise you've got to make a decision quickly-- and you'd better trust your contractor's recommendations. Doing it in the summer gives you time to shop contractor and check Consumer Reports etc.
I think you have to look at repairing the motor as a deductible on insurance. Just a pain in the neck that you pay.
When you do replace the furnace make sure you get a 90% efficient Energy Star model. That's a hedge against future price rises in natural gas.
Re: No heat
I have a motor replaced just after Christmas on my heating unit. The Motor was about 180 plus some cage looking apparatus for 60-80 bucks. The labor was 120 for a total of 400 or so.
Re: No heat
Ours is 14 years old and that's exactly what the guy says every year when he inspects it. "I see your furnace is X years old. That's really old for a furnace of that type. It seems OK for now but you should think about replacing it soon."livesoft wrote:I know some furnace guys and if you tell them your furnace is 15, 16, 17, 18, …, 99, …, 2000 years old, they always have the same response: "Wow, your furnace has lasted that long! That's amazing! It's time to get a new one." I suspect they would say the same thing if the furnace was 5 years old.
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Re: No heat
A furnace motor is likely pretty easy to replace DIY. Do some Googling. I'm betting the only tools you'll need are screwdrivers and wrenches.
Re: No heat
I replaced the blower motor for my furnance myself and it ran ~$130. All you have to do is turn off the power, remove a few screws/bolts, undo the electrical wires, remove the impeller, and then put everything back together. It can be done within 4 hours with no experience, and probably in 1 with experience. The hardest part (in my opinion) is making sure you bought the right type of motor (multi-speed, rotation direction (some are configurable), drive shaft length/diameter, mount type), but a good part supplier should be able to help you if you pulled the old motor first. Videos can be found on youtube.
WARNING: The motor capacitor is big enough to cause a good shock (probably ~7uf, ~360V), and they can hold energy long after they are disconnected. The best thing to do is discharge them, but you can always just go with the insulated gloves method and stay far away.
Note that I couldn't get the original motor unless I wanted to pay $400 for one out in CA (I'm in NY) and it was the only one I could find, so as far as I could tell that manufacturer no longer made my exact motor.
$400 seems like a reasonable price if the motor can be had for $150. Even if the guy takes 2 hours, its $125/hr. Personally, I wouldn't pay more than $250 myself, as I've done the job before.
WARNING: The motor capacitor is big enough to cause a good shock (probably ~7uf, ~360V), and they can hold energy long after they are disconnected. The best thing to do is discharge them, but you can always just go with the insulated gloves method and stay far away.
Note that I couldn't get the original motor unless I wanted to pay $400 for one out in CA (I'm in NY) and it was the only one I could find, so as far as I could tell that manufacturer no longer made my exact motor.
$400 seems like a reasonable price if the motor can be had for $150. Even if the guy takes 2 hours, its $125/hr. Personally, I wouldn't pay more than $250 myself, as I've done the job before.
Last edited by nordlead on Mon Mar 02, 2015 9:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: No heat
The blower motor on my furnace just went out last week. I paid $350 to have it replaced.
I watched the repairman do the work. Yes, it appeared to be quite simple. A few screws and a bit of wiring. A pretty easy do it yourself job. I would have been comfortable doing it myself except 1) I did not know why the heater would not come on (diagnostics) in the first place 2) Even if I was able to understand why heat was not working would not know where to get a new motor right away, especially since the manufacturer was long out of business 3) It was really cold out and this was my downstairs heater. 4) It was late on a Friday afternoon, so if do it yourself efforts failed it would have been an expensive weekend repair.
My suggestion to you is to call around for better estimates.
I watched the repairman do the work. Yes, it appeared to be quite simple. A few screws and a bit of wiring. A pretty easy do it yourself job. I would have been comfortable doing it myself except 1) I did not know why the heater would not come on (diagnostics) in the first place 2) Even if I was able to understand why heat was not working would not know where to get a new motor right away, especially since the manufacturer was long out of business 3) It was really cold out and this was my downstairs heater. 4) It was late on a Friday afternoon, so if do it yourself efforts failed it would have been an expensive weekend repair.
My suggestion to you is to call around for better estimates.
- lthenderson
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Re: No heat
Even if you have to pay $600 for a new motor, you are replacing one of the few moving parts in a heating system and if you get another 17 years out of it, it would be worth it. When it gets to the electronics, that is where the real expense is and where you need to start asking if the efficiency gains to be had with a newer system might be worth the expense.
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Re: No heat
Novice here on repairing furnaces so when my heat stopped working last year during freezing temps I started doing research myself. The furnace would not turn on unless the blower motor was working. Once I figured that out, I determined the motor could be engaged by pushing on the center part that spins, but that needed to be done each time for the furnace to kick on. Turns out the electric coil had a flat spot that was causing it to get stuck. Once I found that out, I found the motor blower part online and ordered it. Replaced it myself for around $250 and its working like a charm this year.
