Any handy men around here? Question about a Home furnace belt.

[diabeticman]

I'll admit it. I don't know a hammer from a screw driver. My wife does some repairs what she can around the house but we are in a situation and could use some help.


My landlord took the fan belt off our furnace because in May it started breaking apart. We had a very cold evening and I was putting on the furnace so my wife would be warm during the night. Her health isn't strong enough yet and I wanted to make sure she was warm. Anyway, I turn on the furnace and we smelt this burning smelling coming from the vents. We called the landlord. He came a week later took the belt and said he was going to bring back a new one. HE NEVER CAME BACK.

We kept calling --not just for the belt but a lot of things need done here and he has screwed up our bathroom. We want our place livable again.

Anyway his "business partner" comes to us and our next door neighbors also renting the other side of the duplex. He insisted we needed to pay him the rent and that the other guy isn't in the picture anymore and demanded the rent we were holding because they hadn't fixed the bathroom or any other things we needed done and hadn't answered us.

I told him I'll be glad to give him the rent that I have it put aside for him but we need the work done so when he is done with the work I'll pay the money.

He told me after Labor day he'd start. We have not heard from this guy. Doesn't answer anyone's calls. The original landlord is rumored to have left the city.

The couple next door and my wife and I have decided to get the repairs done ourself--at least what we can and take it from the rent.

Questions:

How much is a home furnace belt?

How easy is it to put on the furnace?

Should I just call a heating and cool person?

[Arkansas Granny]

1. Of you aren't handy, and if you're going to hold it out of the rent anyway,

I would call a heat and air company so you're sure it's done right.

[diabeticman]

2. okay but I do want some price range just to make sure I'm not getting ripped off. don't want to

pay a total of $200 with labor when the average call is $150


We have a lot of repairs to do before winter comes.

[LunaSea]

3. You probably should leave it to a handy person

But a google search of "Home furnace belt" pulls up several how-to pages and videos.
Check them out and decide what's involved. Check prices on a belt too.
Get the make and model numbers before you look it up.
Then call around for estimates for the replacement.
Then you'll have a better idea of what to expect.

[diabeticman]

4. Maybe I'm not googling it right but I keep getting shown $1000.00 manufactor belts.

I've even tried lowes and home depo for pricing and the web pages say they don't have any so unless I'm looking under the wrong title I haven't been able to do much homework like I want too.

[Arkansas Granny]

5. Have you tried to google the model number of the furnace?

Sometimes that will bring up a parts listing and a way to order replacement part including pricing.

[diabeticman]

6. The furnace has to be at least 15 years old. If not older. I've been looking and I can't

seem to see a model number around.

[LunaSea]

8. $1000.! That doesn't sound right

Check your yellow pages for appliance parts places. But you'll have to have info on the model or they won't be able to help.

Kali is correct, should be a simple repair and a cheap part. But you're going to have to find info on the unit. If there's nothing on the outside of it, perhaps there is a panel on the front with one or two screws to open it. Could be a label inside with the info you need.
I can't believe there's not a manufacturers name on the outside somewhere.
What part of the world are you in anyway?

I hate crappy landlords.

[Kali]

7. was it just a regular looking v-belt a couple feet long?

goes over a motor with a small diameter pulley wheel and the fan part is larger?

should not be more than $20 and 30 minutes labor I would think. find a model number or measure the belt size and look at the videos for doing it yourself - should be a piece of cake.

of course if things are old an decrepit you might actually want a pro to give you a full inspection...

is it gas or electric?

[mikeytherat]

9. Somewhere on the furnace is a brand name and model number - can you get us that?

I'd be happy to search the part for you - just need the make and model of your furnace.

mikey_the_rat

[sendero]

10. If the landlord..

... hadn't taken the belt, you could remove it, take it to an auto-parts store (these belts are almost always the same V-belts used in older automotive applications) and gotten a replacement.

Installing one of these is not real hard, but since you say you are not handy you'd best leave it to someone who it. Not having the original belt to "size" by may make getting a replacement a trial and error thing, also, it's really not good to run a furnace without the fan blowing. In fact it is quite dangerous as a fire can result.

It is sometimes difficult to not get ripped off on things like this. If you live in a larger city, I would look on Craigslist and see if you can find someone. I've had pretty good luck with finding folks there.

[HopeHoops]

11. That really depends on the furnace. The same's true for filters. Some are easy, others a PITA.

In our furnace, neither are easy. First of all, call your municipal office to complain about the asshole landlords, and then call a heating and cooling company. The furnace belt is similar to a serpentine belt on a car engine - you have to tension it correctly or you're going to have trouble.

[diabeticman]

12. Thank you all for your help and advice. We are going to call a repair man. Wife wants the

furnace to have a once over only because it is old and is concern of CO2 issues.