ComplaintsforMC Heating and Cooling, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  08/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On September 20, 2023, MC ******************************************* installed a heat pump for $13,890. The agreement came with a 1 year installation warranty and 5 year manufacturer's warranty. The unit stopped working the first month. Under warranty over the next 9 months, a series of technician visits and unit failures occurred, with several installation issues noted at some (thermostat improperly wired, unit and fan imbalances causing excessive vibrations and noise, missing buzz fuse), and also noting low pressure at one of the visits. Earlier conversations with MC heating technicians also led me to believe if it was related to the unit itself, that they would coordinate that and costs with the manufacturer directly. On the diagnostic visit 8/12/24, they saw low pressure again. They indicated they'd have to work with the unit for a longer session to find leaks, so recharged the refrigerant again (band-aid) and did not ultimately resolve the underlying issue. While this is still within a year, with several installation errors (thermostat wiring, buzz fuse, unbalanced installation, etc), the work was previously being done as part of installation warranty. This time, however, I received a $621 invoice for work that did not fix the problem. In the end, I paid ~$14k for a heat pump that does not work despite being < 1 yr old. The installer tried multiple times to correct the underlying cause without success, despite catching multiple errors in the original installation. If there was suspicion of it being related to the manufacturer (which I originally suggested looking into, but was advised not to do by MC heating), its unclear why that path was not pursued prior to committing work they then invoiced for. I am hopeful MC Heating can perform remaining necessary repairs or help coordinate with the manufacturer to get a working unit, and that this recent experience is an outlier and not reflective of a change in how this business operates with customers.

  Customer response

  08/13/2024

  "On September 20, 2023, MC Heating & Cooling installed a heat pump for $13,890. The agreement came with a 1 year installation warranty and 5 year manufacturer's warranty. The unit stopped working the first month. 
  Under warranty, the first ********** noted a problem with the way the thermostat was wired. It failed again that month, they suspected it was the inlet filter was 2 months old. I maintained filter replacements monthly. It failed in Nov and the inside unit was shaking the house and the outside unit was very loud. This time they noted it was installed with some imbalances/issues, and said they fixed this and adjusted the de-icing thermostat. 
   
  The unit failed several more times over the winter. In Spring they noted the refrigerant was low, but could not find a leak, so drained the lines and recharged. After the next failure, the ********** noted there was no buzz fuse installed, so they added this. A month later, it failed. They checked the lines and confirmed it still had refrigerant. 
   
  They indicated the next time should be scheduled as a service-call where they could talk with the manufacturer to diagnose what has plagued the system. After it failed again, we got this scheduled as directed. I had the same understanding throughout this process that this was being handled under the warranties (would not be billed for the call). Earlier conversations with MC heating **********s also led me to believe if it was related to the unit itself, that they would coordinate that and costs with the manufacturer directly. 
   
  On the diagnostic visit 8/12/24, I dont think they made progress on the phone, but they saw low pressure again, and didn't see any leaks. They indicated they'd have to work with the unit for a longer session to find leaks, so recharged the refrigerant again (band-aid) and did not ultimately resolve the underlying issue. While this is still within a year, with several installation errors (thermostat wiring, buzz fuse, unbalanced installation, etc), the work was previously being done as part of installation warranty. This time, however, I received a $621 invoice for work that did not fix the problem. 
   
  On phone, the owner indicated that because the unit was leaking, it was not related to their installation and thus not under warranty, despite the fact that we still don't know where the leak is coming from or how it happened. They indicated that I needed to address unit warranty issues with Gree directly, which was not how I was originally instructed on managing the issue, especially without evidence that it was unit-related. So, despite being under both warranties, instead of coordinating with the  manufacturer (Gree) for the time working on their unit, I ended up with a large charge, and was told they'd charge me further for doing the actual diagnosis and repair that seems ultimately needed. Note: when trying to submit a warranty claim to Gree, their website clearly states that a contractor must be the one to file and start a claim, so I could not file the claim or coordinate this directly without evidence of the cause (unit or installation). 
   
  In the end, I paid ~$14k for a heat pump that does not work despite being **** 1 yr old. The installer has tried multiple times to correct the underlying cause without success, despite catching multiple errors in the original installation. If there was suspicion of it being related to the manufacturer (which I originally suggested looking into, but was advised not to do by MC heating), its unclear why that path was not pursued prior to committing work they then invoiced for. 
   
  Historically, MC Heating was trying in ******* to honor their warranty and help correct this issue up until this latest interaction. So, despite my frustration with the unit not working, I was alright continuing to try with them. I just want the working heat pump for my family that I paid for and is well under warranty not to have to continue sinking time, or more money, towards correcting the problem. I am hopeful MC Heating can perform remaining necessary repairs or help coordinate me with the manufacturer to get a working unit accordingly, and that this recent invoice without warning and interaction is an outlier and not reflective of a change in how this business operates with customers."
  

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