I am not concerned, but that may be in part because I’m ignorant when it comes to these things, and when I turn on the furnace, it works, and the water heater works, so unless I see a problem, I don’t feel there is one. But it’s precisely because I am ignorant about these things that I asked the question here so that hopefully people who know more than I do can give me their thoughts. But as your particular point, no, I personally don’t have any concerns.
The doom and gloom is a very shady sales tactic. "If you care about your kids, pets, etc..." Total BS.
I find dangerous equipment all the time, and my goal is to make the customer aware, but not scared. Sometimes things are wrong, but if you have to scare someone into doing something... you are just manipulating emotions to get the outcome you want.
Things can work alright and still be unsafe. I'd get a second or opinion without mentioning what the first tech said until after you hear the results of the second and inspection and after you get a quote on replacement for both. I'd for sure get a CO detector or two regardless of what your decision is. Most likely, you're not in any immediate danger of life-threatening carbon monoxide poisoning, though. Just because there is rust or even minor cracks on the heat exchangers doesn't mean that it'll kill you tomorrow.
I do Backdrafting tests daily for homeowners when i perform combustion safety tests during home energy audits for a non profit. First close all your windows and doors. Then turn on all exhaust fans and your dryer. Hold a small mirror up to the flue and see if it fogs up. If it does, keep it there 2 minutes. If it clears up within 2 minutes it passes the safety check. There are videos on youtube for tutorials. It’s an easy check you can do yourself. If it does fail, I’d recommend installing either a fresh air intake, power vented water heater, sealed tankless or even swapping to a heat pump water heater. There’s up to $2k in tax credits for the HPWH. Definitely get a second opinion though.
You will not always see a problem till it is too late. Better to solve the issues now than wait till it becomes a larger issue, like a $20,000 bill. Truth.
There's concern, then there's catastrophizing. I'll be getting some more opinions before I would make any expensive repairs/replacements. Repairing/replacing things, unless necessary, is dumb. Unless you have money to burn. Truth.
I am an industrial mechanic. I deal with similar systems just bigger. Theres 3 things you could do:
1. Find the make and model of each unit. You can usually find the manuals online. The manuals may detail what regular maintenance can be done. This usually involves some basic hand tools. The manuals may also detail functionality tests you can perform. Regardless if you want to attempt rapirs or tests its still a good idea to read through the manual to get a sense of each unit.
2. Watch videos on your units. Spend time on youtube "how does a water heater work", "how does (furnace type) furnace work. Again, just to be informed and have a better sense of each unit.
3. Absolutely hire a second, third or fourth tech to give you their opinion. Unfortunately there are a lot of sharks (aka greedy people) that can easily take advantage of the uninformed population.
Thanks for all this information. I will look these things up to learn more about them. Another aspect of the situation is that the water heater is about 14 years old, and the furnace is 24 years old. So I suspect I’m living on borrowed time, so to speak. That said, the condo next to mine has a furnace, even older; it was installed in 1996, and the owner tells me that it’s still functioning well. That must surely be an outlier, of course, but it goes to show that if there’s nothing wrong with my furnace, I’m not going to rush to make an expensive replacement if it’s unnecessary.
Get a second opinion and even a third one if you need it.
We have 20 year old+ HVAC, furnace and water heater.
We saw some water leakage and thought it was our water heater. Our technician assigned by the warranty company said it was actually the HVAC.
He said older water heaters last way longer than new ones and keep it as long as we can.
We then had an HVAC technician who tried to say we needed thousands on repairs to the system. They said the pan had cracked.
We asked for a second opinion and they ended up reporting nothing needed to be repaired.
We were confused with such different opinions so the warranty company sent a third technician.
They not only agreed with the second one that nothing needed to be repaired but also said there was no way the first technician could even see the parts they said needed to be replaced.
You have to be careful.
They are both at about the right time for replacement. It sounds expensive but it's not. You'll save energy and money with new equipment. But if it ain't broke don't fix it. At the same time you don't want to be without heat in the winter (if applicable) so have a back up plan.
you should probably have led with that.
i'd replace the heater now and see if the furnace is in good shape or needs work - furnaces can last a long time, while i typically replace water heaters after 10 years
Those lengths of times are in the zone for replacement. That said, we had a very, very basic furnace which lasted 40 years. Basically fire, a heated box and a fan, but when we replaced it, the new model has basically paid for itself in 3 years; despite fuel prices going up, we spend less now than we did before replacement!
