ComplaintsforHolbrook Heating, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/14/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have had a person come to my home almost everyday since having a new central air put in. The first few times they came I wasn’t getting cold air and was told the unit needed to be charged 3 times by 3 people on 3 different days that claimed they charged it. After numerous calls to the company, they sent another person out and claimed the thermostat was broken and I had another one and was charged another $100 or so dollars to get it installed. I’ve called multiple times and never get a call back right away. I have had multiple issues and have been charged multiple times by every technician. I am very ****** because I have spent 7,000 dollars on a new system and have payed every time for a new issue they seem to find. Now my thermostat is shorting out and I believe it has to do with the big whole behind the thermostat. They won’t send out a tech and I believe the company is a total scam, and the techs do not know what they are doing. I will not recommend this company to anyone, and I will be complaining.

  

  Business response

  07/25/2024

  We installed a system for ******* ****** on 6/27/2024. During the sales process it is to be noted that Mrs. ****** opted to keep her existing thermostat in order to help keep costs down. Where it is true that we had been out to Mrs. ******* home the next couple of days after the installation for a couple of issues being related to charge and air flow there were no charges for any of that.     Just over a week later on 7/10/2024 the customer called back and stated that her thermostat was flashing ”low battery”  and would not go away even after replacing the batteries. The customer allowed us to return on 7/11 to address this issue. The technician that was here found that her existing thermostat was faulty and needed to be replaced. The customer had another thermostat there and requested that we install that one. We did and the system was operating normally when we left. We did charge less than an hour’s labor for this as this was not an issue with our installation, but her existing thermostat.         On 7/14/2024 the customer called and stated that the thermostat has condensation all over the back of it and is shorting out the thermostat. The technician was there and did not find anything wrong except there was no common wire connected to the thermostat. He hooked one up in the thoughts that this was what was causing the issue. He did not charge the customer.    7/17 customer called again stating that the thermostat is blank and the system would not run. We sent a technician out with a new thermostat as we suspected that the ones the customer owned were faulty and based on the issues presented that this was the issue. The technician went out and deemed the thermostat to be faulty and replaced with a new thermostat the he had brought with him. The system started up and ran normally. At this time the technician went to the daughter to find about collecting payment for the new thermostat and she called Mrs. ****** as she was not at for the appointment that she set for after 5:00 PM outside of our regularly scheduled times as she said she could not be there earlier. The technician was met with an irate customer who was screaming and hollering about not having to pay for the thermostat. The technician called the dispatcher and was looking for input as to what to do. The dispatcher told him to leave.       In short there were a couple of issues that we had to work out on our end in the first couple of days, however the others have all been due to her existing equipment. Holbrook Heating is sorry for the customer not being satisfied, but we responded to every call that the customer had.  Holbrook Heating even absorbed costs that were not due to our work. The customer has been put back on our schedule for 7/25.

• Initial Complaint

  01/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On December 28, 2023 Andrew came to my home for a service call , I had no hot water . When he arrived my friend was waiting for him and we FaceTimeed so that I could tell him what was going on and he could ask me any questions, I explained to him that I didn’t want to put a lot of money into this due to I was leaving the home, it was going to be sold . He said it was the box on the hot water he stated it would be 400.00 to replace it , he couldn’t get the part until the next morning and that he didn’t have any openings that week in his schedule to do the replacement he would have to check with the scheduling department to see when it could be done , of course he said it’s an old tank it’s atleast 10 years old I said really cause my dad had just gotten it a few years ago . He then said it’s not a guarantee that it’s the part he said the part would be the 400.00 plus it would take them probably 2-3 hours to put it in so that was 190.00 an hour for labor so I was looking at around 1100.00 , if they had to put in a new tank it would be 1,800.00 plus then another 3-4 hours labor at 190.00 per hour. I told him I had to think about it . He charged me 203.00 for the “diagnostic “ . On Saturday January 6th, 2024 I finally got the money together to have the tank replaced only to find out there was no gas going to the tank , the old tank was still good and it needed nothing but the gas line tapped in from the other meter, ******** **** came out and confirmed . Andrew never checked the gas to make sure it was going to the tank , it could of been a very quick fix and cost a lot less money for me if he had just checked the gas , now I’m out over 2,300.00 for nothing . I’m a single mother I’ve been without hot water all this time to just find out it was a gas line .

  

  Business response

  01/29/2024

  On 12/26/2023 at about 9:30 AM, Mrs. ***** contacted Holbrook Heating stating that she did not have hot water.  Mrs. ***** was picked up by a CSR in our Syracuse office named Ashley. Ashley took some basic information that the customer was in Waterford, NY and that she had no hot water. This would be handled by our Albany branch dispatcher Kelly who was on the phone and Ashley asked if it was alright if Kelly called her back when she was completed with her previous customer. Mrs. ***** agreed.
      Kelly reached back out to the customer within a few minutes and spoke to her about that she had no hot water and scheduled to have a technician out to the home on 12/27/2023 between 9:00AM and 11:00 AM and that the charges would be $190.00 Service Call ,$190.00 Per hour labor, Parts+ tax. The customer agreed to this.
      On 12/27/2023 The technician arrived at the home at 9:48 AM to start the diagnosis. The technician noticed that the pilot light was not lit and attempted to relight it. He could not get it to light and tried to take a gas pressure reading from the gas valve. Due to this particular valve only having an outgoing gas pressure port he connected to that, but did not get a gas reading. Due to this he deemed that the gas valve was faulty and that the age of the tank would more than likely warrant a replacement rather than repair. He gave a quote to replace the water heater for $1931.36.
       The technician then collected for the Service call only as he was only there for about 15 minutes totaling $203.30 after tax. The customer stated that they would call with a decision of what they would be doing.
  
