Service call from yesterday.

[zmaxmotorsports]

I got a call from a guy yesterday about a leaking A coil pan.
They bought the house a few months ago and found out the heat exchanger was cracked in furnace.
So the home owner and realtor split cost on replacement.
Had a contractor buddy of realtor do install,imagine that.
Anyway they called the furnace installer about water running down from front of furnace when ac was running.
They said he came over yesterday and told him there must be a hole in coil pan without taking anything apart to check it out.
They called me to give a 2nd opinion.
As soon as I walked in and saw the 1/2 *** install I wanted to lose my lunch.
The homeowner started pulling off the tape on the corners and then I started getting really pissed by what I saw.
I gave him the number for the chief mechanical inspector for omaha and told him to call him today and see if a permit was pulled for this hack job,and to have him send an inspector to look at it.
This just goes to show what me and many others on here have been preaching about the install is more important than any brand name.
You could shove 2 fingers through any of those openings between the transition and the furnace!
The whole mess looked like it was bent over a tree stump!

 

[Citation]

This is the story of stuff that always makes me mad. I've told many people that I work on my own cars because at least that way I know what short cuts the idiot mechanic took. Sadly I've also found that paying more isn't always a guarantee you will get better service/work in the end.

 

[Falcon67]

That's just - bad. Real bad.

 

[jrsulo]

Caveman work for sure !!!!!!!!!

 

[Ohmthis]

Besides the bad work, is the bad reputation we get in this field. He got paid a decent amount (assuming and we all know how that goes) to do a job, do it right dammit!!! There are people from all professions who do not take pride in their work and this is what you get. I hope all is made right.

 

[mrpizza]

Holy ****.

 

[bigcow94]

[emoji15] [emoji15] [emoji15]

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[zmaxmotorsports]

Besides the bad work, is the bad reputation we get in this field. He got paid a decent amount (assuming and we all know how that goes) to do a job, do it right dammit!!! There are people from all professions who do not take pride in their work and this is what you get. I hope all is made right.

 

[Jinks]

Look at it this way, your customers will know they got their money's worth. You'll probably get more business by word of mouth than through advertising.

On the other hand, it's nice to know the scammers we ran out of Fla. found some place else to rip people off............

 

[acmikee]

looks good. just need a little peel and seal tape. hacks like that keep us in business.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

looks good. just need a little peel and seal tape. hacks like that keep us in business.

problem being that hack was a city of omaha licensed contractor.

 

[slip knot]

I see **** like this all the time around here. Very few people even know what a quality job looks like so they assume just because they hired a licensed contractor, and paid him big money, that they got a quality job.

I toured a couple of spec houses being built here and couldn't believe some of the ****. one rafter had @40 staples shot thru the sheathing, they all missed the rafter but he made up for it in volume!!! This was all in @ 2ft of run on the rafter.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

The world is full of freaking hacks,one of the things that keeps me doing work still on a limited basis.
I'm not nearly as fast as I used to be at some things but I'm still the same detail freak I've always been,that's what keeps people ringing my phone off the wall I guess.

 

[Jeepster04]

Unfortunately the duct work that connects to my air handler isnt much better...

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Unfortunately the duct work that connects to my air handler isnt much better...

That's what 1st caught my attention was no cross breaks in his transition,when he started pulling off the tape is when I really lost it though.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I thought I did pretty good on that job...

Tommy

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I thought I did pretty good on that job...

Tommy

Oh ****,I was wondering what the tbt stick was on the side of plenum!

 

[Xicaque]

Wtf!


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[zmaxmotorsports]

Finally got over and replaced that coil and made up a new transition for it.
Didn't turn out too bad considering I built it all by hand without a break.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Stevie wonder could have seen the holes in the bottom of the old coil!

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I left the flue and gas that the other clown installed ,I told the homeowner I wasn't responsible for fixing that part of the mess.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Finally got over and replaced that coil and made up a new transition for it.
Didn't turn out too bad considering I built it all by hand without a brake.

AWESOME ! Especially without a brake !

 

[hammlm]

I Agree!

Can you explain to the uninformed, how you can do work like that without a brake? Do you use hand seamers? I'm amazed.

 

[6768rogues]

Our son bought a house that had the filter between the heating and cooling coils. Of course, the upstream heating coil plugged with dust and dirt and the AC froze. It is FL and heat is seldom needed, so I ripped out the heating coil, now the AC works great.
The house is 10 years old, the system was original as inspected by the county, and all the houses in the neighborhood are the same.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I make the cross break with a straight edge and a big straight screw driver.
Everything else I do with my folders.
I've had a little practice over the years,it's too far to drive back to house to use the break for these small projects.
My ratchet bender makes bending line sets go where I want them to go much easier also.
Between the ratchet bender and my swag'ing tool set that goes in my drill I don't care fittings anymore for refrigeration work.
Fewer joints to sweat,saves lots of time and looks better in my book.

 

[SiGmA_X]

Wow that's impressive work without a break.

 

[danski0224]

Besides the bad work, is the bad reputation we get in this field. He got paid a decent amount (assuming and we all know how that goes) to do a job, do it right dammit!!! There are people from all professions who do not take pride in their work and this is what you get. I hope all is made right.

