ComplaintsforIdeal Comfort HVAC LLC

• Initial Complaint

  10/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Transaction date February 14, 2023. Since installation, there has been a noise problem at the from the exiting ductwork at the registers that is intolerable. Ideal has made numerous attempts to correct this problem, none of which have fixed it. I have hired two different HVAC consultants and both have told me that the problem is, while the air handler unit is sized for the square footage of the house, it is too large for the existing ductwork. Ideal has actually admitted this, but then blames us for having inadequate ductwork. They should have known this as it is visible and measurable. I asked Ideal to remove the system and refund my money. They have refused. They will replace it with a system similar (much less expensive) unit like we replaced in the first place, also replacing the heat pump with a regular air conditioner. Why would I want that?

  

  Business response

  10/16/2023

  See Attached Documents.

  Customer response

  10/20/2023

  Complaint: 20704666
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I would like  monetary closure.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************

  

  Business response

  10/29/2023

  I will summarize my argument here again, but there is nothing new to say. It is immediately clear that the resolution being demanded here by ******************* is not a reasonable one.

  1. I installed a heating and cooling system that is correctly sized for the home that I sold it in. This is the only acceptable way of designing a heating and cooling system. This has been confirmed by *********************** own people.

  2. I installed the system perfectly. Also confirmed.

  3. System was installed at an incredible price and value.

  4. ******************* has inadequate ductwork for the correctly sized system for his home. Even though our contract is clear to not include ductwork services, I have already provided more than $4,000 in free work to mitigate the issue, and I was willing to provide more.

  I am no longer willing to provide any free work for ******************* or work for him in any way - he is processing complaints about my company doing things correctly and insisting that I break code and jeopardize my HVAC license to incorrectly size his system to match up with his inadequate ductwork. No licensed company would do this, yet I continue to be extorted for it in the face of a demand for a refund in full, in addition to ******************* taking to social media to try and damage my company that way. If ******************* continues to demand that I refund him in full because I wouldn't risk my license to do work incorrectly, I'm afraid there is no resolution to this claim. 

  Customer response

  11/01/2023

  Complaint: 20704666
  
  I am rejecting this response because: inadequate response. Response attrached.
  
  Regards,
  
  *******************

  Complaint ID: ********
  
  Reply to message from owner, ******************************* via BBB 11-02-2023
  
  1.There are new things to say if you are open minded. The two HVAC consultants that I hired examined our system  you had installed and immediately stated that our noise problem was caused by a system too large for our duct work. TOO LARGE FOR OUR EXISTING DUCTWORK.  See last paragraph of this letter.
  2.You did install a heating and cooling system that was sized correctly for the square footage of our home. It was oversized for the existing duct system, and you should have known this before installation since our ductwork is openly visible and measurable.
  3. You state that I have inadequate ductwork, yet in an existing completed home, there is no way I can change that. You had the capability of evaluating that before your installation. You did provide numerous fixes to the system in an attempt to stop the noise, but at no time was the duct size addressed except though the air return. Nothing fixed it, and after months of trying to tolerate this, we have given up.
  
  I am not asking you to break code. All I am asking is that you be open-minded about your error in sizing this system and compensate me for your glaring mistake. And speaking of licensed companies, Ideal Comfort did not even pull a installation permit as required by the town of ********. Why wasnt this done as it is required by law?
  
  And lastly, we have resolved our noise problem even though it cost us a great sum of money to do so. We hired one of our consultants companies who installed a correctly sized air handler and heat pump for our existing duct size, and voi, no more noise at our registers. We are now warm and content with our heating system, but await your reimbursement for a flawed system installation.
  
  ******************* and *************************
  

  
  

  Customer response

  11/02/2023

  I am attaching sound meter readings with Ideal Comfort Furnace installation (10-25-23) and the readings from the same places after furnace replacement (11-02-23) 

  

  Business response

  11/06/2023

  Good afternoon, no new attachments, everything has been attached. After all of the back-and-forth here, the following facts remain. Please take them into account when arriving at your decision, I have never had a BBB complaint in my career and business is increasingly harder these days. I believe that an impartial look at this should result in the complaints dismissal, based on the following:

  1) I sized Mr. ****** system appropriately, according to industry standards for energy efficiency, which has been confirmed.