      On 1/9/2024 Mrs. ***** called back in and spoke with Kelly again. The customer then began to tell Kelly that she took 13 days to find the best price to have the water heater replaced which was $2300.00 by her own account. After this the new water heater then now does not work and she then calls ******** **** to her home, who proceed to inform her that the home is a two family with a shared meter of some sorts and that the gas line to the water heater was not even connected.
  
     This whole timeline of events does not make any sense from a company standpoint. When the customer called, she stated that she did not have hot water as if it just went out recently. Also, she had to have ******** **** come in and find this. The other company that put the new water heater in did not discover this either? This gas line must have been disconnected for some time as it did not just come loose. There was no information from the customer that the meter had been tampered with or that the system had not worked for an extended period of time. The customer also stated that she took the time to shop around and get the best price, but ultimately went with a higher quote than what we had given her.  Lastly, why did this take almost two weeks to be conveyed back to our company?
  
  Due to all of these anomalies Holbrook Heating does not validate that the customer is being forthright with what is being stated and furthermore the company has not done anything wrong

• Initial Complaint

  12/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In the summer of 2020 we paid upwards of $10,000 to install ********** mini splits (heat pump). The system has given us problems nearly every single heating and air conditioning season since they were installed. Initially, the company diagnosed the problem as an install issue (leaks in the system), but after 3 attempts at fixing the leaks, the problem was still not resolved. Between the time of install to now (3.5 years later), the system has never provided an ace source of heat or AC. In winter, we must supplement with a wood stove and in summer we give up, turn the system off, and open the windows. Letting the units run constantly to provide poor heat or AC is not an option as it only runs up our energy bills exponentially. Since installing the system the company has been out more than a dozen times in an attempt to fix them. By now, they know who I am and what our situation is when I call. NEVER ONCE have they offered to have a manager come out, let alone get the higher ups in the company involved. Fast forward to Fall 2023, we now have a 4 month old in the house, and we turn the heat on for the start of cold weather and they do not work. They came out and failed to fix the problem so I called again. This time the install manager came out and he said “the techs who have been here in the past, no longer work for the company. I PROMISE we have them fixed this time.” And it was after that that the situation got even worse. We have had nonstop issues since that install manager was here in October and we are now heading into winter with a baby and an unreliable heat source. I am scared, terrified of what is going to happen when we lose heat, because it is inevitable. They haven’t done a single thing to make things right, not even FIX the problems. We are at a loss and we don’t know where to go from here. We are stuck because we can’t afford to put in an entirely new heating system before the cold sets in. Missing HOURS of work, sleepless nights are only a few of the costs

  

  Business response

  12/15/2023

  We installed a ********** Ductless Split with 2 indoor wall mounted units on 7/28/2020. The installation went well and we did not hear from the customer for 2 years, no preventive maintenance was performed on the units either.  Mrs. ***** had a 1-year LABOR warranty on the system and a 12-year manufacturer’s warranty which would cover parts.  Mrs. ***** called in on 7/5/2022 2 years after the installation, we went out to her home on 7/15/2022. We found and repaired 5 leaks in the system at no charge to her, and told her to call back with any issues.  She did call us back on 12/15/2022 and we returned again at no charge to add a dye cartridge into the system, and explained we would need to let it run for a week or so before we returned to search for another leak, this appointment was also at no charge to the customer.  We then returned on 12/28/2022 to look for dye in the system, we did find an additional 5 leaks, including 1 on the Schrader valve which is a manufacturer defect, we repaired this all-same day, again at no charge to the customer.  We did not hear from the customer again until 11/20/2023, we sent out our installation manager at that time. He found and repaired an additional 2 leaks.  Customer called again on 11/29/2023 we returned at that time reached out to ********** technical support while on site and determined the unit needed a control board replaced and an ambient thermistor, we returned to replace these on 12/8/2023, at no charge to the customer.  The President and owner of Holbrook Heating spoke with Mrs. ***** on 12/14/2023, we are currently scheduled for the branch manager and 2 technicians to go out to her home on 12/20/2023 to remove her condenser bring it back to our shop and change out the reversing valve on the unit, ********** has informed us that the MXZ model condensers that were made between the years of 2018-2020 had manufacture issues with the reversing valves, we paid priority shipping to have this valve sent to us and will return to install it and ensure operation of the system and that there are no leaks. This will also be at no charge to the customer.  We understand how frustrating this has been for Mrs. *****. We have been to the home 9 times in a year and a half, as the customer went for 2 years with no issues and no maintenance done on the unit. She does have a woodstove as a back up source of heat. We have answered every single phone call, we have sent technicians out every single time she has had an issue, we have not charged her at all even though her labor warranty has expired. We record all of our phone calls and have provided, and will continue to provide, top notch customer service to her every time she calls. 

  Customer response

  12/22/2023

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. I cannot accept Holbrook's response because their account of the details is far from the full scope of what we have dealt with. I have attached 2 (of many) invoices to prove that they were called out to fix problems during times not mentioned in their response. I will not deny that they have come to look at our system every time we have called; however, they need to acknowledge that they have been to our home well over a dozen times in the past 3 years. Had they looked into the problems more thoroughly in the beginning, it would have saved us many hours of missed pay at our jobs, not to mention energy costs.  Regards, ***** *****

  

  Business response

  12/26/2023

  The branch manager and installations manager returned on 12/20/2023 and removed the condenser, brought it back to our shop changed out the reversing valve, returned to the home and reinstalled the condenser, once we reinstalled the unit the condenser coil popped. The Branch manager contacted our distributor and made the decision to replace the entire condenser. 