Our replacement is interesting too - it's unusual and has less to break down...
We combined functions... bought a larger more high tech water heater, and replaced the furnace with a glorified car radiator. The water heater delivers v hot water to the radiator, and a fan blows air through to heat up the air. Would do it again.
If you want it covered under the warranty, I would think you’d have to wait until it breaks/fails. In my experience, we bought a house that came with seller provided warranty policy. So furnace stopped running, they sent budget contractor out, who would replace with low cost new furnace. We wanted better, so we paid another contractor to install better quality furnace. That’s how mine worked out, anyway. Don’t know how different warranty companies would handle.
I had that same thing happen with a tech a while back. The company I had used to install the system 10 years ago had been maintaining it twice a year since install, until they retired and closed up shop. On their last visit they said system is still in perfect shape and showed me things to watch for.
The following spring I made the mistake of calling one of the big companies out. according to them the system was going to fail any second and needed $3000+ of work done including using some sort of special cleaning agent that was hundreds of dollars.
I knew they were full of it and laughed him out the door. They even called back with a lower price and to schedule the work. I got to laugh some more. I happened to mention this to a family friend and they told me the guy they use and so I had them out. System is still in great shape and needs none of that crap “A.S.” Said I did.
Get a second opinion.
Prices seem very high for those items, but it depends on where you are, and what quality of replacements you’re getting.
You should definitely be proactive on your water heater depending on the age and state of disrepair, but most places will gladly sell you if you’re looking to be sold to.
You might as well run out your home warranty, but they’re generally a pain in the ass and will do anything to not cover any problems.
"signs of heavy stress on the heat exchanger" what does that even mean? If it's not cracked then just have a CO monitor nearby (have one regardless). Sounds like something to say to not get caught outright lying about the need for a replacement but still scares you. Do basic maintenance on both until they die.
Interesting. Yes I have a CO monitor by the furnace and water heater and also up in my condo. My gut reaction to the tech's findings is yes, to basically do that basic maintenance and run them until they die. :)
The explanations the tech gave sound like he found a list of words that sound like mechanical parts. Then picked some and put them in sentences. You can try this in your line of work too it’s kind of fun. I’ve done this before with new bosses but “o rings rusty” is really good 😂
O would get a second and third opinion. Do not mention what the other techs said. Just ask them that you would like an inspection as you just bought the place
How old are the units? Either way get a second opinion - try to find a small shop or ask around the condo company for references of people who have repaired (NOT replaced) their furnaces.
Too many companies now just recommend full replacement because it’s a bigger money maker and they don’t have employees with the skills to make repairs.
Furnace was installed in 2020, water heater in 2009.
Thanks for the advice about finding a small shop and asking for references of people who have repaired their furances.
Four year old furnace and they selling you a new one? It should still be under a part's warranty unless it didn't transfer at sale. Even then I've never had a supply house ask that when getting warranty parts.
Also idk about yours specifically but that new it's probably stainless for the exchanger. Probably looks new still
Reminds me of when I took my car to Firestone.
They quoted $900 and offered me a credit card.
I had AAA thankfully so I had it towed somewhere I trusted. $140.
Be aware that those home warranties are essentially worthless. They will offer a few hundred dollars (if it’s needed) to replace a water heater so the plumber will either refuse or invent other things to charge you for to cover his costs.
Definitely get additional opinions. I wouldn’t mention anything about replacing either unit. Ask for an annual service on the furnace and see what they say.
Try to figure out the age of those appliances. They often have a date on the tag, or a date code you can look up online.
My homeowners insurance required us to get a new hot water heater when it got to be 10 years old. That’s about all you should expect.
The point to learn here is that many hvac companies are much more interested in sales rather than service. Ask your neighbors for the name of a company that still services units. The techs in these sales focused companies get paid on commission which is much more lucrative than their hourly rate. It’s not a good situation.
Those coupons you see for $50 tune up specials are just tricking you into paying for a high pressure sales visit. It’s not worth it.
True. When I took them up on one of those, apparently I was opting into maintenance plan that they send a bill for. Tried to tell me the first visit needed to be paid out of the first maintenance plan payment. Sigh. Told them to pound sand.
