Frustrating HVAC purchase/installation

[catmanacman]

o no not sears some of the worst work i have seen was sears , some places they use barly legal non english speaking subs

[carmon]

why on earth do folks by HVAC equipment from box stores......... huge mistake..... hardly ever a happy ending

[beshvac]

I took over a Sears job a few years ago after the homeowner threw their subcontractor off the job.

[54regcab]

I took over a Sears job a few years ago after the homeowner threw their subcontractor off the job.

That's got to be bad if the HO threw them off the job !!

[beshvac]

That's got to be bad if the HO threw them off the job !!

I could salvage the equipment, had to rip out the crawl duct and re-do. Upstairs zone was salvageable with with a few duct mods to make it work.

[Shophound]

I've lived in North Texas most of my life and I have yet to see 5 below zero. Coldest I remember is 2 above back in 1979.

OTOH...110+, not out of the question. I've actually seen it hit 113 twice here. Last year and back in 1980 (still worst summer on record for N. Texas).

Sears? Man, they should be driven out of the HVAC business. Stick to selling clothes and clothes dryers. Word to the wise...if the primary aspect of a business is selling stuff, then servicing and installing stuff with quality is not a high priority for them. It's all about getting stuff out the door and your money in their pocket.

[toocoolforschool]

I supposed they didn't notice the huge propane tank in the yard?

[energy_rater_La]

sears and home depot contract out jobs.

in my area, it is the hvac companies that really
can't make it on their own who do the work for
sears & hd.

some of the worst installs I've seen are from sears
& hd contractors.
but still..people flock to both places for hvac.
guess its the financing??

OP..get another company to evaluate work
document what has been done
take pics of any water stains from leaks
make sure that warrenty is with mfg.
let me repeat that...
make sure that warrenty is with mfg.
with mfg holding the warrenty..you can have
someone else do the work and not be tied to this company.

get someone else to evaluate the system.
don't let the 'little woman' card being played steer you off course.
stick to your guns...get it done.
once they realize that you mean business..they will deal with you.
just keep it factual and cool off before talking to them. don't let
your emotions get the better of you as it will not be effective.

don't even talk to the original company until you know what needs
to be done to correct your system's install.

best of luck.

[crysblaz]

So I talked to Sears today. They said there was absolutely NO danger to us or our property with running it on the wrong fuel source. That it just wouldn't work right. "Its like running a car on the wrong octane gas". If it senses something not right it will shut off and not work. I told them that obviously that didn't work cause it was on for 2 weeks straight and we didn't even know there was a problem with the furnace until the AC wouldnt turn on. They will agree to a HVAC tech coming out but wont agree to pay for anything until they have a bill and speak to that tech. They refuse to discount the furnace/ac because it's "working right now, right?". Nothing to make up for the 6 months of rearranging schedules, broken ac/furnace, frustration, 25+ phone calls, 9 service calls to fix it. That in the 6 months we've had the system we have had problems EVERY SINGLE MONTH! Their defense was that whenever we call to have them come fix it is that they sent someone. The husband and I agreed that now it is time to call a lawyer to have them deal with it. This was our last attempt to mediate and it was unsuccessful.

[pacnw]

Now I know why PVC glue is tinted purple.

primer is purple, glue is NOT!!

[pacnw]

if they are sending out a tech, be very demanding and follow him/her like a hawk.

if you get to choose a tech, use the contractor finder on this website. if no one near you maybe get a reference.

inform YOUR tech of the issues, especially the fuel source screw up. The explanation comparing it to wrong octane is not correct.

This should take a decent amount of time to go over the entire system, document things and go over them with you.

[mechanical'al]

OH IVE SEEN ALOT OF CUSTOMERS SO UNHAPPY WITH SEARS SO SO MANY PULLED MANY FURNACES AFTER THEIR INSTALLS
THey pay subs a verry low $ piece meal to do their installs and charge their customers top $$$$ their service dept. is totaly seprate and they wont tell you anything about the installers
Good Luck in your trials
Keep us informed along the way we may possiblely help

[energy_rater_La]

for one thing there are different orifices used for natural gas and propane.

if the orfices are ng & not lp..then they need to be changed.

better to talk to equipment mfg than sears or installing company.

best of luck.

[Airconandy]

Here in the UK we have safety code called the "Gas Safe register" installers subscribe to this organisation they hold all details of all contractors/installers on training qualifications etc.. they also have a website where you can check credentials of every installer.

