A friend asked me if she was getting a square deal or being hosed. Blower fan motor is shot and needs replacing. HVAC guy also said her "filter box " was wrong and allowed unfiltered air to pass by so it needs replacing too for another $375 plus $550 for the squirrel fan motor. I said to get 3 bids and to check to see if she was using the correct sized filter which would not allow air to bypass the filter. Over $900 and a funky tail about a filter box makes me think she was getting hosed, hat do you folks think? TX Bob

Sounds high to me, the three estimates are the way to go.

$550 for an installed motor is't too far off, depending on where you live. I just had one replaced under warranty, had to pay labor at $125 and motor, not paid, was $400. For the most part, there is no "filter box" unless it is an electrostatic filter. In most cases, it is a slot channel with guides and a filter cap. Make sure the right sized filter is used, width, length and thickness.

Here is my quess since I have not looked at the blower. HVAC guy says the cage was so full of dust a debris that it clogged and burned out. Says wrong "filter box" was installed and allowed unfiltered air to reach the cage. My guess is the home owner has not been installing the correct size filter since day one. I had that happen to me once when I bought an investment condo. Pulled out a 24x24 filter and installed a 24x24 filter. Did this for 2 years before I realized the correct filter was 28x24. For 2 years I had the equivalent of a 24x4" hole in my filter. I am wondering if this fairly new HO may have done the same thing. The only "filter box " I know of is two tracks for the filter to slip into and the plunum encloses the space.

That's what mine is 2 tracks and a cap. Brian

You guys must be using 240 volt motor, right?

No, definitely 120 vac. What would lead you to think 240?

I've not seen a 120 volt cost more than 180 dollars. What's the info on the motor? I'd like to check the price, just curious.

I will try to get that info but keep in ind the HVAC guiy would also charge for a service call, labor and haul away of the old motor. In my book that may be worth a total of $400, he wants $500 plus $375 for a "filterbox" which also makes me think he's got a sucker mom who doesn't know what's what. When I was a kid pumping gas I told my neighbor her muffler bearings were shot, she offered me $100 to grease them, I did not.

With copper prices so high, salvage on the old motor would pay to haul away. Lol

Is it a variable speed motor? To see if this person got a bad deal we would need to know all info. Make and model of the furnace or fan coil and what work was done to the return air to make it right. "Filter box"?? The return duct going to the furnace or filter grill?