ComplaintsforAir Source One Cooling and Heating Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  08/19/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Monday 6/31/2024 Air Source was called for service at my home. Employee came, spent many hours, many trips to vehicle, asked for towels. AC working when he left. By morning, water stain noticed on wood floor, wall. I called daughter who came and said to call Air Source about damage. Air source employee felt the wet floor, took pictures, reassured me this happens and Air Source will take care. I asked if they could wait to send insurance agent after I return from planned vacation. He said yes, they would call. Returned from my vacation 7/15, no call, then I called Air Source. ****** ******* *** ******* ****** said would call back. Another week, I called again, only to be told the owner was on vacation and would call upon return. No call back again, so I called Air Source. This time, ****** said she was handling the situation and that I needed only to talk with her. She told me 'they' had a 'flooring company' look at the pictures and 'they' decided the stains were old, insinuation that I was untruthful. I am 89 years old and have been in this home 64 years and never have had water damage before. The next day, my son in law called Air Source asking to speak with the owner about our concerns. ****** answered and would not let him speak with her, saying she was handling the situation. He then told ****** his concerns and that the floor was never damaged before the employee worked on the AC this time. ****** told my son in law that the matter was closed. He again asked to speak with or get a call back from the owner. We did not get a call back. The next day, my daughter wrote a letter to the owner (marking it personal) explaining our disappointment and asking for a phone call about the situation and damage. Another week has passed and we have still not gotten a phone call. We have all used this business for years. We are disappointed and feel that the owner should compensate the damage to resolve the stain problem and correct her employee, ******.

  Business response

  08/27/2024

  This response is to a complaint made by ** ********* **** ** *** ********* ** for service requested on June 25^th.  The Unit was not turning on and it was set on 72 degrees. It was 81 degrees in the house when we arrived. We determined that the primary float switch had tripped. We installed a Ball Valve with a new clean out fitting and pressurized the drain until it was clear. We advised the customer that it could be backed up all the way to the main line. We then advised the homeowner if the wet switch/ball valve trips or the line backs up again that we recommend having a plumber check out the main plumbing line.

   

  The customer is on our maintenance plan and was due for maintenance in July.  **** ******** went on this maintenance visit and blew out the drain line again. Some water did spill out on the floor when we blew out the line. He immediately went to his truck, got shop vac and removed the water off the floor/wall and immediately dried it up. He also asked the customer for towels to ensure that there was no residual water remaining. This call out was at no charge to the customer but was a service that a charge should have been invoiced.  

   

  June 26^th  The unit shut down and it did not run all night. The wet switch/ball valve was tripped again. The wet switch was continuing to trip because the drain line was backing up and that is what it is designed to do. We again recommended that they call a plumber to check the main line. **** ******* went to this call no charge on this call either.

   

  June 27^th  We looked over the unit and see if the wet switch failed or if this is an issue with the main plumbing line of the home.  We tested both switches and both turned the unit off and are in functioning order. Pictures were taken and in 2 days showing old water damage and warping of the floor and the wood behind the inside unit. The customer is claiming that this damage just happened when we went out 2 days prior. Jordan went out on this call and he took lots of pictures and again we did not charge the customer.

   

  July 22^nd  We received a call  because the unit was not working properly.  We found the primary switch was filled with water, the drain line was backed up again, we tried blowing it out and we could hear water bubbling in the pipe in the attic area indicating that the main line is clogged up and the water is being pushed out of the vent in the roof. We again told the customer that she needs to call a plumber. ******* ********* *** ***** ******* went on this call.  We did not charge her for this call either. We had advised the homeowner to get a plumber to check her main line several times prior to this visit and to date a plumber still had not been called. 

   

  ****** ****** (owner) as well as other professionals reviewed the damage in the photos and everyone concluded that this was old damage and it did not occur in 2 days. They felt that this was not an issue with the a.c. but instead it was an issue with the main plumbing drain line of the house. We contacted Ms ********* and told her it was not an AC issue but again we advised her to seek the services of a plumber to determine where the water was coming from.

