$600 to fix the garbage disposal

[electra225]

Our kitchen has granite countertops with a black sink and black plumbing hardware. The kitchen remodeling company who did the cabinets and installed the sink used the ultra-cheap hardware, the kind made in a third-world country with questionable to non-existant quality control. The paint started chipping on the garbage disposal flange a couple of years ago. I sanded if off and repainted it, looked great until recently. We decided to replace that flange with one made by In-Sinkerator which is alleged to be better quality. We have a service contract with a local plumbing company, so we called them for a quote to replace the garbage disposal flange. $600. The part is about $50, and even I can do it in about an hour. So I shall. That is silly money. Do people actually pay these prices?

[stbasil]

When we bought our current retirement house 8 years ago, it came with a home warranty, our realtor suggested we specify Old Republic, which we did (they actually have been very reasonable to deal with, unlike many horror stories I have heard about other such companies). Never had such a warranty on the three houses we owned in the past, but we actually kept renewing annually, and over the years they covered replacements of: two different HVAC air handlers, one complete ductless heat pump system, garage door opener, drain stoppage, built-in microwave repairs, replacement cooktop ventilator, and dishwasher replacement. I think I remembered everything. Every year we came out ahead of the renewal fee, and I would always negotiate the renewal for a free service call coupon.

This year, they emailed us saying they would not renew! I think that last complete system replacement (caused by the new refrigerant law) was the last straw. So it's back to DIY again, but I'm getting too old to do some of this stuff! Just paid over a grand to replace the starter in our 2015 Honda Accord, including towing charge (and that was an independent garage, not the dealer, plus an aftermarket starter). I replaced it myself a few years ago for about $70.

I guess I was somewhat insulated from the cost of such repairs because of that warranty. Now it's time to face the music! But I'll continue to do the "minor" stuff as long as I'm able.

[electra225]

The Home Depot down the street does not carry plumbing in any colors other than white or chrome. They do not stock black plumbing supplies. It has to be ordered online. They carry 200 8' ladders, and truck loads of blowers and rakes, but if you want a plumbing part that isn't chrome, you are SOL. Horrible customer service. They finally stopped selling riding lawn mowers this spring. Many landscapers don't have a gas lawn mower. Most yards are now turf instead of grass due to the water usage. Just "blow and go" for the most part.

[danrclem]

It seems like ever since the Covid era that prices have become ridiculously high. Maybe they were high before that and I didn't notice since I've always done almost every bit of repair work myself. My icemaker isn't working at all right now and if I can't figure out what's wrong with it, I'll have to buy a new one. I don't even want to think about what it would cost me to have it replaced by somebody else. I replaced it several years ago with a non-original (it looked the same) and it messes up all the time. Quite often it wouldn't dump the ice and I had to reach up there and break it loose. If I do have to buy another one, I'll make sure that it is branded Whirlpool no matter how much more it costs.

My heat has been 100% wood for a long time but I'm probably going to start using a gas furnace again. My furnace will probably still work but it hasn't been used since the early 2017 burning season. It's the original furnace that was installed in 1987 when I built my house so I know it wouldn't hurt to have a new one. I started using it in early 1988 when I moved in. I'm sure I could change this one out myself but I really don't feel up to the challenge right now. I installed the whole heating system in my first house that I built in 1978. I'm almost afraid to get a price of having this one changed out but I need to do it soon if I'm going to.

[electra225]

We are fortunate to have an appliance repair company that is reasonably priced and doesn't upsell. They are an authorized Speed Queen repair facility. They replaced the ice maker in our old Whirlpool refrigerator for $300, which I thought was very reasonable.

[TC Chris]

My heat has been 100% wood for a long time but I'm probably going to start using a gas furnace again. My furnace will probably still work but it hasn't been used since the early 2017 burning season. It's the original furnace that was installed in 1987 when I built my house so I know it wouldn't hurt to have a new one. I started using it in early 1988 when I moved in. I'm sure I could change this one out myself but I really don't feel up to the challenge right now. I installed the whole heating system in my first house that I built in 1978. I'm almost afraid to get a price of having this one changed out but I need to do it soon if I'm going to.

Why not lube up the fan & motor bearings and see what happens? My brother had to replace his 1965 hot air furnace and chose, in consultation with his HVAC guy, a lower efficiency model because the fancier ones had lots of electronics to achieve efficiency. Guess which parts had the high failure rates, the high replacement costs, and the problem of unavailability when needed? One service call on my little hot water boiler heating system had the guy saying "You're lucky it's not that circuit board--they're hard to find."

Chris Campbell

[William]

Danny, if it were me I would have an HVAC, one you would trust, come and do a service on your furnace just to make sure everything is ok, and there is not a rusted hole in the heat exchanger. More than likely your furnace is way better built than anything you can buy new and will probably out last any new one. My parents had a new furnace installed the year before my dad retired, which was 1981, and it is still in their house and still works great and the HVAC guys say it will still be going way into the future. Is it efficient, only in the fact it does not have a pilot, but it is built like a tank and the house is small so it does not take much to heat it. What brand is your furnace?

Bill

[danrclem]

My heat has been 100% wood for a long time but I'm probably going to start using a gas furnace again. My furnace will probably still work but it hasn't been used since the early 2017 burning season. It's the original furnace that was installed in 1987 when I built my house so I know it wouldn't hurt to have a new one. I started using it in early 1988 when I moved in. I'm sure I could change this one out myself but I really don't feel up to the challenge right now. I installed the whole heating system in my first house that I built in 1978. I'm almost afraid to get a price of having this one changed out but I need to do it soon if I'm going to.

Why not lube up the fan & motor bearings and see what happens? My brother had to replace his 1965 hot air furnace and chose, in consultation with his HVAC guy, a lower efficiency model because the fancier ones had lots of electronics to achieve efficiency. Guess which parts had the high failure rates, the high replacement costs, and the problem of unavailability when needed? One service call on my little hot water boiler heating system had the guy saying "You're lucky it's not that circuit board--they're hard to find."

Chris Campbell

I don't think I'd have any problem getting the old furnace working but the burners aren't stainless so when I did use it I had to give them a thorough cleaning at the start of each heating season. If I didn't they would make a loud hissing sound all the time. At my age anything can happen and I want to make sure my wife would have something that would be reliable. Unless I find some information that will change my mind the new one will be a Trane or a Carrier.

The furnace I have right now is an 80% efficiency model and the new one would be too because of the reasons you mentioned. The only problem I ever had with this one is cleaning the burners and a thermocouple or two. I always kept a spare on just in case.

[danrclem]

Danny, if it were me I would have an HVAC, one you would trust, come and do a service on your furnace just to make sure everything is ok, and there is not a rusted hole in the heat exchanger. More than likely your furnace is way better built than anything you can buy new and will probably out last any new one. My parents had a new furnace installed the year before my dad retired, which was 1981, and it is still in their house and still works great and the HVAC guys say it will still be going way into the future. Is it efficient, only in the fact it does not have a pilot, but it is built like a tank and the house is small so it does not take much to heat it. What brand is your furnace?

Bill

Bill it's a Magic Chef. If it wasn't for the loud hissing sound that it makes at the beginning of the season I'd consider doing what you're saying. The burners don't really look dirty but I guess there's enough fine rust in there to make it do what it does. I clean it with some penetrating oil or something similar and run some old metal banding material up into the gap to clean it out. I have had to clean them twice to get them to burn right. I may check into see if I can find a stainless burner that would work but that would probably be a shot in the dark.

Here's a link that has a picture of a furnace that has burners like mine. Mine has four burners and isn't as dirty as that one.

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussio ... ce-running