iamwill
Full Member
Posts: 242 Likes: 159
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Post by iamwill on Mar 18, 2023 8:05:31 GMT -6
The furnace fan in my parents house stopped working the furnace was put in about 15 years ago. Fan motor is not replaceable have to get an entire new fan assembly, 3 grand. That is on top of the 1000 or so they spent on it last year to replace the circuit board. Exactly how is this high efficiency furnace efficient? Quotes to replace it are 8 to 12 thousand. On top of that they replaced the hot water tanks at the same time as the furnace 15 years ago and they also need to be replaced because they are more than 10 years old and if they fail the insurance won't cover any of the damages. Total cost to replace everything, up to 24k depending on the replacement models. My parents are well enough off that it isn't much of an issue but how does the average family or pensioner deal with this type of expense?
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Post by kevlar on Mar 18, 2023 8:30:47 GMT -6
They can’t, that’s why we’re in the situation we’re in. The number of people going paycheque to paycheque is scary. Hard to say how many are in that situation because of their own doing, but not all of them, those are the ones I feel bad for. My hot water tank quit couple weeks ago, thought about replacing it as it’s 20 years old, a new one is close to $800 just for the tank. For someone unable to change it themselves would add another $600?? On top of that. Me being cheap and my basement no stranger to water, decided to spend a little time on google and found out how to diagnose the problem, about $80 and a few hours of my time was back in business. It took the most time sucking out the buildup of 20 years of deposits in the bottom of the tank.
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Post by garyfunk on Mar 18, 2023 8:40:03 GMT -6
I'd change insurance providers before I'd let them start telling me when I have to change appliances that they had no problem with before. Especially since they've been taking premiums for the last fifteen years.
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Post by OptimallyDismal on Mar 18, 2023 10:51:44 GMT -6
Is this a gas furnace? I think they are a gift that keeps on giving due to having to get a contractor to do everything associated with them, unlike an electric furnace that is fairly simple.
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iamwill
Full Member
Posts: 242 Likes: 159
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Post by iamwill on Mar 18, 2023 12:39:11 GMT -6
I think they are insured through co-operators insurance. It is a gas furnace, the cheapest single stage replacement is just over 8k and a multistage with a heat pump is over 24k. No matter what you have to get permits and get it professionally installed or guess what... no insurance coverage is anything happens. We pretty much wired and did all the gas fitting on our farm and have never had an insurance claim as a result but can't install a furnace in the city because we are not qualified. Always has to be someone else there to take your money because someone else says they can. It's a total make work scam.
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Post by meskie on Mar 18, 2023 16:08:36 GMT -6
Is this a gas furnace? I think they are a gift that keeps on giving due to having to get a contractor to do everything associated with them, unlike an electric furnace that is fairly simple. I have done a lot of things to my gas furnace and have changed the gas valve on my water heater.
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Post by northernfarmer on Mar 18, 2023 18:12:28 GMT -6
They can’t, that’s why we’re in the situation we’re in. The number of people going paycheque to paycheque is scary. Hard to say how many are in that situation because of their own doing, but not all of them, those are the ones I feel bad for. My hot water tank quit couple weeks ago, thought about replacing it as it’s 20 years old, a new one is close to $800 just for the tank. For someone unable to change it themselves would add another $600?? On top of that. Me being cheap and my basement no stranger to water, decided to spend a little time on google and found out how to diagnose the problem, about $80 and a few hours of my time was back in business. It took the most time sucking out the buildup of 20 years of deposits in the bottom of the tank. How did you go about cleaning out the bottom of the hot water tank as I can't say I have heard of someone having been successful at getting deposits loosened up and drained out. Also with the water I have its hard pressed to get more than 8 years out of a tank as they spring a leak, having said that I know with prior tanks I never changed out the anode rod and probably changed it later then I should have on this tank as I thought I would try that to see if that makes it last any longer. There was something odd about the water and decided to try changing it as the anode can cause water issues itself when it degrades. I know hot water tanks in town can last ages with city water as long as the water system does not have a softener that is not functioning properly and putting salt into the system. I try to drain out the tank once a year at least but truly draining it and then the water blasting into it from the top only flushes out so much crap, again farm water from a dugout with all sorts of sediment vs city water that would never have these issues.
