HVAC Service Contracts

[Darts]

Anybody signed these contracts? You prepaid for a year and you are suppose to get priority service if your furnace explodes. Are they worth the money?

 

[Ponderling]

Not to me.

I vac out the fan rotor, change filters regularly. Had hi-eff furnace have secondary heat exchanger die after 16 years in a lifetime warrantee so got $750 pay out, then bought another furnace for 4k. I have replaced my own ignitor before.

A/c condenser tarp off from snow every winter. Is old R-22 system, new compressor/condenser 15 years ago. This summer no start. Call and get service in under 5 hours, with no agreement. Paid $300 for service and a new start capacitor, and told gas is low. Knew gas is low, but not paying for very rare expensive r-22 now. Will buy a newer system in maybe 6 years whem electricity of run time with littel coolijg tips the break even point.

 

[Darts]

then bought another furnace for 4k.

Is 4K the going rate now for a new furnace?

 

[silentkisser]

How much does this service cost? Getting a yearly inspection is between $100 - $150 or so. They can also help extend the life of the furnace, or correct/repair issues before they become very expensive.

 

[Ponderling]

Is 4K the going rate now for a new furnace?

They sweet hearted me so I would not grouse about only 750 pay out for the old furnace. Free standing deal I would price at about 4.5k, with the house already vent plumbed for a high eff inlet and outlet.

It could be closer to 5K if you go high eff and the ex furnace is b vent and so new in and exhaust duct work to the outside is needed.

I kept the b vented hot water tank on the last furnace job. Furnace job could go higher if you went power vent hwt, and then full B vent system to cap off.

 

[contact]

Not worth it

If your at all handy you can do the basics such as cleaning flame sensor and the blower out filter changes are important too

you can watch YouTube to see how it’s done

 

[contact]

Not to me.

I vac out the fan rotor, change filters regularly. Had hi-eff furnace have secondary heat exchanger die after 16 years in a lifetime warrantee so got $750 pay out, then bought another furnace for 4k. I have replaced my own ignitor before.

A/c condenser tarp off from snow every winter. Is old R-22 system, new compressor/condenser 15 years ago. This summer no start. Call and get service in under 5 hours, with no agreement. Paid $300 for service and a new start capacitor, and told gas is low. Knew gas is low, but not paying for very rare expensive r-22 now. Will buy a newer system in maybe 6 years whem electricity of run time with littel coolijg tips the break even point.

Pretty sure they can’t legally recharge residential r22 anymore The new ac units are way more efficient and will save you hydro

start cap you can buy for cheap and test with a multi meter just watch they can zap you good make sure to discharge it safely

 

[nervousintheservice]

Is 4K the going rate now for a new furnace?

That sounds like a fair number to me. I'd bet the cost of the furnace is around 2000, depending on efficiency and make and options maybe even more. Plus new venting if required and new ductwork fittings to reconnect. Plus a day of labour for one or two guys.

 

[Darts]

Is a two stage furnace worth the extra cost?

 

[Ponderling]

Is a two stage furnace worth the extra cost?

It is to us. Lower heat stage has like over 90% heat efficiency, since less heat to cram through fixed size heat exchanger.

Then when furnace has been running for a while it realizes that not enough heat output at low stage to satisfy demand , I guess I better move to high stage.
Less efficient, something like 75% or so but for us there are times 90,000BTU/h is what we want, rather than low 6,000BTU/h.

Most 2 stage come with DC variable speed fan and that save a fair bit of electricity in both heating and cooling mode if you have central air.

 

[james t kirk]

Not worth it.

As others have said, you can do a fair bit of routine maintenance yourself, but I did find it difficult to find a place willing to sell me an igniter as I'm not a licensed gas fitter. Easy change out, literally plug and play. Good thing I didn't mention that I actually ran my own 1 inch rigid gas line from the meter into my house and made up a manifold in the furnace room then on to T for a basement stove and 3 gas fireplaces. (Never trust a union fitting not to leak.)

