How much should a furnace blower motor cost?

[Midrsv]

I came home today and my furnace (a/c) blower motor was humming an smoking. Called for service and the tech says I need a new motor. $600 for a 1/3 HP 115v motor. That seems high to me. Is that reasonable?

 

Dennis

[gunboat]

i would check www.granger.com or even home depot & or lowes. $600.00 is a lot of money. should only be a couple 100.00 or so.

don c.

[bongobobny]

Does that also include installation? Even with installation that's high...

[Rick Haywood]

75 to around 125 bucks unless you are trying to heat a 30,000 square foot building

 

I bought mine for 91 dollars at a Farm and Fleet

[etcswjoe]

75 to around 125 bucks unless you are trying to heat a 30,000 square foot building

 

I bought mine for 91 dollars at a Farm and Fleet

 

 

 

226 Installed last year.

[Condor]

I had mine replace at the beginning of last winter. $300 bucks and that included installation....

[Guest scarylarry]

Depending on the unit but 63.35 my price, so 100.00 would be the norm and plus install...

 

Norm price for a install is 250.00 including part...

 

50.00 trip charge

100 for part

100 for labor

=250.00

[Midrsv]

Well I've already paid $60 to get them out here. He quoted $600 for the motor and put it in tomorrow. I just confirme that it includes labor. I did call 2 more local companies and got prices of $550 and $675. Looking at the Grainger web site I think I could buy a motor for less than $150. I know the company needs to make a profit so I think $400 including labor would still be high.

 

It's hot here and if I don't get it replaced tomorrow it will probably cost me a couple of nights in a hotel.

 

Dennis

[tazmocycle]

motor could be from $50 to 125.$500 to$750, that about what our company get to install one. we give a 1yr warrenty on our work. the company tries tp get about 500% markup so if we have to go back and replace it during the 1 yr warranty we still make money. it's bad but most companies now-a-days goes by flat rate pricing, where a consulting company does a survey of the area and see what most companies charge and set a price for you. sometimes the tech will give a really high estermate so as to try and sell you a new furnace, they make sell bonusis. thats why they don't let me do service call because i try and help folk out by giving some discount or $50 gift card we use to help sell the jobs. i mostly do installing of job and some commercial job nobody else can't do. if you can do some repairs you can problly replace it yourself. look to see if there's a johnstone supply near you, they'll have the motor. you can call me if you think you might want to try and replace it and i'll talk you thru it. don my phone #s are in my member imfo.

[Flyinfool]

With the heat that has been around they may just be charging a premium price because they are so busy and working overtime.

 

There has to be a parts supplier near you that you can get a blower motor from and do it yourself. Its not that hard. Go get the model numbers off of your furnace and look it up on the internet. then you will now just how much hide the tech is after.

 

It sounds like you (and everyone in the area) are being taken advantage of just because the heat is unbearable without AC.

[Rick Haywood]

go buy one and put it in it doesn't take very long.

[Midrsv]

I'm certain I could install the motor. The problem is finding a motor on the weekend. I figure I'm getting ready to pay premium to be cool on the weekend.

 

Dennis

[frankd]

You're also paying premium time (Saturday) labor to get it installed. It should take less than an hour to install it.

 

Frank D.

[Eddie]

We charge 227.00 . 175.00 for the motor and labor and a 52.00 service call . Im low in the area but we stay very busy.

[dacheedah]

find a motor shop, pull the squirrel cage and take the whole thing in, they will slap a new motor in cheaper and set the wires so you just plug and go. These are common and should be in stock.

[CaptainJoe]

"find a motor shop, pull the squirrel cage and take the whole thing in, they will slap a new motor in cheaper and set the wires so you just plug and go. These are common and should be in stock. "

 

thats what i did, disconnect two wires, two screws slide fan unit out, take electric motor squrriel cage out of unit. take to PAM or other electric motor place and they can match Hp and shaft ... cost me about $105.....

Edited August 4, 2012 by CaptainJoe

[Midrsv]

Thanks for all of the replies. If it weren't the weekend I would fix it myself. But around here all of the suppliers are closed so I can't get a motor. I tried. It was a bit hot sleeping last night and if it doesn't get fixed today we'll be in a hotel tonight. The motor is to be installed later this morning. I know I'm getting raw deal. Eddie, sure wish you had a shop here.

 

Dennis

[Guest scarylarry]

The difference in what the motor will cost and this company's rate could put you in a 5 star hotel till Monday..

 

They are a simple change over....

 

Hell dude I'll help put the thing in it will keep you from paying out a bunch of

[Midrsv]

The saga continues. Seems the guy that was here last night didn't know jack about what he was doing. The tech shows up this morning with a "universal" motor and says "oh this won't work, I'll have to order the correct motor and come back Wed". I told him not to bother. I've pulled the motor and it is a GE

5KCP39PG852AS. I checked Grainger's web site and they cross that to an AO Smith FDL1076V1 for $180. Our local Grainger store doesn't show it in stock. I'm going to check a couple of other places here Monday and if I can't find it I'll just order from Grainger.

[Guest scarylarry]

Use Granger as a last resort, they are normally higher than most but the upside is they will have in stock when most don't...

[Guest scarylarry]

I have a old unit here let me check and get the number off it and if cross over you can have it...

[Flyinfool]

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/A-O-SMITH-FDL1076V1-Motor-Blower/dp/B000CGDPOK]Amazon.com: A.O. SMITH FDL1076V1 Motor,3/4hp,D/D Blower: Home Improvement@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/11vp%2Bc3tyfL.@@AMEPARAM@@11vp%2Bc3tyfL[/ame]

This is in stock

 

You may want to spend the extra $20 for a new capacitor.

A bad cap can take out a motor, a bad motor can take out a cap. You said your motor was smoking. That is usually either a locked rotor where something was preventing it from turning or a bad cap that could not get it started.

 

The Amazon goes to Zoro Tools, Zoro claims to have both the motor and cap in stock ready to ship. for less than grainger wants for just the motor. You can use the price diff to get next or 2nd day shipping. Since it is coming out of IL it shouldn't take long to get it to you.

[CaptainJoe]

disconnect the wires from the capacitor ,

take a screw driver being careful not to touch the metal shank and touch both poles on the capacitor(discharge it)

take an ohm meter and set on 1k OHM put black on one post and red on other post

if capacitor is good the needle should rise quickly then drop slowly

if it doesnt the capacitor is bad

(if capacitor is bulged on the end with the posts don't bother ...buy a new one)

[bostonlawman2003]

I just had to say that this is exactly why I have no problem paying my $12 every year. What a great group of people on this site, to be able to ask questions about anything, doesn't matter if it's bike bike related or not, and get good solid advice, not flamed like you would on some other forums. Awesome, just Awesome!

 

[Midrsv]

disconnect the wires from the capacitor ,

take a screw driver being careful not to touch the metal shank and touch both poles on the capacitor(discharge it)

take an ohm meter and set on 1k OHM put black on one post and red on other post

if capacitor is good the needle should rise quickly then drop slowly

if it doesnt the capacitor is bad

(if capacitor is bulged on the end with the posts don't bother ...buy a new one)

 

Thanks Joe, that's the first test I did and the capacitor checked OK. I'll probably replace it with the motor anyway.

 

Dennis