Even in a strong union trade area (my location), residential HVAC work is mostly piece rate.

The installer gets paid $*** per install, with an add-on for each additional accessory.

I looked into "working for" Sears Home Services, and was appalled by the low piece rate- especially considering the high customer retail price. Adding insult to injury, a "helper" was on me to supply (wages, etc) and all sundries (basically everything except the actual equipment) were also at my expense. The company also played the 1099 subcontractor game to avoid their responsibilities as an employer (anyone working for them is not a true independent contractor, and a "helper" is not a 1099 subcontractor, either). Sears also had high demands for liability insurance.

Oh, and hourly pay rates for residential HVAC work also ****, and contractors that I interviewed with wanted me to supply everything (sometimes including the truck) and many forbade "side jobs". Upsell was the word of the day.

I can only imagine that the piece rate pay scale is lower the further away one is from a market with a strong union presence.

So, while the homeowner probably paid a high price, it is more likely that the person installing that shiznit was paid squat. Not an excuse, just reality if someone is being paid "per job" and hustling is the only way to make more. I see the same **** when someone getting paid a damn good wage is told that they can "take 8" if the job is done in less time.

And NEVER call anyone on the Realtor's referral list.

 

[danski0224]

I left the flue and gas that the other clown installed ,I told the homeowner I wasn't responsible for fixing that part of the mess.

As the last qualified person that touched the job, yes you are responsible.

It all gets fixed to code, or walk away.

 

[Bronson]

I left the flue and gas that the other clown installed ,I told the homeowner I wasn't responsible for fixing that part of the mess.

I wouldn't have been able to do that.

 

[danski0224]

I wouldn't have been able to do that.

Me neither.

Fix it all to code, or walk away from the job. That's a no brainer.

If that customer dies from CO poisoning or the house explodes from a gas leak, you can bet that the last guy there will be questioned....

Leave a homeowner to fix the venting? Ha. Someone will be trying to use flexible aluminum dryer vent....

 

[Bronson]

[QUOTESomeone will be trying to use flexible aluminum dryer vent....
QUOTE]

Uh, that's not allowed? Oh oh.

 

[brewchief]

Without better pics I can't pick out any code violations on the gas or vent, the csst for the gas is sloppy but may very well be legal.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

As the last qualified person that touched the job, yes you are responsible.

It all gets fixed to code, or walk away.

Nope,the city already knows what part of the job I did.
A seperate permit was taken out on my work and pictures were taken of my work before and after.
The city already looked at it and approved my part of the work.
The city is going to deal with the other idiot who butchered the install,then ge can deal with fixing his own work.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I wouldn't have been able to do that.

It's a liability issue,the city has already signed off on my work and will make the other clown fix the rest of job.
It's the only way to clean the rats out of town as far as I'm concerned.
The only thing I charged for was my price on the coil,I ate the labor and the cost of extra r22 to top system off because the home owner is a Vet and I don't like seeing Vets get hosed like that.
The clown couldn't help bit see all the holes in the bottom of the coil but he stuck it to him anyway with that half asses install.
I let the inspector write up the rest of his 1/2 assed work ,now the home owner has leverage to get the rest of it fixed.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Me neither.

Fix it all to code, or walk away from the job. That's a no brainer.

If that customer dies from CO poisoning or the house explodes from a gas leak, you can bet that the last guy there will be questioned....

Leave a homeowner to fix the venting? Ha. Someone will be trying to use flexible aluminum dryer vent....

Nope the city already approved my work,now they are on the *** of the **** head who did the rest of the work to fix the rest of the job.
I never said I left the home owner to fix anything,the city has the power to make the origional butcher fix his work.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Without better pics I can't pick out any code violations on the gas or vent, the csst for the gas is sloppy but may very well be legal.

Sorry all I have is my phone for pictures,the donkey **** he he used for flue is illegal here.

 

[ddawg16]

I keep seeing that white teflon tape.....it should be yellow.....

 

[mrobins297aaa]

Finally got over and replaced that coil and made up a new transition for it.
Didn't turn out too bad considering I built it all by hand without a break.

nice clean job Z, To bad you have to keep following Tommy around and fixing his work............hahaha

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Finally got over and replaced that coil and made up a new transition for it.
Didn't turn out too bad considering I built it all by hand without a break.

Nice tinwork, Z!

It's funny how jobs done in different locations than someone nornally works can look "wrong". Even though that's an upflow furnace with the coil on the positive pressure side of the blower, it would fail around here without a condensate P-trap and the proper PTFE joint tape.

Tommy

 

[Bronson]

It's a liability issue,the city has already signed off on my work and will make the other clown fix the rest of job.
It's the only way to clean the rats out of town as far as I'm concerned.
The only thing I charged for was my price on the coil,I ate the labor and the cost of extra r22 to top system off because the home owner is a Vet and I don't like seeing Vets get hosed like that.
The clown couldn't help bit see all the holes in the bottom of the coil but he stuck it to him anyway with that half asses install.
I let the inspector write up the rest of his 1/2 assed work ,now the home owner has leverage to get the rest of it fixed.

Ok, got it now.
Good on ya for giving a Vet a break.
I haven't done HVAC work in years, but I was digging in the shed the other day and found a brand new, unopened 30 lb of R-22 I didn't even know I had.