ComplaintsforMcCrea Heating And Air Conditioning

• Initial Complaint

  08/23/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  June 2021 McCrea installed a new HVAC unit for our upstairs. We live in an older house, the original part of the house is around 100+ years old. We had the duct work replaced 10 or so years ago, and were told by the McCrea representative that we should replace our existing 2.0T unit with a new efficient Variable speed R410 refrigerant 2.0T unit from Carrier. The installers indicated good duct work. We immediately had issues with the new unit. The unit has never been able to keep the upstairs cool to 70-72 degrees that our non McCrea unit can consistently maintain downstairs. There were initial setup error codes. This necessitated replacement of the control wire from the thermostat to outside unit. This did not remedy the over heating condition. McCrea Service Techs and the Service Installation manager came on 4 visits giving us a different answer every time. On hot days (95/+) the room with the thermometer read as high as 79-80+ degrees. Please note that the room with the thermostat is that high, the other three rooms on the same floor are consistently 5-10 degrees hotter. McCrea finally, after a year of being installed, captured sizing data and had their engineering dept conduct a Manual J and engineering assessment including the ducts. They used Manual J Tightness of "average" despite the age of the home. They recommended $4000+ of new duct work. The unit they selected at sale time they are now saying requires larger duct work. Also in the past month McCrea sent a contractor to check for infiltration and heat/cool loss of the house. The contractor said that our house had much higher infiltration than is characterized by a Manual J rating of "average". We have an $11,000 HVAC, which from the day it was installed has been unable to cool the upstairs of our house. We have asked for the unit to be fixed/removed but McCrea would like us to spend an additional $4,000+ to replace duct work. McCrea's has been dismissive of our situation and complaints.

  Business response

  09/13/2022

  The ongoing issue with this home is infiltration.  We performed a load calculation that verified the size of equipment needed and an energy audit that identified why there are certain areas that have a greater heat gain and loss.  We did note some supply duct changes that could help but these changes would have minimal effect based on the air tightness of the home.  The current return ducting is correct for the capacity of the system installed.  The system has shown the ability to maintain a 17 to 20 degree delta from outdoor temperature.  There are many codes that govern the sizing of air conditioning systems and those have been followed.  To expect an air conditioner to maintain 70 to 72 degrees when the outdoor ambient is 95 degrees or higher is not realistic for any system.   It is my recommendation to make the upgrades to the insulation and have a top seal completed to reduce the amount of air infiltration.

  Customer response

  09/29/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  From: *******@***********.com <*******@***********.com>
  Date: Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 1:17 PM
  Subject: Customer Response. Complaint ID ********. McCrea Heating & Air Conditioning Services of Maryland, L.L.C
  To: *******@mybbb.org <*******@mybbb.org>
  Cc: ***** ******* <***********************>
  
  *** ******,
  Here is our response:
  
  The ongoing issue with this home is incorrect selection of HVAC equipment by the HVAC company at the specification of the contract.  The company was given access to the space to compute HVAC sizing and they were given information that a larger unit may have been required at the initial discussion.  The HVAC provider did not conduct unit sizing until nearly 1 year after the $11,000 unit had been installed, despite consistent complaint that the unit was not able to cool even a reduced space.  At the point that the company used their engineering department to finally do a Manual J sizing, they used incorrect tightness criteria to justify the idea that the installed unit exceeded the requirement despite the temperature curves indicating the unit was not able to keep up at loads above 80 degrees.  After this engineering assessment, the HVAC company did admit that the unit they specified would not work with existing ducting.  This was identified a year after installation despite their assurances when the contract was signed that the unit they selected would cool the space.  Now the HVAC contractor has shifted to emphasize infiltration which has not changed since they initially specified the system.  The problem is that the HVAC contractor did not accurately select a system for the existing application in a 100-year old home.  The system does not keep up at summer temperatures because they put in a system that does not work with existing ducting and does not provide adequate capacity, air flow, cooling etc. to keep up with the heat load.  Instead of removing / replacing the incorrect unit HVAC contractor is emphasizing things they should have found in their specification process, and emphasizing that the 100-year-old house does not match new construction standards.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******
  ###-###-####
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  08/08/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My wife and I purchased a central air unit for our first floor and two ********** wall units on our 2nd floor. After installing our upstairs bedroom wall unit they left a hole in my closest that I could see the outside pathway next to our house. I talked to them through email and text for a few months asking when they'd send someone out to fix it, they never did. Instead my father and I did it ourselves. After installing our central air unit in the basement they put in a small drain line and drilled through the side of my house. I figured they'd caulk it, make sure my basement was sealed against the elements. Never happened. Multiple times over the years I have had to contact this company for issues with the unit they installed in the basement, every time I get the same receptionist. Don't know her name, but every time we speak she makes me want to bang my head against the wall. I try to explain the problem, and she would argue with me over it being the trap clogged. I'd tell her it wasn't, we snaked the line multiple times and never got anything. Well that's what the problem is and it's going to be 109.99 for someone to come out and fix it. Guy gets out here and guess what? Whoever cut the pvc pipe that connects to our pump didn't angle the cut, it was flush against the bottom of the basin and was suctioned to the bottom of the basin. Did they take responsibility for destroying the shelf life of our pump? Nope, not covered by our warranty. How can this company even be considered professional? At this point I wish I had paid some circus clowns $13k to install the units, I'd stake my life that they'd of done a better job.

  Business response

  10/18/2022

  October 17th, 2022

  Dear *** *****:
  
  Please accept this correspondence in response to your email communication dated October 14th, 2022, regarding the above referenced matter.
  
  We appreciate the opportunity to respond to *** ******** complaint.
  
