The Carrier 58CVA uses a variable speed motor. They are the most expensive type of blower. I would imagine there is a lot of labor involved in the replacement. The quote you got is not unreasonable.

If the furnace is less than 10 years old then you should be covered by the parts warranty.

I think the motors are made by GE. You made be able to fit a generic brand, but I would not recommend it. If you are not sure about the diagnosis then get a a second quote.

Thank you for your input. The previous owners have installed the unit but the manual's warranty says 5yrs on parts. How do I confirm if the parts are on warranty for 5 or 10 yrs? I plan to get a second opinion. Does any technician give a free estimate these days?

MK

This furnace is still an active model for Carrier. That furnace carries a 10 yr warranty on parts. When was it installed? What dealer installed the furnace? That's who I would call first thing this morning. Have all paperwork/documentation in front of you when you call. Serial number of furnace might be helpful as well. Warranty would start from date of installation.

IMO

Here is a link that might be useful: Carrier Infinity Mdl 58CVA

I came across this while looking for information on a repair that we had done recently. We have a Carrier geothermal system that is 11 years old. One day I noticed a slight burning smell and noticed that the blower was going on and off intermittently but not staying on. A technician who came out said that the variable blower motor and control panel needed to be replaced to the tune of about $1,300. Based on your response to the question above, this sounds like it could be in the ballpark. However, a friend told me that based on the symptoms (burning smell, intermittent operation), the problem might have been a faulty capacitor which would have been far less expensive to replaced. Is this possible? I know you only have the information I provided, but any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I don't think ECM motors (variable speed motors) have capacitors. Those prices sound about right for a variable speed OEM motor.

It is probably not a bad capacitor. But if it were a smoked capacitor then it means an over supply of current flow. That condition is probably caused by something else failing in the circuit so putting in a new capacitor may not be the complete fix.

In my Carrier Infinity furnace, the motor and the control module are separate parts. Being that these components are very expensive, I would not want to replace both of them if it were not necessary.

Carrier is usually good about providing detailed diagnostic documentation to troubleshoot a problem. But this takes work and knowledge. Replacing both parts is much easier, but costly to the homeowner.

Thanks for the info everybody!

I'm hoping one of you can help with my question. SDG&E came out to look at my furnace and verify the dryer gas line was functional (renter called them out). Apparently, he had concerns with my furnace and said to call in a Tech. So first the technician said it was a part that needed cleaning and works fine and left. Thirty minutes later, I get a message that it still isn't so Tech has to come back. Now he says that the motor on the blower is bad...mine wasn't making any noise like the other persons. They are suggesting I replace the furnace rather than repair the blower. Is he just guessing or is this the problem? If I replace it, this will be the 4th furnace in this condo that was built in 1975.

Furnaces (most models and brands) typically last over 20 years as the heat exchanger is in most cases what typically determines time to replace unless you are upgrading to increase air conditioning efficiency.

With that said, in order to get a furnace to the 20 year mark and beyond will require repairs at various intervals. This requires a knowledgeable HVAC repair man.

If the furnace is constantly breaking down all the time, only then would it be worthwhile to investigate a replacement.

4 furnaces = 80 years with an average replacement cycle of 20 years as an example.

I service the Katy, Texas area.

I'm in Oceanside, CA and generally have my furnace serviced every year. I don't recall having any problems except with the thermostat which they kept telling me works fine when it doesn't. So this visit, since it was an economical fix and I now have renters, I had them replace the thermostat that they again told me was working fine. Now they are pricing repairing over replacing and have suggested I would be throwing money away to repair this blower motor. I actually don't really have funds to do either and the tenants are already complaining about how long before it is fixed. I'm just confused as to why didn't he discover this in the first place. Are furnaces that difficult to diagnose?

My furnace is a Carrier weathermaker home comfort series. It is cycling on and off and not producing heat. It shuts itself off. I know I have the 2 speed motor...would that be something that causes more wear on on the unit. Maybe Carrier is not a good brand? Suggestions if I need to replace it would be helpful. If Carrier sucks I sure don't want to install another one....lol. Thank you for any suggestions.

Thermostat problems can mimic or hide other problems with your HVAC system. If the thermostat turns the system on, more often than not... the problem is with the system and not the thermostat.

With that said, a HVAC repairman must have a good understanding of controls as well as the problems HVAC equipment has that tends to mimic one to believe there is a problem with a thermostat.

Intermittent type problems can be very difficult to diagnose properly. If the HVAC repairman is suggesting you to replace a furnace because you're throwing money away on a part to repair the old one what happens if you put in a new furnace and the same problem happens with the new one a short time later?

Sure you can replace the furnace to fix it again, but how much money are you throwing away by not just fixing the old furnace?

The key in this is that you need someone who knows they can fix it. If your repair man lacks confidence the writing may be on the wall.

A few words of advice if you look to a new service company..... don't try to diagnose your system as to what you think is wrong with it. You are paying for a service, it is their job to diagnose it. They may ask you for bread crumbs as in how the system is operating, this is perfectly fine to give technician clues as to where to look.

Intermittent HVAC problems can take more than one visit sometimes. You need a HVAC repair man with a tenacity or determination to get to the bottom of the problem, otherwise you're left to replacing the furnace and hope the problem doesn't reappear a short time later.

I can tell you I've solved tough problems just this last year alone on the first visit, but I've also had several calls that took two visits and one that took as many as 4. I say this so you understand the challenge.

A true HVAC repair man is a dying breed. The way things are going in this industry your choices will be few. The bad part is, you will always need a good HVAC repair man... as you've found out the hard way replacing 4 furnaces at this property in less than 80 years.