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High efficiency furnace not $$ efficient
QUESTION:I just had the vent fan unit replaced on my Clair
(Clare?) high efficiency furnace. The fan part separated from
the motor shaft, but the repair company apparently could not
repair it. Something about needing to pass inspection...
The damn part cost $339.50. Labour and taxes (London,
Ontario) ran the tally up to almost $450. Bring back the low
efficiency monsters! It costs more to maintain this beast than
I ever expect to save on gas, not to mention the initial purchase
price. This is crazy! Whose idea was this?
The bright side for me is that I can repair the old unit,
so next time won't cost me anything. But who can I complain
to? Are there alternative "rebuilt" units available?
The repair shop here indicates this is not an uncommon problem.
What are your experiences?
ANSWER: Sound pretty fishy to me. This is the main blower fan, not the
combustion vent fan? So the set-screw came loose and the fan started
rattling around and scraping the blower housing. Worst-case scenario is
the motor blows a winding and needs replacing with a low-tech 1/2 HP
blower motor. Most likely, you just re-mount the fan and tighten the
screw against the shaft. The housing can function with scrapes in it.
Maybe straighten and re-balance the fan, or replace just that part.
None of this is terribly expensive or difficult to do. Could even do it
yourself if you can get the blower out of the blower cabinet.
This sort of failure can happen on any furnace, not just high-efficiency
ones. Blowers are ancient technology, even multi-speed ones. Usually
just a GE motor and a squirrel cage blade assembly.
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