  The branch manager believes that there was a very tiny pin hole leak in the condenser coil that had been there since the beginning, a manufacturer defect, also in a place where the technicians would not ever be able to see it, he believes the UV dye plugged the tiny pin hole and that is why it never showed up on our leak detection tests.

  The customer was not charged for any of the repairs done, this was a manufacturer's defect that has been completely resolved at this time with a brand-new condenser. 

• Initial Complaint

  09/12/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Holbrook installed our electric mini-splits in August 2021 (maybe September?). They functioned poorly from the start. In late 2022, we decided to replace our siding. The siding guys removed the plastic covers from the refrigerant tubing/ pipes, and found that they were split and leaking. They immediately stopped and took photos. I called Holbrook that day. They came out and claimed to fix the pipes. They sprayed the remaining refrigerant onto my lawn near the house as a means of emptying the pipes. The siding guys came back and immediately notified me that pipes were bent so tightly that they could crack, and were still leaking. My electric bill was around 1200 dollars per month that winter because the mini splits couldn’t function well without refrigerant / pressure. Holbrook came back again and said the pipes weren’t leaking and I didn’t know what I was talking about. I told them two wall units (on the “not leaking” side functioned poorly and made strange, loud noises. They ignored this and did not fix. I did sign the service order that day - I was at work and came home as they were packing up, and I trusted them when they said it was fixed. The units are now leaking more, and there is again refrigerant on the ground. I angrily demanded that Holbrook come fix what was clearly a bad install, and they were very rude and said I was no longer their customer, and they would no longer stand behind any work they did or warranty. They blamed the siding guys, who did nothing but remove plastic covers and constantly stop working so Holbrook could come fix issues. They have photos they took as soon as the covers came off.

  

  Business response

  09/29/2023

  We installed a 4 head 2 outdoor unit ****** Heat pump system for the customer on 8/27/2021, this was financed through ***** and the installation came with a 1 year labor warranty expiring on 8/27/2022, and a 12 year parts warranty.  Two months after the installation on 10/5/2021 the customer had an issue with the display board on one of the indoor heads, we replaced this part on 10/7/2021 completely under warranty. After 10/7/2021 we did not hear from the customer regarding maintenance, or any issues.  On 3/16/2023 the customer called in, she stated that she was experiencing a noise on the head unit in her daughters room as well as she had a contractor on site replacing her siding on the home and they had told her they had found an oily substance. We discussed with her, her warranty information, the charges that would be required for us to come out to look at the equipment and we scheduled a technician to come out to her. We arrived later that day, we met her contractor on site. We discovered that she had a leak on the unit for the downstairs at a flare fitting, as well as a leak on the upstairs head for her daughters room. Our technician stopped and called the customer to discuss with her what he found, and what would need to be done for it to be fixed, and the charges for it to be fixed. She gave us the go ahead to make the necessary repairs and gave her credit card for us to process as well. On FRIDAY 3/17/2023 the customer called in to speak with a manager regarding the invoice she had paid, and the issues she had experienced. I spoke with her myself, at that time she told me that she did not feel the units worked right since installation, I did mention to her that I did not see that she had ever called to report any issues, she then  told me that in October of 2022 (while the unit was still under labor warranty) that she noticed a "pool of refrigerant" (which is not possible as refrigerant is a gas, not visible to the eye, what she may have seen is an oily residue that circulates through the system), but she never called us until March of 2022 when her contractor removed the siding on her home, at that point the unit was out of her labor warranty. She told me that the unit was not correctly put on the condenser pad, that she had concerns of the "coiling of the refrigerant lines, which were done properly (her concerns being that refrigerant would pool, which is not possible as it is a gas), and that her daughters head unit in her room was still making a squealing noise. I told her I was going to speak to the Service Manager who was aware of the call and told her that I would reach back out to her once I spoke to him. I spoke with the Service Manager and I called her back and left her a voicemail on Monday 3/20/2023.  The customer called us back on 3/22/2023, at that time she explained to me that her contractors were on site doing the siding still and said that all of the refrigerant had leaked out they found oil all over everything again. She told me that this was leaking at an area that had been concerning to her. I told her I would call her back, she said she was in class and asked me to call her back after 10:45am.  On 3/22/2023 AT 9:38AM the contractor called in to our office and spoke with one of our CSR's, he asked us if the area was safe to work around, his employee had been at the home and had a headache, he told us he was scared, told us the condenser was hissing. At that point I got on the phone with the contractor, I explained that I was sending my Service Manager and a technician to the home.  Our Service Manager and technician arrived to the home within the hour. When they arrived on site they found that the contractors had all line hide removed and had used ratchet straps to tie together all the line set in multiple areas, we took photos of this, which are attached here.  While there they also had adjusted the condenser on the pad, they checked all the line set and flares and condenser for leaks using electronic leak detector, and they cleaned all residual oil residue from previous leak off of everything.  At that point the Service Manager made the decision that because the contractors were removing our line hide, and moving our lineset that Holbrook Heating would not be responsible for any further leaks or issues with the system because the siding contractor was moving our equipment all over the place, taking things apart and putting them back together. We were unable to reach her while on site to explain this to her. We did call 2 more times to touch base with her and to see if she wanted us to come back to look at the noise for the daughters head, we had been unable to look at that at our first visit because she was not home. At that time she told us that there was "stuff" dripping down her new siding, we did explain what our Service Manager had found the contractors doing at our visit, and that we were not going to be liable for any further leaks, she got upset and hung up on us.  We have not heard back from her since.  She never mentioned her electric bill to us in any of our recorded phone calls, these systems are electric so operating them will cause an increase to your electric bill. She also never reported any issues to us since 2021, and she never had any maintenance done on the systems.  The customers stated that "we emptied the pipes onto her lawn" this was not refrigerant, this was nitrogen that we used to pressurize the system after the leaks had been repaired and this had been explained to her.  We have been in business for over 40 years, we pride ourselves on taking care of our customers. We did provide prompt service to the customer, as well as keeping her informed the best we could every step of the way.  The customer even admits in her complaint that the siding guys were "taking off the plastic covers" Holbrook Heating made the repairs needed at the first visit, but we will not be liable for any further issues with the system due to the contractors moving our equipment.  