It is also illegal to install, service or maintain any gas appliance (natural or propane) without being on the register.
The installer in your case would have been investigated and possibly removed from the register.

My advice would be to ask the company to provide evidence of training for the contractor/installer who installed the appliance. If this cannot be produced, ask them to use a use a Bonafide (qualified) contractor to "safety check" the system and provide written evidence of the results (flue gas analysis etc..) at their cost, this will prove that the system is "Safe to use". It may pay you at this point to tell them that you will not use the appliance until it is deemed "safe to use" highlight whether there are children/grandchildren etc... occupying the property

You will need to keep records times/dates/and all correspondence should be in writing (Paper or email). If they won't "play ball" tell them that you will inform the "trade press" about their "poor performance" and forward any correspondence to them (include comments & images of any bad workmanship)

Most companies thrive on their reputation and will not like the threat of being discredited among their peers, especially in the national or local press, most trade magazines usually have a section where bad installations can be highlighted (this is the case in the UK anyway)

Your priority is the safety of the system, try not to get bogged down with "tittle tattle" and stick to the facts, and Keep cool don't lose your head

Hope it works out fine and you get to enjoy your house.
Regards
Andy

[vstech]

So I talked to Sears today. They said there was absolutely NO danger to us or our property with running it on the wrong fuel source. That it just wouldn't work right. "Its like running a car on the wrong octane gas". If it senses something not right it will shut off and not work. I told them that obviously that didn't work cause it was on for 2 weeks straight and we didn't even know there was a problem with the furnace until the AC wouldnt turn on. They will agree to a HVAC tech coming out but wont agree to pay for anything until they have a bill and speak to that tech. They refuse to discount the furnace/ac because it's "working right now, right?". Nothing to make up for the 6 months of rearranging schedules, broken ac/furnace, frustration, 25+ phone calls, 9 service calls to fix it. That in the 6 months we've had the system we have had problems EVERY SINGLE MONTH! Their defense was that whenever we call to have them come fix it is that they sent someone. The husband and I agreed that now it is time to call a lawyer to have them deal with it. This was our last attempt to mediate and it was unsuccessful.

I would ask them to send you this information in writing...
Propane flowing through natural gas orifices turn your 100KBTUH burners into 240KBTUH burners... the combustion blower cannot handle the fuel, so you get soot. the soot blocks the flame so you get MORE SOOT... also, Propane is HEAVIER than air, so it will not flow properly in a natural gas burner...
Propane in my opinion is the MOST dangerous fuel you can heat your home with, and if not EXACTLY perfect installation, it's very dangerous...
also, all propane furnaces NEED seasonal maintenance to include proper cleaning of the burners and heat exchanger!
not dangerous? ridiculous!~

[mechanical'al]

maybe take a lp. camp stove and campout in their store by the resi-sales area just to see what they think about the fumes and condensation produced

[carmon]

what would sears know..... and by the way they are wrong......

[crysblaz]

We had a HVAC technician out. They went over the entire system, said it wasn't the best installation they had ever seen, not up to their standards but not bad. The drain line doesn't have enough slope and should have been tied into the sewer line instead of down the outside of the house, the secondary drain line should have been done differently. The pressure on the propane lines was set too low. The # of returns originally installed wasn't correct for a unit of that size. When they converted the furnace to propane, they didn't put any of the warning labels that say its been converted on the unit. the Thermostat is in a bad place (right next to the front door) and we overpaid by a lot.

We have nothing a lawyer can do because no one/nothing was hurt/damaged from them not installing it correctly - would have to PROVE we were in danger. The inconvenience and stress of dealing with this for 6 months doesn't count for anything. And Sears won't do anything because for the moment its working. So I guess its going to be complaints to the BBB and anyone who will listen (I have a big mouth and LOVE writing reviews) and complaints to the Texas Licensing Board and maybe even go higher up on the Sears ladder.

[Brent Ridley]

1 question:

Did the new contractor inspect the heat exchanger for soot buildup?

[mechanical'al]

its to bad that every one really relies on sears and all they do is sub their installs out and to sub for them youd have to cut every corner as they pay so little piece meal
I still wouldn't give up as ive said I done any # of jobs where i pulled their brandnew unit to install mine for many an angry customer
keep on squeekin youll get to someone who'll want to save face of their empire