jessenator
Well-known member
Fingers crossed ours holds out until spring. Coming up on 23 years
What's your current headache?
- Thread starter Pauleo1214
- Start date
PapaBear
Well-known member
Being in the industry surely helps!Fingers crossed ours holds out until spring. Coming up on 23 years
Erik S
Well-known member
Stickman393
Well-known member
Seriously? An induced draft motor?
That's highway robbery. That thing is a $150 MAX shaded pole motor or I'll eat my hand.
JTEX
Well-known member
You'll eat the hand that feeds you? Tsk tsk tsk...
Stickman393
Well-known member
Induced draft motor - basically, the first thing that clicks on in a modern combustion-based furnace.
All it does is pull air through the heat exchanger.
Unless it's a high end condensing boiler with a VFD driven combustion fan, which by definition is not an induced draft motor, that thing is a cheap lil sleeve bearing piece of shaded pole fuck with a shitty sheet metal fan wheel on one end.
Stickman393
Well-known member
Just how deep do you believe?
Would you bite the hand that feeds?
Will you chew until it bleeds?
I was secretly hoping you'd respond. It's a Carrier-branded boiler, Q90-125 series. Trying to get the part number from the tech to confirm...
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Stickman393
Well-known member
Quick search turns up Dunkirk Q90 Utica, UB90-125. Carrier has a ton of brands under their umbrella: they're often pretty incestuous.
This is the only one I've found *so far*, but that doesn't mean that it's the only option. I might be able to cross-reference similar parts, cause this assembly is still grossly overpriced and is probably where that quote is coming from (I'd assume that it's being bid for sticker price+markup+at least four hours of labor).
I don't endorse that link, but it gives a part number. Supplyhouse.com has blower assemblies all day for under $500, sounds like yours is on the smaller end too. So that 1K sticker tag is just...supply house greed. Looking to take advantage of the folks who *need* the part and have to go with the first option that pops up.
Repair shops don't have a ton of incentive to dig deeper. Extra time spent looking for a better deal = less money for the shop. It's a little fucked the way these industries feed into each other's worst impulses.
Regardless, it ain't the repair guys fault, he's just a cog in the machine.
Lemme see if I can turn over a few rocks and track down a cheaper source...
This is the only one I've found *so far*, but that doesn't mean that it's the only option. I might be able to cross-reference similar parts, cause this assembly is still grossly overpriced and is probably where that quote is coming from (I'd assume that it's being bid for sticker price+markup+at least four hours of labor).
Parts4Heating.com: Utica 2272145 Blower Replacement Kit (includes #13 (below))
Parts4Heating.com: Utica 2272145 Blower Replacement Kit (includes #13 (below))
www.parts4heating.com
I don't endorse that link, but it gives a part number. Supplyhouse.com has blower assemblies all day for under $500, sounds like yours is on the smaller end too. So that 1K sticker tag is just...supply house greed. Looking to take advantage of the folks who *need* the part and have to go with the first option that pops up.
Repair shops don't have a ton of incentive to dig deeper. Extra time spent looking for a better deal = less money for the shop. It's a little fucked the way these industries feed into each other's worst impulses.
Regardless, it ain't the repair guys fault, he's just a cog in the machine.
Lemme see if I can turn over a few rocks and track down a cheaper source...
Stickman393
Well-known member
OK, it's more expensive than I suspected.
But...this *appears* to be the right part. I'll need to double check my info, and ideally would need to ask for a nameplate photo to confirm model #.
The entire assembly is stupid simple to replace. Looks like maybe six screws, a high temp gasket, and a clip-in wiring harness.
How I arrived at this:
The original part number led me to this site: https://www.technicalhotandcoldparts.com/carrier-2272145-combustion-blower-replacement/
That one shows that the original 2272145 number is discontinued and replaced by 550001475. That fuckin site is even worse than the first option though.
Supply house has better pricing. The caveat is that since I haven't seen the equipment and haven't confirmed all this with the manufacturer. So, caviar emperor. Or whatever.
But...this *appears* to be the right part. I'll need to double check my info, and ideally would need to ask for a nameplate photo to confirm model #.
The entire assembly is stupid simple to replace. Looks like maybe six screws, a high temp gasket, and a clip-in wiring harness.
How I arrived at this:
The original part number led me to this site: https://www.technicalhotandcoldparts.com/carrier-2272145-combustion-blower-replacement/
That one shows that the original 2272145 number is discontinued and replaced by 550001475. That fuckin site is even worse than the first option though.
Supply house has better pricing. The caveat is that since I haven't seen the equipment and haven't confirmed all this with the manufacturer. So, caviar emperor. Or whatever.
