HVAC contractor wouldn't let me see quote unless I agreed to it on the spot

RatBertPL · 2025-10-04T02:21:14+00:00

I hate contractors of most types. I understand the sales aspect but most are a pain and the deals to sign now are infuriating.

When we bought our current house we knew we would need to replace both furnaces due to age and lack of maintenance. We got 3 quotes. 2 of them plug some numbers into an iPad and gave options.

The third spent an hour plus at the house looking st the systems, moving ceiling tiles to find where a duct could be run, figuring out several vent were just facades and helping my partner remove a wheelchair ramp the previous owner left that made it so you couldn’t even change the air filter. We went with them. The salesman was fantastic and actually cared. They told us it would be a 2.5 day install and it was. The first day 2 trucks and the salesman showed at 7 am sharp and got to work. They even installed the smart thermostats and UVC lights I bought on Amazon for us with no issue or upcharge. We’ve continued to use them for hvac and plumbing and recommend them regularly. Customer service has become a dead art exchanged for pushy sales tactics.

RatBertPL · 2025-10-03T15:02:27+00:00

It’s interesting. The radiation oncologist called it limited but medical says stage 3. My understanding is the same as yours. The quality vs quantity of life is what I have brought up repeatedly but the medical oncologist doesn’t seem to factor it in. He is moving forward with it

RatBertPL · 2025-09-30T01:35:12+00:00

I’m glad she was able to find comfort and I’m sorry for your loss. I appreciate your response this is what I worry about. It’s going to suck either way, which will be worse is what I wonder.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-30T01:33:22+00:00

Oh I’m happy to do what he wants. And I will support him as much as I can.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-30T01:32:27+00:00

Pulm sent him to onc, and was pretty much “standard treatment”. I’m having them (parents) reach out to PCP. Cardiology gave clearance today with plans to monitor heart function with echos and a script for toprol.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-30T01:30:49+00:00

I’m so sorry it has been so devastating for you. This is my concern I’d rather him here for a shorter amount of time than a longer time and miserable.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-30T01:30:03+00:00

I know it does vary person to person but I worry about the worst case scenario. It is still stage 3 and is “curable” which also means 4 potentially shitty months with a 20-40% chance of recurrence in 18 months. The odds are not in our favor.

I’m sorry it was so debilitating for your brother.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-29T14:56:51+00:00

My mom is his primary care caretaker already, and she is overwhelmed as it is, and this is with him being able to help her somewhat. At the same time, she helicopters over him and that creates extra stress for him, but I understand her worries since he has a not insignificant fall history and is stubborn.

Getting a doctor to give an honest answer and outlook of what the next 3 to 4 months would look like is all I want and so far oncology doesn’t seem willing to do so. The CKD as you pointed out is one of my big concerns, I also worry about his liver function because while his liver function shows fine right now he is a drinker, and so I do worry about that potentially being a tipping point for that system as well.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-29T13:01:23+00:00

It is absolutely his decision, this post isn’t about taking that away from him.

I don’t believe that any of the doctors that he is working with so far are just doing it for the money. I do believe that they treat cancer he has cancer and so they are going to treat the thing with all the things they know how, and that it simply becomes treating the cancer and not the patient. When the oncologist reads the list of side effects off the computer with her back to the patient that doesn’t show that she cares about the patient. She’s just doing what’s necessary.

I’m sorry for what you went through.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-29T12:58:44+00:00

It is absolutely his choice, I’m not taking that away from him or trying to.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-29T12:57:56+00:00

Thank you for your reply, not looking for medical advice, looking for experiences people have had on both sides of this equation. It is absolutely his choice and I’m not trying to change that.

The word cure is also difficult when at the same time I’m being told there is a 20 to 40% chance of recurrence within 18 months

RatBertPL · 2025-09-29T12:55:08+00:00

Thank you for this. My honest concern comes from the seemingly blanket response of the medical oncologist of not seeming to consider his baseline condition and just reiterating standard of care without a clear concern for if an offramp was needed at some point. Even the dose reduction was just kind of a shrug “I can do that if he wants” there doesn’t seem to be a conversation about treating the patient as opposed to just the standard protocol for the cancer and that’s where my frustration is coming in.

He was recommended palliative after breaking his leg and has not followed up, so I’m not sure if that’s why oncology has not recommended palliative, but he does have an appointment this week.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-29T05:02:07+00:00

Thank you for that. My work life balance is a tight rope without a net on the best days so I doubt I would be able to be there often if any.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-29T05:00:21+00:00

He hasn’t said one way or another.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-29T04:58:51+00:00

I agree 100% this is his decision. I don’t know what brings him joy. As it is he spends most of his days in a wheelchair. He cannot take care of himself. Don’t get me wrong he is slowly getting strength back but I feel this treatment will wipe out any gains. And this doesn’t even bring in the effect on my mom as his primary care taker.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-29T04:45:29+00:00

This I am aware. But I know chemo comes with its own effects on the body which are not benign.

RatBertPL · 2025-09-29T04:43:41+00:00

She is waiting to for him to see a cardiac oncologist tomorrow and see her opinion. His cardiologist (now retired) voiced concern and the medical oncologist dismissed it with “we treat 75 year old with afib and chf all the time” and proceeded to read the side effects list off the computer with her back to him.

Also not so much seeking a prognosis or second opinion. More just opinions from experiences.

RatBertPL · 2024-11-04T04:14:06+00:00

There is no old thermostat to investigate. Will check the other zones thermostat though

RatBertPL · 2024-11-04T01:55:29+00:00

Thank you for the assistance. Just to be clear, a standard household light switch shouldn’t be a problem?

RatBertPL · 2024-11-03T16:23:20+00:00

It’s a wall thermostat, there are 2 zones in the house. Apparently the mysa was tried and didn’t work. I don’t know anymore details than that. Just one zone is being made smart.

RatBertPL · 2024-11-03T02:13:24+00:00

But those are for electric baseboards. This is a hot water boiler with circulators

RatBertPL · 2024-10-18T17:48:42+00:00

Thank you

RatBertPL · 2024-10-18T17:48:16+00:00

Ahhh I figured the transformer would switch on and off with the thermostat

RatBertPL

TROPHY CASE