When it comes to building long-term wealth, owning property can be one of the best financial investments you can make. From building equity as you pay down your mortgage to enjoying tax advantages and potential property appreciation, the benefits are hard to ignore.
But let’s be real; homeownership isn’t cheap. The ongoing costs, like replacing a furnace fan motor, are not for the faint of heart.
Right before our unplugging vacation, the furnace decided to stop blowing cold air. My first thought was simple: just like when a car AC stops working, it probably needed refrigerant. Honestly, if it weren’t for the kids complaining, Boston showing signs of heatstroke, and the relentless heat wave, I would’ve pushed the problem aside since cooler weather was right around the corner.
But the odds were against me, so I couldn’t ignore it.
So I called an HVAC company. The technician showed up, checked the thermostat, and confirmed the blower was running but the AC wasn’t. He went outside, opened the AC panel, sprayed out the debris, tested the pressure, and told me I needed two pounds of refrigerant to get things back to normal.
I said, “Go ahead.”
And just like that, $398 gone.
About a week after our trip, the AC failed again. But this time the symptoms were different. Every time we turned the system on, we heard a loud humming outside, but no cold air. That’s when I realized the fan motor was done; the blades were static and another expense was waiting.
Since I’d never worked on an HVAC system before, I called the service company again. After describing the loud hum and the dead fan, they quoted me $580 for the repair.
That’s when I decided to dig in myself. I started researching and watched a few DIYs, and to my surprise, it wasn’t nearly as intimidating as I thought. I may not be a fan of electricity, but this was something I could definitely handle.
I ordered the fan motor for $113.27
Once I received the part, the first thing I did was turn off the AC power to be safe. Then I removed the top cover of the unit, cleared out all the debris that had piled up inside, and gave the coils a good rinse from the inside out with the garden hose.
Check out this rusty motor. It’s done its job after running strong for at least twenty-five years.
Before putting everything back together, I set the old and new fan motors side by side to double-check that they matched in power and specifications.
Finally, I turned the AC power back on, and just like that, it was up and running again.
Job accomplished. Everyone’s happy!
Recap
- HVAC company quote: $580
- DIY cost: $113.27
- Total savings: $466.73
The lesson here is not to underestimate what you’re capable of. To save yourself some money, don’t be afraid to face the challenge head-on.
Gio founded TheGrowthFocusedGuy in January 2020 because he was fed up with debt.
His mission is to document his journey to Financial Independence in order to motivate and inspire others to get out of debt and begin building generational wealth.
