-----Original Message-----
From: *** *** [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 8:PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: You have a New Message from Revdex.com Serving Connecticut Regarding Complaint #***
In response to *** ***'s last email, he mistakenly says that the water heater was replace months after the water heater was installed, after the warranty period expiredThere is a life time warranty on that equipment
Recently, it took three calls to *** *** to discuss the issues raised in the complaint and then he had someone else return the call
Today a technician came and installed a part on the boiler in an effort to fix the noise coming from the boilerIt did not fix the noise and had led to a new, more annoying noise coming from the boiler
All this means to me is that the equipment installed at significant expense is not quality and needs to be removed
*** ***
On 04/11/we completed the flushing and cleaning of the boiler heat exchanger, radiator system, replaced the control circuit board and did a combustion efficiency and adjustment test on the boilerThere was no charge for this work
Please see attached copy of warranty invoice
Thank You
I would like to change my offer of settlement to *** ***
Link Mechanical Services will give *** *** $credit toward any standard priced repair, service or replacement job that is performed during our business hours to settle this matter
Thank You
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: Why would I accept an offer like that when I was offered $credit towards service and I had accepted, which is more than they are offering now and Link rengeged on that agreement in July of when dispatch was to call and they did not and I haven't heard from anybody since The terms to settle this is this $paid to me in full for a part I paid for, did not need nor did not get and the electrician did not intend to install a sub-panel because he did not have one with him, plus free service to repair the leak which has occurred since a repair in of frozen pipes in the compressor and the tech failed to ensure a leak free system
Sincerely,
*** ***
Please see the attached PDF copy of the letter our Customer Service Manager recently sent [redacted].
We have tried to resolve his issue by offering him a 30% discount on any repairs that may be need on his OUT OF WARRANTY air conditioning system that was installed in...
2008.
Please feel free to contact if any additional information is needed.
Thank You,
[redacted]topher A Link
President, Link Mechanical Services, Inc.
As the history shows, Link Mechanical Services has responded to every call for service and has gone and gotten additional assistance from the manufacturer when needed. We completely understand the frustration. We in addition to the customer have lost time, productivity and revenues.
The water heater and boiler are separate issues and manufacturers.
WATER HEATER: Originally installed in February of 2011. Replaced under warranty in November of 2013. That's a full 33 months after the original installation. It was a manufacturers defect. The water heater itself was covered under the manufacturers warranty, no miscellaneous parts or labor are covered under this warranty. Link Mechanical Services applied the earlier service repair charge towards the labor and parts required to replace the water heater. This ended up being less than what we would have normally charged. Please note that the leak in the water heater caused the no heat boiler trip on 09/13/13 and 11/26/13. This was not due to a problem with the boiler.
BOILER NOISE: Our technicians were unable to diagnose what was causing the problem. So we requested a factory representative visit the job site. The factory rep determined that the inside of the high efficiency heat exchanger is covered with a thin layer of particulate that was in the heating system. This film on the heat exchanger is causing small bubbles of water to boil off when the boiler reaches operating temperatures of or around 180 degrees. The factory rep indicated that this dirt problem on the high efficiency heat exchangers has come to light in the last year or two and usually only shows up in houses or buildings that have the old style of steel piping and / or cast iron radiators. The Kipnis house does have some steel piping and cast iron radiators. As a temporary fix to reduce the noise coming from the boiler, the factory rep lowered the high operating limit on the boiler from 180 degrees down to 170 degrees.
The factory rep recommended that we do the following to fix the noise problem. 1) Replace the existing air eliminator with a "micro-bubble style air eliminator. 2) Add a cleaning agent to the boiler water that was designed for this specific problem. Let the cleaning agent circulate through the system for at least 3 days, but no longer than 2 weeks. 3) Return and completely flush out the heating system and boiler with fresh water. 4) Fill the boiler and heating system with clean water and add a water additive to help keep the heat exchanger clean and the PH level in the water at proper levels. Link Mechanical notified the customer that there would be NO CHARGE for this work to be done.
Link Mechanical acquired the needed parts and chemicals that the factory rep recommended. We then attempted to schedule a time to do the work. The customer set up an appointment that was at the date of their choosing but cancelled the day before.
PLEASE NOTE: The problem that was diagnosed by the factory rep usually only appears in high efficiency stainless steel heat exchangers that have small water passages when they are installed in older homes that have steel piping and/or cast iron radiators.
The factory rep for ECR is extremely confident that the noise problem will be eliminated with this fix and will not cause any harm to the boiler, its performance or reliability. They also indicated that they are not willing to participate in refunding any monies to the customer at this time, because they feel the noise problem is being caused by the dirty piping of the customers heating system and can be completely rectified with a proper cleaning.
We would like the opportunity to come and do the work recommended by the factory rep and are will make our selves available for any reasonable time request from the customer.
