ComplaintsforSolar Trek Inc

• Initial Complaint

  01/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We paid Solar Trek to put in their Solar Pool Heater in October 2022. They did not get the required permit and installed the work illegally. They told us they HAD the permit when we scheduled the work. They did not. We are only in Florida for the winter months, and they knew this from the beginning. To our surprise, we discovered their Solar Heater does not work well in the winter months! The pool has only been warm enough to swim 2 times so far. Then we discovered the Solar System had not been attached to our roof properly! Only 7 out of 23 lag screws (the ones we can see) were attached to the roof trusses as promised and required by their engineering specs and the manufacturer. They also failed to install 64 screws that connect the 2 halves of the clamps that hold the solar collectors to the roof. This is also required by their engineering specs and the manufacturer. Then, they tried to sell us a Heat Pump for more money. We turned that down because they had lied to us repeatedly, lied about getting a permit and didn’t do the work properly as described or as designed. Now we are in a battle to get this resolved. Our pool is too cold to use 95% of the time, and they won’t even send someone to look at the terrible work they did! On 12-21-23 we asked them to remove the Solar Trek System from our roof and give our money back. Patrick A*****, Solar Trek, Inc. owner, said they would send a refund check out that day and remove the system the following week. They never sent the check and never sent anyone! A week later they sent a document called, “Release and Covenant not to Sue”. They said they would not give us our money back or remove their system from our roof until AFTER we signed and notarized this document. They also wanted to “PATCH” the 42 holes they put in our roof! These patches will leak, but we will have no right to sue, and would be stuck replacing the roof ourselves!

  Business response

  01/23/2023

  When I was made aware Mr. ******* was not a happy customer I reached out to him directly to let him know I would review his file, speak with the sales person and get back to him with options. Since Mr. ******* is a "snowbird" and only in Florida the winter months, I felt he should have been offered a heat pump opposed to a solar system. Speaking with the sales person a heat pump was offered at the same time as solar. The salesperson provided the voice mail messages from Mr. ******* where he had decided to move forward with the solar and not the heat pump. Our marketing person confirmed "the Solar Difference" was in the presentation package and the salesperson confirmed the presentation package was provided to Mr. *******. "The Solar Difference" is a document that shows the heating potential of the solar pool heating system for each month of the year.  Although I felt we had provided all of the information to Mr. ******* to make an informed decision, I still wanted to make sure Mr. ******* was happy. I offered to install the heat pump with a 100% credit for what he had all ready paid for the solar, allow him to keep the solar, which would reduce the operating cost of the heat pump and he would be able to swim year round. In essence, Mr. ******* was getting $11,100 worth of pool heating for $6,100. 

  Mr. ******* called the following day and said he decided to install a gas heater through another company. At this point I offered to remove the solar, restore the plumbing to its original condition, seal the roof and give him a full refund. I sent a release and asked him to sign. He refused and demanded $10,000. 

  This system was permitted and has passed inspection by Sumter County verifying an acceptable installation compared to engineering. 

  I feel we have made every reasonable attempt to resolve Mr. ******'s situation. He has made false statements and now wants more than $10,000. I am unable to find mutual ground and see no other way to resolve this situation other than mediation. 

  Business response

  03/30/2023

  Attached is the engineer for UMA (Solar panel producer)'s signoff of the ******* residence. Also attached is the from the county website saying the system has passed inspection and is in proper operation. 

  Customer response

  03/30/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  The report attached is not a "sign off" from an "engineer for “UMA" as described by Mr. A*****. You think he would know by now that the author, Mr. Jeffrey T*****, works for SunSmart Engineering.
  He then says, “Attached is the from the county website…passed inspection and is in proper operation.
  If he is talking about the attached spreadsheet from Sumter County, it says, “passed”.
  Nowhere on the spreadsheet does it say, “passed and is in proper operation”, as claimed by Mr. A*****.
  In fact the solar pool heater is destroying our shingles as shown in the attached pictures. As the collector tubes contract or shrink in cooler weather (anything below 65 degrees), the collector tube retaining strips, tear the shingles loose from the shingles below and lift them up in the air. They are lifted anywhere from ½” to 1-½” nearly every day since they were installed. Not only does it damage the shingles, but it makes the roof non-compliant with the Florida code requirements for wind.
  The attached “Inspection Report” accomplished one thing. It forced the county to pass the final building inspection.
  Other than that, the report is HOGWASH.
  Here is why I say this:
  On page 3 roman numeral II. of the report, the writer, Mr. T*****, says, “Interview with the homeowners, Mr. ****** ******* and Mrs. ******* *******.”
  In fact, Mr. T***** DID NOT interview either of us, at any time!
  Under “Basis of Report”, bullet point 5, Mr. T***** says, “Inspection of the exterior, roof, interior and attic of the residence in general and areas of the solar install in particular”
  What he says is UNTRUE!  My wife or I were watching or accompanying Mr. T***** throughout the inspection. He did not:
  Inspected the “Interior”. He never set foot in our house.
  He only inspected the attic of the garage, not the residence as he claims.
  He did not inspect the “…areas of the solar install in particular”. He inspected only 2/3 of the installation area. He claims later in the report that he had “Limited Access”. This is also not true. Me and Mr. W*********, Solar Trek’s operations manager, both gained access to the other 1/3 of the area under the solar installation. I have a bad hip, 2 bad shoulders and limited use of my hands. If I can do it, he should be able to do it. Mr. T***** will say multiple times in the report that he “Inspected that area”. In fact, he did not.
  In the report, Mr. T***** will declare that there are no screws sticking out or water stains in this same area. Mr. T***** has no idea what is under that area because he DID NOT INSPECT IT!
  