• Initial Complaint

  07/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Holbrook Heating is a contractor for *****. Cole a salesman for Holbrook came to my home to provide an estimate for a gas boiler/hot water heater. The estimate was high but i assumed i was getting top of the line equipment. “You get what you paid for” according to Cole. When the job was completed i conducted an online inquiry as to the actual pricing of equipment provided. I could not find the actual price of boiler. Based on price of the hot water heater I’m almost certain it is no where near what I’m being charged for gas boiler. Holbrook charged me $4.100 for a hot water heater that costs approximately $780. They also used equipment not provided by ***** which is what ***** contractors are supposed to do. As a result on top of being blatantly ripped off I’m unable to get a rebate on my new boiler. ***** hasn’t returned my calls. Holbrook is playing the blame game on different departments. Bottom line i was taken advantage of. How many others was this done to? I will provide as much supporting evidence as possible. As I’ve mentioned I’m unable to find exact price of the ****** gas boiler. I feel extremely violated. I’m aware i signed a contract but i know i did not get equipment anywhere near what i paid for. ***** or Holbrook need to be held accountable. I feel embarrassed and ashamed. I know Holbrook deliberately took advantage of me. To be more specific the salesman Cole.

  

  Business response

  07/31/2023

  On 6/21/2023 Cole, one of our Comfort Advisors went to Mr. *******'s home in Norwood NY to meet with him for an estimate on replacing a water heater. While on site, the estimator talked with the customer about replacing the boiler at the same time due to age, and the fact that we would already be cutting into his current system to remove his indirect and install a stand alone electric water heater. The customer was given both price options and opted to go with the replacement of both systems at the same time. 

  We installed the systems on 7/13/2023. 

  After the installation of his equipment, our Accounting department sent him his invoice for the installation. Because we don't give itemized invoices they had done a breakdown on the invoice that was incorrect and was an honest mistake. Cole tried to explain this to the customer and our Accounting department called and tried to explain that to him as well. We were not trying to play the blame game with anyone, just an honest clerical error that was made. 

  We tell all of our customers that we do not purchase our equipment from *****, we purchase directly from the manufacturer. ***** is who the customer financed through.  The equipment we purchase and install is always top quality.

  Equipment you can buy at ***** comes with less of a warranty and is typically something that customers install themselves hence the much cheaper price. We have built wonderful working relationships with our manufacturers allowing us to provide our customers with top quality equipment and warranties. 

  Holbrook Heating has been in business for over 40 years and we pride ourselves on top notch customer service, we would never take advantage of our customers. Without our customers we would have nothing so we always make sure they are taken care of.

  Cole, was upfront and honest with the customer from day one, he gave the customer both options with his best interests at heart, and Mr. ******* chose his option, put his down payment down and signed his completion paperwork when the install was finished. No one was ever trying to hide anything from him or "violate him". 

  Mr. ******* got the exact equipment he was quoted, and had one of our top installation crews on site at his home to complete his install. 

   

  Customer response

  08/01/2023

  Based on the response provided by Holbrook they are stating ***** provides “cheap” products so they take it upon themselves to go to another manufacturer and ***** is ok with this practice?! If that’s the case ***** is merely a company providing clients to Holbrook.

  I spoke with **** ******* an associate of ***** via telephone. Refer to work order ********* He has attached detailed notes to this work order. He specifically stated contractors are supposed to utilize ***** products.

  I also spoke to the assistant manager of the ***** i initially went to. His name is ***** ******. Ironically he made the exact statement as **** *******. I spoke with ***** in person. ** ******* **** ******* ** ***** ********* ****** ************* He also requested a copy of the invoice which i provided. 
  

  I left messages on two separate occasions for ***** customer solutions. They have yet to return my calls.

  Holbrook has provided everything but a reason as to why i was charged in excess of 4k for a water heater that is $800 Provide the information from your manufacturer. The gas boiler and hot water heater serial number and the exact price of each item. Provide the information that reflects the charges of this equipment. Provide the information that states Holbrook paid in excess of 4k for a water heater ******* sells for approximately $800. By the way wouldn’t ******* be also considered as “cheaper products”?

  Lastly, if ***** is in fact providing a “ cheaper product” why would Holbrook provide equipment that is ineligible for a rebate?Is that also what a company in business over 40 years does?

  This is emotionally draining. I’m not going to comment on who called who. I can tell you i absolutely did not receive a call from call. We communicated via texting.

  Again please explain to me in layman’s terms where the cost of ****** gas boiler ************) is $5100.32 and ******** ***** water heater *************** is $4103.50 Equipment used that does not qualify for a rebate. Is this the purpose of superior equipment?

  

  Business response

  08/03/2023

  As Mr. ******* stated we do not offer itemized pricing, however we do go over our project price and what that project entails in detail. All installations include all equipment, labor, and materials. You can find equipment online but that does not include time, effort, expertise, as we provide. Along with our installations, we also register all equipment for the customers and warranty any issues with the system. We do our absolute best to ensure that all of our customer’s needs are met, to the best of our ability.
  
  Our accounting department does a generic breakdown, sometimes 70/30 and sometimes 60/40, on invoices. We do this for many different reasons but one of the main reasons is rebates – if a customer applies for any rebates they will ask for a Paid in Full Itemized Invoice. This process is standard on all installations because our accounting department has no way to determine who will get what.
  
  ***** At Home services providers do not use ***** store products. We order brand name equipment as required by ***** that comes straight from the manufacturers or distributers.

• Initial Complaint

  06/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Went through ***** **** *********** for a New HVAC system and Ducting, Holbrrok was contracted through them for the services in March of 2023. Met with *** ******** (Design Specialist) Holbrook Heating Inc and was given options to meet the service request which also included split system hvac units. I went with just the HVAC and ducts and was told registers would be put into each room, they would take care of me. I was also told they would support multiple payments after the initial 50% down payment. Needless to say the company started off by continously pushing back the start date. The install took 6 days and prior to finishing they demanded the last 50% payment. They then said they do not offer payment options and had me run to ***** to apply for a credit card. After which they were unwilling to discuss options. They also did not finish the job to code, Holbrook Heating Inc did not duct seal and they left exposed wire at the wire clamp at the panel which shorted and blew the breaker. The duct walked 3 inches from center on the span of both the supply and return. Metal shavings were left in the ducts along with self tap screws and other debris. Their response was to remove equipment and cut install lines leaving a non operating system and duct not to code. No response from ***** **** *********** was ever given in regards to this.

  

  Business response

  07/05/2023

  We have not finished the installation. We were forced to remove all of the equipment that was installed because the customer refused to make the final payment on the installation.  Mr. ***** entered into an agreement with our company on behalf of ****** to have his HVAC system replaced. Per the ****** contract, a 50% deposit was required at the time of the original contract signing (Mr. ***** used his ***** Advantage Credit Card) and at the completion of the installation the balance would need to be paid. At the time of completion Mr. ***** did not have funds to pay for the completion of the installation. There was never any discussion of multiple payments nor any information noted on his signed contract. He went to ****** to attempt to get a credit increase, he could not get an increase credit because he just bought the home. We asked if he had any alternative means to pay, he stated that he did not. We then stated that unfortunately we would have to disconnect the system until payment could be made - Mr. ***** indicated would be in about 3 months; once we made the arrangements for final payment, we would return to complete the installation.  After this, the customer stated that he would not allow us to remove anything from his property and he called the local police. The police arrive and allowed our technicians to remove the equipment – we removed the furnace, condenser and coil, but we left the ductwork. Unfortunately, we were not allowed the time to do a proper clean up. However, based on the photo attached, the work space was not in any type of disarray. As to the claims of a delayed start of the project, we have documented records stating we reached out multiple times to confirm an installation date with no response. To which the customer stated to us at the time of contact that he had internet and service issues at the property, so he did not receive our attempts. We stand ready to work with the customer and complete the installation in an agreed upon time.  Thank you 

  Customer response

  07/10/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  The consumer called BBB and said there was discussion on two occasions about multiple payments. Also the ducts were not sealed, with metal shavings inside the ductwork. The consumer would like a refund.  Regards,  **** *****

  

  Business response

  07/10/2023

  As stated before, we did not finish the installation. The conversation of payment came up mid-afternoon on our final day, sealing the ductwork is one of our last steps. We stopped work once we realized that there was an issue and tried to help the customer with options for final payment. Again, we do not offer payment plans, nor were terms ever discussed with Mr. *****. As for the shavings in the ductwork, when fitting new ductwork to the **** shavings are inevitable. Once we have made arrangements for final payment, we will return and complete the installation, which will meet all code requirements. We will also clean out any shavings to the best of our ability. 

• Initial Complaint

  06/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In august of 2022 I had a problem with my AC unit freezing up. The tech came and cleaned it and tightened a fitting. He informed me that the compressor was getting lint from my dryer vent. I replaced my outside dryer vent with an inside vent so now no lint gets outside. The AC worked for the short time left when it was needed in 2022. In 2023, as soon as the weather warmed up it froze again. Holbrook came again, got it going and it ran fine for a couple weeks then froze up again. Again I called them and they came and put some Freon in the system, got it going and it ran for a while again, then froze up. They came again on May 22, 2023 and decided that a new TXV (whatever that is) was required. It is now June 21, 2023, one month later and it froze up again. Every time they come the bill comes to a significant amount. Basically, the issue is exactly the same one in spite of their claim that they try different parts or different strategies each time. Parts and strategies that obviously don’t work. They are nickel and diming me to death with no positive results. I have their maintenance plan but that only reduces the bill by a little bit. The system was installed by Holbrook only a few years ago at the price of approximately TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS and it has been a problem ever since.

  

  Business response

  06/27/2023

  Mr. ****** is a platinum contract member with us. We did go out to his home yesterday 6/26/23, we put a dye pack into his system and refrigerant so the system is able to run, we will return to look for the dye in about a week, the dye will show us where the leak is in the system so we can repair it. 

  Customer response

  06/29/2023

  I do not have the invoices to show the times they have been here. The company did in fact inject dye into the system and did not charge me for this. As for accepting their response, I am not prepared to do that until I see exactly how they will handle this issue. I will ask them for a copy of my invoices since July 2022. That would be the only proof I have for my complaint. I do not want to discredit the company but they and I both know exactly what has transpired. I have no doubt that they know what is fair. At this point we must wait to see what the outcome is. Thank you so much for your help in this matter.

  

  Business response

  07/05/2023

  We understand the concerns that Mr. ****** has and we hope that we have come to a resolution and we apologize that it’s taken this long to get here.

  We just finished with the customer today. We returned to see the results of the dye test that was administered on 6/23/2023 and there is a leak at the coil. The coil will need to be replaced. The coil is covered under warranty but the labor to install the coil is chargeable. After looking over the recent history, the Albany Branch Manager has decided work with the customer to keep the cost as low as possible due to the repeat service calls with no new results.

• Initial Complaint

  06/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Holbrook came to service our central air unit and and should have cost under 200 dollars. It ended up costing almost 600 dollars and they never fixed the problem (600 dollars just to troubleshoot). We called the next day as advised to see how much the estimate was going to cost to fix the line drier and txv (the txv had already been replaced by Holbrook in 2017) the estimate was outrageous! On the low end of 1500 to well over 2000. I called to explain to them that we were not paying that amount of money to get it fixed since we just gave them close to 600 dollars a few days prior to “troubleshoot” the manager told me she would talk to the owners and see if they would work with us and she would call me either way. That was over a month ago and never heard anything back!

  

  Business response

  06/21/2023

  On 5/4/2017 Holbrook Heating completed an installation of a ***** Central Air Conditioning system for the customer. A few days after the installation the customer was having issues, we diagnosed the system as having a bad Thermal Expansion Valve (TXV) defective right from the factory. We replaced this at no charge to them on 5/24/2017. We saw the system for regular yearly preventative maintenance on 5/23/2018, maintenance was performed and everything was operating properly.

  We then did not see or hear from the customer for 5 years. No maintenance, no service calls, despite our efforts to reach out via, email, letters and phone calls to schedule preventive maintenance. 

  The customer called and scheduled preventive maintenance which we went out to perform on 5/23/2023. While we were there, the home owners were not home, we met the homeowners father and began performing maintenance. During maintenance it was discovered that 2 air filters were clogged and in need of replacement, we also found the outdoor coil to be plugged with organic debris and grass clippings, we cleaned this all out. We also found that the pressures were off on the system and the suction line was beginning to freeze up, the technician spoke with the father that was on site explained what was happening and the additional charges and our technician was told " do what you need to do". So our technician added 12 ounces of refrigerant and continued his diagnosis, he found that there was a large rust mark on top of the furnace directly underneath the suction line, this would have been caused by the suction line freezing up and then thawing dripping water on the top of the furnace, meaning this was an issue that had been happening, but the customer had never called or mentioned this issue when booking their preventive maintenance. The technician determined the issue was a bad Thermal Expansion Valve (TXV). 

  At the maintenance appointment the customer paid $591.17, they were charged for their preventive maintenance, 1 hour and 45 minutes of labor, 1 pound of R410A refrigerant and some cleaner needed to clean out the clogged coil. This was all discussed with the father that was on site. 

  I called the customer the next day and discussed the needed repair. The TXV is under warranty, but our labor and items needed to make the repair are not covered as their labor warranty ran out on 5/24/2020. Mr. Santonastaso told me he would need to speak to his wife and call me back. 

  Mrs. Santonastaso called back that afternoon, she was upset about the charges for the repair, I did my best to explain it was just an estimate, and we would only charge for our actual time on site and the materials that were actually used. She told me that if Holbrook could not come down on the cost for the repair that she would have another company do it, or replace the entire system, and that she had already called 2 other companies who were coming to look at the system. 

  I told her that I did not think there was anything that we would be able to do, as it had been 5 years since we had seen the system, and we had not performed any maintenance during those 5 years. I also explained that lack of maintenance, could cause the system to overwork itself and cause issues such as this, and that is why we called every year to try to get them to schedule. 

  Holbrook Heating is a fair and honest company, and we pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service. But we are not willing to come down on the cost of repair on a system that has not been properly maintained for 5 years. We are willing to warranty the part, but the cost of the additional tools and labor are chargeable to the customer, again only charging for our actual time on site and the materials used. 

  Sincerely 

  Holbrook Heating 

• Initial Complaint

  02/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Purchased for $8,738.00 on 1/14/2020 Paid $161.39 on 7/27/2021 for maintenance and checkup to see why unit wasn’t cooling, unit was not working properly. They said that there was a leak somewhere and and had to drain all coolant and we were responsible to replace all. On 8/20/2021 I had to pay $244.08 for repair and coolant refill. I complained several times because equipment was not working and was not my fault. The unit cannot be used for heating or cooling for over a year and they refused to fix unless I pay for all repairs. This equipment was defective from the start, seemed to work well at first but I had no idea it was leaking somewhere and they never found the leak. Warranty expires on 1/13/2032 The business is very rude when I ask for this to be fixed correctly. They told me to have someone else fix it if I am not happy with them. I could not enjoy this expensive ductless heating/coolant unit for a full year.

  

  Business response

  02/28/2023

  On 1/13/2020 we installed a 2 head ****** Ductless Split system for the customer. Installation went well, we did not hear from the customer until 3/5/2021 when the office contacted her to set up her first year preventive maintenance on the units for the summer of 2021. That was scheduled. At the time of that phone call the customer never mentioned having any issues with the system. On 6/2/2021, the customer called in and had to reschedule her appointment for her maintenance. Again customer never mentioned any issues with the system. On 7/22/2021 the customer called in and said that in 2020 the unit worked fantastic, but that she didn't feel it wasn't cooling the house down, we tried some troubleshooting with her and ended up scheduling her for a service/repair call for 7/27/2021, customer asked us to do the cleaning on the same day. On 7/27/2021 we arrived on site and looked over everything to diagnose why the unit wasn't operating properly, we looked over all flares and fittings and found no obvious leaks, we checked over both heads and the outdoor condenser, also finding no leaks, we did find that the system was low on refrigerant, we filled the unit up and added a dye cartridge to the system, we explained we would need to return after the dye ran through the system for a week. We did not drain the refrigerant out of the system, it was empty when we arrived, in order to get the unit to run to circulate the dye cartridge the unit had to be filled with refrigerant. Customer was charged for the dye kit, refrigerant, 1/2 hour labor, as these are things that are not covered under her warranty. The System was running well when we left.While we were there on 7/27/2021 we also performed the preventative maintenance to the system. Customer did pay for this, as this is not something that is covered under her warranty. On 8/3/2021 we returned to perform a leak search on the system, we used a UV light and went through the entire system finding no leaks on flares or fittings, we did find a pin hole leak on the coil. She was not charged for this visit at all. We ordered a replacement evaporator coil as the pin hole leak was to small to repair, and the equipment was under warranty. On 8/20/2021 we returned to replace the evaporator coil. The coil was covered under warranty as well as the labor to do this repair, the customer did pay $244.08 for the vacuum pump, nitrogen, and refrigerant as these are not items covered under a warranty. When we left the unit was running well. Since that day 8/20/2021 we have not ever heard from the customer again. We have been upfront and honest with the customer from the day she called with an issue which was fixed in under 30 days. Even while she was on the phone she was kind to our staff here, no one has been rude either way around.    

  

  Business response

  03/10/2023

  We have no record of any phone calls from customer stating system was not working, we cannot repair something we don't know about. Customer had a **** ***** Extended Labor Warranty until 1/13/2023 and has a manufacturers warranty covering internal components/parts on the system until 1/13/2032, any repairs on the system due to malfunction of the equipment or due to our workmanship at installation would have been covered under Holbrook until 1/13/2022 and then her extended labor warranty through **** ***** would have covered labor to make repairs if a part was needed until 1/13/2023, but she never called us. We record all phone calls. Customer was required by the **** ***** to have her unit cleaned yearly and customer did not have the unit maintained by Holbrook Heating in 2022. Customer is out of warranty now and repairs will be chargeable, some parts may still be covered. If customer is having issues she needs to contact our office ###-###-#### to request an appointment for repairs. There is not anything we can do without her communicating issues with us.We have been in business for over 40 years and pride ourselves on customer service, we would never require a customer to pay for something that was due to our workmanship, and equipment failure is covered by the manufacturer, that is what warranties are for, but we cannot fix something we don't know about. SincerelyHolbrook Heating

  Customer response

  03/17/2023

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.I had to pay each time that you came to repair the equipment. Like I said. I was told not to call back for repairs to call elsewhere. The equipment has been defective since installation, just didn’t show up immediately. Equipment should be working properly from day one or repaired at no cost to customer, which did not happen. Yes I do want repaired properly.   Regards, ******** *******

• Initial Complaint

  02/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Called ****'s about installation of a oil boiler. ****'s sent Holbrook/American heating for an estimate. I hired the ****'s contractor for the installation of the boiler. There were problems from the beginning of the install. Such as bent panels on the boiler and a loud boom when starting up. I called and they eventually sent someone and within a month they were repaired. Then on the morning of 12/14/2022 noticed the boiler was not keeping up with the temp programmed on the thermostat. I called Holbrook and they sent out a repairman the next day. The thermostat was set on 65 but all day on the 14th the temp in the house sat on 62 from approx. 9am until I started a wood burning stove at 5 pm. The tech who came out could not find a problem with the operation of the boiler. He then made the comment that the boiler was pretty small for such a large house. I was shocked to hear that Holbrook had installed a undersized boiler. I called the service manager the next day and she said she would send a tech out next week to find the problem. The tech came out and again said the boiler was operational. He set the therm on 70 and in 2 1/2 hours it went from 65 to 66 with a outside temp of 30. Never did it get to 70. I called the next day and the service manager and she said that as long as the temp gets close to the temp on the therm it was fine and she would not send anyone out again. I found that incomprehensible. I called ****'s and after 3 weeks of me providing documents to them they decided to agree with the contractor they sent. I was aghast. Using there own stats the boiler I found out by another company was only 85k btu's when Holbrook themselves said that we needed 96k btu's. Holbrook then tried to convince me that the boiler was 98k btu's. I guess they convinced the sub contracted company from ****'s. They would not convince anyone else. I had the house sized for a boiler and the size of the boiler they estimated was 106k btu's output and 140 btu's input.

  

  Business response

  02/10/2023

  On 10/28/2022 we completed installation of Mr. *******’s ****** Oil Boiler in which we tied into his homes existing baseboard.We received a call on 1/15/2023 from the customer. At the time he stated that he had no heat. Our technician arrived, and began a diagnostic check of the system. During the system check, it was found that the thermostat was set to 65 degrees and it was 65 degrees in the home. All zones had proper circulation with the boiler engaging at 170 degrees on low temperature, we checked over the wiring to the zone controller, thermostat and all pumps were coordinating with each other and operating properly. We tested all voltage to the pumps and found the correct voltage present. The Zones were circulating for 5-8 minutes before the boiler would refire to heat the water and shut off on high limit of 185’ withing 5-6 minutes of operation, with a low water temperature of 170 degrees that fires the boiler through the aqua stat. All settings were properly set up for the boiler. He found that the system was operating normally with no abnormalities. While there the technician found that multiple baseboards top flaps were not open and convecting/opening per mfg. standards.On 1/23/23 we returned to the customers home to address his concerns that the system installed was indeed properly sized for his home. While on site, our installation manager and the customer discussed some possible insulation issues in the customer’s home. Specifically, windows in the basement where there is noticeable air infiltration.   Again, we performed a site diagnostic on the system. We found the boiler was at 180 degrees at the supply we then increased that to 185 degrees and had 165 degrees return on start up. After 15 minutes the boiler water supply at 180 degrees with return at 170 degrees the boiler. The unit cycled on and off 3 times, as it had satisfied its call for heat within 25 minutes. Customers tstat was set to 65 degrees and registered 65 degrees on our tstat we installed. Our installation manager then measured the customers baseboard as we preformed during our initial sales call. We found 175 linear feet of finned baseboard in the home, based on these calculations, it comes out to roughly 96,250 btu’s were needed for the customer’s home. The heating output of the boiler we installed is 98,000 btu’s. As a good will gesture we did offer to increase the oil nozzle size which would increase the systems btu’s up to 112,000. During the site visit it was also noted again that several baseboard dampers were not open, debris were located on multiple fins causing a disruption in heat transfer as well as furniture blocking baseboard as well.On 2/9/23 the customer spoke with our Vice President and his salesperson on the phone, customer stated (on a recorded line) that the boiler is going out at 185 degrees and coming back at 170 degrees and shutting down, which is normal operation. It was relayed to the customer that increasing the size of the unit would not address his concerns as the system would then be oversized. This would cause condensation to build up in the system, which in turn would cause the system to short cycle.We did reiterate to the customer that a Manual J heat load calculation was completed. This calculation is specific to that residence it’s completed in and provides the required heating load for the home. Our goal as a company for over 40 years is to satisfy all of our customers. We have provided Mr. ******* evidence and facts that his system is properly sized for his home and that there are “other determining factors” that are at the root cause of his concerns. This installation was completed to the contract terms.

  

  Business response

  03/10/2023

    Regarding the boiler supply and return water temperature: supply temperature out of boiler set on aqua stat to 185 degrees with a return temperature of 170 ( with one zone heating) and 140 degrees return with both first/second floor zones running is normal operation. The water will lose temperature as is leaves the boiler to be supplied to the zone baseboard in the home, before returning to the boiler. Two zones calling increases the distance and time water is circulated to return to the boiler and therefore will result in ****r water temperature. Further, the piping to the home baseboards are ran in pex piping, which has a slightly higher heat loss factor than copper piping - yet still, the return temperature to the boiler tells us the boiler is working as intended. The temperature in and out of the boiler system is not used when calculating a manual J.  Load calculation software uses real estate database information and will auto configure starting loads to match age of home, square footage, etc. - from there, further adjustments to specific details are changed. This includes sun location relative to front of building, window efficiency( form 2 pane to 1 pane), basement /attic insulation, occupants, ceiling heights - and more. This can be done as an accurate base load to confirm proper system sizing without measuring the entire house down to individual windows or knowing specific R-values. When setting older homes such as this property - values are changed to the ****st al****d value to allow for an accurate BTU rating window. The software used to calculate home load is approved by ACCA to meet all requirements of Manual J 8th Edition.  The contract for this project included replacing the existing oil boiler system with new. This does not include replacing all the piping in the house, replacing any existing baseboards, insulating pipes or home floor/walls. The proper installation of the boiler system per the signed contract was completed. The boiler system has been confirmed to be running correctly and the sizing of the boiler is correct for the space and the existing conditions of the home. The concerns from Mr. ******* stating the room thermostat is not meeting temperature set point, is not related to an improperly sized boiler system or improper installation of the boiler system. The system is working as intended under the conditions for the home. Insulating the home, would allow for more heat retention in the house and would allow for the system to properly meet set temperatures.  The house age, square footage, baseboard in the home and “low or leaky” insulation factors were all used to determine the boiler sizing. Over sizing the system would only cause further problems with the boiler operation, in combination with the same concerns happening with the current boiler. It’s the other factors involved with the home insulation / heat loss that are contributing to the overall system concerns. These factors are not part of the contract obligations from the installation completed.In closing, it is worth noting that our company successfully installed roughly 1600 installations of HVAC systems in 2022. This is the only BBB complaint for undersized equipment. Our professional technicians take sizing and properly installing systems very seriously, with this job being no exception.

  Customer response

  03/13/2023

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.] Regards, ******* ******* Their response makes absolutely no sense. I have documentation that a manual J was not used to size the boiler. A saved email from the person sizing the boiler for installation confirms that he only used the lineal feet of the baseboards in the house. No manual J was ever done. As I said earlier a heat loss would have to be done to do a proper manual J. No heat loss was ever done before or after the problem was discovered. Also I also have documentation in writing that the installed boiler had a input of 112k BTU's, a gross output of 98k BTU's and a AHRI or IBR of 85k BTU's net output. This is provided by ****** the manufacturer. The salesman who sized the boiler mistakenly told us that the boiler ranged from 98k to 112k BTU's which is not correct. The heating capacity of the boiler according to ****** is 85k BTU's. When the salesman emailed me after I questioned the size of the boiler he told me the boiler had a heating capacity of 98k BTU's. I saved the email and will provide that to anyone if necessary. He went on to say  that accordingly the baseboards dictated that the house needed 94k+ BTU's by his calculations, well the boiler installed only provides 85k BTU's. As for how many boilers Holbrook installed in 2022 with that many installations it would be common to have more than one mistake. 

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