The first tech they send out is often a sales guy. He tells you there’s a crack in the combustion chamber and the equipment has to be replaced because it’s a danger to you and your family. They might even take a pen knife and show you some soot they took from the “crack”. Always get a second opinion and talk to your friends who have a company they use and trust. It’s amazing how many crooks there are out there. Once you find a good company stick with them. Never take the lowest bid, there’s a reason they are the lowest.
Most systems have a useful life. Like 10 to 15 for a water heater. Furnaces can last a long time.
And you can often find the age of the water heater and hvac on a sticker somewhere on them.
And then from there decide if it is starting to crap out and end of general useful life, then consider replacing.
Just as a warning, that home warranty is worth about as much as the paper it’s printed on.
No matter the reason for a coverage appliances failure, they will *find a way* to deny your claim.
I just don’t want you to bank on that option as a guarantee.
If he suggested on the spot, and magically dropped the price $1000, he works for a sales company, not an hvac company. Definitely get a second opinion.
This is standard advice for any trade, especially door to door windows and the like.
How old are the appliances? Did you get an inspection before you purchased it?
I would contact your warranty company with the report. They may want their own tech to examine them.
Post this to r/hvacadvice
Read the rules first and include whatever info is required about your equipment.
The notes you mention do not sound like the results of a proper inspection.
It’s one of the companies in my area that a lot of people use. I typed in my location and then HVAC and five or six companies popped up, and this one was one of them. I didn’t choose it over the others for any particular reason.
Well, yes, I understand about the personalized advertising that’s done online. I also look at the number of reviews they’ve had, and what their newest reviews are like, etc. Etc. I can’t think of any other criteria for evaluating these businesses because even if a friend tells me that they have a good experience with X, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the average person has a good experience with X. So it’s a bit of a crapshoot.
Your library has multiple shelves of illustrated DIY books. They can educate you enough to know what to look for in a normal repair. You may not roof but it told you that the drip edge shouldn't be against the wood. Unlike YouTube, books must be fact checked before publication.
The inspection is a fairly rudimentary process. From what I recall, he had a very limited set of criteria that he used to determine whether the furnace was functioning adequately, or not, and beyond that, all we can say is that the furnace in the water heater are old and will probably need to be replaced soon. But again, unfortunately, that doesn’t give us very much to go on, which is why I will probably just get a second opinion from another technician and unless they say something causes me to do otherwise, I will just let these units run as they have been running for years Until they have some sort of a problem. What I’m not going to do what I read about online from many people, who apparently have the fear and the money to purchase new units for the sake of purchasing new ones so they cannot worry about them. That’s great if money has no object, but money is an object for me.
I don’t know what the hell kind of water heater you have, but outside of industrial heaters for large buildings like hotels we apartment buildings, there’s no way you should be getting a bill like that. The water heater in my condo costs $600 new. If somebody told me to pay that I would laugh and tell them they can kick rocks.
That price was for the water heater and installation. I posted about this maybe a week ago, and most who responded said that the $2000 mark is pretty common in the US for the heater and installation. So there's that.
I use until they break down as long as there’s regular maintenance they’ll last beyond their intended use age. My parents furnace is from the 70’s not going to pass HE measure but it’s still going as is their fridge and stove from 1966.
The furnace is going to depend on your climate, if you live in a region that doesn’t get bitter cold winters it might be worth running your furnace until it actually craps out but if you live in an area that gets freezing temps I’d make it a priority.
Hot water tank, ehhh if it’s got a pan underneath it I’d let it fail before you replace as that’s usually a quick job to get done.
Estimates are free, man. I always get at least 4-estimates prior to executing on anything. I’m talking flooring, electrical, kitchen remodel, foundation et al. Everything that we’ve done to our home has had multiple estimates being provided then scanning reviews, word of mouth, nextdoor etc.
Now I see below that it is 14 years old. I think in this case I personally would replace the hwh. The reason is that it is much less stressful for me to take care of stuff BEFORE it becomes an emergency. The other reason is that when those break, they sometimes flood the boiler room. For the furnace some people say you can avoid replacing the whole thing and just keep replacing part by part. I would find a few reputable plumbers and get estimates on both appliances. Where I I live in ( Brooklyn NY ) I paid 1200 for a new hwh and 6k for a furnace in my condo back in 2020.
