ComplaintsforAJ Heating & Cooling, Inc

• Initial Complaint

  06/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Company was hired at a cost of $7000.00 on August 30, 2021 to replace current HVAC system of the residence located at ***********************************************************************. by *************************, co-owner of said residence. Units were installed on 09/09/21 by a third-party. Although the current system was functioning, A.J., Proprietor of the main business had advised my wife that the system was outdated and would soon fail due to its age. Beginning in the month of November of 2021 it became apparent that the heating system was running excessively, at times continuously, in order to try and maintain the indoor temperature of the home. By January it became evident that something was wrong as the electric bills were showing an increase of approximately **** kilowatt hours in comparison to previous years. ****** called A.J. to voice her concerns after contacting the ************************ first about the situation. While talking to the technician the utility over the phone she told him, according to A.J., that the heat pump had been removed from the home's heating system. She was advised that the rise in electricity use was due to this removal. The following problems were identified by another hired company:1.) System too small for a residence with vaulted ceilings such as the home contained 2.) New system was not squared and/or sealed correctly.3.) Air handler of system installed backwards 4.) Due to the generic components installed, a heat pump was need to increase efficiency Also, we were advised that county permit(s) are required for HVAC replacements and installations which a call to the St. ****** county clerk's office verified that NO permits were obtained by A.J. Heating and Cooling for the contracted replacement.A new system was installed into the residence by **** ******* ******* on 04/21/22 at a cost of $12,000. Since this new installation, utility bills have decreased substantially. Since new installation, utility bills have decreased substantially.

  

  Business response

  06/26/2022

  Good Afternoon. The ****** have been my customers for years. I have been servicing and repairing both their furnace and air conditioning units. Their AC had the old R-22 refrigerant and I added the necessary amount. However I explained to them that because it is no longer available to manufacture from EPA regulations and the age of the existing units they should start thinking about replacing their system. 
  I received a phone call from ****** several months later stating she wants a estimate on a new system. I went to her home and gave her a estimate. She advised she had nothing but problems with her heat pump. I asked if she wanted another heat pump and she said no, get that heat pump the h*** out of here. When I was getting the information for the sizing of the unit I included the the vaulted ceilings. I also gave the measurements to the engineer at my supply house and he confirmed the unit and size I selected  were correct. We installed the new air handler  and AC. They were not backwards. The air handler faced the same way as the old. Everything was working. 
  

  later in the following year ****** contacted me about her electric ****. She stated she wanted a heat pump. I told her I would be happy to help her. I told her that if she went with a heat pump I would give it to her at my cost plus tax and labor and would help her sell her AC getting her money back. However I explained to her before we went to that level I wanted to bring in a representative from my supply house to go over everything about the heat pump and give her a estimated amount on how much saving there would be. I felt it was necessary that she and **** learned what a heat pump actually does because in our area Norther ******* we have more days under 32 degrees during the cold months. Heat pumps only work when efficiently when the outside temp is above 32. Once below 32 degrees the unit becomes more inefficient and the secondary heat source which is her air handler and heating elements kick on. 
  I set a time with the representative to meet me at their house. However ****** later cancelled the appointment and said she will get back to me. I never heard back from her. 
  

  My intent as always is to make my customers happy. In this case I offered to replace her AC with a heat pump at cost and sell her newly installed AC as used and make her money back. I contact a representative who works outside of our area to drive into ********** and sit with ****** and ****. Everything was in place until ****** cancelled. If she still has her equipment that was replaced I still will help her sell them. I always have customers looking for used equipment to help them save. 
  

  since my last conversation with ****** the weather has been considerably warmer which would not give the customer an accurate cost analysis on how much they are currently saving on their new heat pump. We have had 60,70 and 80 degree days in March and April. To accurately know how much they are saving is to measure kilowatt hours and usage along with the price of the kilowatts. Once ****** cancelled her appointment and said she will get back with me, to no avail I believed she decided to keep the new equipment I installed for her. 

  Customer response

  07/07/2022

   I am rejecting this response because:
  1.) There were no discussions about removing our heat pump prior to the installation of the Heating and Air Conditioning system.  However, A.J. did voice numerous times over the course of knowing him that heat pumps were not needed for homes in this region.  Through research we discovered that his statements were/are contrary to all to all other information and expert statements.  There was never a work order issued disclosing that our heat pump was to be removed from the property and there has been no answer as to the whereabouts of said heat pump after the system was installed.  It was only after our voiced concerns about the high electric bills that an alternative was offered involving more monetary charges.

  2.) The failure to acquire the required county permits is not addressed in the business' response.  This brings concerns as to whether the business is licensed and bonded and since A.J. is said to be a former police officer as myself, I feel it is always imperative to follow local laws and ordinances

  3.) Our information as to the wrong size unit being installed as the home has vaulted ceilings which requires a unit supplying more BTU's than standard systems is not fully addressed.

  4.)  I have documentation (Electric Bills) distinctly showing the residential increase of almost **** Kilowatts per month even though the average temperature this past winter was higher than last year.  These document can be made available upon request for evidence.  Also, because of the late warm-up and colder temperatures, with several late frosts occurring this spring, said bills distinctly show that the kilowatts per month dropped back to less amounts than the same time last year AFTER the system installed by A.J. was replaced by another company.

  5.)  As to the supposed statement(s) by my wife about the heat pump in the business' response, if they are true, it only ramifies the fact that A.J. is supposed to be the "expert" and according to other experts in the **** field, the heat pump is an integral part of the system in order to maintain energy efficiency.  Even the supervising technician of our utility company verified this fact.

  6.)  The fact that a "third party" installed the unit for the business and the fact that no formal copies of work orders or itemized lists of equipment removed/replaced was made available by either entities is large area of concern in this situation.

  7.)  The reason that contact with A.J. was finally halted, per my decision, was due to the fact that unprofessional/condescending statements such as "you are not willing to help yourself" were being made to ****** relative to the situation and thus requiring other legal actions to be explored.

  

  Business response

  07/08/2022

  Good evening, 

  I will address each concern as in the order it was listed.

  1. ****** has been my customer for years. I have repaired both the indoor air handler and the outside heat pump. During this time there were not any complaints. The heat pump continued to give ****** problems and I explained based on my schooling where I received a degree in Heating, Air Conditioning and refrigeration that a heat pump in our region was not efficient in our region. A heat pump is basically a air conditioner with a reversing valve the pulls the heat from the outside air and puts it into the house. In our region when our temperature falls to 32 degrees or below the heat in the air is minimal. Water freezes at 32 degrees thus indicating there is not enough heat in the air. I explained this to ****** multiple times. I have done work for other homes in the area for multiple customers over the years that did not have a heat pump and only had electric heat with a conventional air conditioning unit. Several months had passed since I was out at ******'s house to the time she called me and requested an estimate. When I arrived to give the estimate she voiced her concern about not having her heat pump fail again when the cold weather arrives. I was standing at the thermostat when I asked her specifically if she wanted another heat pump and she said "no, Get that the h*** out of here". I laughed and said I would do so. I gave her an estimate and she accepted. A new ****** Air handler and Air conditioner were installed. For all my customers I register their new equipment online and print a copy to give to my customer. The registration shows both the model and serial number on each appliance. 

   

  2. I am Insured through ******* Farmers. I am bonded through Liberty Mutual and Licensed through the *****************. 

   

  3. When I measure for a size of a new furnace and/or Air conditioner part of the formula includes ceiling height. The formula can not be solved without the height of the ceiling. I have been in ******'s house several times and was aware of the vaulted ceiling. When I ordered the equipment for the install I gave my numbers and had confirmation of the sizing of the heating elements. The air handler with the heating elements and air conditioner ended up being the same size that was already in the house with the units I replaced. However they were more efficient being that they were the latest on the market and were more efficient.

   

  4. This past winter we had much colder temps than last year. We also had 60, 70, and 80 degree days in March. April and May. The amount of Kilowatts has to be taken into consideration when comparing utility bills.

   

  5. I used my knowledge from my schooling  and my experience on heat pumps when I spoke to ****** about how a heat pump works in our region. When the temperature falls to 32 or below the secondary heat source kicks in to continue heating the house. Advancements have been made with heat pumps and I did attend a class on them. Todays heat pumps  work about the same with a new type of a variable inverter compressor that does take heat out of the outside air below 32 degrees. Below 32 degrees the newer heat pumps still lose efficiency. Instead of the normal ******* degrees that a heating element  puts out to heat the home, below 32 degrees the newer heat pumps temps drop into the 80's coming out of the register making the outside unit run longer. 

   

  6. I gave ****** a receipt showing the equipment that was installed. I did the online registration as a courtesy to insure it was properly done so ****** could get  the full 10 year warranty and added a 1 year labor warranty. The online registration that I printed out and gave along with a receipt had the model and serial numbers of the equipment that I installed. The ****** equipment is a subsidiary of ********** comes with the same warranty as Lennox. However ****** can be branded by the contractor to have any name they choose. Most of the larger companies use ****** but brand it to a different name to be more competitive with companies who just sell it as the name ******. Its a great product and I installed it in my home. The equipment that was taken out was 20 plus years. The brand was *****. I have always used sub contractors to do my installs. My company is small but competitive. The contractors that installed ******'s equipment have been with my company for over 7 years. They are very skilled, and have great social skills. I continue to be complemented and given monetary tips to give them. Their only job is to do the installs. All the paperwork including the receipt and online registration are done by me. 

   

  7. I received a text from ****** regarding her electric bills. I called her and we spoke about her concerns. She asked about installing a heat pump. I told her I would get some information and get back with her. After speaking to my supply house regional manger about the situation I was directed to another person who worked in a different area than **********. His name is ****. I explained to **** about my customers concern and told him I wanted to install a heat pump. I further explained to him that I was not going to make one ***** profit on this sell since I just installed this equipment and the customer was not happy with her electric bills. **** wanted to sit with the customer and measure the kilowatts used against the conflicting utility bills. he further told me if at that point the customer was interested in a heat pump he would lower the cost of the unit below my purchasing price. He told me that after I told him I was not going to make a profit on the heat pump and that I was also going to sell the Air conditioner I just installed to help offset the customers cost he did a follow up with my supply house management. They advised him "that's AJ, honest as they come". This was the deciding factor for the discounted price. I called ****** to explain to her what was happening and attempted to set an appointment up with her, **** and myself. ****** kept saying I don't want to talk to anyone I just want my heat pump installed. I continued to explain to her how this meeting would get the cost down below my normal purchasing price. I explained to her I have done a lot of behind the scenes work to make this happen. When she was reluctant to set the appointment I said to her I have been trying to help you but your not willing to help yourself. At that time we made the appointment and I confirmed it with **** because he would have to drive into ********** from his area. At this time all the wheels were in motion to get ****** her heat pump. I also had ******'s install scheduled two days after the meeting. A few days prior to the meeting I received a text from ****** stating she wanted to cancel the meeting and would get back with me. I cancelled the meeting with ****. i never heard back from ******. At this time I believed that she changed her mind about the Heat Pump. 

   

  I always put my customers first. It is my motto to do everything to make my customer happy and I did what I could to do so in this situation. I was not allowed to because ****** cancelled her appointment with me and had another company paying full price. All my conversations with ****** was done with the attempt to make her happy but I was not given the chance. At this point there was nothing I could do to help. ************ have received a new ***** Heat Pump for approximately $2,500 and I was going to help her sell her equipment as I stated to her several times to make up the difference. I had always been honest and upfront with ****** from the first time I was called to her house for a repair up to our conversation about putting in a Heat Pump for her at cost, without profit and being reimbursed with the selling of her New/used equipment. I only wish ************ have seen this through and allowed me to install her heat pump. 

   

   

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