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Cost for replacing a furnace fan squirrel cage blade
QUESTION:I'm dubious about what I'm being charged.
Weeks ago, when it was very hot, the main circulating fan in my
furnace rattled a lot, and I tried to remove the motor but couldn't
for some reason. I called my oil company and said that the furnace
rattling a lot when it was on. I don't debate that they said my
furnace service plan didn't cover this, because it was the summer
time.
They had me call another number iirc, or maybe they transferred me.
Regardless, when I talked to the next person, I told him that it was
rattling, probably the fan blade, and how much would it be?
He said $79 for an estimate or a diagnosis charge, I don't recall what
he called it.
They came out the next day iirc and the guy turned it on, listened,
and then set to removing the fan moter with the blade (squirrel cage).
After a while, he was ready to leave, to go get the new blade. I said
to him, I could go get the fan blade myself and put it on myself to
save myself money. (Two of my friends each have a business, each with
account at the same supply house he said he was going to.) He said
that it wouldn't cost any more for him to do it.
A different guy returned the next day and he finished the job, handed
me a second invoice that said 222 dollars. His invoice and the one
the previous day each gave arrival and departure times and the
time-spent on each was 45 minutes, 90 minutes total.
When I got the bill, it was 365 dollars, as if the blade (for a common
Carrier furnace) was 143 dollars. That seems like a lot, and retail
it is more like 50, 60 dollars I think.
My big problem is that they never told me anything more than 79
dollars (plus the part), even though I had asked the price. They
assumed I wanted to go through with it at whatever price they charged.
When the first guy said it wouldn't cost any more, he meant any more
than 222 dollars, even though he had never given that number to me.
I found out eventually that they have a flat rate of 222 for this job,
which means they could have told me the price if it was the fan blade,
which I told them it was. When I first asked what the price was. If
not then, when they figured it out. They now call the 79 the
diagnosis charge, and maybe the difference from an estimate is they
think they never had to tell me the price in advance.
How would you react? What is a fair price to pay them? If they had
told me 222 for labor, I would have paid the 79, told them No, and
tried much harder to fix it myself. 222 for 90 minutes work (plus
picking up my part while they get others) seems like an awful lot.
I may have to pay them more, but if it is much more, I'll change oil
companies for the coming year.
I certainly don't feel like they should do any more repairs for me,
and the only reason I don't shop around for the cheapest oil is that
in order to get the service plan, I have to buy all my oil from them.
ANSWER: well when my squirrel cage fan went out in the attic for my A/C, heat
system.. i just went out to the garage and took the one off my spare and
put it on, total cost was $5.00 for each fan blower(included motor,
blade, ) i was in the radio shop of the company i was working for a few
years before and one of my friends had a shop blower sitting next to him
to keep him cool as the central air went out in the shop... i asked him
where did he get it from... he paid $5.00 for it. i asked him if he
could get me one.. he said he could get as many as i want. the come out
of old a/c units that his friend(who is in the junk business) gets from
a/c guys in the area.... told him to get me three, two weeks later i got
them.. one was an exact match to my a/c heat system... looked like new
motor in it, the blade came in handy for me when needed.. the cost of a
new motor would probably be about $150 and its sitting there if ever
needed...... so it pays to shop around.. i think the new fan blade might
have cost me about $100.00 at an a/c supply shop....
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