Sincerely
[redacted]
We are fully aware of the problem with (1) of the new units and have been working closely with the manufacturers ([redacted]) technical assistance representative to resolve the issue via their help line. We have changed the (2) parts that the [redacted] technical representative has recommended. At this...
point the technical representative has recommended replacing the customers WiFi / internet thermostat (Purchased and specified to be installed by Mr [redacted] himself), with a non programmable thermostat to help us in diagnosing the problem. The [redacted] technical representative thinks the customers WiFi / internet thermostat may be the problem. As of today, we have replaced the thermostat with a [redacted] 5000 series non programmable, non WiFi thermostat. We will have the customer monitor the system for the next few days to let us know if it trips off again. If the system trips off again, we are going to force the manufacturer ([redacted]) to send their local filed technical services manager to the job site to assist with the diagnosis and repair of the system.Mr [redacted] has not been invoiced for any warranty service calls we have performed while trying to resolve this problem. There have been several.Every time Mr. [redacted] has requested service for the unit tripping off, we have scheduled and dispatched a technician to his building ASAP. We are not avoiding him or the problem.I have told Mr. [redacted] we will continue to work on this until the problem is resolved.Thank You,Chris L[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me provided the following requirements are agreed upon: Dispatch will call me on August 11, 2014 to arrange appointment. Standard price will be at 2013 pricing as of July 2013 including parts, since that was when the service was suppose to be performed. A guarantee of 1 year on parts and labor and a reasonable window of arrival on appointment date which is normally 2 hours.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
We are fully aware of the problem with (1) of the new units and have been working closely with the manufacturers ([redacted]) technical assistance representative to resolve the issue via their help line. We have changed the (2) parts that the [redacted] technical representative has...
recommended.
At this point the technical representative has recommended replacing the customers WiFi / internet thermostat (Purchased and specified to be installed by Mr [redacted] himself), with a non programmable thermostat to help us in diagnosing the problem. The [redacted] technical representative thinks the customers WiFi / internet thermostat may be the problem. As of today, we have replaced the thermostat with a [redacted] 5000 series non programmable, non WiFi thermostat. We will have the customer monitor the system for the next few days to let us know if it trips off again. If the system trips off again, we are going to force the manufacturer ([redacted]) to send their local filed technical services manager to the job site to assist with the diagnosis and repair of the system.
Mr [redacted] has not been invoiced for any warranty service calls we have performed while trying to resolve this problem. There have been several.
Every time Mr. [redacted] has requested service for the unit tripping off, we have scheduled and dispatched a technician to his building ASAP. We are not avoiding him or the problem.
I have told Mr. [redacted] we will continue to work on this until the problem is resolved.
Thank You,
Chris L[redacted]
02/06/14:
History of job and complaints:
02/11/11: We installed a new ECR100 high efficiency boiler with indirect water heater.
02/22/11: Replaced faulty control board on boiler. (No Charge to customer)
06/01/11: No hot water service call....
(No Charge to customer)
12/05/11: Performed seasonal maintenance. (No Charge to customer)
01/13/12: Noisy boiler. Mfg rep indicated that they know about this problem and have a fix. A new software upgrade on the board needs to be done. (No Charge to customer)
04/17/12: No Hot water service call. Found problem with programming on control board. (No Charge to customer)
10/10/12: Replace Boiler. Due to numerous service calls, Link Mechanical secured a new boiler from the mfg and replaced it. (No Charge to customer)
09/17/13: Boiler tripping service call. Our tech found a faulty thermostat control on the indirect water heater. Technician quoted customer the cost of acquiring and replacing the part before doing work. Customer agreed to quote. Our technician replaced the control. (Customer paid $643.63)
11/26/13: No heat. Our technician found that the indirect water heater had a leak and the water shorted out the control and shut down the boiler. We replaced the indirect water heater on 12/04/13 (under warranty). (No charge to customer)
01/23/14: Customer called to complain that the boiler is making a noise. Our technician could not reproduce the noise but did a complete inspection and test out of the boiler. Our technician also spoke with the mfg tech service department. (No Charge to Customer)
01/29/13: Customer called to complain about boiler noise. At this point we (Link Mechanical) placed a call to the mfg rep ([redacted] Associates) to set up an appointment for the local ECR tech rep to meet us at the customers house. (We left message)
01/31/14: We called again to mfg rep about appointment. We were able to secure an appointment at the customers house for 02/04/14 12:30-1:00PM.
02/04/14: ECR tech rep called our office at 12:45PM to inform us he was running about an hour behind schedule. My office did NOT notify customer that the tech was running late. At 1:20PM customer called our office to tell us that they could no longer wait for the ECR tech rep and that we needed to reschedule. Our office told the customer that we would set up another appointment with the ECR tech rep. Our office called and requested another ECR tech rep appointment.
02/06/14: Customer called our office about tech rep appointment. Our office called and left another message for the ECR tech rep. We received call back from [redacted] Associates and asked them to contact customer directly to set up appointment.
02/06/14: Received Revdex.com complaint.
02/06/14: [redacted] associates has set up an appointment to survey the problem for 02/10/14 at 8:30AM.
Link Mechanical Services has done everything we could to resolve the issues this customer has had and is having. We feel we have acted appropriately and fairly.
We expect the mfg tech rep to rectify the problem the customer is currently having.
Thank You,
[redacted]
Please see the attached PDF copy of the letter our Customer Service Manager recently sent [redacted].
We have tried to resolve his issue by offering him a 30% discount on any repairs that may be need on his OUT OF WARRANTY air conditioning system that was installed in 2008.
Please...
feel free to contact if any additional information is needed.
Thank You,
[redacted]topher A Link
President, Link Mechanical Services, Inc.
