Is Placement of HVAC Refrigerant Lines ok?

[beenthere]

She asked an honest question in his first post.
She admitted he didn't take notice to the exposed line set in the contract.

It doesn't look the greatest. They could have ran it a lot neater then they did.

And weather you, I or anyone else likes it. It looks SLOPPY.

[the dangling wrangler]

He asked an honest question in his first post.
He admitted he didn't take notice to the exposed line set in the contract.

It doesn't look the greatest. They could have ran it a lot neater then they did.

And weather you, I or anyone else likes it. It looks SLOPPY.

It's a she first of all. Is it the contractors fault she didn't read the contract? NO. It looks like they ran a line set,no more ,no less. It should be covered,then it won't look at all. Do you include sheet rock work in your bids? Never mind,I think I know your answer . If this is so unacceptable ,why don't you go take care of the problem,at no cost to her?

[dbg305]

Let's deal with the facts we have ,and not our emotions. #1 your contract says the lines would be exposed,#2 they didn't cover them,#3 I can't see anything that would cause this install to fail an inspection. Let me ask you this 305. What exactly do you want your contractor to do to make you a happy camper??

You answered me accurately in your first post and asked the appropriate questions. I do not understand the change of tune in your attituce toward me.

#1 is NOT about the lines being exposed, I already admitted that was my error, what more do you want
#2 I didn't ask them to cover them, or you if they should be covered, someone else mentioned that
#3 do you always leave wires exposed where a child could handle the connections that are 10 ft from an inground from swimming pool? I don't believe that is up to code, if it is, there is definitely a problem in the legislation that covers HVAC inspections. This oversight or whatever it is only proves that they did not take the care they should have in the entire installation.

To answer your question about what would make me happy, I want the lines in the furnace room run again so that there is no chance they will be damaged when routine regular maintenance is done right under them. This will happen one way or another. My understanding of copper pipes is that they are soft and bend and kink very easily, however the copper pipes used in an A/C installation may be of a harder copper than water pipes are.

[dbg305]

He asked an honest question in his first post.
He admitted he didn't take notice to the exposed line set in the contract.

It doesn't look the greatest. They could have ran it a lot neater then they did.

And weather you, I or anyone else likes it. It looks SLOPPY.

Thank you

[the dangling wrangler]

You answered me accurately in your first post and asked the appropriate questions. I do not understand the change of tune in your attitude toward me.

#1 is NOT about the lines being exposed, I already admitted that was my error, what more do you want
#2 I didn't ask them to cover them, or you if they should be covered, someone else mentioned that
#3 do you always leave wires exposed where a child could handle the connections that are 10 ft from an inground from swimming pool? I don't believe that is up to code, if it is, there is definitely a problem in the legislation that covers HVAC inspections. This oversight or whatever it is only proves that they did not take the care they should have in the entire installation.

To answer your question about what would make me happy, I want the lines in the furnace room run again so that there is no chance they will be damaged when routine regular maintenance is done right under them. This will happen one way or another. My understanding of copper pipes is that they are soft and bend and kink very easily, however the copper pipes used in an A/C installation may be of a harder copper than water pipes are.

Sorry If I offended you.I see a few guys here calling YOUR contractor,the one YOU chose hacks. I don't see it that way. If they were hacks,would they bother to pull permits?Call YOUR inspection agency if there's a problem with the wires. It passed inspection,correct? So it can't be all that hacky,can it?

[dbg305]

It's a she first of all. Is it the contractors fault she didn't read the contract? NO. It looks like they ran a line set,no more ,no less. It should be covered,then it won't look at all. Do you include sheet rock work in your bids? Never mind,I think I know your answer . If this is so unacceptable ,why don't you go take care of the problem,at no cost to her?

No it is not the contractors fault and I already said that earlier. I also said that I knew they were running them exposed when I discussed it during the sale of the A/C.
1. I never complained about the exposed lines, I asked if their location next to the heating vent was a problem. THat was the question I asked if you read post #1. The discussion on the exposed lines started when I posted the pictures.

2. I later complained about the fact that the vent cover cannot be replaced in the gaping hole in the duct because the lines are running over it. Would you do that when running lines, from reading what you've said, I doubt it.
What would have been nice is to be able to cover them without paying for an extension on the ductwork. They could have easily placed the lines ABOVE the vent hole in the duct.

3. I knew I would have to hire someone to cover the exposed lines because A/C technicians are not drywallers in my experience.

It all amounts to a sloppy job and one way or another it will be fixed. To what extent I have to go to get this done will be solved in the future.

