ComplaintsforClean Energy Maintenance, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  12/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The date of transaction on 8/23/21. Paid full amount of $88,597, the total cost of the fiberglass pool/automatic cover project contract. Project was expected to be started/completed in November 2021 before we close our new home. The company asked if they can move the install to spring due to winter weather. Spring 2022, numerous delays with no pool. Company told excavator to excavate on 5/20/22. No pool until I called pool manufacturer in 6/29/22. Pool finally arrives on 7/7/22 after complaining to manufacturer for numerous delays. This company sent the incorrect dimension sheet to the excavator contractor for the pool. They did not consider the height of the pool cover on the dimension sheet, making the pool 5 inches higher than the patio. I informed them of this when the pool was delivered. Their response is that everything is fine without double checking measurements. More concrete needs to be used on top of existing patio to match pool height. Approximately $12k to match pool height. 8/20/22: Sewage found in finished basement. They cut through sewage line while excavating for pipes. Damage to inner lining of pool due to possible poor installation, poor piping or other causes. Company blaming other contractor instead of figuring out how to fix the issue without customer financial involvement due to unfinished project. There are also multiple occasions that the pool was not level and sides were bowing which may caused the damage. This company is denying responsibility and is blaming the excavator/concrete contractor. They are also refusing to communicate with the excavator. On 9/19/22 This company wanted to check with pool manufacturer to assess damage. No results after 6 weeks. On 10/31/22 I contacted manufacturer myself and was able to schedule a technician from manufacturer to inspect damage on 11/14/22. This company does not support their customers. This is the second time I had to take it upon myself to get results done with the manufacturer.

  Business response

  01/20/2023

  Re:  **** ***** Complaint # ********

   

  My team and I have always provided **** *****, his Builder, Leisure pools and all subcontractors involved with outstanding communication & service throughout the entire project.

  Clean Energy had advised and provided estimates to handle the entire project for *** **** ***** from start to completion and he unfortunately committed to ********* Excavating for the excavation service along with the concrete patio portion of his project

   

    We have made the time to personally review the site plot plan, grading specs & Engineered pool specs with (**** *******) owner of ********* Builders along with his excavation operator.

   

    Please Note: When **** ***** made the decision to hire *********, both my pool division manager and I made the point to personally meet on site, because of never working with the chosen excavating contractor that **** ***** had hired, to review extensively the entire plot plan, all grading specs, Engineered pool specs! Note: this meeting also included (**** *********) owner of ********* Excavating along with **** *****, we wanted to make it a point to thoroughly communicate with all parties involved so everyone was on the same page and everything would run

     smoothly during the project.

   

    During the onsite meeting, ****, **** my division manager & myself communicated with **** ********* that we wanted a level patio surface from the existing patio ********* Builders had installed for the *****’s & I'm pretty positive that **** ********* didn’t ''COMMUNICATE'' to his employee in charge of excavating because they didn’t excavate properly which unfortunately caused the *****’s  to add an additional step coming off their existing patio!!!

   

    On Clean Energy's end we had the *****’s pool up and running perfectly for an entire (2) two solid weeks with absolutely no water loss or damage.

                  (We have time stamped photos & video of **** *****’s pool operating perfectly fine during the 2 weeks mentioned above)

   

    Note: When **** *****’s chosen Excavation Company (*********) came  in with improper equipment for the concrete patio work around the swimming pool they unfortunately caused severe damage   

    to the Pool. I highly advised **** ***** to let my company handle the entire project. I personally feel for this terrible situation and want nothing but a positive outcome! Unfortunately we just cannot   

    except responsibility for the *****’s chosen contractor along with their many mistakes over the course of this project.

   

    We have communicated, communicated and over communicated over the entire project! I personally went to the township to handle the permit which wasn’t included in the contract when his builder

   wouldn’t make the time! I gave the *****’s a discounted price for excavation & patio surround!