  In reference to the desired resolution, the repairs were made on 8/18/22. The technician completed the *** repair and sealed the line set penetrations. He checked the overall operation and verified the condensation pump was working to manufacturer specifications.
  
  There are no open ticket items currently.
  
  Regards,
  
  Ray W***
  Senior Service Specialist

• Initial Complaint

  01/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In August 2020 I had a ***** HVAC unit installed by McCrea Heating and Cooling after being in my home for 14 years. In August 2021 I started noticing a musty/ moldy smell in my house. I could not figure out were it was coming from. Please understand...(*In Jan 2021 I had a total hip replacement. I have another scheduled this Jan 2022. My mobility and energy have been limited for quite some time. Therefore, most of my time is spent in my upstairs bedroom.) While on winter break from work. I decided to start decluttering my living room so I could clean. This was in anticipation of my surgery and my family coming to help me. This is when I discovered mold all over my living room furniture, vents and plush animal toys. I then noticed the vents in the kitchen, upstairs bathrooms were also covered in mold. I contacted McCrea. The service person said he couldn't see anything wrong with the unit. Although, together we both discovered mold at the base of the unit. *I had to ask him to stop wiping it away. I wanted to take pictures. We also found mold on a cushion and chair in the basement. The McCrea guy did leave a business card but, I have yet to receive a written report. He stated, "rarely a unit could have faulty cables." This leads me to believe that although rare something can be wrong with the unit. In the 14 years I have been in my home I have never had issues with mold. Several year ago I had my basement water proofed. So, I am positive there is no water coming into my basement. I don't see how it could be anything other than the unit they installed since the issue only started after the unit's installation. He even commented that my sump pump was dry. Since last year my dogs have developed allergies and mine have gotten worse. Now I am realizing why. I do believe McCrea is responsible for my mold issues. I would like it corrected before it effects my heath more. Please Help me find resolution. Kind Regards *************************

  Business response

  02/22/2022

  I arrived at this home on January 4th, 2022, after our office received a call about a possible biological growth issue at ***********************, Gaithersburg, MD. Our office received that call on Dec. 31st, 2021. I checked over the complete installation including the system wiring, airflow settings, refrigerant charge, and the state of any growth that could be happening. There was no growth whatsoever inside the indoor air handler. The return ducts inside the home are very dirty and I saw multiple dirty air filters. All wiring was correct, refrigerant charge matched with the manufacturers guidelines for winter charging, and airflow was set correctly for the size of the air conditioner. When airflow becomes low, the system will deliver lower temperature air into the home. The dirty air filters coupled with the dirty return air could be causing the system to run colder than it should. I also asked some questions regarding what temperature she had set the thermostat to, and she originally set it was set to 65 degrees, then corrected herself that it was set higher than that after my surprise at such a low temperature.
  
  When temperatures are set low and airflow could be causing lower air temperature delivery, this could lead to higher humidity levels in the home. Higher humidity levels can activate things such as mold that are within the home to grow. This homeowner also explained to me that the basement had flooded in the past and has been repaired, though there is still some material (wooden carpet tack strips that were black) that could be a source of any growth spores.
  
  Because the owner had called us in the wintertime, I could not test the equipment in a manner that would show any problems with the air conditioner. I will have to test the system under the load of the summer heat and humidity to examine any possibility of an issue. I have no issue with checking this equipment in the conditions where this growth may have stemmed from. Though I am an HVAC specialist, I am not certified with mold or any biological growth to discern what the source could be, but I do know that the air handler is clear of any growth. The only thing I may be able to test and prove is the operation and any issues with the air conditioning system. I believe the homeowner has set the temperature too low and had caused the high humidity scenario within the home.
  

  Customer response

  02/27/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  To Whom It May Concern:
  
  I am rejecting this response because: There is mold on the unit/machine in the basement that the technician saw and was wiping away at.  (I forgot to include it with the original photos).  I can always take more pictures.  I am not sure it that is what the technician is referring to as the return.  And as he has said he is not a mold expert.  He did not inspect the ducts.  He only opened the bottom of the machine in the basement.  It does not matter how dirty my ducts are.  I can tell the world that I am not the tidiest person in the world.  That has nothing to do with the HVAC unit producing mold in my house.  Yes, I had flooding in my basement several years ago.  I should very well be able to provide documentation that this issue has been fixed and that the wood carpet lining the technician is referring to has no active mold.  I can send pictures of that as well.  More evidence that there is no moisture in my basement to cause mold.  The technician also poked a hole in the wall lining to see if there was moisture.  There was not.  I can send a picture of that as well. 

  As for the temperature in my home, it is set where it is always set.  I have never had an issue with where I keep the temperature in my house it term of mold production because I have not had mold until your company installed my current unit.  The technician also stated that he would speak to his supervisor regarding the issue and get back to me which he never did.  He even took a photo of a moldy vent in my kitchen for evidence.
  

  Additionally,  I had a plumber come to inspect my home because the McCrea technician kept implying that there must be water getting into my home.  The plumber has confirmed that there is no evidence of any water coming into my home to be producing mold. 
  

  I keep my temperature at the same level that I have always kept the temperature in my home and have never had an issue with mold.  I have been in my home for over 14 years.  The only change has been the installation of the HVAC unit McCrea installed.

  I would like McCrea to remove the unit and RETURN MY MONEY.  I paid over $6,000. for this unit and it is not functioning properly.  I can make arrangements to leave my home if necessary in order for the work to be complted.

  Very Kind Regards,

  *************************

  ************

  *********************

  Regards,
  
  *************************

  Business response

  05/26/2022

  I am currently scheduled to recheck *********************** system on June 16th, 2022.
  
  Seth Y**********
  Service Manager
  McCrea Heating and Air Services of PA

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