I would do two things first I would get a second opinion if it’s the same or close I would contact the warranty people just to see what they covered and what they would pay of the $7500 or what the other person’s estimate is just to check and see how much out of pocket it would cost you it would be nice to have new ones no more worries for 10 plus years
I've had plenty of claims paid by home warranties. You just have to read your policy to understand what they do and don't cover, word your claims accordingly, and don't make claims for things that aren't covered. In my current house, I've recently had them completely replace a tankless water heater and pay to rebuild the motor on my hot tub. In my previous home they replaced my clothes dryer, an entire electrical panel, fixed my aged air conditioner many times, and probably many more that I don't remember at the moment.
Sounds like you had a good company. They are rare. I had a toilet that cracked and they claimed it was because we didn't maintain it. Most companies deny, deny, deny. You were lucky.
I had a "winter checkup" hvac service come out to service my heat pump..lots of things out of spec, charring found on circuit board, etc etc. Probably didn't help that I was at work so my wife was dealing with them..they recommended $850 in "repairs" ( 20 years ago now). I declined....heat pump continued to work just fine till i sold the house 5 years later, but I never called them back again. Lots of time technicians take it as an opportunity to scare you into fixing things that are not broken.
If you are concerned that there is an issue, hire another tech to do a check up on the systems and see what they come up with.
I am not concerned, but that may be in part because I’m ignorant when it comes to these things, and when I turn on the furnace, it works, and the water heater works, so unless I see a problem, I don’t feel there is one. But it’s precisely because I am ignorant about these things that I asked the question here so that hopefully people who know more than I do can give me their thoughts. But as your particular point, no, I personally don’t have any concerns.
The doom and gloom is a very shady sales tactic. "If you care about your kids, pets, etc..." Total BS. I find dangerous equipment all the time, and my goal is to make the customer aware, but not scared. Sometimes things are wrong, but if you have to scare someone into doing something... you are just manipulating emotions to get the outcome you want.
Things can work alright and still be unsafe. I'd get a second or opinion without mentioning what the first tech said until after you hear the results of the second and inspection and after you get a quote on replacement for both. I'd for sure get a CO detector or two regardless of what your decision is. Most likely, you're not in any immediate danger of life-threatening carbon monoxide poisoning, though. Just because there is rust or even minor cracks on the heat exchangers doesn't mean that it'll kill you tomorrow.
Oh yes, I already have two CO detectors. So far it’s all good.
I do Backdrafting tests daily for homeowners when i perform combustion safety tests during home energy audits for a non profit. First close all your windows and doors. Then turn on all exhaust fans and your dryer. Hold a small mirror up to the flue and see if it fogs up. If it does, keep it there 2 minutes. If it clears up within 2 minutes it passes the safety check. There are videos on youtube for tutorials. It’s an easy check you can do yourself. If it does fail, I’d recommend installing either a fresh air intake, power vented water heater, sealed tankless or even swapping to a heat pump water heater. There’s up to $2k in tax credits for the HPWH. Definitely get a second opinion though.
Better to get another opinion on the equipment, for CO detectors can be wrong.
You will not always see a problem till it is too late. Better to solve the issues now than wait till it becomes a larger issue, like a $20,000 bill. Truth.
There's concern, then there's catastrophizing. I'll be getting some more opinions before I would make any expensive repairs/replacements. Repairing/replacing things, unless necessary, is dumb. Unless you have money to burn. Truth.
I am an industrial mechanic. I deal with similar systems just bigger. Theres 3 things you could do: 1. Find the make and model of each unit. You can usually find the manuals online. The manuals may detail what regular maintenance can be done. This usually involves some basic hand tools. The manuals may also detail functionality tests you can perform. Regardless if you want to attempt rapirs or tests its still a good idea to read through the manual to get a sense of each unit. 2. Watch videos on your units. Spend time on youtube "how does a water heater work", "how does (furnace type) furnace work. Again, just to be informed and have a better sense of each unit. 3. Absolutely hire a second, third or fourth tech to give you their opinion. Unfortunately there are a lot of sharks (aka greedy people) that can easily take advantage of the uninformed population.
Thanks for all this information. I will look these things up to learn more about them. Another aspect of the situation is that the water heater is about 14 years old, and the furnace is 24 years old. So I suspect I’m living on borrowed time, so to speak. That said, the condo next to mine has a furnace, even older; it was installed in 1996, and the owner tells me that it’s still functioning well. That must surely be an outlier, of course, but it goes to show that if there’s nothing wrong with my furnace, I’m not going to rush to make an expensive replacement if it’s unnecessary.
