# older Armstrong Gas Furnace



## DollyD1 (Feb 14, 2010)

I have been without heat for a week.   Son went down to basement thinking pilot light was out as house was cold.   Was still lit.  
Called one repair service. They sent young man of 20 and was his first day on the job.  Claimed needed new fan motor.  Took old one out and said he would be back Thursday.  (2 days) but called next morning said he found motor.
Spent 8 hours trying to install fan.  Finally took it back thinking it was no good  came back with drawing of wireing worked a while longer before calling for help.  
After couple more hours got fan to run.  Came up stairs with 2 helpers and said  FIXED We will send a bill with out giving me a clue what to expect.  Well fan blew for one minute .. then cut off. was off for 15 mins or so and came on again for one minute .  Outside temp 27  inside temp was 50 with space heater and fireplace insert with blower going.  They called next morning with total.. $595 I think.  Said I could not pay that for furnace not working.   After few hours called back said 3 options  They come get new fan motor, owe nothing.  Leave fan motor pay for that and owe no additional as they sent newbee with no experience. OR  they come back and rack up additional fees and fix furnace.  I was thinking why didn't they fix it in two days work  
and over 10 hours didn't they fix it already.  So called another recommended repair co.  Tried to tell me I needed new furnace as couldn't fix this one.  Tried to say (could be I am not expert) that heat exchange likely cracked and got TOO HOT and safety cut it off.  Seems to me if too hot to cut gas off and let blower cool it down and use heat. He fiddled with cut off controls but said he could not raise temp ... not sure of explaination. But after he left was less warm air than before.  The furnace was working perfectly before the morning fan stopped working. Heat old drafty house in 30 mins or less. His clain was he saw particles of iron or what ever from heat exchanger and it was likley cracked  and getting too hot. If too hot why not some getting into ducts? Told him that bottom had not been cleanned out since husband died and what he saw was at least 22 years of rust or whatever.. and why after 22 years did it stop working because of heat exchanger in 24 hours.  The second company sent out very young fella too who was not likely born when furnace was made. Was very anxious to sell me new furnace. I am a 73 year old, reasonably intelligent widow.  His explaination did not compute .. especially after I went to at least 10 different web sites talking about fan cut off or controls , and not one said anything about fan stopping because of cracks in heat exchange. or being too hot as a reason for fan to stop working after one minute.  My first guess was before reading about it  that new fan motor at higher speed and blew warm air faster than old one and cooled off furnace and there fore cut off to keep from blowing cold air into ducts.
CAN YOU HELP?  They are supposed to come out tomorrow with another tech for second opinion ... sounded like doctors at hospital.
DollyD1


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## Wuzzat? (Feb 14, 2010)

Sounds like new entries for
Ripoff Report | Scams, consumer complaints, and frauds reported.

To help these companies share the risk and give them a disincentive for just changing out parts and continuing guessing, ask them for their diagnosis in writing and the basis for that diagnosis [measurements taken and their values, instinct, product design defect, etc.].

Can you post make & model and a schematic?

My HVAC replacement age samples show an avg. replacement age of 21 to 28 years.  Normal wearout is equal to this period or longer.  Many people replace at 20 years, apparently with no good reason to do so.

To reduce concern about a cracked heat exchanger, 3 CO detectors will give you only 1 chance in 1 million, aircraft level reliability, of not detecting CO when it is actually present.  Get the kind that detects less than 35 PPM.


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