    We made it a point to review everything thoroughly with the builder who was originally doing the excavation and we also made the time when **** made the change to ********* excavating to review  

    everything thoroughly with them on the project. My team has been there every step of the way, we even made the time in August to meet with **** & 2 employees from ********* when the damage  

    occurred from them running the heavy roller over **** *****’s pools plumbing, and even tried to have the issue covered under warranty for the *****’s through Leisure Pools, along with blowing out

    all lines and winterizing there pool equipment at no additional charge.

   

    Please let me know how exactly we are responsible for the damage and ‘’Better Business Bureau Complaint’’ when a subcontractor **** ***** personally hired caused the damage to his pool by improper  

    training, no knowledge of working around new pools and using improper equipment along the sides of a new pool.

   

  ********** Excavating is in know way chape or form affiliated with Clean Energy Maintenance Inc. and has never been a subcontractor hired under our umbrella in 30 plus years of business!

   Please let me know if you have any further questions about **** *****’s misunderstanding,

  Customer response

  01/24/2023

  [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:
  

  The pool contractor never acknowledged the dimension sheet that was
  given to the excavator. How does Clean Energy explain the lack of the
  4-5 inches on the dimension sheet to account for the rails for the
  automatic cover? It is not on there. They excavators excavated based
  on the dimension sheet you provided which was wrong.
  
  Does the photos and videos of the pool running show the lining on the
  pool? Looks like a stone/boulder fell on the pool which may have
  caused the damaged.
  
  Do you have photos of the pipe connections? Poor pipe connections can
  cause the leak. Poor quality of work that his crew has done. For
  example hitting the sewage pipes and not communicating that to us
  until there was sewage in the finished basement.
  
  They needed to winterize the pool because the project has not been completed.
  
  The pool contractor stated that he worked hard to contact the
  manufacturer. This is not true. After waiting two months, we wrote the
  email and made the phone calls to the manufacturer to get them to send
  a technician to assess the damage. 1 week after I called, the
  manufacturer sent a technician. It took them 1 week after I made the
  communication while ***** did not do a good job with requesting the
  warranty work.
  
  Regards,
  
  **** ***** 

  Business response

  01/30/2023

     Here is my response to **** *****’s rejections below

   

  1. A professional contractor would have shot several grades with a transit from *** *****’s existing patio

  The Engineered Dig Sheet that I gave to York township for permitting along with *** *****s excavator

  “*********” is a stamped dig sheet for the Ultimate 35 fiberglass swimming pool and is used ********

  to dig this model swimming pool.

   

  Note: ********* was hired by the *****’s to dig the pool and install a new level stamped concrete patio

  matching the existing patio! Proper grades should have been mathematically taken prior to the dig,

  if the excavation company would have done there job properly they would have 2 level patio surfaces

  unfortunately they didn’t calculate properly for the pool or the level patio!

   

  As I said earlier the Eng. Dig Sheet is used ******** and if the excavator knows how to install a pool they

  would also know that the automatic pool cover rails run under the pool coping/patio

  Please Note: The provided Eng. Dig Sheet we gave to ********* has been used ******** for years & is not wrong!

   

  2. Please Note the pool *** ***** purchased is a solid fiberglass pool and not a liner pool so we could not

  see any lining unfortunately on this project.

  ********* - the hired contractor by the *****’s removed all soil, stone & boulders the week they were

  digging the pool and excavating the back lawn area

   

  So the answer is No there is No way a stone/boulder could have caused any damage to this pool project!

   

  3. Poor pipe connections can absolutely cause damage that is why we take pictures of the pipes & connections!

  As professionals we have pictures along with video of the entire project. As Professionals we have timed stamped

  pictures on Aug. 5^th, 9^th, 11^th  with no change in water level. Aug. 19^th we have video of pool running 100% with no  

  issues. August 25^th we have more pictures of pool with no water loss!

   

  As far as the Sewer Line goes *** *****’s Builder was to dig the sewer line area, we were never given the exact

  location of the pipes since **** fired his builder. Know that Clean Energy had no clear indication of the damage after

  digging, the home owner noticed an odor late that evening and we addressed right the situation right away the following  

  morning, we even disinfected, cleaned and sanitized his backup inside the house for him at no additional cost

   

  4. Note that the pool was empty do to ********* damaging the pool when doing the patio around the pool, so we

  didn’t have to winterize the pool we just blew out all lines and winterized the *****’s equipment at no charge.