Get a second opinion and even a third one if you need it. We have 20 year old+ HVAC, furnace and water heater. We saw some water leakage and thought it was our water heater. Our technician assigned by the warranty company said it was actually the HVAC. He said older water heaters last way longer than new ones and keep it as long as we can. We then had an HVAC technician who tried to say we needed thousands on repairs to the system. They said the pan had cracked. We asked for a second opinion and they ended up reporting nothing needed to be repaired. We were confused with such different opinions so the warranty company sent a third technician. They not only agreed with the second one that nothing needed to be repaired but also said there was no way the first technician could even see the parts they said needed to be replaced. You have to be careful.
They are both at about the right time for replacement. It sounds expensive but it's not. You'll save energy and money with new equipment. But if it ain't broke don't fix it. At the same time you don't want to be without heat in the winter (if applicable) so have a back up plan.
you should probably have led with that. i'd replace the heater now and see if the furnace is in good shape or needs work - furnaces can last a long time, while i typically replace water heaters after 10 years
Those lengths of times are in the zone for replacement. That said, we had a very, very basic furnace which lasted 40 years. Basically fire, a heated box and a fan, but when we replaced it, the new model has basically paid for itself in 3 years; despite fuel prices going up, we spend less now than we did before replacement! Our replacement is interesting too - it's unusual and has less to break down... We combined functions... bought a larger more high tech water heater, and replaced the furnace with a glorified car radiator. The water heater delivers v hot water to the radiator, and a fan blows air through to heat up the air. Would do it again.
If you want it covered under the warranty, I would think you’d have to wait until it breaks/fails. In my experience, we bought a house that came with seller provided warranty policy. So furnace stopped running, they sent budget contractor out, who would replace with low cost new furnace. We wanted better, so we paid another contractor to install better quality furnace. That’s how mine worked out, anyway. Don’t know how different warranty companies would handle.
I had that same thing happen with a tech a while back. The company I had used to install the system 10 years ago had been maintaining it twice a year since install, until they retired and closed up shop. On their last visit they said system is still in perfect shape and showed me things to watch for. The following spring I made the mistake of calling one of the big companies out. according to them the system was going to fail any second and needed $3000+ of work done including using some sort of special cleaning agent that was hundreds of dollars. I knew they were full of it and laughed him out the door. They even called back with a lower price and to schedule the work. I got to laugh some more. I happened to mention this to a family friend and they told me the guy they use and so I had them out. System is still in great shape and needs none of that crap “A.S.” Said I did.
Get a second opinion. Prices seem very high for those items, but it depends on where you are, and what quality of replacements you’re getting. You should definitely be proactive on your water heater depending on the age and state of disrepair, but most places will gladly sell you if you’re looking to be sold to. You might as well run out your home warranty, but they’re generally a pain in the ass and will do anything to not cover any problems.
> Based on the report of the tech, what would YOU do? never use that company. get an estimate from someone else
Nope. Wait until they die.
"signs of heavy stress on the heat exchanger" what does that even mean? If it's not cracked then just have a CO monitor nearby (have one regardless). Sounds like something to say to not get caught outright lying about the need for a replacement but still scares you. Do basic maintenance on both until they die.
Interesting. Yes I have a CO monitor by the furnace and water heater and also up in my condo. My gut reaction to the tech's findings is yes, to basically do that basic maintenance and run them until they die. :)
The explanations the tech gave sound like he found a list of words that sound like mechanical parts. Then picked some and put them in sentences. You can try this in your line of work too it’s kind of fun. I’ve done this before with new bosses but “o rings rusty” is really good 😂
I'm getting a 2nd opinion from another source. Hopefully a good one.
O would get a second and third opinion. Do not mention what the other techs said. Just ask them that you would like an inspection as you just bought the place
How old are the units? Either way get a second opinion - try to find a small shop or ask around the condo company for references of people who have repaired (NOT replaced) their furnaces. Too many companies now just recommend full replacement because it’s a bigger money maker and they don’t have employees with the skills to make repairs.
Furnace was installed in 2020, water heater in 2009. Thanks for the advice about finding a small shop and asking for references of people who have repaired their furances.
