On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:34:51 -0800 (PST), wrote:


Bubba, since you are in the business, it would seem you are in a good
position to answer the OP's question. The OP gave a description of
the parts and labor charges from the bill. You may need more info,
which you could ask for, like the specific furnace and whether the
repair was during normal business hours, etc. But you should be
able to answer the question of whether the repair cost of $700+ was
within reason.



Time to recap and close off this thread.


Furnaces are built to work for years without trouble. You don't need
to know anything about how they work for fixing the most common
problems. That's why HD, Lowes, Canadian Tire, etc. can sell furnace
parts for the home owner to do repairs himself. The instructions are
right there on the package and in several languages. People who are
expected to read those instructions to do the fix don't need to be
experts in anything.

1. The most important regular maintenance is to change the filters
regularly. The advantages are obvious. I have seen furnaces where the
houseowner had not done so for years. Their furnaces still work.
Vacuum the insides of the furnace during the warm season so that the
furnace will work fine in winter.

2. There are three items that (most commonly) go wrong. The 24Vac
voltage to the gas valve, the thermocouple and the thermostsat. To
work on furnace switch off the power supply to the furnace.

2.1 Before switching off the power do this. There is a pair of wires
from the small transformer to the gas valve. If the wire looks
flakey, that is the insulation is baked hard or broken, or just looks
old, replace the wire anyway. Its easy to do and eliminates right
away flakey wire as the source of the problem while your try other
fixes. Measure if there is 24 volts ac at the gas valve screws after
replacement. If not measure if there is 24Vac at the transformer end.
The thing that must happen is 24 Vac at the valve screws. If there is
no voltage at the transformer any harware store will sell you a new
one for under $20.

2.2 The next item is replace the thermocouple. This costs less than
$20. If that doesn't solve the problem put back the old one and
return the new one for a refund.

2.3 The third item is the thermostat. Disconnect the thermostat and
connect the two wires together. If that fires up the furnace you need
a new thermostat. If it doesn't go to the furnace and from the
connections diagram that is pasted in the furnace in the junction box
short the wires there. If it still does not solve your problem put
everything back as before (leave the new wires in 2.1 as installed).

3. Then call the gas company and find out what they provide as
service. They have seen a lot more hairy home fixes than you can
imagine so they are not going to frown on your attempts to fix your
furnace.

4. If like me you like to really get into the guts of the furnace go
to a HVAC parts supplier's store that trademen also go to and ask for
advice and to purchase parts. The two I went to belong to two large
National Chains. You get treated as they would treat a tradesman as
to parts pricing and advice. If there is something that you shouldn't
be doing he will tell you. You won't feel as if someone is protecting
his turf and not telling you the full story.

5. Beyond that call a tradesman. Just hope you won't get one from
hell like our bubba.

6. If you need to put in a new furnace go to 4. and get excellent
advice. You will learn enough to make an intelligent assessment of
many overhyped claims from different vendors. If you ever met a TRANE
salesman you'll know what I am talking about. TRANE makes excellent
furnaces. But they are no different from their competitors'. You pay
a few hundred bucks extra for their "independent" salesmen's hype.
Ask them what makes their furnace super efficient as compared to the
other brands. They will bamboozle you with unverifiable numerical
data in the style bubba's earlier rant, but nothing of technical
substance because they don't even know how one works. TRANE hires
retired authority figures like teachers and policemen to do their
sales solicitations. Most people would be too respectful to ask hard
questions.