New condenser pad installed on river rocks - is this stable?

[Robear9992]

New installation over the winter. Professional installer. They never fired up the A/C when testing it because it was too cold outside (50F?), so they told me to call in the spring so they can come out and fire it up. I just called and they can't come out until August...

So I went outside to inspect it and toy with the idea of just firing her up anyway and I noticed that many of the river rocks had already migrated out from under the pad. I took a level to it and it's not exactly level, either.

This doesn't look stable, but what do I know? If it's not installed properly, I'd like to know how it should be installed before I call and complain.

(Note it's a 2-ton condenser with an ultralight UC3636 pad).

Thoughts?

imgur.com/a/Q3C1izm

[hvacvegas]

I think your fine.

Waiting until August to fire it up is completely unacceptable

[pecmsg]

August

B S.
Give me money back!

[Bazooka Joe]

Good luck trying to start it up, it could easily be electrically deenergised with the service valves closed and just nitrogen as a holding charge in the lineset and indoor coil to keep system dry.

Take a photo of the pad and send it to them, unreal they can’t get to the job till August. They should bend over backwards to get your unit up and running. Suggest calling the owner and tell him/her to get there as out here themselves instead of being on the golf course..

[Mr Bill]

Since it's already installed, to be able to set the unit on anything different, they would probably have to remove it and reinstall it. What you could do, or have them do is, level the unit up, and pour some sort of concrete foundation around the existing pad, to hold it in place. Personally, I would not want to remove the unit and have the line-set open up, and possibly cause other issues "that could" happen during the reinstallation. Sometimes if your careful, and you can get enough help to lift it up and try and stable it up some that way. The underneath of that slab is foam, one might think the rocks would just eventually sink into the foam and self level, I do believe in miracles.

[Robear9992]

Thanks - yeah I'm not pleased about waiting and I plan on politely insisting they get someone out here just to make sure I can start it. It's going to be sweltering by August - humidity is no joke.

I seriously know nothing about this stuff - we have chipmunks and squirrels galore and I'm worried that a rainstorm or a rodent's gonna knock just the right rock out and it's going to run off-kilter and I won't know about it until it breaks.

Any job that deals with customers is pretty demanding and I don't wanna be "that guy," but if it needs to be fixed then I'd rather raise it now. If it should be fine I'll just leave it be. Like, should I ask them to look at it, or should I ask them to fix it? Or is it just fine as-is? There was a 2.5 ton on those rocks previously with a concrete pad that was removed when I had this one installed.

[Mr Bill]

There was a 2.5 ton on those rocks previously with a concrete pad that was removed when I had this one installed.

[BaldLoonie]

That's horsehockey. At our joint, we call our customers as soon as it is warm enough to check out the systems installed over the winter.

[BBeerme]

Yeah, August is unacceptable.

I'm guessing you already paid in full?

[Robear9992]

Since it's already installed, to be able to set the unit on anything different, they would probably have to remove it and reinstall it. What you could do, or have them do is, level the unit up, and pour some sort of concrete foundation around the existing pad, to hold it in place. Personally, I would not want to remove the unit and have the line-set open up, and possibly cause other issues "that could" happen during the reinstallation. Sometimes if your careful, and you can get enough help to lift it up and try and stable it up some that way. The underneath of that slab is foam, one might think the rocks would just eventually sink into the foam and self level, I do believe in miracles.

In your opinion, is this a proper installation? I ask because I'd like another opinion in case I have them come out and they're like, "No it's fine." I won't be like, "Well - MR BILL online said....", I'll just know enough to push back or, worst-case, hire someone else to come fix it.

Yeah, August is unacceptable.

I'm guessing you already paid in full?

Yeah paid in full (financed through Carrier)

[vstech]

Ouch.
A paid in full job, company financed, and they can’t be bothered to startup the unit until summer is nearly over?

I can’t say what I’d do in an open forum...

[vstech]

Maybe call carrier?

[Mr Bill]

In your opinion, is this a proper installation? I ask because I'd like another opinion in case I have them come out and they're like, "No it's fine." I won't be like, "Well - MR BILL online said....", I'll just know enough to push back or, worst-case, hire someone else to come fix it.

Is it a proper installation? for us NO, but I've seen worse, so it might be for other companies. Looking at the way the copper runs to your unit, lifting it up to correct this, doesn't look like an option. I guess they just figured your old existing slab was on the rocks, that maybe the rocks were sentimental or something, we don't always know much of the history or reasons the previous installer did something. Here's my advise, if you don't like it, or your think it might be a future issue, call them back and ask them to correct it. Personally if they do come back to correct it, and have to remove the copper lines to fix it, I would be out there watching every move they make like a hawk, to be sure the lines are capped off or taped off during the fix, and they just don't allow them to lay in the rocks or on the ground, because regardless, they're NOT going to be happy, not happy can produce being sloppy, hope this helps.

[BNME8EZ]

Sorry, off subject but what is the deal with the vent pipe zig zagging up and away from the house. My gut tells me that there was a recirculation issue with the furnace exhaust. That is not the worst set up for the A/C I have seen but I would be calling and telling them that you will be starting the A/C on date "X" and if there is any reason that this should not be done they need to get out and fix it now.

[Robear9992]

What is the deal with the vent pipe zig zagging up and away from the house? My gut tells me that there was a recirculation issue with the furnace exhaust.

The system I replaced was almost certainly DIY. It was a high-efficiency system and the intake / exhaust were reversed, dumping condensation back into my system. I mentioned this to the salesman who quoted my new system - to be aware that this would need to be addressed and work it into the quote. This is how they fixed it.

I assumed it would be corrected indoors, closer to the unit, but this is how they did it. Since they technically met their obligation, it's just ugly, so I didn't complain. Starting to think I don't complain enough...

I had issues right from the get-go. The gas wasn't installed properly and I had to call the FD when I smelled gas the night of the installation. It was bad, and when the gas company came out they said that it was leaking from multiple joints. They also forgot to remove the tab on the plunger from the condensation pump, so it never started up. The pan under the furnace was flooded, and they also didn't set up the bobber under the furnace to turn the furnace off if the pan fills with water. My basement almost flooded, but fortunately I caught it in time.

The installers were young and I think it was 1/2 not knowing what they were doing and 1/2 trying to be as quick as possible. So I called the company and asked that they send someone senior out to inspect the system in addition to fixing it. The guy came out and didn't say anything about the installation outside.

The company was Gem heating and plumbing (I didn't see anything in the rules against posting their name. If I missed it, I apologize and feel free to edit it out).

Here's my advise, if you don't like it, or your think it might be a future issue, call them back and ask them to correct it.

Thanks - I'll probably do that.

[jacob-k]

Im more concerned with the number of elbows on your furnace exhaust....