Our A/C stopped working. It was 80 degrees in my house. So we called who we were familiar with…read more They came out same day and the technician was great! He told us exactly what was wrong, that he wouldn't recommend fixing because its a 26 year old unit. And due to the time he even waited with us for the guy to sell us the unit! The guy to sell the unit came in, gave us three packages to choose from, and explained why the furnaces worked differently and the benefits. We chose, signed up for financial help, and they left.
Install was the next day.
This is where things started to go wrong, without us even knowing.....
My mom was the installs host as my brother and I (the owners) had to work. She told them that while we couldn't be there, she was told that any help they needed they could reach us and we would answer. No calls ever came.
I texted my mom cause I saw that they were packing up to leave on my ring camera.
She said she wasn't happy with the install cause they left piping hanging down from our HVAC system. When she told the guy she didn't get a lot of answers "since the home owners couldn't be there."
Unhappy, my brother and I inspected the house when we got home....
NOBODY had told us to move everything out of the basement so they had room.
NOBODY had told us to the full extent of what was going to be installed other than the furnace and A/C.
We found out the hard way....
New PVC pipes were needed for airflow from the furnace. They hang from the HVAC about 8 inches and cannot be moved due to the way our house is built as well as the angle/pitch needed for the piping. This involves two holes in the side of house, to the outdoors, that are bigger than the pipes filled with 2inches of clear caulking around the pipes to fill the gapes. This has now turned yellow.
A new PVC pipes was needed for extra drainage. This pipe was placed from the furnace, through an unfinished wall, down at a angle towards the ground, back through the unfinished wall, and around the back of the furnace. We asked why it couldn't be placed inside the wall. They don't drill holes in support walls. We were recommended to build the wall out around it. We would basically lose 6 inches of space in our already smaller basement....
Then we found out they used our garden level basemnent window as a door.... bent metal bar on the inside of the house where the window slides. (They bent this back) Then we saw our window started condensating inside the window panes. (They did two fixes. The first didn't work which was caulking around the frame which made it worse. The second, felt like they didn't want to do because its an old window and a new furnace. But none of our other same age windows had the same result.... so they replaced the glass. 13 weeks later)
Several of our personal belongings got dropped and damaged since we weren't told to move things even day of. Two hardcover Dungeons and Dragons game books. Corners bent. One poster, no longer in running. Bent and torn. One 3D printed box. Two of four hinges broken off, no longer usable as a box. All minor to most people but expensive mistakes should it have been worse. The books usually start at $50-60 per book, the poster now irreplaceable due to age saved for many years, the box probably at least $50 in just materials not even in time spent printing on the machine.
Other glass was in the area and we are so incredibly grateful it didn't break!
Beaded creations were being stored the the crawl space so that it wouldn't get bumped.... they both got bumped, causing lost beads, when electrical was being done. Again, tv was being stored right next to these, glad that didn't get broken that we know off! We haven't tried to use it.
They stood on my couch to complete the job leaving a foot print behind.
Sawdust and small bits of metal were left everywhere, found by bare feet.
Caulking was left dry on the outside of a window. (This was cleaned)
Putty left on one of the PVC pipes made us think there was a hole in the pipe. (Cleaned off, no hole)
Overalls, it all works great! We have cool air! (We'll see about heat as it gets cold.)
All this is explained when they return the following week after install and the minor clean ups happening by them. However, we moved all our stuff around in the basement to prevent more damage.
I find out that our financial help.... is a credit card. Loaded to max with the new cost... destroying my credit.
Inspection helped us determine what could be changed and what had to stay but has failed three times.
We're told when they fix stuff for the 2nd inspection, that they have issues with one of the inspectors.
Small cosmectic issues are fixed after the 1st.
We called many times trying to determine what can be done as we have people coming in once a week. We just want to be done.
13 weeks later I'm still trying to find out policy on being told I have a credit card. I still don't know. No time or damage compensation. No finished inspection. $23,000.
NEVER AGAIN.