Was Dad ripped off on Lennox Htg & A/C install?

14 years ago

My 83 yr-old father had his 37 year old furnace & A/C replaced this past July 2009. Contract was signed w/Four Seasons Htg & A/C (Burbank, IL)in a hurry & install was performed following day. Was worried for his health as weekend was predicted to be hot & we needed to act fast.

His 1-story home w/basement is 1250 sq ft(main floor). Installed Pricing was $6800 for a Lennox 80% furnace (G40UH368-090, 90,000 BTU), with chimney liner, new condensing unit, evaporator coil, refrigeration lines, condensate pump, by-pass humidifier (Aprilaire) & thermostat (Honeywell). A/C unit is a Lennox 30,000 BTU, 13 SEER 13ACX-030-230. Invoice was not itemized with individual costs for units or installation. He currently has 5 years parts, compressor & labor on A/C & 5 yrs parts, labor on furnace, 20 yrs on Heat exchanger.

Was the cost of the total package reasonably priced or did he pay too much?

Please understand that he is on a limited budget.

Can anyone provide me information on any or all of the above?

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Comments (6)

vhehn
14 years ago
"in a hurry & install was performed following day. Was worried for his health as weekend was predicted to be hot & we needed to act fast."

what value do you place on this?
tigerdunes
14 years ago
s2dabuzz

that's a low end furnace that does not qualify for tax credit and I suspect way oversized. that would not be my choice for Ill weather.

and that's a matching low end AC condenser.

sorry.

price? probably on high side.

IMO

Here is a link that might be useful: Lennox Residential
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ryanhughes
14 years ago
I don't think it's fair to look back now and ask yourself if the company ripped you off. They proposed a price, you didn't have to go with them, and you agreed on the installation. For that equipment pricing seems on the high side but can't see the installation from here and pricing for your area may just be on the high side.
tigerdunes
14 years ago
I think the question here is whether an 83 yr old residential owner was taken advantage of.

my answer is yes both on equipment selection and price but primarily on equipment selection. all low end equipment both furnace and AC condenser plus most likely an oversized furnace. and then factor in leaving a $1500 fed govt tax credit lying on the table. without knowing more particulars, I suggest the dealer was looking out for himself, not the customer.

IMO
jakethewonderdog
14 years ago
My feeling is that it was on the high side, but not so much that it would be fraud or something that you could pursue.

Keep in mind there was a flue liner install as well.

Look, a new furnace and AC is tough to figure out. The best protection on price is to get a few bids... but even then you won't be able to compare apples to apples. A day or two in a hotel room can be cheaper than a rushed decision.

You might have gone a 92% furnace, skipped the flue liner (vents through PVC) and come out the same or better with less fuel use.

If it was a price sensitive install, I would have skipped the add-on air filter.

But this was done in July... it's a little late to be second guessing the details. You want to be asking these questions up front.

There is the issue of pride as well. If you can't help him out while it's happening, don't second guess it after the fact unless it falls into the category of fraud and you have some recourse (not the case here). Rather than make him feel bad and incompetent about this decision, give him $1500 towards the purchase.

The other point - for anyone else reading this -- is that it's crazy to have a 37 yo furnace and not have a plan and some money together to replace it when it goes out. Better yet, just go ahead and replace it. A furnace that age is sending 40 cents of every heating dollar up the flue while a 92% furnace wastes 8 cents. A furnace that age is also a risk of CO poisoning because of a leaky heat exchanger or flue pipe.
ryanhughes
14 years ago
Again, I agree the price was on the high side. And from those I know who are in that age range, the estimates tend to be less cost wise. Still, a buyer or anyone seeking estimates on the homeowner's behalf would do good to have more than one estimate to see how the prices spread out. I just don't see what good it is doing us to be looking back and say, that price seemed high--wonder if I can get a bit back?

Was Dad ripped off on Lennox Htg & A/C install?

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vhehn

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