Lochinvar LP Gas Hot Water Heater - Power Vent Model DVL051

[tphelan]

I have recently had to replace the blower unit at a cost of $900.
I was told that the original installer had installed a commercial hot water heater in my home - hence the high cost.
Can anyone tell me if the Lochinvar Model DVL051 is designed for commercial or residential use?
Thanks,
Dr. Tom

[hj]

Normally blower units are generic, and thus the same for residential or commercial heaters. The difference between commercial and residential, while nebulous, is in the metal thickness for the tank and the btu input for the burner. The two types are interchangeable, except that using a residential heater in a commercial setting reduces its warranty to the commercial standard three years. I do not find that model, but it is close enough to the residential model numbers that I would think it was one.

[tphelan]

Does it seem reasonable that the blower unit would cost $900 and the estimated, not verified, cost of the unit is close to $2000?
I'm amazed to find that such a unit was installed in my "low budget" home in 2005.

[tphelan]

Lochinvar Customer Service replied promptly to my e-mail. The current list price is $2300. Can anyone explain why such a costly hot water heater would have been installed by a plumbing contractor in a low cost ($230,000) home (2004-2005 construction, including land).
The same contractor installed an LP furnace for a Forced Hot Air system with inadequate ducting. It cost $4200 to have proper ducting installed. After the correct ducts were installed, monthly LP costs dropped from a $450/month budget to a $200/month budget.
I'm taking the installer of both the hot water heater and the furnace to small claims court. I've had to pay $900 for a blower and $4200 for proper ducting to correct his work.
This seems outrageous in a house that is 7 years old.

[hj]

Good luck with any claims after 7 years. Those heaters are usually used so they do not have to install a chimney, which in a two story house can be more expensive than just putting in a more expensive water heater. You also have to understand that the "price" you were quoted is nowhere near what the installer paid for it. As for the unasked question, I don't know what the blower unit costs or how difficult it is to install on a Lochinvar heater, but $900.00 does seem a bit steep.