As to the 2 stage furnace, I have a Carrier Infinity furnace which is a 2 stage and I'm quite sold on it.

On the other hand, I will never buy anything by Bradford White again (hot water tank). Piece of shit.

 

[Darts]

Re: 2 stage

Do 2 stage "live" longer than a 1 stage? They are also more expensive.
P.S. My contractor said to buy now because furnaces like Toronto houses will only cost more in the future.

 

[nervousintheservice]

Re: 2 stage

Do 2 stage "live" longer than a 1 stage? They are also more expensive.
P.S. My contractor said to buy now because furnaces like Toronto houses will only cost more in the future.

They are more expensive because they are more efficient. In the next few years I think single stage furnaces will be phased out. The ECM blower and 2-stage gas valve will give noticable savings though. They can be controlled by either a 2 stage thermostat or the furnace can be set to stage based on time running. Most high efficiency furnaces were usually just installed and turned on. A two stage needs to be configured correctly, you can set different fan speeds, timings for staging. The more expensive models will have even more options like return air and humidity sensors.

My HVAC guy is a good friend, and he explained a ton to me. He was also very adamant about not oversizing your furnace. If you are unsure, then go a size down and let it run longer, as opposed to a larger furnace that will cycle on and off faster.

Do they live longer? Probably not. But really, does anything last as long as it used to? Cars and appliances are a good comparison. My old natural draft furnace lasted 20 years with only thermocouple and blower motor replacement. I'll be happy if this one lasts 10. But in 10 years the governments will probably start to phase out natural gas for heat and we'll all need to install heat pumps.

 

[Darts]

I'll be happy if this one lasts 10. But in 10 years the governments will probably start to phase out natural gas for heat and we'll all need to install heat pumps.

10 years. The lifespan keeps getting shorter and shorter. MY HVAC guy said that the basic furnace that comes with a newly built house has only a 5 year lifespan.

The 2 stage furnace sounds complex. The more complex the more opportunities for stuff to go wrong.

 

[james t kirk]

They are more expensive because they are more efficient. In the next few years I think single stage furnaces will be phased out. The ECM blower and 2-stage gas valve will give noticable savings though. They can be controlled by either a 2 stage thermostat or the furnace can be set to stage based on time running. Most high efficiency furnaces were usually just installed and turned on. A two stage needs to be configured correctly, you can set different fan speeds, timings for staging. The more expensive models will have even more options like return air and humidity sensors.

My HVAC guy is a good friend, and he explained a ton to me. He was also very adamant about not oversizing your furnace. If you are unsure, then go a size down and let it run longer, as opposed to a larger furnace that will cycle on and off faster.

Do they live longer? Probably not. But really, does anything last as long as it used to? Cars and appliances are a good comparison. My old natural draft furnace lasted 20 years with only thermocouple and blower motor replacement. I'll be happy if this one lasts 10. But in 10 years the governments will probably start to phase out natural gas for heat and we'll all need to install heat pumps.

Heat pumps? My parents had a heat pump back in the 80s. It was OK until it hit about 40 F outside and then it just couldn't keep up and the oil furnace had to kick in. All a heat pump is is an air conditioner running in reverse. In Canada, in the winter, there simply is not enough heat in the air to make the thing work. That said, the Climate Nazis will probably succeed in forcing you to convert to an electric furnace. But you'll need a 400 amp electrical service on your house to do that and your electrical bill will be a grand a month.

As to undersizing your furnace, that has not been my experience. I had an undersized furnace it just could not keep up with demand on cold nights. You'd set it at 20 and it could never hit it. Maybe 16 if you were lucky. For the sake of 20 bucks in extra natural gas a month? Not worth it.

 

[Ponderling]

Heat pumps have come a long way in past 40 years. Now good for a lot colder than 40F, but in most of Canada a back up furnace is still needed.

That is why I got my 15 yo a/c fixed a few months ago. Gonna let it limp along another few years, then see how the market evolves both energy wise and political wise. .