What would you do......???

MURPH'

Human interest, Had a call from an elderly gentleman wanting to get some pipes fixed from freeze damage. Went to gentlemans home to find out that his furnace quit running and was un-repairable. This being the case since november (i kid you not)he was sitting there with a cup-o-soup and a little electric heater, but no water to make more soup !! Seems that local oil co. has been servicing this unit and supplying oil till it's demise. When he needed it replaced he could not get new unit financed through oil co.,so I guess case closed. What do you folks do in this situation?? what do your companies policies dictate?? walk away since there is no money to be made?/ I sent this proud eighty-year-old to stay with his only daughter in the next town, till we get this sorted out. I have made numerous calls to different agency's since and have been trying to get him some type of funding for at least part of the equipment cost.


How far do you go, and where do you draw the line??


Murph' (SOS)

Steamhead

Murph, tell us more

about what he needs. Maybe someone on the Wall would be kind enough to donate the equipment.........

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Mark A. Custis

Get him heat,

just like you are doing. Budget's tight but I've enough gas to get to you and help with the change out. Does the unit need to be Oil? In Ohio we have HEAP and community action agencies, I am sure that's where you are headed. Loading the tin tools.

Keep me posted.

Mark

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chuck shaw

Murph,

Have you tried the local council on aging? They may have a direct pipeline (excuse the pun) to an agency or government service that may be able to point you (him) in the right direction to get fuel assistance or replacement assistance.

Chuck Shaw

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Mark J Strawcutter

county agency on aging

is a good place to start. In my experience those folks know about all the other agencies/funding sources.

I don't have equipment to donate, but can donate grunt labor if you need it.

Mark

nick z.

Sound like you did plenty. Maybe the daughter can help him out. Not sying you should, but maybe you could finance it for him? Boiler or funace? I have just taken out a pretty good boiler I would gladly donate.
I almost hate to say this but its true,are you sure he really is finnacly strapped? I've worked for a old lady for nothing may times because she always cried she ahd no money. I was talking with her care giver who haddles her bills and she told me that she certainly had enough money that I didn't have to work for nothing.

MURPH'

I wasn't thinking........

Donations hmmmmmnnn.. no seriously , I won't waste my time listing all the dead ends that I came across. I did/am getting some response from the area on the aging and the weatherization program through a very receptive lady in the state senators office!! Kinda have to wait and see, there is a horizontal oil fired (in very muddy crawl) that has a rusted out chamber (cheep generic).IMHO and others this needs new replacement. very old !!


I would want to say that if anyone shut's off heating equipment (even in summer) take some time to find out what happened to said customer, even if you do not get the call back to replace or repair. FIND OUT !! especially elderly.


Murph' (sos)
Thanks

Mad Dog

How about your regular supplier

will they help you out? How about the product reps of the different companies that work your area.....might they donate a free unit if you can get them some good press in the local papers???? Why don't you call the most local TV station and newspapers...get a drive goin' Murph Mad Dog

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Tom M.

Murph,

I don't know where you're from but a fuel assistance program in your area may be able to direct you to another program that can help. Community Teamwork who handles our fuel assistance customers, has helped with boiler and furnace replacement as well as giving us phone numbers of lesser known state and city programs.

David Sutton

i had this happen to a freind of a friend

What i did was got a boiler i had taken out that was still good and installed it for her and charged her a bag of home made cookies and man those were the best cookies i ever had.. god has been very good to me and its my turn to do for others from time to time. murph i read your stuff and i feel you already know what to do if your near me ill help you out . i'm in suffield ct... David S

Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

Poor old guy

If you are willing to do the work to start up a collection for him, I'd be willing to donate some money for a boiler replacement; say $100.

Let me know.

Best wishes,

Alan

P.S. I'll be out of town 'til next Monday, but I'll check this thread when I get back. I'll be going to Asland, OR to look for snow. I hear you've got plenty of it back east.

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John Abbott

Poor old guy

> If you are willing to do the work to start up a

> collection for him, I'd be willing to donate some

> money for a boiler replacement; say $100.

>

> Let

> me know.

>

> Best wishes,

>

> Alan

>

> _A

> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 53&Step=30"_To Learn More About This Contractor,

> Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A

> Contractor"_/A_

John Abbott

I'm with Alan

if it would help I will donate at least 100 dollars.

John

Jim Walls

Council On Aging

As mentioned above by Chuck & Mark , I would have them check to see if there is a local agency, if not, possibly at the state level. My wife is an outreach specialist with the agency in our county, she told me ,programs vary from state to state, but are available to help this gentleman, if he qualifies financially. She also mentioned a State Utilities Commission.

hot_rod

What we've done.

Turned them on to the government program. Your tax dollars at work! They can get new equipment installed & it goes against the property whenever it's sold (if they haven't paid it back). Usually costs us the work due to low ball bidders, but I sleep better knowing they were helped.

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Bob Forand

Where are you located

Where are you located ? What is the equipment that has failed ? There is help somewhere...