Erik S
Well-known member
I bought a new steam boiler from supply house last year. When I got it open it looked like someone had dropped it off a forklift and reboxed it. I was pretty freaked out about how that was gonna play out, but I called them and they shipped a new one right away with no hassle whatsoever. They’re okay in my book.
PapaBear
Well-known member
It's crazy how stupid pricing has gotten these days, an assembly like that could be gotten for under $200 a few years ago.
Dude, thank you, seriously. I called Supply House, gave them model and serial number off the boiler, and they confirmed that the part you linked to is the correct replacement. Now I just need to call the HVAC company and get them to install a customer-supplied part. Not sure I want to DIY this one...
Again, I can't thank you enough!
Stickman393
Well-known member
A lot of it is opportunism. And "efficiency".
Basically: US labor is expensive, so just make everything as easy as possible to replace.
Also, make everything bespoke and custom, so the aftermarket folks like MARS don't eat into your profits.
Also, don't plan for the future when labor costs overseas eventually rise.
Also, make everything physically larger so it costs more to keep a fully stocked supply house with all the parts that one needs to repair whatever is currently on use.
The pricing is, as is plain to see, entirely not reflective of the actual cost to produce these products. This is obvious, because so much variability exists in the marketplace in regards to how much the part costs from different vendors.
The vendor is relying on the fact that these devices are generally required to ensure, you know, that people can survive. Live. If your induced draft motor dies, your heat source dies, and quite possibly *you* die. It's like a hospital: you're generally not going to shop around if you're under duress. You need the thing, and they have the thing. It's a great way to extract a *huge* markup from a customer.
The repair shop gets to add their markup to the part, and they aren't incentivized to look around for a better price, because that's labor and labor is expensive.
That, and they would much rather be able to sell you a *Brand* *New* piece of equipment, cause their markups on those are even better.
Word to the wise though, even if you have it repaired professionally: if that thing is in an enclosed space, make sure you've got a CO alarm in that space. Truthfully, it's best to have those in every room in the house. Combustion is no joke, carbon monoxide can easily leak out of a poorly maintained or poorly repaired piece of equipment. But that's just an overall recommendation for any house that uses combustion as a heat source. Or has an attached garage.
That is, depending on how much one cares for being alive. I woke up at 4:25 this morning, so I'm about 50/50 on that at the moment.
drgonzo1969
Well-known member
Found em'. They were buried in one of my catch all parts drawers.
jessenator
Well-known member
I've become a fan of @jwin615 's folder system. And not just because he gifted me a bunch of the sleeve pages and appropriately sized esd bags
It's handy.
CheapSuitG
The TubeSchemer
The thermistor on my dryer went out. On our old unit it was on the back, took 30 seconds to replace.
On the new, WiFi enabled, self diagnosing stackable dryer I have to pull the entire thing apart. The top, the front, pull the drum for something that is 1 screw and a plug.
On the new, WiFi enabled, self diagnosing stackable dryer I have to pull the entire thing apart. The top, the front, pull the drum for something that is 1 screw and a plug.
Feral Feline
Well-known member
CAN relate to all the furnace issues. Ongoing in my house (2 Furnaces).
Have to go down and flick the master-switch on the main furnace whenever it doesn't feel like starting up, which is often.
Dryer's tumbler wheels are worn out, noisy as ... surprised the whole thing hasn't imploded.
#1 PITA right now, Apple products. Computer's doing weird shit ever since the repair shop replaced my screen.
My iPhone is soon to be met, at great velocity and extreme prejudice, with an immovable object — Forced upgrades and force-fed iCloud (never used it, never will) and ...
[deep breath]
Have to go down and flick the master-switch on the main furnace whenever it doesn't feel like starting up, which is often.
Dryer's tumbler wheels are worn out, noisy as ... surprised the whole thing hasn't imploded.
#1 PITA right now, Apple products. Computer's doing weird shit ever since the repair shop replaced my screen.
My iPhone is soon to be met, at great velocity and extreme prejudice, with an immovable object — Forced upgrades and force-fed iCloud (never used it, never will) and ...
[deep breath]
drgonzo1969
Well-known member
Same. I hate iPhone and iCloud. I’ve never used iCloud once but it is somehow full and I need buy more iCloud.
Stickman393
Well-known member
Missed this one.
Anytime! I've got a sticker on my work cart that says "Worlds Okayest HVAC mechanic". I try to live up to that moniker every day.
Life's better when you know an HVAC guy. That's what I always say. To people that generally aren't listening.