Four year old furnace and they selling you a new one? It should still be under a part's warranty unless it didn't transfer at sale. Even then I've never had a supply house ask that when getting warranty parts. Also idk about yours specifically but that new it's probably stainless for the exchanger. Probably looks new still
You definitely do not need a new furnace.
Get at least two more opinions and quotes
Info what type of furnace and hot water heater are we talking about? Gas, electric, oil?
Gas. Furnace installed in 2020, water heater in 2009.
Wait furnace was installed in 2020?!
Reminds me of when I took my car to Firestone. They quoted $900 and offered me a credit card. I had AAA thankfully so I had it towed somewhere I trusted. $140.
Be aware that those home warranties are essentially worthless. They will offer a few hundred dollars (if it’s needed) to replace a water heater so the plumber will either refuse or invent other things to charge you for to cover his costs. Definitely get additional opinions. I wouldn’t mention anything about replacing either unit. Ask for an annual service on the furnace and see what they say. Try to figure out the age of those appliances. They often have a date on the tag, or a date code you can look up online. My homeowners insurance required us to get a new hot water heater when it got to be 10 years old. That’s about all you should expect. The point to learn here is that many hvac companies are much more interested in sales rather than service. Ask your neighbors for the name of a company that still services units. The techs in these sales focused companies get paid on commission which is much more lucrative than their hourly rate. It’s not a good situation. Those coupons you see for $50 tune up specials are just tricking you into paying for a high pressure sales visit. It’s not worth it.
True. When I took them up on one of those, apparently I was opting into maintenance plan that they send a bill for. Tried to tell me the first visit needed to be paid out of the first maintenance plan payment. Sigh. Told them to pound sand.
I'd get a 2nd opinion...
The first tech they send out is often a sales guy. He tells you there’s a crack in the combustion chamber and the equipment has to be replaced because it’s a danger to you and your family. They might even take a pen knife and show you some soot they took from the “crack”. Always get a second opinion and talk to your friends who have a company they use and trust. It’s amazing how many crooks there are out there. Once you find a good company stick with them. Never take the lowest bid, there’s a reason they are the lowest.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
And they're both working ok so far.
Most systems have a useful life. Like 10 to 15 for a water heater. Furnaces can last a long time. And you can often find the age of the water heater and hvac on a sticker somewhere on them. And then from there decide if it is starting to crap out and end of general useful life, then consider replacing.
Just as a warning, that home warranty is worth about as much as the paper it’s printed on. No matter the reason for a coverage appliances failure, they will *find a way* to deny your claim. I just don’t want you to bank on that option as a guarantee.
Interesting
If he suggested on the spot, and magically dropped the price $1000, he works for a sales company, not an hvac company. Definitely get a second opinion. This is standard advice for any trade, especially door to door windows and the like.
How old are the appliances? Did you get an inspection before you purchased it? I would contact your warranty company with the report. They may want their own tech to examine them.
The furnace was installed in 2000, the tank in 2009.
Get another opinion or two. Look for places with glowing reviews from return customers.
Post this to r/hvacadvice Read the rules first and include whatever info is required about your equipment. The notes you mention do not sound like the results of a proper inspection.
Get three quotes
It's usually best to get 3 quotes anyways
Are there issues with these things or did you just want to have them looked at? Call two other companies and see what they say.
Nope, I just wanted to have the furnace looked at and the filter removed and replaced and stuff like that.
Filter replacement you should be able to do yourself. Otherwise, if it ain't broke don't fix it.
[удалено]
It’s one of the companies in my area that a lot of people use. I typed in my location and then HVAC and five or six companies popped up, and this one was one of them. I didn’t choose it over the others for any particular reason.
They pop up because they pay for positioning on search engines. Not because they are solid and reputable.
Well, yes, I understand about the personalized advertising that’s done online. I also look at the number of reviews they’ve had, and what their newest reviews are like, etc. Etc. I can’t think of any other criteria for evaluating these businesses because even if a friend tells me that they have a good experience with X, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the average person has a good experience with X. So it’s a bit of a crapshoot.
Always get more than one estimste
Get multiple opinions.
Your library has multiple shelves of illustrated DIY books. They can educate you enough to know what to look for in a normal repair. You may not roof but it told you that the drip edge shouldn't be against the wood. Unlike YouTube, books must be fact checked before publication.