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Post by kevlar on Mar 18, 2023 19:35:07 GMT -6
They can’t, that’s why we’re in the situation we’re in. The number of people going paycheque to paycheque is scary. Hard to say how many are in that situation because of their own doing, but not all of them, those are the ones I feel bad for. My hot water tank quit couple weeks ago, thought about replacing it as it’s 20 years old, a new one is close to $800 just for the tank. For someone unable to change it themselves would add another $600?? On top of that. Me being cheap and my basement no stranger to water, decided to spend a little time on google and found out how to diagnose the problem, about $80 and a few hours of my time was back in business. It took the most time sucking out the buildup of 20 years of deposits in the bottom of the tank. How did you go about cleaning out the bottom of the hot water tank as I can't say I have heard of someone having been successful at getting deposits loosened up and drained out. Also with the water I have its hard pressed to get more than 8 years out of a tank as they spring a leak, having said that I know with prior tanks I never changed out the anode rod and probably changed it later then I should have on this tank as I thought I would try that to see if that makes it last any longer. There was something odd about the water and decided to try changing it as the anode can cause water issues itself when it degrades. I know hot water tanks in town can last ages with city water as long as the water system does not have a softener that is not functioning properly and putting salt into the system. I try to drain out the tank once a year at least but truly draining it and then the water blasting into it from the top only flushes out so much crap, again farm water from a dugout with all sorts of sediment vs city water that would never have these issues. Turned out it was the bottom element that had shorted out so when I pulled it out it twisted off because it was covered in the sediment, which looked a lot like oatmeal but was as heavy as gravel. I just taped a smaller plastic hose to the shop vac hose and had at it. It took a good two hours as it was probably a good 8 inches deep, it’s a wonder the element didn’t short out sooner. We just haul our water from a community well. The people in town are lucky to get 5 years from their tanks. I removed the anode rod shortly after I put this tank in, it made the water go horribly funky.
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tsipp
Junior Member
Spring valley, Saskatchewan
Posts: 95 Likes: 63
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Post by tsipp on Mar 18, 2023 19:54:49 GMT -6
I’m not bragging but my hot water heater is 53 years old, 12 years ago I moved it out of the house and put it in the shop.
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gleanerl
Junior Member
Posts: 97 Likes: 95
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Post by gleanerl on Mar 18, 2023 19:56:50 GMT -6
I clean mine the same way as Kevlar. Also took anode out due to funky smell. There is a different anode to put in if this happens. I didn't, can't remember what it is made out of. Plumber friend told me 90% of the time it is the bottom element that goes because of the build up on it.
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Post by northernfarmer on Mar 18, 2023 20:02:09 GMT -6
That's interesting, so well water and it obviously has issues to build up that much crap in it. I can see now how you were able to access lower down in the tank because its an electric water heater, mine is nat gas so unless one was willing to twist off ( probably ) the drain tap to get any sort of access, there is no way to really do anything unless one was using a pressure washer with a long wand down the outlet port on top of the tank. But the tanks only last so long it seems due to corrosion so its not worth the hassle to do too much and just plan on replacing the moment something goes wrong or it springs a leak. Now the small size tanks which I think are called 33 gallon units are around 1100.00 as they are a certain amount more than an electric water heater due to the gas burner and control system, not so many years ago they were about half of that if not less. I can well imagine in a few years time from new that the nat gas heater is not performing like it should due to a pile of crap sitting in the bottom insulating the burner from transferring the heat properly and tossing it for a new one at least starts that process from new.
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Post by willyboy on Mar 19, 2023 8:53:41 GMT -6
I’m not bragging but my hot water heater is 53 years old, 12 years ago I moved it out of the house and put it in the shop. What make is that water heater? The reason I ask is because the electric one in my house is a John Wood tank. Knock on wood here, my Grandpa bought it used in 1954 in Regina, used it in his house until the gas line came through, then my Dad put it in our house after the one here broke, sometime in the 90's, and it's been in use ever since so going on 70 years old (I'm not sure how old it was when Grandpa bought it). The anode rod was removed long ago and every couple of years we have that problem where the sediment in the bottom of the tank builds up and you have replace the element, just did it here at the start of winter. This time I made myself a note and taped it to the water heater with the date I changed it and part no. and particulars of the element. I also bought a second one to hang on a nail in the basement so it should be a straightforward process next time (notice I said should be, whenever I buy spare parts they are never where I thought I left them when the time comes to use them it seems!)(Also the element has been known to go on a long weekend when nothing is open). When I replaced it two times ago I also used stainless bolts to put it in as the old ones always corrode and break off and I was afraid sometime the flange would break as well, that made the whole process a lot nicer as well this winter. I use a shop vac and small hose as well as an old spoon taped to a piece of flat iron to clean out the sediment before putting the new one in. Kind of surprising too as our well water is super hard on the finish on faucets. Always thought I should email the company to find out just how old the tank really is as I think there is a Serial No. on it, mostly just a curiosity thing!
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Post by kevlar on Mar 19, 2023 9:06:21 GMT -6
I remember seeing a post somewhere someone had a picture of their hot water tank and they said any time a plumber was in they said it was by far the oldest hot water tank they had ever seen. I laughed because you could tell it was made back in the day when people put pride in their work, it was a piece of art, I would guess cast iron with fancy curves and decorations.
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Post by northernfarmer on Mar 19, 2023 9:09:29 GMT -6
I wonder what that John Wood tank is made out of, it just seems so odd that it has not rusted through a long time ago and with no anode the water should have attacked the tank if its steel. Is it possible they made stainless steel tanks back then ?. Would be interesting if one could find a person at the company ( rather doubtful though ) who has a history of information on the old tanks. Upon hearing that comment about cast tanks and the bit I tried to look up what John Wood made their tanks out of and it was said cast, I have to wonder if they mixed anything special with that cast to make it less prone to corrosion.
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Post by meskie on Mar 19, 2023 9:20:12 GMT -6
Company’s can’t sell you new stuff if they build it to never wear out. They design them to fail That’s the biggest problem.
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