Home Depot and Gas Furnace Installation

Hi:

Home Depot sells Trane gas furnaces, and I would like to know if Home Depot has their own people install the furnace or do they subcontract? I remember a commercial a few weeks ago, where they showed a bunch of guys in Home Depot uniforms installing a furnace. Doesn't sound correct and downright silly. I am sure Home Depot can't possibly install the furnace themselves. If they did, the workmanship and installation can't be good.

For those of you who have used Home Depot to install a gas furnace, how was the installation and service? I looked up Trane authorized dealers in my area, but some of them have addresses that don't exist or are PO boxes.They also list Home Depot as an authorized dealer, but they scare me.

Reply to
Doe John
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I'm sure they subcontract. Also, from the hvac ngs/forums I've been in, there are all kinds of grades of units that a mfr will make, "builder's grade" being the shittiest possible--one of the reasons not to buy anything from a developer. Just try to imagine the grade that HD is selling. If it's anything like their near-useless lumber, watch out.

I had a new Bryant furnace/central A/C system installed, and it is a piece of garbage. A very costly mistake. And I was an HVAC/boiler mechanic, at one time! And, it is almost impossible for a homeowner to defend against the near-inevitable fleecing that awaits, because there are just so many ways to get fleeced, so many variables, that only an insider can really keep track of. It's a major major homework project. It's almost like tryna win at 3-card Monte.

Reply to
Proctologically Violated©®

Home Depot subcontract most if not all of this work. It's a crap shoot as to whether you get a good crew or a bad one. But since HD will surely go for the cheapest contractors they can find, the chances are they won't be the best.

I guess a lot of people feel "safe" knowing that they have recourse to HD, a very large company. However, I personally think that HD's commitment to customer service and quality is rather lacking (to put it kindly). Lowes do at least seem to "care", a little.

Personally, I'd suggest finding a local contractor through the recommendation of friends, neighbors, other tradespeople who you might know and trust.

Reply to
Malcolm Hoar

I'm amazed that by now, independent contractors haven't found a way to pitch $$$ into a common fund, and buy some creative advertising to spread the word about Home Depot. What a source of humor it could be!

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

When it comes to HD if it's on the shelf and you can put it in yourself your fine. Now a special order or installation From my experience good luck. Do yourself a favor shop around

Reply to
Sacramento Dave

Hire a professional HVAC outfit. One you're friends and neighbors have used and trust. I've heard way too many HD installation horror stories to trust them to do anything on my property.

Reply to
J.A. Michel

a friend priced roofing from HD 12 grand

indenpendent contractor 7 grand

home depot is making a excellen profit

I priced but havent bought a furnace yet. the home depot waqs high cost for same trane furnace

Reply to
hallerb

I got an estimate from Home Depot, and that was their first mistake. They sent out a rep from a semi-local HVAC dealer who was Mr. Hard Sell all the way: "I can only offer this price today. I can't guarantee the price unless you commit right now. How about I call my manager and we come up with an absolute rock-bottom deal? What do I have to do to sell you this system?"

I told him what he had to do was wait until I'd talked to the other contractors I'd also asked to come by and give me estimates. Glad I did, as it turned out his rock-bottom deal was the highest of all, more than twice the next guy's.

Jo Ann

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote:

Reply to
jah213

If you actually bothered to search the newsgroups for comments from people who have used Home Depot's installatino services you would have already found enough information to avoid using them.

And someone above me said something about their special order stuff being not very good. Please elaborate. I've special ordered several doors (and ordered appliances that they don't stock) from HD and Lowes and never had a problem with them. The fact that I can't see them first and have to wait 6 weeks to get them sometimes has so far been the worst part. However, the quality of the products has always been excellent.

Reply to
scott21230

I have used Home Depot installers a couple times. They are subcontractors, and not Home Depot employees. The experiences I had were that the subs tried to minimize their effort by treating anything and everything as an upcharge, and rushed the jobs to get them done quickly rather than correctly. They have no stake in your satisfaction since their own reputation and business name are never revealed directly. The $1000 door I bought from Home Depot which they installed, for example, was treated like a $100 door, and I had to go back to Home Depot to get a credit for incomplete installation.

I personally have found that small local contractors seem to charge about the same or perhaps a bit more, but do a better job. Home Depot runs its business in a sloppy way IMHO when it comes to this type of stuff, but perhaps this is just a local issue and others may feel very differently.

Reply to
Smarty

Because the big box stores can outgun them with the deep pockets they have. Most people tend to believe constant spin marketing. They actually think the only way to do/buy something is to use a big box place.

*EVERYONE* at home depot, best buy whatever is an expert just waiting to help you and even better at the cheapest possible price (and arbys makes great roast beef sandwiches too).
Reply to
George

My cousin (single woman) did the same thing. The guy immediately informed her that she was in danger because of her heating system and that it should be totally replaced ASAP. I hooked her up with a reputable guy I know who checked out everything and made some small repairs and adjustments for not a lot of money leaving her with a safe system and money in her wallet.

Reply to
George

Actually, that's a myth, but the brainwashing is very successful. This is why people think Wal Mart is cheaper for groceries.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

It would be next to impossible to do it any other way. They don't pay the contractors much (just like they treat their employees) so the contractor is going to give that level of service and they go for the upcharge so maybe they can have fries with that burger for lunch.

Reply to
George

Amen. It is rare when you can't beat HD prices. And if you can't, there's generally a very good reason: the HD line is just markedly inferior, esp. in lumber. But boy, that $12K vs $7K price one poster cited is just wild!

Reply to
Proctologically Violated©®

Another HD disciple. Friends w/ Harold on rcm?

Reply to
Proctologically Violated©®

Just look at how they man--or don't man--their cash registers. Sez it all. Fuck you, the consumer.

Reply to
Proctologically Violated©®

Too funny! They did that to me, too! Fortunately, I'd already had it inspected and while the inspector felt the furnace was "approaching the end of its useful life" at 30 years old, he was also able to confirm that there was nothing wrong with it yet (aside from inefficiency, which was just the nature of the beast).

I have a son who used to sell cars, and he's trained me well in recognizing a sales pitch when I encounter one.

Jo Ann

George wrote:

Reply to
jah213

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