Need a new heater - how lovely

[disneysteve]

Just in case you think you don't need an EF...

Our heater died today. Service guy came out and found the problem. It can be fixed, of course, but not cheaply and the unit is almost 15 years old. He highly recommended not spending the money to fix it but rather applying that money to a new unit since there is no guarantee that if repaired, the current one wouldn't die soon anyway at this point.

So we are currently sitting in a very cold house waiting for 2 different contractors to come give us estimates. I booked 2 nights at a local hotel and we'll head out after they both leave.

So several thousand dollars for a heater plus a few hundred more for the hotel stay. Those are the kind of unforeseen things we all talk about when preaching the need for an EF.

[Like2Plan]

DisneySteve,
Sorry about the heater going bad. How soon will they be able to install the new heater? Do you have to worry about the pipes freezing where you are?

[creditcardfree]

I hope you can get a new one at the right price soon!

[SavingSteve]

I wonder if it's so cold there, will your homeowners insurance help with "loss of use" coverage or something like that for the hotel cost?

[disneysteve]

DisneySteve,
Sorry about the heater going bad. How soon will they be able to install the new heater? Do you have to worry about the pipes freezing where you are?

We should be up and running by Friday night at the latest. Should be okay with the pipes. Temp is hanging right around the lower to mid 30s this week. I'll leave the faucets running at a trickle just in case.

I wonder if it's so cold there, will your homeowners insurance help with "loss of use" coverage or something like that for the hotel cost?

Wouldn't be worth putting in a claim even if that was covered. First, we have a deductible that is more than the hotel cost. Second, insurers typically cancel your coverage if you have 2 claims in 5 years so I wouldn't want this to be the first. You never know what could crop up later.

[corn18]

Always something with a house, isn't there? I had the same issue last year with my furnace: fix it for $500 with no guarantee it would last or drop $3,000 for a replacement. I tapped the EF and replaced it. Then started a home repair fund for the next failure. Good luck with the repair and enjoy the hotel stay. Always nice to get out of the house for a few nights with Mrs. Disney.

[disneysteve]

Always nice to get out of the house for a few nights with Mrs. Disney.

Well, it's with Mrs. Disney and Daughter Disney too as she is still home on break . Plus, we just got home on Friday from a week's vacation. Oh, and we had our brand new refrigerator delivered yesterday. So it's been an expensive couple of weeks, partly planned, partly not.

[cypher1]

Sorry to hear about that expense and inconvenience. Once either my AC or furnace goes, I'll end up replacing both for around 4500-5000 unless the cost increases down the road. Mine are original at 18 years old old so far. Because of this site I've had the funds saved within my EF for some time now.

[JoeP]

So what was the problem, and what part needed to be replaced? I had a similar problem last year with the flame inducer, but was able to replace it myself for about $200. Middle of February, of course.

[disneysteve]

So what was the problem, and what part needed to be replaced?

Couple of things that they could see without taking it all apart. The circuit board was shot and not allowing the gas valve to open. Also, there is a cracked plate (don't remember the exact name). Both of those could be repaired for a few hundred dollars. The problem is the unit is old and both people who came out (one of whom we trust implicitly) agreed that they wouldn't advise fixing it because it would only be a temporary solution considering the age and overall condition of the unit.

[Like2Plan]

We've been in our house for almost 30 years. We've replace our furnace twice, each time with a more energy efficient unit. The first time was not too many years after moving in. The second time was just a few years ago (in December, of course ). We did notice a savings on our gas bill after each replacement. If your unit is pretty old, maybe the new one will be even more energy efficient and you will see a savings on your gas bill?

[disneysteve]

We've been in our house for almost 30 years. We've replace our furnace twice, each time with a more energy efficient unit. The first time was not too many years after moving in. The second time was just a few years ago (in December, of course ). We did notice a savings on our gas bill after each replacement. If your unit is pretty old, maybe the new one will be even more energy efficient and you will see a savings on your gas bill?

This is the 2nd time we're replacing it. The current one is a 92% efficiency unit. The new one will be 95% so not a huge increase but some. We saw a big drop when we replaced the 1964 original unit in 2001.

[JoeP]

Ours is 92% if I recall, and is 21 years old. I am hoping it will last 12 more years, but kind of doubt it will. Maybe now is a good time to start saving.

[disneysteve]

Ours is 92% if I recall, and is 21 years old. I am hoping it will last 12 more years, but kind of doubt it will. Maybe now is a good time to start saving.

I would definitely start setting money aside. We've been told by more than one source that average lifespan is 15 years, hence the reason we aren't fixing our 14-year-old one. If you've gotten 21 years, you are certainly on borrowed time. No way would I count on that lasting 12 more years.

[greenskeeper]

not to get off topic too much, but both houses i've owned have had baseboard electric. You have zone heat control and nothing wears out. The electric may be more expensive compared to other fuels (marginal at best), but not having to replace any components and the ability to zone heat makes it cost effective. FWIW the electric is my "backup heat" as both houses are primarily heated with wood.