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Furrious

6303 Views 50 Replies 16 Participants Last post by  flashheatingand
My very good friend had a bad Christmas week.

Chronologically:

Mom sent to ICU

Furnace fries its board at -20 degrees.

Dad, son and daughter take shifts manning fireplace and driving back and forth to hospital.

Mom dies Christmas day (survived by her own mother).

Local HVAC contractor installs new condensing furnace and charges more than double what I've ever paid for the same work. 7 hour job, probably made about $1,000 per hour, not on Christmas day. Undoubtedly his dad was a little preoccupied when he saw the price and signed to have the work performed. It emptied his savings.


I'm not in the state, but I'm about ready to fly there and talk to this contractor in person. What would you do?
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HVAC contractors have wildly different prices here. I can think of two companies that are twice what most people charge.

In all seriousness, do you think he is going to write a check?
I'm sorry for your friends situation. That is awful
HVAC contractors have wildly different prices here. I can think of two companies that are twice what most people charge.

In all seriousness, do you think he is going to write a check?
You're right, probably not. I want to blacklist his name with other contractors, but where's this really going to go?
It sucks but he agreed to a price and paid for it.
You're right, probably not. I want to blacklist his name with other contractors, but where's this really going to go?
WOM works both ways, for sure.
It sucks but he agreed to a price and paid for it.
Are you really in a right mind to aggree on a price the day after your wife dies?
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Are you really in a right mind to aggree on a price the day after your wife dies?
Are you implying the guy charged more because he was vulnerable? Got details of the job? Price?
I would give the guy a call. Maybe see if he knew what the situation was.
Sounds like he got a holiday/emergency price.
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I'd do as you are planning. Have a even keeled conversation with the guy and explain what the situation was, maybe bring a receipt from your last like install.
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It was $10k. I'm getting the invoice forwarded to me.
It was $10k. I'm getting the invoice forwarded to me.
...
That does sound pricy...but the devil is in the details.
How many tons? Inside and condenser?
Just a gas condensing (efficient) furnace, like with a condensate pump for the combustion gasses that don't stay as gas and get expelled out the chimney. Not a condenser as in the inside portion of a heat pump. I'm guessing 80,000 BTUs but I'll wait for the invoice.
Condensing furnaces do cost more than traditional furnaces. There is too little info to make an educated opinion on the cost. No one asked any of the normal questions we ask...
Where was it? Manufacture? Size of furnace? What else had to be replaced?
That does sound pricy...but the devil is in the details.
Yes, and unfortunately my friend wasn't able to describe the details well enough, hence my need for the invoice. I don't want to disrupt the family any more so I'm not pushing too hard to get him to send it.

From what I understand it was just a swap out to a high efficiency furnace, plus of course running the new PVC ducting and condensate pump and line. As I said, I regularly pay less than half that for the same thing.
Yes, and unfortunately my friend wasn't able to describe the details well enough, hence my need for the invoice. I don't want to disrupt the family any more so I'm not pushing too hard to get him to send it.

From what I understand it was just a swap out to a high efficiency furnace, plus of course running the new PVC ducting and condensate pump and line. As I said, I regularly pay less than half that for the same thing.
No ac?

The furnace must be solid gold.
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Yeah this is in Alaska, heating only. Most people don't have AC for the couple weeks it might get above 70.
Too bad. There are many contractors who would have gotten Pops going, and dealt with a long term game plan, when he was in a better frame of mind. Unfortunately, there are others who are all about the money, and maximizing profits.

As someone else mentioned, the devil is in the details. In the future, you may want to warn your folks (or anybody else for that matter), the bigger the advertisement, ods are, the bigger the bill. And, you don't always get what you pay for.
Everything cost 2-3 times as much in Alaska. I have a friend that lives there, a gallon of milk is $15-$20 bucks. Nothing is manufactured there, it all has to be shipped in. With the exception go fish, it's all shipped down here.
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