ComplaintsforFirst Response Heating & Cooling, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  08/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Central Ac unit replaced. Started out okay. Then made noise. Turned it off for days. Back on and okay. Then leaked freon down the side and floor in basement. Someone came out and said leave it off til they get a smaller coil. Had to use a window ac. My mother is a senior and I'm in a hospital bed with progressive MS so heat is not good, which is why we wanted the ac unit replaced. A week running that 24/7 (they did end up giving us $300 towards bge bill). Wrong coil, guy had to go get the right one. He used electrical tape to make the vent in the basement to get some air, the old vent wouldn't fit. Weeks later, more noise. Had bge come out and guy was shocked we paid so much and said they coulda put in the furnace too for that price. Said the job was unprofessional with the taped vent and there were screws instead of cap locks outside. Called company and he said he didn't see screws in his pic (either he lied or the guy who did the job did). Had to take photos to show the screws, then he said he'd come look. Agreed that and the vent were done unprofesionally and had someone come fix it. There's still a noise in the living room vent that comes and goes for no reason and was never there prior. Bge said we do need a permit and inspection. Company and owner denied. We sent emails and called permit office an told they FO and there wasn't even any mention of their company in the system. Owner asked me for name and number of person and I texted it to him. Never heard back. I wrote again and he said no permit needed. We called permit office again (several people said you need a permit) and the chief guy asked for company number. He called and spoke with them. Guy said he didn't know he needed a permit and inspection! We've been telling him all this time! Permit chief said company will get permit and I section donw. Haven't heard anything further. How many other things are secretly wrong by lies and corner cutting? We wanted peace of mind in new ac but didn't get it!

  

  Business response

  08/25/2023

  Customer called in for a noise complaint on 6/20/23, we scheduled a service tech to come out same day. Customer then canceled appointment before technician arrived. We received another call on 6/23/23 about oil spots at indoor coil so we again sent a technician on the same day. Technician arrived and found that the coil had a big leak and was leaking refrigerant and oil. This was around 10 am on Friday 6/23/23, we immediately ordered a replacement coil to be shipped in from our supply house with a lead time of 1-2 days (business days). We received new coil from supplier on Tuesday 6/27/23 and had replacement scheduled for 6/28/23. Install tech arrived at home with coil that was sent to us and found that supply house had mixed up our coil with a smaller one, so we sent him directly to supply house to have it switched with the correct coil we had ordered. He returned to customers home and installed replacement coil. It was his recommendation to remove vent from coil box because it was rubbing against the coil and possibly caused the leak, and vent was for unfinished basement. Based on the information we received, homeowner asked that our technician not tape hole up completely to leave some air flow. Also during his visit he misplaced his locking cap key to remove lock caps, he used 1/4" screws to disengage lock and remove caps without damaging the system but rendering the caps useless. We received a phone call listing the concerns on 8/01/23 and scheduled a visit for 8/2/23. Upon that visit we agreed that the caps should have been replaced and that there was a better way to handle the vent situation. We replaced locking caps and relocated supply vent as well as agreed to cut a check for $300 back to customer for their inconvenience. Upon this visit we were asked about the HVAC permit and we agreed we would look into it but there was no one to pull a permit for HVAC in Baltimore County with as the department does not exist. We have since been told that we need an electrical inspection for the disconnect and wiring none of which were an issue or cause of complaint. We talked with representatives from Baltimore County and agreed we would have the electrical inspection done to comply with all regulations and code.
  
  

  

  Business response

  08/29/2023

  The electrical inspection and permit is being processed and will be completed in the near future, someone will contact you regarding that. Once again there is no HVAC permit required in Baltimore County, this is not a lie or are we deceiving any of our customers. While they have said they require a ELECTRICAL inspection and permit, we have taken action to have that done. In the past when we have pulled our HVAC mechanical permit it has included the electrical, we have not needed a separate electrical permit. We have done everything we can to fix this situation and all concerns.

  Customer response

  08/30/2023

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

  How exactly are you a legit company but aren't aware you need a permit and inspection for electrical? Even after we kept telling you one was required. There is no way you've only done ONE ac swap in Baltimore county so how many other people should have had a permit pulled and an electrical inspection that was never done because you didn't know? Seems to me that's a safety hazard and one you should have known about all along. If it was that easy for us to call the permit department and find out, you should have known that's how it works. So again, we're left without peace of mind and wondering how many other corners were cut and what else wasn't known to you when you did the job. Like how your worker can forget a tool, rig things incorrectly and not bother to let anyone know or come back with the tool and fix it. And you still think all this is normal and acceptable.

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

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