Arrived home to find that the furnace was squealing loudly and heat was limited. I tried lubricating the fan bearings, but it didn't help so I called Enbridge as I had a service contract with them.
After nearly an hour on the phone listening to a repeated recording about “how important my call was to Enbridge” the call was cut off.
Another hour on the phone and finally talked to someone who told me that they would have a technician at my house between 12 and 5 the following day. They told me that they only came out immediately for no heat calls.
Took the afternoon off work and listened to the sound going on and on. Phoned Enbridge at 5:00 (45 minutes waiting) and asked where the technician was. They told me that they were very busy and would get to me when able. The twit finally rolled in after 8:30, told me I shouldn't be calling to see where he was, went downstairs to the furnace and then walked out saying “I don't have the parts for your furnace. They will have to be ordered”
Called Enbridge yet again – the usual wait - and was told that they would have to have someone else out tomorrow. By this point the noise was so loud we couldn't sleep so I turned off the furnace and tried to make sure the kids were warm enough with baseboards. It didn't work due to the cold snap so on the phone to Enbridge again.
Another tech and this one just turned on the heat and told me that the fan shaft was worn through due to the bearings wearing out. He said he had the bearings and a shaft, but the shaft was too long and he couldn't cut it. I offered to loan a hack saw or even to cut it myself. He told me that they didn't do that as the shafts were balanced and left.
By this point we needed the heat so badly I called an emergency service and paid to have the furnace repaired. It took about 45 minutes for the technician to arrive, he tossed in two bearings and cut a shaft to fit in about 15 minutes. When I asked about the “balanced shaft” the other technician had described he told me that it was standard steel rod and there was no balancing required. The entire process cost me less than one year of Enbridge's contract.
Canceled the "service" contract and when it was time buy a new furnace I stayed far away from Enbridge. Looking to replace my air now, again not from Enbridge.
Now if there was only some way to buy natural gas so that Enbridge didn't handle it.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. Enbridge's service people - Fletcher I think - called me 10 days later to make an appointment as the parts had finally arrived. I have to confess I wasn't very polite.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $168.00