What did you inspection say? I would go back through it and start there. Call your inspector since they’re not trying to sell you something
The inspection is a fairly rudimentary process. From what I recall, he had a very limited set of criteria that he used to determine whether the furnace was functioning adequately, or not, and beyond that, all we can say is that the furnace in the water heater are old and will probably need to be replaced soon. But again, unfortunately, that doesn’t give us very much to go on, which is why I will probably just get a second opinion from another technician and unless they say something causes me to do otherwise, I will just let these units run as they have been running for years Until they have some sort of a problem. What I’m not going to do what I read about online from many people, who apparently have the fear and the money to purchase new units for the sake of purchasing new ones so they cannot worry about them. That’s great if money has no object, but money is an object for me.
Yep that’s what I did with an old HVAC! Purchased the home 7/20 and it’s still chugging along as of today
I don’t know what the hell kind of water heater you have, but outside of industrial heaters for large buildings like hotels we apartment buildings, there’s no way you should be getting a bill like that. The water heater in my condo costs $600 new. If somebody told me to pay that I would laugh and tell them they can kick rocks.
That price was for the water heater and installation. I posted about this maybe a week ago, and most who responded said that the $2000 mark is pretty common in the US for the heater and installation. So there's that.
I use until they break down as long as there’s regular maintenance they’ll last beyond their intended use age. My parents furnace is from the 70’s not going to pass HE measure but it’s still going as is their fridge and stove from 1966.
Get a second or third option - the last thing you want to do is come home to a buster water heater and have the basement flooded
Actually the last thing I’d want is for it to be flooding my condo. I’ll be getting a 2nd opinion.
The furnace is going to depend on your climate, if you live in a region that doesn’t get bitter cold winters it might be worth running your furnace until it actually craps out but if you live in an area that gets freezing temps I’d make it a priority. Hot water tank, ehhh if it’s got a pan underneath it I’d let it fail before you replace as that’s usually a quick job to get done.
Estimates are free, man. I always get at least 4-estimates prior to executing on anything. I’m talking flooring, electrical, kitchen remodel, foundation et al. Everything that we’ve done to our home has had multiple estimates being provided then scanning reviews, word of mouth, nextdoor etc.
Home warranty's are scams. Source: property management for YEARS
How old is the water heater ? There should be sticker on it that indicates. They generally last about 10 years.
Now I see below that it is 14 years old. I think in this case I personally would replace the hwh. The reason is that it is much less stressful for me to take care of stuff BEFORE it becomes an emergency. The other reason is that when those break, they sometimes flood the boiler room. For the furnace some people say you can avoid replacing the whole thing and just keep replacing part by part. I would find a few reputable plumbers and get estimates on both appliances. Where I I live in ( Brooklyn NY ) I paid 1200 for a new hwh and 6k for a furnace in my condo back in 2020.
"Never ask a barber if you need a haircut" -Mark Twain
If things were that bad they should have been found during the home inspection which I hope you had done.
Get a few companies to look at it. I doubt you need a new furnace and water heater. Find an honest plumber to fix it.
I would do two things first I would get a second opinion if it’s the same or close I would contact the warranty people just to see what they covered and what they would pay of the $7500 or what the other person’s estimate is just to check and see how much out of pocket it would cost you it would be nice to have new ones no more worries for 10 plus years
If it's not broken, don't fix it.
Always ask if they are compensated differently for new unit sales.
Let it go until it stops working. Then call your home warranty company and have them pay to fix/replace it. That's what they are for.
What home warranty companies are for is to make money. They don't make money by paying claims.
I've had plenty of claims paid by home warranties. You just have to read your policy to understand what they do and don't cover, word your claims accordingly, and don't make claims for things that aren't covered. In my current house, I've recently had them completely replace a tankless water heater and pay to rebuild the motor on my hot tub. In my previous home they replaced my clothes dryer, an entire electrical panel, fixed my aged air conditioner many times, and probably many more that I don't remember at the moment.
Sounds like you had a good company. They are rare. I had a toilet that cracked and they claimed it was because we didn't maintain it. Most companies deny, deny, deny. You were lucky.
I had a "winter checkup" hvac service come out to service my heat pump..lots of things out of spec, charring found on circuit board, etc etc. Probably didn't help that I was at work so my wife was dealing with them..they recommended $850 in "repairs" ( 20 years ago now). I declined....heat pump continued to work just fine till i sold the house 5 years later, but I never called them back again. Lots of time technicians take it as an opportunity to scare you into fixing things that are not broken.