  On Page 4 under, “Conclusion” Mr. T***** says the “…installation occurred in accordance with the requirements of my structural documents and the 2020 Florida Building Code (7th Edition).
  
  This is the furthest thing from the truth.
  
  There are so many code violations that it would take 20 pages to list and explain them all. I will give a couple examples.
  
  We now know that Solar Trek drilled approximately 70 holes in our roof while installing, then reinstalling the solar pool heater. They left some of those holes with no sealer at all. See attached pictures. The rest of the holes they patched with sealer. Now let’s see what the Florida Code says.
  CHAPTER 14 Solar Systems
  
   1401.1 Scope This chapter shall govern the design, construction, installation, alteration and repair of systems, equipment and appliances intended to utilize solar energy for space heating or cooling, domestic hot water heating or cooling, swimming pool heating or process heating.
  
  1402.6 Penetrations. Roof and wall penetrations shall be flashed and sealed to prevent entry of water, rodents, and insects.
  1503.2 Flashing. Flashing shall be used to seal roofing systems, where the system is interrupted or terminated and shall be installed in such a manner so as to prevent moisture entering the wall and roof through joints in copings, through moisture-permeable materials and at intersections with parapet walls and other penetrations through the roof plane.
  
  R903.2Flashing. Flashings shall be used to seal roofing systems, where the system is interrupted or terminated and shall be installed in a manner that prevents moisture from entering the wall and roof through joints in copings, through moisture permeable materials and at intersections with parapet walls and other penetrations through the roof plane.
  
  The codes say crystal clear, that holes or penetration through the roof plane, SHALL BE FLASHED AND SEALED. 1401.1 names “SOLAR POOL HEATING”. This chapter shall govern design, construction, installation, alteration and repair.
  
  Then on page 6, Mr. T***** writes, “There are varying ways to flash and seal a roof penetration depending on the roof covering and application. In the 2020 Florida Building Code, roof flashing and sealing requirements ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY DEFINED FOR SOLAR APPLICATIONS, especially solar pool heating applications.
  
  Did Mr. T***** read 1401.1 and 1402.6.
  
  These codes are very specific and precise.
  
  Chapter 14 ---- Solar Systems ----Swimming Pool Heating --------Penetrations ----SHALL BE FLASHED AND SEALED
  The fact is, every hole drilled in our roof by Solar Trek should have been “FLASHED AND SEALED”.
  

  They flashed 2 holes, that’s it.  

  Mr. T***** claim that the installation was done in accordance with the requirements of his structural drawings and the Florida Code is NOT TRUE.

  I invite anyone to come to my home and I will gladly prove what I am saying. 

  If Mr. T***** would actually interview me, I would show him why his report is completely off. But he already knows this, His only goal was to force Sumter County to pass the inspection.

  Mr. A***** and Mr. T***** have no concern for the welfare of my wife and I. They got their money, and just want us off their backs. They have no concern about the mess they have left us in. We now have to pay someone to remove this Solar Pool Heater and replace our shingles, They screwed with the wrong Veteran/Senior Citizen/Villager.

  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

• Initial Complaint

  04/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In April 2021, I notified Solar Trek of a leak in my roof after a rain storm. They sent a repair person from their division called Caribbean Electric to investigate. The repair person said that when they installed the panels in April 2015, one of the lag bolts which holds the panel rack in place went through the side of one of the rafters splitting it. The bolt subsequently loosened and the rain ran down next to the loosened bolt and onto the kitchen cathedral ceiling. When I showed him the stain on my kitchen ceiling he photographed it on his cell phone and said he would notify the owner of the company. Over the course of the last year, either myself or my husband has called Solar Trek to speak with the owner to let him know that we expect the stains to be remedied. The owner of the business will not and has not once returned our calls (multiple). Subsequently, we have had to have a new roof put on our home due to bad shingles and multiple rotted areas all around the mounting places of the solar panels and the distribution box at a cost of about $21,000. Can you please help us get our ceiling repainted, please? We are both about 80 years old, and don't know where to turn. The business must have some sort of insurance against this sort of issue.

  Business response

  05/13/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/04/26) */ We contacted the ********'s to ask them to get two quotes for painting the ceiling. We will compensate the actual cost of painting as we are responsible to the area that is damaged. Consumer Response /* (2000, 7, 2022/05/04) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) I got the response from this business and fully expect they will honor their offer. We will wait and see that they do. No painters would give an estimate on just covering the water stain area. They all said that the entire ceiling must be painted because they could not match the 17 year old paint on this cathedral ceiling.

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