Review: In 2008, I purchased an air conditioning unit which was installed by Link. On the written estimate, I was to receive a sub-panel which I did not need nor did I receive. I called the salesman, [redacted] at the time the unit was installed and asked for a refund on the sub-panel that I did not need nor receive. He just laughed and said they don't do that. In 2010, the compressor pipes froze and was repaired by Link at which time I again asked for a refund and it was refused. In 2011, the unit began leaking. Link serviced the leak and I paid them for that service and again, asked for a refund on the sub-panel and again refused. In 2012, again, the unit leaked and again was repaired and I again paid them for the service and asked for a refund on the sub-panel and again refused. In 2013, I had made an appointment for 6/29/13 and they did not show up. [redacted] (service manager) called me after I sent an email that day and said that I would get a $150.00 credit against the cost of a leak test. I agreed and [redacted] said that dispatch would call me. Dispatch never called. In 2014, I again tried to get someone to refund the cost of the sub-panel and [redacted] said I would get 30% discount only which was less than last year. I had also been in contact with [redacted] via email and [redacted] denied everything, that I didn't call last year, that nobody there knew anything about my problem. All these years, refrigerant leaked into the atmosphere and I don't know if it leaked into the house. Leaking refrigerant is a health hazard. Between Link's denials and the run-around I received and the fact that I was told in 2013 that they will not come out every year to fix the leak, and padding the estimate at the high end to make you pay for parts I did not receive indicates the type of ethics this company engages in. I do believe that they are hiding something...maybe the way they do their estimates. I don't know how many parts I bought without receiving but the sub-panel I know I did not receive.Desired Settlement: $150.00 for the sub-panel. If this goes to the state, I will request punitive settlement beyond the requested settlement as I believe parts were added to the estimate knowing that I did not need. The electritican did not have a sub-panel with him so I believe that was added to pad the estimate. I also want the leak found and fixed once and for all. No charge to me.
Business
Response:
Please see the attached PDF copy of the letter our Customer Service Manager recently sent [redacted].
We have tried to resolve his issue by offering him a 30% discount on any repairs that may be need on his OUT OF WARRANTY air conditioning system that was installed in 2008.
Please feel free to contact if any additional information is needed.
Thank You,
[redacted]topher A Link
President, Link Mechanical Services, Inc.
Consumer
Response:
Review: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: Why would I accept an offer like that when I was offered $150.00 credit towards service and I had accepted, which is more than they are offering now and Link rengeged on that agreement in July of 2013 when dispatch was to call and they did not and I haven't heard from anybody since. The terms to settle this is this. $150.00 paid to me in full for a part I paid for, did not need nor did not get and the electrician did not intend to install a sub-panel because he did not have one with him, plus free service to repair the leak which has occurred since a repair in 2010 of frozen pipes in the compressor and the tech failed to ensure a leak free system.
Sincerely,
Business
Response:
I would like to change my offer of settlement to [redacted].
Link Mechanical Services will give [redacted] $250.00 credit toward any standard priced repair, service or replacement job that is performed during our normal business hours to settle this matter.
Thank You.
Consumer
Response:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me provided the following requirements are agreed upon: Dispatch will call me on August 11, 2014 to arrange appointment. Standard price will be at 2013 pricing as of July 2013 including parts, since that was when the service was suppose to be performed. A guarantee of 1 year on parts and labor and a reasonable window of arrival on appointment date which is normally 2 hours.
Review: On 2/17/15 we had a service tech from Link come out to assess why the furnace was unable to consistently blow warm air at our condo at [redacted]. The tech [redacted] arrived, looked at the thermostat, the furnace and the heat pump outside. He instructed me that it was working properly and it was simply too cold outside for it to blow more consistent war air. The only option would be to have a sales person come out and talk to me about a new furnace. I said no thanks and he retreated to his van to write up the ticket. He disappeared for at least 30mins and finally returned to hand me the receipt attached. The costs included the initial $109 assessment fee for 30mins of work and then he tacked on another $52.50 for an additional 30mins on site. I refused to pay for the additional $52.50. He had me get on the phone with his dispatcher. I told her I refused to pay. She said she would need to have her manager call me back to discuss it. I needed the service tech to leave the condo so I could get back to work. He left and Link ran the credit card that was already on file. I called the dispatcher later this afternoon and we discussed the charges. She said that it takes time to write up a ticket because they have to document the options, estimates on work and call the warehouse to get pricing. (There was not alternative solution posed by the tech. There is no one that he would need to call to complete the ticket. He said everything works fine it is just too cold outside. Read the ticket) She said again the manager would have to discuss as she didn't have the authority and he would call me. No response. Later that week I called the dispatcher again and she said the manager was not available and they would have to call me back. I later received a call from the dispatcher and she informed me that the manager/owner said there is nothing he will do and that is that. The condo is a 1-bedroom total of 800 sq ft on the ground floor of a garden style complex. He was only there for a max of 30 mins total and that is pushing it. The heat pump is probably 30 paces from the front door. He performed no work. Gave me no solutions to fix other than buy a new furnace. And he charged me for 1hour of time. I feel this a gross overcharging. To add insult to injury, the tech wore paper boot covers in the house but his boots were wet from the snow and tracked mud onto the carpet and through the kitchen. He did offer clean the mud off of the kitchen floor. The carpet needed to be scrubbed when he left.Desired Settlement: Refund for the extra $52.50 charged for the 30mins charged while no work performed.
Review: Our company purchased (3) heating and cooling systems from Link. We spent thousands of dollars on this equipment and installation over $20k! We purchased the products and since day ONE we've had issues and nothing has been resolved. The units were purchased during the summer in July 2015, once it started to get colder outside we turned on the heat and noticed heat wasn't working in two of the units. At this time we've had the units for 3 or 4 months and never used the heat because it was warmer weather when we first purchased the units. Since mid September I've been calling Link on a weekly basis about this heating issue and they've sent techs out without any resolution. On days we come to our office and the temperature is 50 degrees! Our employees are outraged and we have 2 pregnant employees that refused to come to work until this matter is taken care of. We've purchased space heaters for the office in order to keep our employees and the building warm. I've complained personally to everyone at the company over 50 times, via email, phone calls, and I recently went to their office to speak with the owner! I express how water pipes could freeze due to these low temperatures as well as we have mechanical equipment needs to be in temperatures above 50 degrees. Right now winter hasn't fully kicked in and we're not getting -4 degree temperatures but when that happens without being able to heat our building will become a much larger issues. Just this week a part was finally replaced on the equipment as their tech found something faulty, but today we are faced with the same issues (no heat). When speaking to Link months ago, they actually told me that they would have to charge us for all the services calls to come out to fix this equipment as the work order had been completed. They delivered and installed a faulty piece of equipment and now we have to pay for the services to repair it and we haven't owned the equipment more than 4 months! I replied to them saying, so if they purchased a brand new car! and within 3 months the car only started and ran on some days. Do they think it would be okay that the dealership said we'll we're going to charge you every time you bring this vehicle back for service.Desired Settlement: GET OUR HEAT WORKING BEFORE ITS TOO LATE! THE COLD IS COMING!
I'm filing complaints with DCP, CT attorney general office, and contact the news company! this is just the start. we've waited months for them to fix this issue and they still haven't fixed the issue. Employees can't work in unworkable environments, this is an administrative office.
Business
Response:
We are fully aware of the problem with (1) of the new units and have been working closely with the manufacturers ([redacted]) technical assistance representative to resolve the issue via their help line. We have changed the (2) parts that the [redacted] technical representative has recommended.
Review: We had Link install a state of the art heating and hot water system 2 years ago. The furnace has been replaced once as has the hot water heater as being faulty. I am now experiencing a very loud and annoying noise, which they have heard. They are being extraordinarily uncooperative in scheduling a manufacturer's representative to come out and help diagnose the issue. We have turned off the heat for a night at their request and they did not show for the service call the next day. My husband came home from work and waited for them. they did not show. This is totally unacceptable and in violation of their written guarantees and warranties.I have copies of at least 20 service calls in the two years that the furnace and hot water heater have been installed.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund of my purchase price plus the money I have paid for repairs that obviously were not needed because the equipment was faulty. I would like interest on the purchase price and compensation for the time we spent waiting for them to show up for all the repairs. They can take the equipment out when I have scheduled a replacement from another company. I would also like to have a refund on my gas bills as they guaranteed lower gas bills as a result of this installation.
Business
Response:
02/06/14:
History of job and complaints:
02/11/11: We installed a new ECR100 high efficiency boiler with indirect water heater.
02/22/11: Replaced faulty control board on boiler. (No Charge to customer)
06/01/11: No hot water service call. (No Charge to customer)
12/05/11: Performed seasonal maintenance. (No Charge to customer)
01/13/12: Noisy boiler. Mfg rep indicated that they know about this problem and have a fix. A new software upgrade on the board needs to be done. (No Charge to customer)
04/17/12: No Hot water service call. Found problem with programming on control board. (No Charge to customer)
10/10/12: Replace Boiler. Due to numerous service calls, Link Mechanical secured a new boiler from the mfg and replaced it. (No Charge to customer)
09/17/13: Boiler tripping service call. Our tech found a faulty thermostat control on the indirect water heater. Technician quoted customer the cost of acquiring and replacing the part before doing work. Customer agreed to quote. Our technician replaced the control. (Customer paid $643.63)
11/26/13: No heat. Our technician found that the indirect water heater had a leak and the water shorted out the control and shut down the boiler. We replaced the indirect water heater on 12/04/13 (under warranty). (No charge to customer)
01/23/14: Customer called to complain that the boiler is making a noise. Our technician could not reproduce the noise but did a complete inspection and test out of the boiler. Our technician also spoke with the mfg tech service department. (No Charge to Customer)
01/29/13: Customer called to complain about boiler noise. At this point we (Link Mechanical) placed a call to the mfg rep ([redacted] Associates) to set up an appointment for the local ECR tech rep to meet us at the customers house. (We left message)
01/31/14: We called again to mfg rep about appointment. We were able to secure an appointment at the customers house for 02/04/14 12:30-1:00PM.
02/04/14: ECR tech rep called our office at 12:45PM to inform us he was running about an hour behind schedule. My office did NOT notify customer that the tech was running late. At 1:20PM customer called our office to tell us that they could no longer wait for the ECR tech rep and that we needed to reschedule. Our office told the customer that we would set up another appointment with the ECR tech rep. Our office called and requested another ECR tech rep appointment.
02/06/14: Customer called our office about tech rep appointment. Our office called and left another message for the ECR tech rep. We received call back from [redacted] Associates and asked them to contact customer directly to set up appointment.
02/06/14: Received Revdex.com complaint.
02/06/14: [redacted] associates has set up an appointment to survey the problem for 02/10/14 at 8:30AM.
Link Mechanical Services has done everything we could to resolve the issues this customer has had and is having. We feel we have acted appropriately and fairly.
We expect the mfg tech rep to rectify the problem the customer is currently having.
Thank You,
Consumer
Response:
COMPLAINT NO.
RESPONSE TO LINK MECHANICAL
I would like to add the additional material to the list of service calls made to my heating and hot water system installed by Link Mechanical.
First, I would like to respond that until recently, Link was responsive to my service calls. That is not the substance of my complaint. The substance of my complaint is that they have installed a product that 1) does not work; 2) has caused extensive need for service calls; 3) has required a significant amount of time on my and my husband’s part to attend to the service calls; and 4) I have been charged for a repair that was unnecessary. I would also like to note that the lengthy list of service calls provided by [redacted] is evidence that my complaint has merit.
Second, I would like to add these additional comments to provide a full record of the product and service provided by Link Mechanical.
1. 2/22/11- 2/23/11: We returned from vacation on this cold winter night to find our house at 52 degrees as well as no hot water. We have no idea how long the heat had not been operating properly. This means that within a week there was a problem with the boiler. There was no charge obviously because the product was under warranty. We did not have heat until 2-3am on 2/23/11. Control board was not installed at this time. A temporary fix was put in place.
2. 2/28/11: Service call to replace ignition board
3. 06/1/11: After just 3 ½ months, had no hot water. Service call.
4. 12/5/11: No heat again. Service call.
5. 03/30/12: Boiler continuously running. Service call. Installed new control.
6. 04/15/12: No hot water. Boiler not running. At this time we refused to sign the invoice and rejected the boiler, requesting a replacement.
7. 10/10/12: Boiler and thermostat on hot water heater replaced.
8. 09/17/13: No hot water. Service call. I paid to replace the thermostat I signed the invoice because at the time I did not know that the thermostat repair was unnecessary. I complained about the cost at the time and spoke to a manager named Joe about the cost. It was obviously not the problem. I hardly think it is a fair statement that I agreed to the cost. See 9. Below.
9. 11/26/13: No hot water. Service call. The invoice said “Found water leaking into electrical cabinet on the indirect hot water heater recently installed by us”.
10. Another service call to replace hot water heater. See 9. Above. Because obviously the hot water heater itself was faulty and not the thermostat, I request a full refund for the unnecessary repair made on 09/17/13
11. 01/23/14: Service call. Boiler making a very loud noise. Service technician could not find source of noise.
12. 01/28/14: Service call scheduled to respond to continuing loud noise from boiler. At request of Link, we turned off heat for the night in preparation for service call scheduled at 8:30 am. No show. At 9:00 am we receive call from Link that the appointment is not going to happen.
13. 01/28/14; rescheduled service call. Husband left work to meet technician. No Show and no call.
14. 02/06/14: Did not hear from Link so I called to see about what was being done about fixing the noise.
15. 02/10/14: Link and Manufacturer’s Representative made service call to house. Believes the pipes need to be flushed to eliminate the noise.
16. 02/14/14: Still waiting…..
CONCLUSION
I reject the furnace and hot water heater and demand that Link Mechanical remove the boiler and hot water heater and provide me with a full refund plus interest from that date of first installation. The first boiler and hot water heater have both been replaced and continue to be problematic. I also want to be compensated at our hourly rate for the time my husband and I needed to take off from work to meet the Link Mechanical technician responding to the excessive (13) service calls over a two year period. This averages one call every two months. I also request a full refund of the costs associated with the installation of the thermostat on September 17, 2013 by March 1, 2014. Again, the equipment is faulty and cannot be trusted to function in a reasonable manner.
Consumer
Response:
Review: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: See attached.
Sincerely,
Business
Response:
As the history shows, Link Mechanical Services has responded to every call for service and has gone and gotten additional assistance from the manufacturer when needed. We completely understand the frustration. We in addition to the customer have lost time, productivity and revenues.
The water heater and boiler are separate issues and manufacturers.
WATER HEATER: Originally installed in February of 2011. Replaced under warranty in November of 2013. That's a full 33 months after the original installation. It was a manufacturers defect. The water heater itself was covered under the manufacturers warranty, no miscellaneous parts or labor are covered under this warranty. Link Mechanical Services applied the earlier service repair charge towards the labor and parts required to replace the water heater. This ended up being less than what we would have normally charged. Please note that the leak in the water heater caused the no heat boiler trip on 09/13/13 and 11/26/13. This was not due to a problem with the boiler.
BOILER NOISE: Our technicians were unable to diagnose what was causing the problem. So we requested a factory representative visit the job site. The factory rep determined that the inside of the high efficiency heat exchanger is covered with a thin layer of particulate that was in the heating system. This film on the heat exchanger is causing small bubbles of water to boil off when the boiler reaches operating temperatures of or around 180 degrees. The factory rep indicated that this dirt problem on the high efficiency heat exchangers has come to light in the last year or two and usually only shows up in houses or buildings that have the old style of steel piping and / or cast iron radiators. The Kipnis house does have some steel piping and cast iron radiators. As a temporary fix to reduce the noise coming from the boiler, the factory rep lowered the high operating limit on the boiler from 180 degrees down to 170 degrees.
The factory rep recommended that we do the following to fix the noise problem. 1) Replace the existing air eliminator with a "micro-bubble style air eliminator. 2) Add a cleaning agent to the boiler water that was designed for this specific problem. Let the cleaning agent circulate through the system for at least 3 days, but no longer than 2 weeks. 3) Return and completely flush out the heating system and boiler with fresh water. 4) Fill the boiler and heating system with clean water and add a water additive to help keep the heat exchanger clean and the PH level in the water at proper levels. Link Mechanical notified the customer that there would be NO CHARGE for this work to be done.
Link Mechanical acquired the needed parts and chemicals that the factory rep recommended. We then attempted to schedule a time to do the work. The customer set up an appointment that was at the date of their choosing but cancelled the day before.
PLEASE NOTE: The problem that was diagnosed by the factory rep usually only appears in high efficiency stainless steel heat exchangers that have small water passages when they are installed in older homes that have steel piping and/or cast iron radiators.
The factory rep for ECR is extremely confident that the noise problem will be eliminated with this fix and will not cause any harm to the boiler, its performance or reliability. They also indicated that they are not willing to participate in refunding any monies to the customer at this time, because they feel the noise problem is being caused by the dirty piping of the customers heating system and can be completely rectified with a proper cleaning.
We would like the opportunity to come and do the work recommended by the factory rep and are will make our selves available for any reasonable time request from the customer.
Subject: Re: You have a New Message from Revdex.com Serving Connecticut Regarding Complaint #[redacted]
In response to [redacted]'s last email, he mistakenly says that the water heater was replace 33 months after the water heater was installed, after the warranty period expired. There is a life time warranty on that equipment...
Recently, it took three calls to [redacted] to discuss the issues raised in the complaint and then he had someone else return the call.
Today a technician came and installed a part on the boiler in an effort to fix the noise coming from the boiler. It did not fix the noise and had led to a new, more annoying noise coming from the boiler.
All this means to me is that the equipment installed at significant expense is not quality and needs to be removed.
Business
Response:
On 04/11/14 we completed the flushing and cleaning of the boiler heat exchanger, radiator system, replaced the control circuit board and did a combustion efficiency and adjustment test on the boiler. There was no charge for this work.
Sorry for the delay in our response. We are willing to split the difference with the customer and reimburse his credit card for $26.25.Thank You
We are sorry to hear that
-----Original Message-----
From: *** *** [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 8:PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: You have a New Message from Revdex.com Serving Connecticut Regarding Complaint #***
In response to *** ***'s last email, he mistakenly says that the water heater was replace months after the water heater was installed, after the warranty period expiredThere is a life time warranty on that equipment
Recently, it took three calls to *** *** to discuss the issues raised in the complaint and then he had someone else return the call
Today a technician came and installed a part on the boiler in an effort to fix the noise coming from the boilerIt did not fix the noise and had led to a new, more annoying noise coming from the boiler
All this means to me is that the equipment installed at significant expense is not quality and needs to be removed
*** ***
On 04/11/we completed the flushing and cleaning of the boiler heat exchanger, radiator system, replaced the control circuit board and did a combustion efficiency and adjustment test on the boilerThere was no charge for this work
Please see attached copy of warranty invoice
Thank You
I would like to change my offer of settlement to *** ***
Link Mechanical Services will give *** *** $credit toward any standard priced repair, service or replacement job that is performed during our business hours to settle this matter
Thank You
Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because: Why would I accept an offer like that when I was offered $credit towards service and I had accepted, which is more than they are offering now and Link rengeged on that agreement in July of when dispatch was to call and they did not and I haven't heard from anybody since The terms to settle this is this $paid to me in full for a part I paid for, did not need nor did not get and the electrician did not intend to install a sub-panel because he did not have one with him, plus free service to repair the leak which has occurred since a repair in of frozen pipes in the compressor and the tech failed to ensure a leak free system
Sincerely,
*** ***
Please see the attached PDF copy of the letter our Customer Service Manager recently sent [redacted].
We have tried to resolve his issue by offering him a 30% discount on any repairs that may be need on his OUT OF WARRANTY air conditioning system that was installed in...
2008.
Please feel free to contact if any additional information is needed.
Thank You,
[redacted]topher A Link
President, Link Mechanical Services, Inc.
Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because I deserve to be fully reimbursed for being overcharged for service.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
As the history shows, Link Mechanical Services has responded to every call for service and has gone and gotten additional assistance from the manufacturer when needed. We completely understand the frustration. We in addition to the customer have lost time, productivity and revenues.
The water heater and boiler are separate issues and manufacturers.
WATER HEATER: Originally installed in February of 2011. Replaced under warranty in November of 2013. That's a full 33 months after the original installation. It was a manufacturers defect. The water heater itself was covered under the manufacturers warranty, no miscellaneous parts or labor are covered under this warranty. Link Mechanical Services applied the earlier service repair charge towards the labor and parts required to replace the water heater. This ended up being less than what we would have normally charged. Please note that the leak in the water heater caused the no heat boiler trip on 09/13/13 and 11/26/13. This was not due to a problem with the boiler.
BOILER NOISE: Our technicians were unable to diagnose what was causing the problem. So we requested a factory representative visit the job site. The factory rep determined that the inside of the high efficiency heat exchanger is covered with a thin layer of particulate that was in the heating system. This film on the heat exchanger is causing small bubbles of water to boil off when the boiler reaches operating temperatures of or around 180 degrees. The factory rep indicated that this dirt problem on the high efficiency heat exchangers has come to light in the last year or two and usually only shows up in houses or buildings that have the old style of steel piping and / or cast iron radiators. The Kipnis house does have some steel piping and cast iron radiators. As a temporary fix to reduce the noise coming from the boiler, the factory rep lowered the high operating limit on the boiler from 180 degrees down to 170 degrees.
The factory rep recommended that we do the following to fix the noise problem. 1) Replace the existing air eliminator with a "micro-bubble style air eliminator. 2) Add a cleaning agent to the boiler water that was designed for this specific problem. Let the cleaning agent circulate through the system for at least 3 days, but no longer than 2 weeks. 3) Return and completely flush out the heating system and boiler with fresh water. 4) Fill the boiler and heating system with clean water and add a water additive to help keep the heat exchanger clean and the PH level in the water at proper levels. Link Mechanical notified the customer that there would be NO CHARGE for this work to be done.
Link Mechanical acquired the needed parts and chemicals that the factory rep recommended. We then attempted to schedule a time to do the work. The customer set up an appointment that was at the date of their choosing but cancelled the day before.
PLEASE NOTE: The problem that was diagnosed by the factory rep usually only appears in high efficiency stainless steel heat exchangers that have small water passages when they are installed in older homes that have steel piping and/or cast iron radiators.
The factory rep for ECR is extremely confident that the noise problem will be eliminated with this fix and will not cause any harm to the boiler, its performance or reliability. They also indicated that they are not willing to participate in refunding any monies to the customer at this time, because they feel the noise problem is being caused by the dirty piping of the customers heating system and can be completely rectified with a proper cleaning.
We would like the opportunity to come and do the work recommended by the factory rep and are will make our selves available for any reasonable time request from the customer.
Sincerely
[redacted]
We are fully aware of the problem with (1) of the new units and have been working closely with the manufacturers ([redacted]) technical assistance representative to resolve the issue via their help line. We have changed the (2) parts that the [redacted] technical representative has recommended. At this...
point the technical representative has recommended replacing the customers WiFi / internet thermostat (Purchased and specified to be installed by Mr [redacted] himself), with a non programmable thermostat to help us in diagnosing the problem. The [redacted] technical representative thinks the customers WiFi / internet thermostat may be the problem. As of today, we have replaced the thermostat with a [redacted] 5000 series non programmable, non WiFi thermostat. We will have the customer monitor the system for the next few days to let us know if it trips off again. If the system trips off again, we are going to force the manufacturer ([redacted]) to send their local filed technical services manager to the job site to assist with the diagnosis and repair of the system.Mr [redacted] has not been invoiced for any warranty service calls we have performed while trying to resolve this problem. There have been several.Every time Mr. [redacted] has requested service for the unit tripping off, we have scheduled and dispatched a technician to his building ASAP. We are not avoiding him or the problem.I have told Mr. [redacted] we will continue to work on this until the problem is resolved.Thank You,Chris L[redacted]
Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me provided the following requirements are agreed upon: Dispatch will call me on August 11, 2014 to arrange appointment. Standard price will be at 2013 pricing as of July 2013 including parts, since that was when the service was suppose to be performed. A guarantee of 1 year on parts and labor and a reasonable window of arrival on appointment date which is normally 2 hours.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
Sorry for the delay in our response.
We are willing to split the difference with the customer and reimburse his credit card for $26.25.
Thank You.
We are fully aware of the problem with (1) of the new units and have been working closely with the manufacturers ([redacted]) technical assistance representative to resolve the issue via their help line. We have changed the (2) parts that the [redacted] technical representative has...
recommended.
At this point the technical representative has recommended replacing the customers WiFi / internet thermostat (Purchased and specified to be installed by Mr [redacted] himself), with a non programmable thermostat to help us in diagnosing the problem. The [redacted] technical representative thinks the customers WiFi / internet thermostat may be the problem. As of today, we have replaced the thermostat with a [redacted] 5000 series non programmable, non WiFi thermostat. We will have the customer monitor the system for the next few days to let us know if it trips off again. If the system trips off again, we are going to force the manufacturer ([redacted]) to send their local filed technical services manager to the job site to assist with the diagnosis and repair of the system.
Mr [redacted] has not been invoiced for any warranty service calls we have performed while trying to resolve this problem. There have been several.
Every time Mr. [redacted] has requested service for the unit tripping off, we have scheduled and dispatched a technician to his building ASAP. We are not avoiding him or the problem.
I have told Mr. [redacted] we will continue to work on this until the problem is resolved.
Thank You,
Chris L[redacted]
Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: See attached.
Sincerely,
[redacted]
02/06/14:
History of job and complaints:
02/11/11: We installed a new ECR100 high efficiency boiler with indirect water heater.
02/22/11: Replaced faulty control board on boiler. (No Charge to customer)
06/01/11: No hot water service call....
(No Charge to customer)
12/05/11: Performed seasonal maintenance. (No Charge to customer)
01/13/12: Noisy boiler. Mfg rep indicated that they know about this problem and have a fix. A new software upgrade on the board needs to be done. (No Charge to customer)
04/17/12: No Hot water service call. Found problem with programming on control board. (No Charge to customer)
10/10/12: Replace Boiler. Due to numerous service calls, Link Mechanical secured a new boiler from the mfg and replaced it. (No Charge to customer)
09/17/13: Boiler tripping service call. Our tech found a faulty thermostat control on the indirect water heater. Technician quoted customer the cost of acquiring and replacing the part before doing work. Customer agreed to quote. Our technician replaced the control. (Customer paid $643.63)
11/26/13: No heat. Our technician found that the indirect water heater had a leak and the water shorted out the control and shut down the boiler. We replaced the indirect water heater on 12/04/13 (under warranty). (No charge to customer)
01/23/14: Customer called to complain that the boiler is making a noise. Our technician could not reproduce the noise but did a complete inspection and test out of the boiler. Our technician also spoke with the mfg tech service department. (No Charge to Customer)
01/29/13: Customer called to complain about boiler noise. At this point we (Link Mechanical) placed a call to the mfg rep ([redacted] Associates) to set up an appointment for the local ECR tech rep to meet us at the customers house. (We left message)
01/31/14: We called again to mfg rep about appointment. We were able to secure an appointment at the customers house for 02/04/14 12:30-1:00PM.
02/04/14: ECR tech rep called our office at 12:45PM to inform us he was running about an hour behind schedule. My office did NOT notify customer that the tech was running late. At 1:20PM customer called our office to tell us that they could no longer wait for the ECR tech rep and that we needed to reschedule. Our office told the customer that we would set up another appointment with the ECR tech rep. Our office called and requested another ECR tech rep appointment.
