ComplaintsforWeidner Refrigeration, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 7/27/23 Weidner Refrigeration installed a new HVAC unit in my crawlspace. I paid them $11,661.00 on 8/7/23. On 8/23/23 my ceiling collapsed due to a structural floor joist that was cut to accommodate the size of the hole in the floor to get the new HVAC unit into the floor. The joist was not repaired correctly and the house has sunk over 2/3's of an inch. Weidner has requested several different inspections and reports, but will not take ownership and open a claim with their insurance company to resolve the issue. We are looking for the joist to be structurally repaired, the ceiling to be repaired, the insulation to be replaced, the fan to be replaced, the curtain rod to be replaced, the damaged furniture to be repaired or replaced, and all cleanup fees an other miscellaneous fees that have been caused to be reimbursed.

  

  Business response

  09/22/2023

  On 7/27/23, our company installed an air handler, heatpump & humidifer in the home of **** ******** **** ***** ****** **** ************ **. Her home has a very tight crawlspace with a small opening. A floor joist had to be cut to get the air handler into the crawlspace. The floor was properly braced prior and the joist repaired when work was finished.

   

  On 8/23/23, Our officie received a phone call from a person representing **** ******, stating that the "room had fallen in", and demanding to immediately speak with the owner of our company. Mr. Weidner had already left the office , and was on a service call. The office manager called Mr. Weidner and advised of the situation. Two exerienced technicians were immediately dispatched to the residence. They found that the ceiling had collapsed, and insulation spilled down into the room. They also observed that this drywall and insulation had moisture in it. The drywall of this home was hung with short nails, as was the practice at the time this home was built. They were advised that the ceiling has sagged previously, and some re-inforced it with drywall screws as is the practice today. We immediately sent a licensed, long-term home builder with many homes to his credit to access the situation. He did a thorough inspection on the main floor and crawled all the way back in the crawl-space. He observed another floor joist that had previously been cut that had a jack holdiing it up, and it was slipping off the jack. He noted other situations that needed attention in parts of the crawlspace our technicians had not been in. He also took lots of pictures. The floor joist we had to cut is not on a load-bearing wall. He observed that proper bracing had been done prior to cutting the joise, and repaairs made after HVAC work completer. Other items he observed included moisture in the fallen drywall and insulation. He also observed that the bathroom fan was not vented out the roof or soffer, but into the attic. The moisture venting into the attic would not have dried, as the heat and humidity at that time were extreme. That bathroom contains a shower that the customer iniatally stated was used on a daily basis. That story changed later on to never using it. The attic was heavily insulated-the damp insulation was very heavy.

  This contractor who preformed the inspection has many years in the home-building business, not someone who is a home inspector for realtors and has a "good" knowledge of construction aspects. Before any inspections performed by ****** or ***** ********* were done, the drywall and insulation had been removed from the site.

  The home building contractor that we dispatched attempted to advise the home owner and her representatives of his findings, however, they were not receptive, they just walked away.

  The contractor also stated that the attic needed to be inspected for structural problems. He did not go into attic.

  We did not refuse to turn this matter into our insurance company. The matter is now between the homeowners and our insurance company.

  Our company has hired a structural engineer to inspect.

  If further information is needed, please advise.

  Customer response

  09/25/2023

  I am rejecting this response because:  The response is not the purpose of the BBB.  The BBB is to encourage and support best practices by engaging with and educating consumers and businesses, as well as calling out and addressing substandard marketplace behavior.  As you can see in this report from the City of Springfield Building and Zoning Department, there are several factors here that were not done correctly.  They did not get a permit to cut the joist and did not repair it correctly.  Therefore, the city is saying that this is improper and caused the house to sink, and even they believe cause the structure to fall enough to cause the ceiling to collapse.  The HVAC system also does not meet code and needs to be corrected as well.  As you can see, based on this report from the City of Springfield, this does not show that best practices were used by the business and substandard work was done for this consumer.
  
  
  

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