   

  *Also I have documented emails and phone calls trying to get Leisure out to the pool site on ***** **** for *** *****

  ***** ****** l President
  CLEAN ENERGY MAINTENANCE, INC.
  complete property maintenance services since 1992
  ph: ************     fax: ************    

  Customer response

  02/24/2023

  [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:
  

  Clean Energy should have been on top of this project during all the phases. They are the lead to this project. They should have been there when they told me and the excavator to dig to make sure it was done right. They were not. They were not there in the 4 weeks in between the excavation and the pool arriving to make sure the dimensions were correct. They were not. They sent the dimension sheet without communicating to account for the automatic pool cover. They were not there when the concrete contractor started putting stone for the concrete.

  We paid Clean Energy the full amount of the project in August 2021, giving them our trust to do this right. They delayed the project past the original agreed time frame before the home was finished. The builder was suppose to excavate but due to the delays, they moved on and we had to find another excavator for the project.

  Clean Energy needs to fix the issues and finish the project as required and recommended by ******* Pools. 

  Regards,
  
  **** *****

  Business response

  03/16/2023

  We certainly acknowledge & respect the customers concerns, our project manager oversaw project from the very start to finish (Project was done exceptionally well) We have video of pool up and running perfectly for (2) week

  We certainly reviewed everything thoroughly with the customer & customers hired sub-contractor who dug the pool. Please Note: Excavation services was not part of this contract which is very clear on the first page of contract.

  We did provide an estimate to handle the entire project in house from start to finish, unfortunately customer choose to have another company handle the excavating services along with the concrete decking going around the pool.

  Concerning the pool's dimensions sheet our project manager & company president actually met on site to review pool specs, discus pool cover / frame and existing concrete patio with the customer and excavation company owner.

  We were personally contracted to install a Leisure fiberglass swimming pool which was completed as you can see in the customers attached photo. As far as delays go - There were delays going on "********" & yes we were effected.

  Customer personally hired an excavation contractor along with a pool contractor vs dealing with one contractor, the excavation company is responsible for calculations and measurements. Excavation was not included in pool contract.

  Note: Pool contractor passed all required inspections with York Township Codes Department - Pool setback, Electric/plumbing, Gas for pool heating system, Electrical bonding & Electric Final (On top of project during all contracted phases)

  There was (1) one last final inspection to be completed after concrete decking was poured, unfourtanly the contractor hired for this job used inappropriate equipment along side a perfectly installed pool causing severe plumbing separation 

  Weight of machine being used along side pool caused (2) PVC pool return elbows to crack and separate which caused water loss and damage to pool.

  Concerning the customers attached photo showing the employees of the concrete company (Not the Pool Co.) you can clearly see that the stone they added around the pool with the large tracked piece of equipment (also pictured) show's the stone pushing against the pool wall causing bowing in the pool cover track. The pool cover company would have never installed the track if the pool walls were bowed because it would also cause major issues opening & closing the automatic cover. Also per provided image its very troublesome that this company didn't notice the drop in water!! theirs an estimated 14'' inches of water loss that probably started the day before. How I know this is we have documentation of the pools water line at the bottom of the skimmer box for (2) weeks with no water loss and clear images of a perfectly strait pool cover track  

  Customer response

  03/30/2023

  [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:
  

  If the project supervisor was there for the project, then none of these issues would have happened. They were not there when ***** the owner told me to communicate to the excavator to start the excavation. Or any day in the 6 weeks between that and the pool arriving. If they stopped by at anytime during the 6 weeks to check the excavation, the pool would not be 4 inches higher than it should be. 

  This goes to every other issues that have came up during the project. I am not sure why Clean Energy won't own up to these issues and just fix the problems and finish the project per manufacturer requirement. Instead of cutting corners like using wooden stilts to level the pool which will eventually rot down the road. And is not recommended by the pool manufacturer. 

  Regards,
  
  **** ***** 

  Customer response

  06/14/2023

  . This is my backyard currently. And has been like this for the past 10 months. We paid full amount in summer of 2021.

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