Manipulation

Unregistered

I have a Carrier gas furnace with a sealed combustion chamber. I need a new inducer motor and can't seem to buy one myself. I have been told that I am not allowed to buy parts to do this easy replacement myself. I must call an EXPENSIVE repairman. The stated reason is that only a licensed technician can do this safely and effectively.

This really smells like B.S. One needs a license to be a plumber or an electrician, yet one can go to a supply shop to buy parts. Driving a car is dangerous, yet I can replace my own brake pads. I have enough sense not not mess with gas, refrigerant, or anything else beyond my skills. But I am not even allowed to replace a motor? Surely, there must a source to acquire this part. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The HVAC industry has manipulated the rules to artificially eliminate competition. It is quite un-American. This tells me that the DIY's are more competition for contractors than they are for each other. I welcome your responses and look forward to somebody proving me wrong.

Grumpy

Some roofing materials I can't buy unless I am certified by the manufacturer however I can buy their competitors exact same products. Why is this? Because they want to make sure their product is installed properly.

You may have the sence to know yoru limits but trust me when I say I have seen disasters from people taking on a project far beyond their limits.

HVAC Doc

Looks identical to the one Boss deleted over on the Talk boards. My response is still the same.

Floorwizard

Corian is the same, you cannot buy the raw materials to make your own top, because Corian wants to make sure is is manufactured and installed correctly.

it's not B.S. it's a choice by the maker, and you can choose other products.

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"in 20 years you will regret more what you did not do than what you did"

Glasshousebltr

Stucco went threw a simalar deal in Wrightsville beach NC. A bunch of unlicensed applicators went in after a huricane (92 I think). They did such poor work that the whole stucco industry suffered (millions). Now Drivet, Sto, and Weatherall require any purchaser to be certified.

Bob

duglmac

One can usually get certified with a manufacturer without being a contractor. WHether it is worth it or not is a personal thing.

I have a buddy that went and took a certification class to handle corian so he could buy the materials to do his own kitchen counters. He offerred to do mine, but I'm going with granite, and no way am I going to tackle that.

Anyone can get EPA certified to buy and handle refrigerent. You can take a test online, pay $25 bucks, and you're good to go. But charging A/c is an artform, and I am not about to try it. I could probably get it right eventually, but I would rather pay someone to do it right the first time.

But I do have to sympathize with this unregistered guy that started this thread. This isn't rocket science. If your'e adept enough to figure out what the part number is, you ought to be able to buy it somewhere. I have been pretty lucky finding stuff online.

CynicX

well these places dont know you and have never seen you work. They wont sell it too you because if you dont hook the flue back up properly you could get a carbon monoxide leak and kill you and your family in the middle of the night while you sleep. It has happened i've been unfortuniate enough to be called by the fire department and police in the middle of the night to look at furnces we installed that have killed people. BOTH times was because of the homeowner having cut or broken the flue and not hooked them back up, one guy installed a water heater and had to cut them too get the water heater in and out, the other one a son of the homeowner was swinging from the 3" pvc vent by a rope, broke the vent and didnt inform his father, both really tragic. Granted it is a very easy job but if something were to go wrong the supply house doesnt want to be sued for it.

Unregistered

you try to kill the work from hard working people even though you may be able to swallow a pill a doctor that does not make you therefore you have no experience and you shouldnt even be allowed to pick up a screwdriver. also about unamerican it is people like you who try this stuff then sue the hell out of some company that is the american way, NO WAY suck it up do-it-yourselfer and pay the price chump

ziggy

You wonder why he wants to do it himself??? Look at your posts. whose calling who the chump here? The man/woman asked a simple question. So called professionals. you hvac pro's need to get a grip. I'll answer the question for him. The hvac people got it that way so they can double or triple the price of the part. You can't buy it, they know you can't buy it so it means simple 100% return on their money for parts. Then they charge you 150.00 to show up and then 100.00 hour to install the part. All this takes place after you and your family had no heat for 3 days to maybe even a week before they showed up.