  2) Beyond the perfect system installation, I have spent thousands of dollars (all of the profits and then some) to correct Mr. ****** ductwork even though our contract clearly states we are not responsible for this. 

  3) I agreed to spend even more. Mr. **** needs the correct ductwork in his home for the correct energy efficiency, not a mis-sized system forced on to his inadequate ductwork. No other company should have done this, and no proof was provided in any case.

  4) When all of those efforts failed, I agreed to replace the system that I put in with the exact system that he used to have. That gesture was also declined.

  I don't believe there's any argument here that after all of this I should give Mr. **** any kind of refund, let alone refund in full which would nullify all of our efforts and not take into account the thousands of dollars in equipment value that he must have given to the other contractor who was willing to install mis-sized equipment. I don't believe this complaint should be on my record, either. I was told by someone at the BBB that the complaint falls within the BBB guidelines, so you have to entertain it. May I please have a copy of those guidelines? I'm quite sure one or more of them has been broken by Mr. **** with this impossible complaint/demand, I ********* not be explaining my side the right way. Thank you for listening, and please consider the devastating effects this would have on our small family business.

  Customer response

  11/13/2023

  Complaint: 20704666
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  
  
  ******************* Reply to message from owner,***************************** via BBB 11/13/2023
  
  In response to paragraph one:In all my years of doing business and receiving business services, this is the first time I have had to file a negative report on anyone. I have done so because I believe that this was a truly incompetent HVAC installation and I have come to believe that this business is negligent in other areas which I will point out.
  
  #1: The owner, ***************************** of Ideal Comfort, continues to state that he sized the system appropriately by sizing it according to square footage. While this is a common and quick way of sizing because it takes no calculation, it is not the only way. Secondary consideration must evaluate the size of the existing ductwork and any other limiting factors that *** be present in an existing home, (according to two HVAC consultants that I hired to evaluate this faulty system). ****************** failed to take into consideration the existing size of our ductwork even though it is exposed and visible and certainly measurable.
  
  ****************** states that his sizing, according to industry standards for energy efficiency, has been confirmed.We are talking here about correct sizing NOT energy efficiency, and by whose standards has it been confirmed?
  
  #2: It is stated that beyond the perfect system installation, Ideal Comfort has spent thousands of dollars to correct the ductwork. If this sizing and installation was perfect, why did my ductwork need thousands of dollars of correction? An additional note: ***************** never once in these months came by to check the problem. Several times he sent workers that admitted they knew nothing about the system and were learning on the job. Only once did a technician come that seemed to know what was going on, and he is the one that made changes to our return ductwork, which did not correct the problem.
  
  #3: I did submit the paperwork that shows I paid, at considerable personal expense, for a replacement HVAC system properly sized for our ductwork. I will attach this paperwork again.This replacement reduced the unbearable noise from our registers from over 60 decibels to calmer and more quiet 30 decibels. It is a wonderful relief!
  
  #4: It is true that ***************** did offer to replace this faulty system with a system that I used to have. Why would I want to do that for the cost that I paid him and end up with the inferior system he was hired to replace? I asked him numerous times why he would do this when he could just simply remove the inadequate Ideal system and compensate me accordingly. He has never answered this question.

  #5: I take affront to Mr.******** ********* about my new contractor having installed mis-sized equipment. How does he know this as he has not come by and looked at this new system or evaluated it in any way that I know of. The new contractor carefully evaluated my entire system, took the measurements and did the calculations to size my new unit properly, and the result is a quiet, efficient system that I have documented with the decibel change.
  
  Finally, I have already stated that Ideal Comfort did not pull a installation permit from the city of ******** when this system was installed. In further checking, I find no record that Mr.  ******* or Ideal Comfort HVAC is a registered vendor in ********, or has a city sales tax license.
  
  ******* and I are retired and on a fixed income. Not only has this faulty system and Ideal Comfort caused us stress and anxiety, but the financial burden of TWO systems is a very difficult challenge. Therefore, based on all the available facts, we are asking for compensation to resolve this issue.
  
  ******************* and *************************
  
  Attachments (5)

  Customer response

  11/22/2023

  More InformatioBBB Reply 11-22-23 Complaint #********
  
  This back and forth is so frustrating because ****************** never answers a question that I have asked, he never speaks to even one of the attachments I have sent, and he never came to the house after selling us this incorrect system to see and hear what the actual problem was. I want a refund and I want it NOW!!!!!n...

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