Furnace would stop and take a while to restart/ needed a flame sensor $425.00?

I just looked online and they have several lennox sensors for less than $25.00. Can't be that hard to install. Today i replaced the door switch on our dryer. I've never done one before, and it was cheap and easy to do. The switch cost less than $ 7.00.,,,
 
These threads are always a little bit unfair because nobody account for diagnostics. After the problem is diagnosed it becomes "oh it's a $20 part this bill is way too much," but the guy had to spend some time figuring out the problem. Otherwise if they just change what it "should be" (aka parts cannon) it doesn't get fixed half the time and now the customer is really unhappy.
Can be unfair yes !
in reality there are only a few things that stop an operating furnace most take minutes to diagnose.
These days the bloody things tell you whats wrong.
 
How did you come to this conclusion from what i said !

What conclusion?

You said they're easy to diagnose and that the furnace tells you what's wrong. So I said in that case instead of phoning the repair guy, just change the parts it says to change... Maybe that will fix it.
 
I didn't ask for immediate service since it was working. Since they installed it brand new and I know the business owner I figured it would be about $250. Not a big deal by any means however I feel ripped off and learned a valuable lesson. Thanks everyone!
 
since it was working
"working" is a stretch, isn't it ? If the flame sensor is bad, yeah, it will run, but not for more than a few minutes, if that, before shutting off the gas (safety). I doubt it runs long enough to keep the house very warm.

and that the furnace tells you what's wrong
Not quite that simple, in some cases. The self-diagnostics will narrow down the culprit but not necessarily down to "replace x". Plus, in my experience, you can't normally buy HVAC parts locally, at least not all parts. For whatever reason, HVAC parts houses have remained "wholesale only". Sure, you can order parts online but that will take 1-2 days or longer for delivery.
 
I didn't ask for immediate service since it was working. Since they installed it brand new and I know the business owner I figured it would be about $250. Not a big deal by any means however I feel ripped off and learned a valuable lesson. Thanks everyone!
I don’t know your market and I don’t know what is standard. But I do know that am paying for a guy who knows what he is doing, to show up, with parts, and get my furnace fixed. $300. $425. None of the quotes seem crazy to me. He is doing something that I can’t.
 
So, buy one for $25.00 and have it on hand for the next time this happens. Easy.
Had a condensing Lennox that would not drain properly, which would slow down the vent fan and cause a shut down error.
I decided that annual maintenance should be to vacuum out the drain line.
No cost, but I'm sure if there was a service call it would have been $200.00.

Oh yeah, and I bought a spare igniter too.
 
Plus, in my experience, you can't normally buy HVAC parts locally, at least not all parts. For whatever reason, HVAC parts houses have remained "wholesale only". Sure, you can order parts online but that will take 1-2 days or longer for delivery.

There's a place around here called Southern Refrigeration. They are an HVAC parts supplier. I've walked in several times and bought replacement capacitors. They've never asked me if I have an account or if I an an HVAC contractor. But I know what I need when I go in there.

Prior to that there was a place (now long gone) called Yorkshire Plumbing Supply. They sold York parts and sold me a replacement ignitor for my York furnace over 20 years ago. Again, no questions asked, but I knew what I needed.
 
I’ve had the same experience with HVAC supply houses. They are reticent to sell to the General Public.

I have also had appliance supply houses, local ones, who told me that they would not sell to the general public, and that I could not fix my washer, that it likely needed to be replaced. That was several years ago, when I needed a couple of dampers for an LG front loader.

That washer is still in service.

I suspect that the reticence comes from a history of bad experience with consumers, when they don’t actually know what they’re doing, and get upset when the parts don’t fix the problem, or they try to return already installed parts, or parts damaged by the attempt to install.
 
"working" is a stretch, isn't it ? If the flame sensor is bad, yeah, it will run, but not for more than a few minutes, if that, before shutting off the gas (safety). I doubt it runs long enough to keep the house very warm.


Not quite that simple, in some cases. The self-diagnostics will narrow down the culprit but not necessarily down to "replace x". Plus, in my experience, you can't normally buy HVAC parts locally, at least not all parts. For whatever reason, HVAC parts houses have remained "wholesale only". Sure, you can order parts online but that will take 1-2 days or longer for delivery.
The furnace was working just fine although it would quit occasionally and wait to restart. I have proof from my Nest learning thermostat.

The point I am trying to make is don't rip off your friends because they will not do business with you again and will vote with their wallet. I was quoted $189 to come out and if it needed parts it wouldn't be much. I will not call this company again it's as plain and simple as that.

Update I called the company and said I need a refund or I will never do business with them again. The salesman who sent out a tech is going to talk to the boss. If I get a refund it will be business as usual and if not I will find a new company to work with. I have a problem with being ripped off on anything.
 
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No reason to cry over a spilled milk. You got the problem resolved very quickly. Whether you wanted it quick or not, you called them not the other way around and agreed to the appointment.

Yes the price is on the high side, but that’s how it is sometimes. Like some mentioned already, if it’s so easy to diagnose these issues, there is no reason to call anyone, just DIY.
 
So now the story is changing... At post #36 the OP states:

I was quoted $189 to come out and if it needed parts it wouldn't be much.

That wasn't in the original post nor any other post, just that you felt you were charged too much.

If you were quoted $189, then maybe there is something to talk about or was that the trip charge and the rest was on top of that?

Again, you contacted someone, they returned your inquiry, sent someone out, fixed the problem and all on short notice. Guess we want our cake and to eat it to...
 
I don’t know your market and I don’t know what is standard. But I do know that am paying for a guy who knows what he is doing, to show up, with parts, and get my furnace fixed. $300. $425. None of the quotes seem crazy to me. He is doing something that I can’t.
The problem is, they often take advantage of customers. He could have said $700 or $800 too. Would you have said ok?

I’ve had the same experience with HVAC supply houses. They are reticent to sell to the General Public.

I have also had appliance supply houses, local ones, who told me that they would not sell to the general public, and that I could not fix my washer, that it likely needed to be replaced.
I think they are in bed with the HVAC repair industry, just like the manufactures who won't honor a warranty if the homeowner installs an HVAC system themselves. Just use a fictitious name that sounds related to the industry you're buying from, like Astro Property Management, and I found most places will sell to you on a cash account.
 
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