Courtesy Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. Response
07/15/2024
A description of the incident, including information not included in the review (All times indicate a digital record of either text, email, or phone call):
On Thursday, June 27, 2024 at 5:40 p.m., Brad ******* (me) talked to the customer for 6 minutes, scheduling a service call the following day for no cooling (we were booked solid 6/27). Courtesy technician (Dave *******) sent a text that he was on his way at 11:35 a.m. on Friday, June 28, 2024, and arrived at 12:04 p.m. Dave explained the evaporator coil was installed backwards on the non-service side (not installed by Courtesy), and it was a very tight fit. Dave cut the drain line, cleared the drain, and then glued the coupling used to fit the two drain line ends together. He also removed enough water from the drain pan to ensure the AC would now work. Dave also notified the customer that the drain line from the pan was improperly pitched, and would not drain, due to a sub-par installation by the original contractor. He collected a check for $195 (which has been voided), and left at 1:26 p.m.
On Saturday, June 28, 2024 at 3:42 p.m., I received 2 texts from the customer about water on the ceiling in the office. I responded at 3:46 p.m., notifying the customer I was in an attic, but would be by shortly once I finished the job I was on. I arrived at 4:07 p.m., and sat in my truck briefly to call my next scheduled appointment to ask if they could wait a little longer so I could address the water issue, which they agreed. I entered the home and saw the ceiling with water dripping (it had not collapsed at this point). I immediately went into the attic, where I observed a fitting had loosened inside the pipe insulation due to not being glued from the original installation. After taking a couple of photographs, I quickly put the fitting back together, with PVC glue, as is standard with proper installation. A minute or two after coming down from the attic, the ceiling started to collapse, which I partially caught as it was coming down. I asked for and was provided trash bags and towels, and proceeded to clean the mess left from the collapse, then took the trash and wet towels outside of the home. I asked the customer if they had any information about the company/person that installed the AC equipment, and was told that the customer would check to see if they had any information. I told the customer I would contact a contractor to repair the approximately 4' by 4' hole, as well as replace the ceiling fan if needed (a blade was bent by the falling drywall) as a good-faith solution. I was putting faith in receiving the original contractor's information for any reimbursement for a poor installation of HVAC equipment. The customer also requested a quote to correct the installation before I left at 6:16 p.m.
I contacted a contractor that does work for Courtesy on Sunday, June 30, and was told by this contractor that he could repair the hole and replace the fan if need be sometime on Tuesday, July 2. I notified the customer via text at 12:53 p.m. on Monday that it would be Tuesday, with a slight possibility of the current Monday.
I again requested any pertinent information about the original installation company. The customer informed me that it was a repair person associated with a family member's secretary, with the last name of Ramos. The customer stated to me that they weren't even sure if the “guy was licensed”. The customer then re-iterated the desire to have the AC system properly installed.
On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, I responded to a 8:41 a.m. text from the customer about the sheetrock (drywall) repair status. I informed the customer that I am waiting to hear from Courtesy's contractor about an approximate arrival time. At 11:59 a.m., I sent one of our technicians to pick up a new ceiling fan in case of necessary replacement. I ordered the fan online & paid for it at 12:55 p.m. At 1:49 p.m., I received a text from the customer stating they had contacted a water remediation company. I stated at 1:51 p.m. that I would tell the drywaller to cancel the appointment to repair the ceiling and possibly replace the fan, and the customer responded “Yes”. I received a text from the customer at 3:17 p.m. stating they had decided to put a claim through their home insurance. The customer's insurance company inquired if the problem was the water level sensor not working. I informed the customer that it was an unglued fitting coming apart.
This HVAC installation is assumed to have been done sometime in 2023, as the shipped date from the factory for the evaporator coil, according to Carrier's warranty system, is 11/8/22. There were problems with the outside condenser on 7/18/23, in which a wire was not fastened properly on the correct terminal. I remedied this situation personally, even going as far as replacing a faulty fan motor under warranty, then realizing the wiring error as I had finished the replacement. I then re-installed the original motor, wired it correctly, and did not charge the customer.
There are HVAC codes and standards that Courtesy stands by with all work performed. Unfortunately, the installation we encountered was below these standards. Drain lines are to be glued at their fittings, otherwise even the slightest nudge or bump could create problems. It is also unreasonable to remove all the pipe insulation to inspect every last fitting on every drain line, akin to having to check the lugnuts on your car tires every time you get an oil change. It is assumed that a properly licensed and qualified company perform the work according to existing codes and standards. Our fitting that we used to clear the drain was glued. The others installed by a separate company were not. There are multiple issues with the installation, from unglued fittings, improper drain pitch on the drain pan line, and the evaporator coil being installed facing a space that was incredibly difficult to access. The technician, Dave, may have bumped the drain line and separated the coupling, but this wouldn't have been an issue if the fittings were glued at the time of the initial installation. We strive as a company to provide quality service in a timely fashion, as evidenced above. Unfortunately, we sometimes encounter situations similar to this, where poor workmanship affects everyone other than those that did the original work.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Bradford *******, Service Manager
Courtesy Air