  We consulted with a flooring installer and he determined that this is old damage that does not occur in two days. That conversation became heated because the customer was not in agreement with our determination or that of the professionals that we consulted.  The customer refused to call a plumber as recommended and the drain line continued to back up and cause issues resulting in damage to the floors and walls and the wood in the AC closet.  We even offered to speak to the daughter to go over all of the services and recommendations that we provided her mother because the daughter was upset and filed the complaint. Then I got a call from the son in law who was very hostile from the beginning of the call.  He would not let me speak and insisted he speak to ******, the owner of the company.  I handle the customer concerns and reputation management and I conveyed his concerns and request to ******. She said there is nothing we can do because they have been instructed by all of our technicians that there is a plumbing problem. They are placing blame for the damage on us even though we advised them to get a plumber and to our knowledge they still have not done so. They said we told them that we would send our insurance company out to assess the damage and that is definitely not something any of our technicians would say and it is beyond the scope of their authority. Only the owner can make a determination regarding damages, responsibility and insurance issues and she did not.

   

  A few days later Ms. *********** daughter wrote a letter to ******. ****** read the letter and is aware of the complaints that were made and the allegations in the letter. However, we still maintain that this issue is a clogged main line that requires the services of a plumber. This issue was not addressed as we recommended and the clogged main drain line continued to cause issues and nothing we did in our attempt to fix the float/wet switch caused the damages that they have.   

  Customer response

  08/28/2024

  
  Complaint: 22158774
  
  I am rejecting this response because:  June 26th, AC unit was not working the weekend of June 23rd.  I got the exact date wrong of when the 1st employee came on my complaint.
  He worked for many hours, going back and forth to his vehicle, finally toward the end of the visit, he brought in a vacuum and asked for towels.  He did not advise or explain anything about a wet valve or drain.  The AC was working when he left that evening.  

  The next morning, I noticed that the floor was discolored and felt it was wet.  I called my daughter who came over and I called Air Source 1 about the damage.  Another employee came to the house, felt the dampness, saw the damage, and took pictures.  He reassured me that someone would call about it and take care of the damage. I asked him if it could wait until I returned from a planned trip and he said yes, no problem.  The AC was still working. NO advise or explanation was given at that time about the AC.  He said it looked fine.  

  Upon returning from my trip, the AC was still working and I waited for a phone call from Air Source.  NO phone call came, so later in the week I called only to be told that the owner was on a trip and would call upon her return.  No call came.

  July 22nd  The AC stopped working again and employees came and got it working with out any water spill happening.  Only then was I told that a plumber would need to come check the main drain.  I was never advised this before nor had any explanation given before.  I called a plumber immediately and he came and fixed the drain problem.  The plumber also noted that the floor under the drain was still wet.

  This is truly what happened regarding the AC.  What the person wrote in the response to my complaint is not truthful.  And the words used describing my son in law and myself were totally unwarranted.

  This complaint was about the damage caused by the 1st employee's visit and how I was spoken to and treated by the person answering the phone, named ******.  We have repeatedly asked to speak to the owner because of this to no avail.  We are very disappointed in ******'s actions and disrespect in that regard.  No one came to my home from Air Source 1 from a flooring company to view the damage.  We also asked repeatedly about the flooring company that she said joined in the decision to close the matter, but she said that she did not know their name.  

  My daughter nicely put it that ****** insinuated that I was untruthful.  But my conversation with ****** was upsetting to me.  ****** noted that the conversation got 'heated'.  I was rightly upset that she was making this insinuation, basically saying that I was lying, but not angry.  My son in law was noted as 'hostile' which is just as disappointing to read.  He was trying to help me by trying to speak with the owner, not this person, ******.  ****** would not allow him to speak with the owner.

  Finally, my daughter wrote a letter marked private, hoping it would get to the owner.  Hoping she would be able to read it and understand the situation and also asked if the owner would please call.  No phone call was ever received from her to address anything.  We wonder after reading this complaint response if she ever truly got the letter.

  We are hoping for compensation for the damage to my wood floor.  It was never damaged before.  We are also hoping that this helps the owner in the future to be sure she has a respectable person answering her company phone and dealing with customers, long time like me or new, with respect and consideration.

  Thank you,
  
  ********* ****

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