PipeGuy

Wow! Someone isn't getting enough sleep. Your post is riddled with things I'll enjoy addressing:
1. Who tells you you can't buy parts? It's not the contractors that control the parts distribution process, or even influence the attending policies. Your animosity towards contractors is misplaced in that regard. Your gripe is with the equipment manufacturers and distributors.
2. Without some objective means of comparison, the term 'expensive' means nothing more than "more money than you want to pay" - unless of course you have been divinely appointed sole abrbiter of the value of the repair.
3. There are widely accepted standards and regulations for the operation of motor vehicles by which both law enforcement agents and the motoring public at large may judge your driving skills. I do not accept the premise that you are inherently qualified to do your own brake work. By what objective standard may your skills be measured. If I were king of the world, which regrettably is not likely to happen, you would not be doing your own brakes unless you were willing to accept any and all liability associated with the performance of such (maybe not even then if you didn't ask nicely).
4. The HVAC industry? The rules? There might be some merit to an argument that equipment manufacturers do not want Harry Homeowner working on something that the manufacturer must warrant, but the "industry" is not some homogenous group meeting in smoke filled back rooms trying to figure out how to ensnare the consumer in some elaborate, global, price fixing scheme. You're obviously confusing the HVAC industry with either the Council on Foreign Relations or the Trilateral Commission (maybe both).
5. Ask any HVAC contractor if there's a shortage of competition. I dare say you'll discover that there isn't. But if you're convinced that there is a lack of competition then maybe you oughta' grab some biscuits and jump on the gravy train - what with all the skills you have and everything.
6. On the matter of working with natural gas - again I would ask, how should I measure your "sense"? I'm quite comfortable doing gas pipe work. Do I have less sense than you? By who's measure?
7. By your writing you seem like a 'regular' guy - somene I'd enjoy having as a neighbor. I find it hard to belive that you don't know some tradesman that can buy it for you. A plumber, A/C guy, electrician, something like that? Have you asked around yet? I buy my proprietary furnace filters (can you believe it) through a ductwork contractor I know. Maybe 'google' electric motors?
Good Luck

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Fortunately I keep my feathers numbered for...for just such an emergency. -Foghorn Leghorn

PipeGuy

Ziggy..."The HVAC People"? Sounds like a bad B movie or something. Do they arrive in silent black helicopters? Who is it that needs to get a grip?

Since when do you have some 'right' to have a contractor show up promptly upon your call? Do you want to be guaranteed uninterrupted heat? I'll tell you what, how 'bout we get the government to step in (that's what you really want isn't it?) and guarantee you just that. Here's how we'll do it. We'll tax everyone an additional $2,000 - $5,000 a year so the government can pay HVAC contractors to visit all residences twice a year and 'maintain' your heating/cooling plant. Along with that service the contractor will solely determine when you need to buy a new system- lest you otherwise suffer an unbearable loss of climate control.

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Fortunately I keep my feathers numbered for...for just such an emergency. -Foghorn Leghorn

ziggy

Pipeguy, No I don't want the government stepping in. Thats my hole argument. I am sore with so called professional HVAC people. They don't show up when they say; don't call to tell you they aren't going to be there when they say; don't fix it when they get there etc, etc. There is always exceptions. As I said in an earlier post I have 2 units that have leaked since say one....installed by professionals...After many many service calls by "factory certified professionals" they never found the leak...they never even looked...just kept pumping freon in and handing me the bill. I finally got a 30# cylinder and "maintain" it myself. Thats only 1 of my bad experiences..don't let me get started bout my house bout burning down due to the defective auxilly heat system that the "factory certified professionals didn't warn me about and then wanted to charge me for the repair that was under a factory recall. Don't get me wrong. I would rather pay someone else to do my work...But if someone wants to work on their own they ought to be able to. I know there is exceptions in the professional field. I am not ragging on the whole field in general. So at same time If someone asks a question what is the harm in answering his question; If he/she finds your answer too complicated let him/her decide if it is too complicated and get a professional. I admire anyone willing to want to learn and do for themselves. And as a mechanic I have seen folks messing some stuff up....but they learned themselves to call someone next time!