If I were you & had a good relationship with the firm that works on your "heater" I would tell them the price you found for $90 & work a deal that basically includes the replacement cost of the circuit board & labor be included in a new system with the caveat that you will be obtaining other bids to ensure you're getting a fair price. The only answer you don't want to hear is NO. To answer can you obtain the new board & install yourself, the answer is YES if your really careful. I would take a digital photo of the existing board & wiring & make a comprehensive diagram of the circuit board with terminals numbered & wiring by color(s). If there are multiple wires on some terminals tape or cable tie them together with terminal number attached. Good luck.

A similar circumstance occurred when the blower control board failed on our Lennox G20 WhisperHeat furnace a few years ago. I'm a retired electronics technician, and decided to take a look at the board prior to calling our Lennox dealer for a service call. The problem was a relay failure on the control board, no electronic circuit failures. I went ahead and called the dealer, and they sent out a tech. I told him what I had found, and he asked if I was competent to replace the relay on the printed circuit board. I said "yes," and he gave me a new relay. I saved myself over $400 for the board replacement, and it's still working fine - thanks to the local very customer-oriented Lennox dealer. Most dealers would not do this.

As with anything related to your family's safety, such as a furnace, safety is, and should be, your #1 concern. After taking photos of all of the connection points with your digicam, or phone, and if the board is a direct replacement, you should not have any problem replacing the board yourself - just double-check all of the connections. And, of course, make sure you shut off the AC power to the furnace before starting the work.

thanks for the replies. I did challenge the contractor with my price and called others to ask if they would install a board I supplied (I don't trust my skills) but nothing useful came of it. And the point about safety is something I can't guarantee that I will do right.

I decided to save the money plus $130 I was going to pay for a furnace tune-up toward a new Carrier 80% Infinity + AC for $7400. 10% 'saved' by not paying for the board and I'd really kick myself if I had to replace the unit next year.

I would buy it and put in in. It's not much harder than changing a hard drive on your computer. Or call a friend that's tech savvy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EoQtvOlsag Take a pic of the wires with your smart phone prior to removing them.

Guess he has a new unit by now as it was a Jan post.

I just joined, king icon is correct, however he forgot to mention that it takes time and a lot of long hours to aquire these skills. A proffessional skilled HVAC technician is not a parts changer, we rely on our schooling and on the job education. The customer did not diagnose it, if he had good for him, not many can, then he can order online. In addition, if you order online and you receive the board and it doesn't work or you blew it out, buyer beware, remember there are no refunds on electronics if it's opened, same goes for us. An HVAC technicians time is precious and we should get paid as such.

HVAC pro will not buy $90 used board on Ebay. Carrier Board is one of the most expensive board and Lennox is just next to it.

What some one can do to his own equipment is his business, but if the pro is working on your equipment he is well aware of the liabilities.

Either shop for multiple estimates or do not complain.

Labor and overhead are important to not forget. Spend a couple hours diagnosing it is not anything else, going to get the part that's easily $100 an hour ($200), plus the part ($100-$150 the part is more expensive locally because its available immediately similar to auto part stores local costs more than online), and business costs (gas, vehicle maintenance and insurance, billing service, paperwork) another $100 to $200.

Once you learn of the costs it is not unreasonable. You can DIY once you learn how to do it if you cannot stomach the bill. You can do a whole furnace yourself, you can also set up the air conditioning system although this is a steep learning curve and better left to a pro. The only thing you cant DIY is your freon. Call them to come reclaim before starting and to charge the system after. If they cant keep a vacuum on your AC setup then you did it wrong somewhere and they would have to remedy before charging. Would not hurt to have your own vacuum to test your system before they come, if you have it vacuumed ahead of time that will save them time and the labor should be less.

Some cities require a pro sign off on gas appliances before its use. So you still may have to consult someone if you install a furnace yourself.

Most of these "full service" HVAC companies are very expensive for repairs. They have a very high overhead structure having to pay out reasonable salaries to all employees, plus large profits to the owners. I would recommend finding a small outfit where the owner is doing a lot of the work and you will find the prices a lot more reasonable, in addition many of these guys are a lot more conscientious, more experienced than the techs big companies use. They do a better job as their name is on the truck and most of their business is via word of mouth vs heavy advertising.

Agreed it’s best to find a small shop with an owner and techs who are skilled and experienced. I’ve had problems with the unit under warranty and the “service” from the installer. They bill themselves as the best in the area. But they hard sell their maintenance program, don’t honor it if you need a repair and can beat their prices, and mark up their labor and repair estimates by $150-200 above the high end of average. They are charging me big bucks for a new part because, according to their technician, the control board is manufactured in China so not reliable. My system is under warranty. They filed the warranty on my behalf when I bought the unit through them. I am registered with Rheem. So nobody has any business double charging me. It is pouring rain. The tech is on his way. He expects me to stand in the rain and hold my umbrella over him while he installs his board so I can have heat on Thanksgiving. Then he expects to charge me $600 labor and parts. Nope. They have my system in their system and a copy of the warranty and registration. They admittedly misdiagnosed the problem last April but he told me then that the system was still under warranty so I could wait til fall. What gives?

It costed me $212. Part $112 for my Comfort maker furnace and labor $100. If the technician is knowledgeable, diagnosi

replacement takes an hour.

"If the technician is knowledgeable, diagnosis and replacement takes an hour."

"A proffessional skilled HVAC technician is not a parts changer, we rely on our schooling and on the job education."

Therein lies the problem - most techs can't diagnose the problem accurately and rely on parts swapping (at the homeowner's expense). The HVAC industry has become its own worst enemy through incompetence and unethical practices. I can foresee a day when the equipment will fully diagnose itself and provide immediate online repair instructions to the homeowner. Can't come soon enough in my opinion!

Defrost board replacement on a heat pump. Here’s the way I bill it out. $89 to drive to your house and that gives you 30 minutes of troubleshooting. Surely I can find a bad control board in that time. $100 labor to replace it, and I charge whatever the board costs me X two...so, if I pay $160 (carrier for example) for the board, it’ll cost you $509

If the board cost me $30 (Goodman for example) it’ll cost you $249

Florida Licensed AC contractor