Re: No heat
Many warm air furnaces also have a "klixon" switch. It's a little themo-switch that delays the blower from coming on until the heat exchanger warms up. It prevents cold drafts on a call for heat. If it fails, the blower will not run. They come in different styles and values and must be replaces with the same type. You have to be able to read a wiring diagram to find it on the unit. Similar types are used for over-temperature protection and you definitely do NOT want to bypass any safeties.
http://www.sensata.com/klixon/thermosta ... n-7bt2.htm
http://www.sensata.com/klixon/thermosta ... n-7bt2.htm
Re: No heat
"One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity" –Bruce Lee
Re: No heat
I would avoid Home Depot / Lowes since you never know who they would subcontract it to. I would ask your neighbors if they have a company that they are happy with and then try to get three quotes if it not urgent. You can also get furnace's installed through Costco so they would be an option that would be better than then big box hardware's stores. People have their preferences and opinions but any of the main brands like Carrier, Trane, or Lenox would all be find.So my questions are...since the unit is 17 years old, am I better off trying to buy a new furnace or should I just get the motor replaced? If I elect to replace the motor, does $600 seem like a reasonable deal or should I price that around? If I elect to get a completely new furnace, how much does this normally run and what brands should I be looking at? Should I have Home Depot / Lowes do the job or a heating/air company?
I know a lot of things can be fixed especially if you can do it yourself but for furnaces, air conditioners, and hot water heaters I replace them before they die at a bad time. That way I can pick a slow time of the year like in September or May when it is between the heating and cooling systems when most HVAC companies have very little work to do. I can take my time and get a number of quotes. doing it this way I have gotten very good prices that likely more than make up for the couple of extra years that I could have gotten by stretching out the life of the old system. I learned this lesson when I once had the have a hot water heater replaced at a bad time and had to pay top dollar to get it done right away.
- FelixTheCat
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Re: No heat
At 17 years old, buy a new furnace.
My furnace guy gave me three options. Low, Middle and High-end. Most people went middle. The high-end one always recycles the air in your house whether the the heat went on or not. My house is always a constant temperature. I would recommend a recycling unit in a heart-beat if they make it for attics.
My furnace guy gave me three options. Low, Middle and High-end. Most people went middle. The high-end one always recycles the air in your house whether the the heat went on or not. My house is always a constant temperature. I would recommend a recycling unit in a heart-beat if they make it for attics.
Felix is a wonderful, wonderful cat.
Re: No heat
Thanks for the replies. I called around 5 or 6 different hvac companies this morning and decided to go with one that has been to my home in the past (he did one of those "tune-ups" a year or so ago). He confirmed the issue sounds like a problem with the motor and said he would charge $549 to replace it. He had my info on file and said that I have a York Diamond 80. He said he could do it today and the job would take about 2 hours, so he'll be coming over at 5:30pm. Most of the other companies told me it would be a $120 service call and they would first diagnose the problem. From there they might have to order the correct part(s) and then come back to fix it. Since we're in the middle of winter and I have two small kids, I really didn't want to play any waiting or guessing games...just want to get this done.
I wish I could do these things myself and save money but I am the opposite of being "handy." When you add the fact that the furnace is in my attic and temps around here (DC area) have been pretty cold lately, I'm willing to pay for this than to try and figure it out myself (a typical 2 hour job may take me several hours...and then I'd need to worry if I did everything correctly!). I did appreciate the fact that he did not try to sell me on a new furnace even though they carry York, Trane, Carrier, Rheem, etc., systems. He said replacing the motor should keep this running solid for several more years. I'm hoping this fixes the problem!
I wish I could do these things myself and save money but I am the opposite of being "handy." When you add the fact that the furnace is in my attic and temps around here (DC area) have been pretty cold lately, I'm willing to pay for this than to try and figure it out myself (a typical 2 hour job may take me several hours...and then I'd need to worry if I did everything correctly!). I did appreciate the fact that he did not try to sell me on a new furnace even though they carry York, Trane, Carrier, Rheem, etc., systems. He said replacing the motor should keep this running solid for several more years. I'm hoping this fixes the problem!
Re: No heat
The 80 could mean 80 percent efficient, at least when it was brand new. If your heating bills are high then upgrading to a higher efficiently furnace sooner rather than later would likely make sense.York Diamond 80
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Re: No heat
Good call. If you are going to replace then you don't want to do it in a hurry but only after careful consideration.yolli71 wrote:Thanks for the replies. I called around 5 or 6 different hvac companies this morning and decided to go with one that has been to my home in the past (he did one of those "tune-ups" a year or so ago). He confirmed the issue sounds like a problem with the motor and said he would charge $549 to replace it. He had my info on file and said that I have a York Diamond 80. He said he could do it today and the job would take about 2 hours, so he'll be coming over at 5:30pm. Most of the other companies told me it would be a $120 service call and they would first diagnose the problem. From there they might have to order the correct part(s) and then come back to fix it. Since we're in the middle of winter and I have two small kids, I really didn't want to play any waiting or guessing games...just want to get this done.
I wish I could do these things myself and save money but I am the opposite of being "handy." When you add the fact that the furnace is in my attic and temps around here (DC area) have been pretty cold lately, I'm willing to pay for this than to try and figure it out myself (a typical 2 hour job may take me several hours...and then I'd need to worry if I did everything correctly!). I did appreciate the fact that he did not try to sell me on a new furnace even though they carry York, Trane, Carrier, Rheem, etc., systems. He said replacing the motor should keep this running solid for several more years. I'm hoping this fixes the problem!
Let yourself off the hook re heating servicing. I don't know the rules in your area, but where I live you *have* to be a licensed repairman to do anything with gas appliances. For good reason, a badly installed gas apparatus can be lethal. You've got carbon monoxide poisoning *and* the risk of a leak and explosion or fire.
It's an area for experts.
Last edited by Valuethinker on Tue Mar 03, 2015 3:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: No heat
Consider replacing the blower. New gas furnace system could run you over $3,000 or more. My system is 15 years old and running like a charm.