HVAC installer crappy work question

[Bill]

My elderly father had his air conditioning unit replaced with a new one...

Where the A/C coils mount above above the forced air furnace, the coils are a much larger size than the furnace. So maybe the furnace is 2 ft. wide and the coils above it are 2 ft 6 inches wide (just guessing). The gap between the two is sealed with silver tape instead of a custom sized duct transition and looks crappy. Coils just resting on top of the furnace with tape covering the gap.

Other installations I have seen have the same size coils above the furnace.

Furthermore, a duct was installed above the coils which is not the correct size for the coils and there is about a 2" difference in size. And where this ducts meets the house duct work above, it also is a different size with about a 1" difference is size. Again these gaps are sealed with silver tape.

In other installations I have seen, they have a duct made which is the correct size to transition for the top of the coils to the house duct work.

Basically this is the worst looking A/C install I have ever seen. But my dad says it works OK, keeps him cool. So is this type of work common by HVAC installers? To use whatever duct they have on hand and use tape to seal the gaps?

[Bob]

It's common enough for me not to be surprised. I've seen installations where the installer didn't even bother to use duct tape, and half the conditioned air was blowing into the basement. If you're visiting for a few days, call the company. The owner might not even know about it. If you don't get any satisfaction, be sure to tell everyone you know about the crappy installation, but at least give them a chance to rectify the situation.

[marks542004]

I agree. Contact the company that did the installation. Try to get the owner rather than the guy that did the work.

If you get no satisfaction try contacting the manufacturer of the unit.

[castufari]

If your state has inspectors, you could give them a call too. I have a friend who is an inspector for this type of stuff and doesn't take complaints likely. Do this AFTER you've exhausted all possible remediation with the company.

[Pop]

If not, I think I'd take the excellent advice offered by the other posts here so far. Even if they were, I think I'd still want to know the details of the "favor".

I'd also add the BBB to the list - they do sometimes get results and if not, well at least you get the complaint listed for others to find. I've had two experiences using the BBB: One made a big difference, the other not. So I got at least a 50% result, plus the satisfaction of an open complaint that'll stay on their books about him. I think I'd look in another direction too - if this was a "standard" job, why were the incorrectly dimensioned part used and so on?

Regards,

Pop

[Bob]

The size of the inside coil is not the issue here. Older furnaces rarely match up with newer coils. The problem is, that the job looks like crap, even to a non-professional. Even with extensive duct re-working, the job could have, and should have looked nice. When the guy was done, he should have been able to step back, look at it, and think to himself that he did a good job. As for the BBB, they are a profit making, business oriented organization. They make their money by getting paid by member businesses. If you think they are consumer oriented, do a Google newsgroup search on them.

[CBHVAC]

The BBB...oh yea...complain, and all the owner has to do is send a letter to them telling them that they are done with the issue, to bite off a big old end, and that the customer was satisfied (even if hes not) and they remove the mark... The BBB is a damn joke.

The local licence board.....the local inspections board....those are NOT jokes.

[Richard J Kinch]

I did something similar on a DIY project where the old AH just couldn't be matched, but I fabricated aluminum angle, sheet metal screws, and foam tape to make a neat and sturdy adaptation. Works fine.

Foam tape isn't going to be sturdy or workmanlike, but it could very well hold up for as long as needed.

[Bob]

[hiebs]

every thing costs money, fabricating some thing takes labor and material, The metal tape is used in tons of applications, it is better then duck tape. In alot of of new installations I have seen they will use the metal tape for seems through out the house , Such as clothes dryer ducting, stove hoods, It probably would be 200 more just to have it look pretty. Who is going to pay for the extra labor? Now if the intaller had some thing made to make it look nice and he screwed up his measurements and slapped on the metal tape to cover up. Then you have a good beef. Call up the company and ask them why they did it the way they did.

[CBHVAC]

For the record, dryer ducts are supposed to be sealed with a metal tape, and/or mastic. No screws. Same with a kitchen hood vent duct. Every seam is to be sealed with a tape, and the metal tape with UL181A-B designation meets most all local codes.