David Radlin wrote:
A guy from the gas company was at my home last week for a routine
inspection and while he was here he tried to upsell me on a
maintenance contract for my furnace to the tune of $10 (CAD) per
month.

Mine is a high efficiency furnace of about 12 years of age. It has
cost me nothing but replacement filter costs during this time. He
sited a couple items that were due or likely to fail (exhaust blower,
circuit boards, sensors), that if I were on the contract would be
covered for materials and labour to repair. His pitch basically was
that if only the exhaust blower needed replacement at an approximate
cost of $900 (CAD), the contract would be justified for years to come.

For a start, I would contact a local contractor, tell them exactly what
you have and ask them how much they would charge to replace the "exhaust
blower." My guess is it will be a lot lower than $900. That should tell
you all you need to know about the company trying to sell you a contract.

Frankly my furnace is also about 12 years old and I would not want to
put any serious money into it. I would rather replace and upgrade what I
have.


So, I solicit your opinions. What sorts of repair costs would be
commonly associated in maintaining a furnace in the 10 to 20 year
range of its life. Is such a contract a cash cow for the gas company,
or something of reasonable value to the consumer?

Dave

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit