ComplaintsforMr. Heater, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  12/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have a ****** ***** ***** ******. December 20,2023 I tried starting my pellet stove at 8:14am in my retail store.I run this pellet stove from 8am-5pm daily in cold weather.When I went in the store I was overtaken by a pungent burning smell coming from my pellet stove.I found the stove hot but not burning in the fire area but instead of the hopper.The top of hopper door was hot and paint bubbling off.When I opened the hopper I found half of a hopper full of hot burning pellets &black and gooey material caked over the interior. This material was hot creosote which was all over inside and outside running down the outside of hopper, pellets were burning and giving eye watering long burning fumes throughout the store.This is a major problem for me since I just had part of my right lung removed. Despite that I had to remove the burning pellets as I was fearful of a fire. In removing I burned my hands even using a scoop. Stopping repeatedly to go outside for fresh air. I am STILL having breathing problems as the burning smell remains, the manger also has a lung disease.After stabilizing the situation I called the company and spoke to Patricia Pinkerton who asked questions and requested pictures.I sent and she requested more 2 days later. December 26th ******** stated her resolution was to deny any responsibility for the malfunction of the stove claiming the responsibility was mine.She would send parts I could install after I cleaned all creosote from hopper and from other parts.Stated she was not sure how I would do that but after I completed cleaning I could remove and replace parts she send.All issues she stated were performed as suggested in manual provided.I disagree with proposed process and stated I would like a new stove as I can't clean stove professionally and replace parts safely that I could trust not to burn my building down as could have happened undetected.I am looking for a SAFE working pellet stove.I have 5 stoves I maintained for 10 yrs.

  

  Business response

  12/29/2023

  Hello, ******
  
  We are writing this in reply to your comments about your pellet stove. Firstly, we appreciate you assisting us in the investigation to help us come to a determination as to what actually happened with your product. After our company analyzed your pictures and the information provided, we have come to the conclusion that there were many factors that were involved in your stove malfunctioning the way that it did.
  1.) The amount of vent pipe being used was incorrect and not terminated properly. There needed to be more length of pipe involved in the termination of exhaust from the stove, and the final termination point was too close to a window. This type of venting installation will compromise the natural drafting process, and the normal operation of the stove. 
  2.) In accordance to the manual, the proper clearances were not being maintained around the stove. In order for the stove to run as it is intended, proper ventilation around the stove needs to be maintained.
  3.) The maintenance on the stove was not being kept up according to the manual. This was compromising the air transfer happening in the stove, causing this event to take place inside the hopper.
  
  It was explained to you that with proper maintenance, correct ventilation, and correct installation of the stove, that this event can be avoided in the future. It was also explained to you that while this event is not a warrantied situation, we are going to honor a one-time warranty of service parts to be sent to you at no charge for you to replace on the stove once the stove has been thoroughly cleaned, so you can bring the stove back to normal operation. We feel that this is a generous offer, since this was not a malfunction of the product but a failure to maintain. Please let us know if you are ok with this, and we will gladly process the warranty order of parts and get those parts sent out to you.
  
  Please feel free to reach out to ******* with any further questions at *************

  Customer response

  12/29/2023

  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,
  
  ****** *********
  
  
  
  
   

  Customer response

  01/09/2024

  RECEIVED VIA EMAIL BY BBB STAFF MEMBER:

  1)       Answer to #1:  The vent pipe used was purchased with the stove and was run and terminated as the picture in their manual named “OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS AND OWNER’S MANUAL – MODEL # ******

  See picture sent: #1 & #2  Page 12  Fig 12

   

  2)      Answer to #2:  As per clearances to combustibles indicated on Page 6 – All were as listed or more.

  See photos.  I maintained 9” from both sides and 9.4” from the rear wall and there is.

   

   

  3)      Answer to #3:  All cleaning and maintenance was performed as the Manual reads.  See Page 19 of Manual.

  See Picture – the firepot was cleaned everyday as well as the rods (pipe cleaners).  Ash drawer was cleaned every 5 days which would be after burning 5 bags, not 50 bags as the Manual indicates.

  Passageways and blower are done on a bi-monthly basis which would be after approximately 15 bags, not 100 bags as the Manual indicates.

   

  As you can see the outdoor venting pipe is to be a minimum of 6 inches which I have done. 

  They are saying that I need more…Not true.  The termination cap is as I have.  In the Manual it does not address any window limitations and in fact the exhaust pipe is well below the window, and this is not a functioning window.

   

  The other condition that could have caused this stove to burn out was the setting ECO 2 Mode which I was using at this time.  The Owner’s Manual states: “ECO 2 the stove turns to minimum power preset P4 when the desired temperature has been reached.  The stove will turn on to the higher power setting once the room cools to a factory set temperature.”

   

  The slow burn mode could have caused the creosote buildup.

   

  In answer to their requiring me to clean the material out of and off this unit is unconscionable.  This hazardous material is everywhere, and the entire stove would need to be taken apart professionally and done piece by piece.  Even if that could be done, what trust could there be that it was completely removed and not going to burn again?

   

  Something in this particular stove is defective and causing this to happen and only a new stove may rectify the situation, hoping that it doesn’t have the same problem, but at least I could sleep at night knowing this was done and it is our best chance for no fire.

   

  Thank you for allowing me to address this situation further.

  

  Business response

  01/09/2024

  Hello, ******
  As we have stated in our previous correspondence, the product was not the cause of the event, rather the lack of maintenance and the improper installation. Our investigation came to many conclusions of why your stove experienced the event that it did, all of which are preventable, by you, in the future. We have provided you the corrective actions needed to both bring your product back to service, and methods to prevent this from happening again. We want you to be equipped with all of the information that you need in order to safely operate your product going forward. If any of this information is still unclear, please reach out to ******* ************** so she can clear up any confusion that you still may have. When you are ready, she can also expedite the process in getting you any service part you may need for you to return the product back to service, as we have offered before. Thank you, and have a great day! 

• Initial Complaint

  11/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a garage heater and had it professionally installed. After many attempts we were able to get it lit and it hasn’t worked since. I reached out to support and they told me I had to diagnose the issue which involved me on a ladder with a multimeter (which I had to buy). It was determined the gas balance was bad. It took me several calls to get them to send a new gas valve. Then they told me I had to pay to have it installed or they would walk me through it. So I went and bought two pipe wrenches and tried my best but I could not separate the pipe from the gas valve. Finally I got them to RMA the heater and I sent it to them. (Which involved me unhooking the gas and removing the heater from the ceiling) It has been 4 business days since they received mine and they have not shipped me another heater. Which I will need to pay to have it reinstalled and Mr. Heater only offered $100 towards this. This has been a very expensive disaster for a brand new product that was broken from the beginning and still within warranty. At this point I wish I could just get a refund. $430 for the heater. $15 for the box to ship it back. $50 in tools to try and fix it myself. Plus the hundreds it will cost to have the new one installed.

  

  Business response

  12/01/2023

  Hello ****, 

  My name is ****, and I am the Technical Service Manager for Mr. Heater. I am very sorry that your experience with our technical service team has not been to your satisfaction. Our goal with every user is to deliver world class customer service when offering technical support, and I greatly apologize that we fell short on that promise. I definitely would like to try to make things right for you. Please contact me at ************ so that we can discuss the next steps over the phone, and bring a resolution to your situation. I look forward to your call, have a great day! 

• Initial Complaint

  11/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a new 20k btu Mr heater wall mount heater from ace hardware in ********* ** , I paid over $250 for it , I hook it up and it doesn’t work the pilot light won stay on , I contacted them for a replacement and they said no returns claimed I needed to contact the manufacturer I contacted the manufacturer and they are giving me the runaround, I’m on a fixed income and can’t just eat the price of the stove and take a chance on another one , please help.

  

  Business response

  11/15/2023

  Hello *****, 

  My name is **** and I am the Tech Service Manager for Mr. Heater. I am sorry about the poor experience you have had with trying to get your product to work. I am also sorry that you have had such a frustrating time in getting service on your heater. if you could please call me at 216-916-1044, I would like to be able to talk to you over the phone, and find a resolution that will get you taken care of. I look forward to your call. Have a great day!  

• Initial Complaint

  06/04/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I bought 2 Mr. Heater brand *** **** 125,000btu garage heaters from ******** **** on November 2, 2022, order number 74243964. I had both professionally installed by a licensed electrician and a licensed HVAC contractor in February 2023. Within 1 day of installation electrical systems in both melted. I called Mr. Heater and they sent new electrical components. My contractors installed these components after talking to tech support at Mr. Heater. The components melted again after 1 day of operations. I do not feel safe with these heaters. Unfortunately, the return period is over, so the only thing Mr. Heater or ******** **** is offering is to send me more components. I have to pay the c0ontractors every time to install these. I opted for taking both heaters down and installing ****** brand units instead. They've been working fine ever since. *** *** units are a fire hazard. I need to have them returned. My next step is to file complaints with consumer product safety commission, UL, attorney general and finally go to small claims court, where I will be seeking not only reimbursement for the specific units, but also reimbursement for all installation labor.

  

  Business response

  06/05/2023

  Hello ***, 

   

  My name is ****, and I am the Senior Technical Service Manager for EGI. We are the company that manufactures your Mr. Heater *** **** 125K Unit Heater. I am very sorry to hear about the experience you have recently had with our product. It is very rare to have anyone have any problem with a brand new heater, and even more rare that it wasn't fixed on the first attempt. I apologize that you have had a frustrating experience. I have looked into our system to try to find more information about your problem, and also to find out who you talked to at our company when you did call in about your problem. Unfortunately, I have no record of you contacting us via telephone or through email in the past 12 months. I also have no record of us ever sending you any service part through our distribution center. I wanted to be able to verify what troubleshooting has been done that did not fix your initial problem, and what service part was sent so I could figure out the best path forward. I would like to contact you over the phone about your experience, to collect more information, try to find out what happened, and be able to come to a resolution. I left you a voicemail message on Monday June 5th @ 9:45 EST with instructions on how to contact me. Please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience. Thank you! 

• Initial Complaint

  03/13/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased 2 identical ** ***** ******* ***** * ***** on 9/17/22. They have been used two times simultaneously in the shop. On the second use, one of the heaters burned to a crisp. I mean, a crisp. If we had used it in the house we could have died. Luckily it was on the concrete pad and did not burn the shop up. I want full reimbursement and for them to stop selling the heaters because there clearly is a 50/50 chance of it catching on fire.

  

  Business response

  03/14/2023

  Hello *****, 

   

  Thank you for taking the time to speak with me over the phone today. I talked with *****, and it seems that he has your situation well in hand. ***** has provided you with contact information if any follow up is needed. Have a great day! 

  -**** *******. Technical Service Manager

• Initial Complaint

  01/22/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a Mr Heater Portable Buddy propane heater, and after only one use, the pilot will no longer stay lit. I now see there are hundreds of compaints, going all the way back to 2018, on ****** reviews alone for this product, describing identically the same symptoms: the heater works only once or twice, then will not stay lit for more than a few minutes. I'm reporting this to the BBB because I see no sign that Mr Heater has attempted to correct the defect in design/manufacture that has continued for at least five years now, yet they continue to take people's hard earned money in exchange for a product they know will quickly fail. Greater light should be shed on the breadth of this defect, and the manufacturer's apparent disregard.

  

  Business response

  01/23/2023

  Hello ****, 
  
  My name is ****, and I am the Technical Service Manager for Mr. Heater. I can certainly understand your frustration with having a new product and it not performing as you had intended, exactly when you need it to. I would like to talk to you about this situation, to see if I can help remedy your heater over the phone. I find in almost every situation that we find a way to restore operation over the phone. Whether by troubleshooting the product or providing some explanation of why the heater is performing thew way it is. Please feel free to call me at your convenience, and we can hopefully come to a quick resolution. My phone number is ************. Thank you, and have a great day! 

• Initial Complaint

  12/14/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have bought 4 of these to heat my van and all 4 have resulted in failure to stay running. I have bought all recommended parts and used it properly. I have the 10 ft hose attachment ad filter and use a 20 lb propane tank. It has left me freezing more than once

  

  Business response

  12/14/2022

  Hello ****, 

   

  My name is ****, and I am the Technical Service Manager for Mr. Heater. I am very sorry for the problem that you are having with our heater. I can certainly understand how frustrating it must be when the product is not working as intended. If you would like, please reach out to me at 216-********* and I would like to troubleshoot your situation over the phone in order to get your heater back up and running as quickly as possible. Have a great day!

• Initial Complaint

  12/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Our mr heater big buddy heater burst into flames starting on fire heater total loss was less then year old only use 3-4 times have reached out to company 2x with no response from company paid 149.99 a cabelas paid cash didn’t keep receipt, didn’t keep box or papers it’s M18 that’s all I remember about the heater

  

  Business response

  12/09/2022

  Hello Crystal, 

   

  I am sorry that you have not heard from someone in our company yet about your heater. It is rare to not receive a call back from us. I have passed your information along to an agent that is qualified to handle your situation, and will be reaching out to you shortly. I am very sorry for the inconvenience. 

  Customer response

  12/09/2022

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 18536725, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. 
  
  Regards,
  
  Crystal Boman
  
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  07/13/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After the damage was done to my house I learned that Mr Heater had a regulator recall (numerous reports of it in reviews on ****** and other sellers). I bought a Mr Heater unit from ****** plus the recommended accessories. We used the heater in our garage for just two weeks before we realized it was pumping black soot throughout the entire house and pumped spread via the house ductwork. We just moved into this house and the owner had freshly painted the entire hours (everything...walls, ceiling, basement and garage)...but now every surface including the floors is covered with a fine film of black soot!!! We can't afford to wash and repaint every floor, ceiling and wall of this house!

  

  Business response

  07/15/2022

  Good morning *******, 

   

  I am very sorry to hear about the poor experience you had with one of our heaters. I would certainly like to be able to help you get to the bottom of this problem, and find a resolution to this matter. In order to do that I first need to be able to collect more information from you in order to better qualify how we can be of assistance. I will need to start with finding out which one of our heaters you were using that caused the experience you are describing. Also, which regulator you were using, where the heater was in operation, and other important details. I tried to reach you on the phone number you listed on the form of ************ on July 15th, @9am eastern time. There was no answer, so I left you a voicemail, and hopefully you receive that voicemail. I can be reached via email @ [email protected], or by phone at ************* I look forward to hearing back from you. Have a great day! 

  Customer response

  07/19/2022

  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.
  
  After multiple emails with their customer service rep Alex it was immediately clear they had no intention of assisting in any way...in fact he was evasive and tried stonewalling. He asked for details that I provided. Then proceeded to tell me the unit was not for indoor garage use despite him copying the warnings for the product which CLEARLY state for indoor or outdoor use with ventilation. I provided model number...vendor (******) and answered all of his questions. After the heater damaged the entire house (clogged water heater thermocouple and furnace + coated the surfaces of the home in fine soot) he said he needed the actual heater to do anything for me. Nothing...no help whatsoever. Its notable that Mr Heater also had a regulator recall, so it seems to me they are in nefarious damage mode trying to minimize their losses. AKA...taking no responsibility.
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* Calfo
  
  
  
  
   

  

  Business response

  07/19/2022

  Hello *******, 

   

  We are very sorry that you are unhappy with our product. Unfortunately you chose to use our heater improperly, and not follow the instructions that are listed in the manual, including the warnings of what not to do. When using our products incorrectly, things can go wrong, and you would be liable for anything that happens under those circumstances. If I can be of any further assistance to you, please feel free to contact me directly at my email, [email protected], and we can schedule a time to discuss any additional matters over the phone. Thank you. 

• Initial Complaint

  04/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I purchased a Mr. Heater 20,000 *** **** **** ** heater on 02/13/2022 and received the heater on 02/24/2022. I used this heater 3 times, on the night of 03/28/2022 was the last time that the heater was used. I was awoken by my dogs at 0530, at that time my eyes, throat and lungs were burning. I immediately went outside and got fresh air which seemed to help. I went back in and turned the heater off and let the house air out the rest of the way. My house is not finished so there is plenty of airflow. I went to work and found that it was very hard to breathe and when taking a deep breath my chest would hurt and I would start coughing. I did eventually go to the ER, it was found that at 1530 hours I still had a level of 3.5% Carbon Monoxide in my system from this heater. As it halves every 5 hours, I would have had approximately 14.5% in my system when my dogs woke me up at 0530. I sleep with a CPAP so I was getting more of the Carbon Monoxide than the dogs. I have also been diagnosed with mild pneumonia since this incident. I have contacted the company several times to get a refund and speak with them about this issue. I have been told by three different customer service reps that I would be contacted by a supervisor within two hours, I have also sent in a contact request via their website. I feel that this company does not want to deal with this issue and am asking for your intervention on this matter.

  

  Business response

  04/06/2022

  Hello *****, 

   

  My name is ****, and I am very sorry to hear about the trouble that you have had in getting in touch with our Technical Department. We take all matters involving our heaters and users very serious, and it was brought to my attention that one of my Technical Associates has been trying to reach out to you over the past couple of days regarding you situation. If this is not the case, and we were not successful in reaching you, please call me directly at ************ and we can speak over the phone about what is going on. I hope you have a great day! 

   

  -****, Technical Service Manager. 

  Customer response

  04/15/2022

  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 was finally contacted by a *********** the day after making this complaint.  I had not been contacted previously as per the response from the gentleman named **** and was told by *********** that he had not heard of my compliant until he received the information after my complaint to the BBB.  When I advised him that I had emailed them as well as called several times he stated that it was strange because all emails come to him in reference to those things.  I informed him of my wishes to return the heater and receive a refund and also what had transpired with the heater. I was informed that they would send *** ** to pick up the heater on 04/08/2022 and that as soon as *** ** scanned that it picked up the heater they would issue me a check.  It has been a week and I still have not received a check in the mail.  I have attempted 3 times throughout this week to contact *********** by phone and did leave 3 voicemails, as well as sending him an email.  As this companies employees show a trend of lying and failing to contact anyone back until forced, I will be looking into further legal action against this company.
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** *********
  
  
  
  
   

  

  Business response

  04/18/2022

   

  Hello *****,

  I was able to find out the your heater was in fact picked up on Friday, April 8th as you mentioned. We received the heater early the following week. Our company policy is that once the heater has been picked up, we would then submit the paperwork for reimbursement of funds, which we did. The paperwork was approved and processed early the following week. Once approved, the check gets mailed out as soon as possible. I was able to confirm that the check was mailed out to you on Thursday, April 14th. You should be receiving the check during the week of April 18th. I apologize if this process was not to your expectations. It is not our intent to set any unrealistic expectations with any of our users. If we did that to you, I sincerely apologize. I hope you have a great day

   

  -****. 

   

  
  

*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. ↩