Thanks for your comments anyway, no matter what you think of me, I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

[beenthere]

It's a she first of all. Is it the contractors fault she didn't read the contract? NO. It looks like they ran a line set,no more ,no less. It should be covered,then it won't look at all. Do you include sheet rock work in your bids? Never mind,I think I know your answer . If this is so unacceptable ,why don't you go take care of the problem,at no cost to her?

If I'm going to be pulling the drywall, or running exposed lines or ducts, I give them the option of using a contractor that I recommend, or one of their own preference.
Thats a very easy consideration to offer to the customer. Customers like if you give them options before you make pull down drywall in THEIR house, or run a duct down a wall.
It also makes sure there is no confusion about how something is going to be
ran.

Chase work should be include in the price. or a contractor to do the chase work should be recommended.

So do you commonly just run your line sets like this?

Customers do us a favor by awarding the work to us. We can at least do the work in a professional and astectic manor. One that when their friends or relatives see and ask about. Promotes using us. Not laughing at us.

[dbg305]

Sorry If I offended you.I see a few guys here calling YOUR contractor,the one YOU chose hacks. I don't see it that way. If they were hacks,would they bother to pull permits?Call YOUR inspection agency if there's a problem with the wires. It passed inspection,correct? So it can't be all that hacky,can it?

not a problem. I did not see an inspector here at all, the only person I saw was the person who sold me the A/C. He may be qualified to inspect the work, that's what I assumed. Maybe they didn't even get a permit, I do know that A/C does not require a building permit but it does require electrical. I never saw the permit and again I should have asked for it. Another naive choice that I made. The fact that I had previous experience with this company and it is a 'family company', I certainly expected the same kind of expertise I saw with the previous installations, but then my husband was alive at the time and dealt with them and that can make a difference with some people, though it shouldn't in this day and age.

I still have that one question which I hope you will answer: Are the copper pipes used in this kind of installation soft and bendable like hot water pipes or are they made of the old copper hard pipe. This is my main concern in the furnace room and if they are hard pipes it sounds like I really have nothing to worry about in there either.

As for the electrical I can have the hydro shut down and put a screw in the plate that falls out every time you lift the lid and that will solve the problem of the exposed wires.

Thanks again

[the dangling wrangler]

Thanks for your comments anyway, no matter what you think of me, I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

Believe it or not,I don't have a bone to pick with you.From what I've read ,you kinda remind me of my mother! I don't think you're asking a lot from the contractor. But if they do it for gratis, then I'd really be surprised. You might be a better customer than you think. ask them to do what you want under the original contract. The most they can say is no. Take Care.

[beenthere]

Thank you

Sorry about my gender confusion. ooops

[the dangling wrangler]

not a problem. I did not see an inspector here at all, the only person I saw was the person who sold me the A/C. He may be qualified to inspect the work, that's what I assumed. Maybe they didn't even get a permit, I do know that A/C does not require a building permit but it does require electrical. I never saw the permit and again I should have asked for it. Another naive choice that I made. The fact that I had previous experience with this company and it is a 'family company', I certainly expected the same kind of expertise I saw with the previous installations, but then my husband was alive at the time and dealt with them and that can make a difference with some people, though it shouldn't in this day and age.

I still have that one question which I hope you will answer: Are the copper pipes used in this kind of installation soft and bendable like hot water pipes or are they made of the old copper hard pipe. This is my main concern in the furnace room and if they are hard pipes it sounds like I really have nothing to worry about in there either.

As for the electrical I can have the hydro shut down and put a screw in the plate that falls out every time you lift the lid and that will solve the problem of the exposed wires.

Thanks again

Looks like that copper is from a roll,as wavey as it is . Not hard drawn . So,I guess it COULD bend easier . Sounds like you might need a new disconnect box.They SHOULD be able to work with you on that small of an item.

[dbg305]

If I'm going to be pulling the drywall, or running exposed lines or ducts, I give them the option of using a contractor that I recommend, or one of their own preference.
Thats a very easy consideration to offer to the customer. Customers like if you give them options before you make pull down drywall in THEIR house, or run a duct down a wall.
It also makes sure there is no confusion about how something is going to be
ran.

Chase work should be include in the price. or a contractor to do the chase work should be recommended.

So do you commonly just run your line sets like this?

Customers do us a favor by awarding the work to us. We can at least do the work in a professional and astectic manor. One that when their friends or relatives see and ask about. Promotes using us. Not laughing at us.

Thanks beenthere you just gave me another reason I can use when I call them on Monday. I will offer to show my neighbours their handiwork. I have already posted on a Canadian site where home owners who have had work done comment on the quality of the work. It wasn't a flattering recommendation at all. It can be edited if they give me what I want.

The person who sold the A/C to me looked about 20 years old or less and he is the one who showed up to do the inspections. He is related to the owner. This company is located in the town I live in and has lots of competition. With the heat wave they were very busy, but that doesn't excuse the job IMHO. When he sold me the A/C he did not tell me about the warranties that came with it, he offered me two units, entry level and the next one up from that and when I asked about the ones that were Energy Star compliant and would provide me with a rebate, he quoted me a price that was double the entry level one. I found the warranty information online at the manufacturers website while he was here and chose the higher line one after he had pushed the Entry Level one. The difference in warranties was significant. He told me while he was here that he was a service guy not a salesman and I would definitely agree with that.

I was so anxious to get the A/C up and running that I made the mistakes, but relied on them to be professionals. So most of what happened was my fault.

[beenthere]

Unfortunately, many people find themselves in a bind when their A/C suddenly dies. And it can be hard to endure the heat and make a wise choice at the same time.

Where you only have to make choices about your HVAC system once ebery 15 years or so.
As contractors, we do this pretty much on a daily basis. And should know better.

[the dangling wrangler]

Chase work should be include in the price. or a contractor to do the chase work should be recommended.

So do you commonly just run your line sets like this?

It really doesn't matter how I would have run the line set.If I wanted to be a GC,then I would have . I have enough trouble keeping my own appointments,let alone a sheet rockers.What happens when the outside people drop the ball,and your customer complains about it to you?I wish I was the perfect contractor,but in reality ,NONE of us are.

[beenthere]

If the outside contractor drops the ball, then they didn't use the contractor I recommend. And I would remind them they choose to use the wrong contractor.

Don't have to be perfect to be considerate.

[the dangling wrangler]

Yea,OK.

[DanW13]

Wow !!! I didn't expect this post to grow as it did.... But I have a question for the Dangling wrangler, You stated that this install looks ok to oyu and from reading your answers within this post I supspect you would do this type of install in your own home, YES ??? Or would you do a better job than these guys did for this OP, as beenthere stated that other epople will see this work and ask who did it and may or may not want to use the contractor who did the work. If this was your home I bet you would do a much better job than this, but as I see it these guys did not take the time to do the best job they knew how to do since it seems it didn't bother them that there work is a reflection of who and how they work. Me when I do something for my customers I do the best I know how and treat there home as if it were my own and most of the time I go above and beyound in most cases to make the customer happy and I know that when I leave there home that when they need service later on I know they are going to call me back. If I were in this line of work I would have tried to run this line some other way if at all possible and explain to the customer why it would be a better choice, in the service industry it's the little things that matter most to customers, but that's my opinion. I get the feeling that since it was written linset exposed and if you were doing this job you would have done the same type of work judging from your answer to the OP and others who have responded. Just remember your work is a reflection of who you are not only as a person but as a tradesman and wheather or not you care about the quaility and craftsmanship you poses.

[dbg305]

I agree with you DanW13 I never expected this thread to be so long. I thank you all the dangling wrangler, beenthere and the others who answered my original post for giving me the information I need about my A/C.

I haven't figured which angle I will take with the company yet because I want to start out just asking questions about why the lines were run that way pointing out the problems to them. Starting off angry usually doesn't get anyone anywhere. That is the main reason I posted here, to find out what was acceptable and what wasn't so I'd have a better idea what I was going to say to them.

I hope to talk to the owner of the company rather than the one who dealt with me, and ask him to come and inspect the work that was done. Then if necessary I will escalate to things like "my neighbours have asked to see your work so they can decide if they will use you, do you want me to let them see it?" I have asked my son when he comes to take some more pictures showing the different connections more clearly and the lines over the vent in the duct. I will also ask about the electric box outside and if it should be covered with the plate. If the company asks I can always send them pictures of their handiwork.

The main problem with that gaping vent hole in the duct is that whoever is in that room will freeze because its in the basement and it is recommended that you block all basement ducts during the cooling season.

The day the original A/C was found to be broken was the first scorching day this year. Of course all the HVAC companies were wild with people like myself. It has cooled down this week to the 70's and has been raining most of the week so they shouldn't be as busy as they were then. We hadn't turned the breaker on until the day before the heat wave so hadn't checked to see if it was working. Last year it was fine, though it was not as cold as usual but I had no idea it was going to die at the start of the season.

Anyway thanks again all of you for your expertise and feedback. I had no problem with the gender switch because in most cases it would be a man posting here. I also took no offense at any of the other things because I realize you are answering tons of different posts and could easily forget details from one to the other.

You guys are great!