02/06/14: Customer called our office about tech rep appointment. Our office called and left another message for the ECR tech rep. We received call back from [redacted] Associates and asked them to contact customer directly to set up appointment.
02/06/14: Received Revdex.com complaint.
02/06/14: [redacted] associates has set up an appointment to survey the problem for 02/10/14 at 8:30AM.
Link Mechanical Services has done everything we could to resolve the issues this customer has had and is having. We feel we have acted appropriately and fairly.
We expect the mfg tech rep to rectify the problem the customer is currently having.
Thank You,
[redacted]
Please see the attached PDF copy of the letter our Customer Service Manager recently sent [redacted].
We have tried to resolve his issue by offering him a 30% discount on any repairs that may be need on his OUT OF WARRANTY air conditioning system that was installed in 2008.
Please...
feel free to contact if any additional information is needed.
Thank You,
[redacted]topher A Link
President, Link Mechanical Services, Inc.
Review: In 2008, I purchased an air conditioning unit which was installed by Link. On the written estimate, I was to receive a sub-panel which I did not need nor did I receive. I called the salesman, [redacted] at the time the unit was installed and asked for a refund on the sub-panel that I did not need nor receive. He just laughed and said they don't do that. In 2010, the compressor pipes froze and was repaired by Link at which time I again asked for a refund and it was refused. In 2011, the unit began leaking. Link serviced the leak and I paid them for that service and again, asked for a refund on the sub-panel and again refused. In 2012, again, the unit leaked and again was repaired and I again paid them for the service and asked for a refund on the sub-panel and again refused. In 2013, I had made an appointment for 6/29/13 and they did not show up. [redacted] (service manager) called me after I sent an email that day and said that I would get a $150.00 credit against the cost of a leak test. I agreed and [redacted] said that dispatch would call me. Dispatch never called. In 2014, I again tried to get someone to refund the cost of the sub-panel and [redacted] said I would get 30% discount only which was less than last year. I had also been in contact with [redacted] via email and [redacted] denied everything, that I didn't call last year, that nobody there knew anything about my problem. All these years, refrigerant leaked into the atmosphere and I don't know if it leaked into the house. Leaking refrigerant is a health hazard. Between Link's denials and the run-around I received and the fact that I was told in 2013 that they will not come out every year to fix the leak, and padding the estimate at the high end to make you pay for parts I did not receive indicates the type of ethics this company engages in. I do believe that they are hiding something...maybe the way they do their estimates. I don't know how many parts I bought without receiving but the sub-panel I know I did not receive.Desired Settlement: $150.00 for the sub-panel. If this goes to the state, I will request punitive settlement beyond the requested settlement as I believe parts were added to the estimate knowing that I did not need. The electritican did not have a sub-panel with him so I believe that was added to pad the estimate. I also want the leak found and fixed once and for all. No charge to me.
Business
Response:
Please see the attached PDF copy of the letter our Customer Service Manager recently sent [redacted].
We have tried to resolve his issue by offering him a 30% discount on any repairs that may be need on his OUT OF WARRANTY air conditioning system that was installed in 2008.
Please feel free to contact if any additional information is needed.
Thank You,
[redacted]topher A Link
President, Link Mechanical Services, Inc.
Consumer
Response:
Review: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: Why would I accept an offer like that when I was offered $150.00 credit towards service and I had accepted, which is more than they are offering now and Link rengeged on that agreement in July of 2013 when dispatch was to call and they did not and I haven't heard from anybody since. The terms to settle this is this. $150.00 paid to me in full for a part I paid for, did not need nor did not get and the electrician did not intend to install a sub-panel because he did not have one with him, plus free service to repair the leak which has occurred since a repair in 2010 of frozen pipes in the compressor and the tech failed to ensure a leak free system.
Sincerely,
Business
Response:
I would like to change my offer of settlement to [redacted].
Link Mechanical Services will give [redacted] $250.00 credit toward any standard priced repair, service or replacement job that is performed during our normal business hours to settle this matter.
Thank You.
Consumer
Response:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me provided the following requirements are agreed upon: Dispatch will call me on August 11, 2014 to arrange appointment. Standard price will be at 2013 pricing as of July 2013 including parts, since that was when the service was suppose to be performed. A guarantee of 1 year on parts and labor and a reasonable window of arrival on appointment date which is normally 2 hours.
Sincerely,
Review: On 2/17/15 we had a service tech from Link come out to assess why the furnace was unable to consistently blow warm air at our condo at [redacted]. The tech [redacted] arrived, looked at the thermostat, the furnace and the heat pump outside. He instructed me that it was working properly and it was simply too cold outside for it to blow more consistent war air. The only option would be to have a sales person come out and talk to me about a new furnace. I said no thanks and he retreated to his van to write up the ticket. He disappeared for at least 30mins and finally returned to hand me the receipt attached. The costs included the initial $109 assessment fee for 30mins of work and then he tacked on another $52.50 for an additional 30mins on site. I refused to pay for the additional $52.50. He had me get on the phone with his dispatcher. I told her I refused to pay. She said she would need to have her manager call me back to discuss it. I needed the service tech to leave the condo so I could get back to work. He left and Link ran the credit card that was already on file. I called the dispatcher later this afternoon and we discussed the charges. She said that it takes time to write up a ticket because they have to document the options, estimates on work and call the warehouse to get pricing. (There was not alternative solution posed by the tech. There is no one that he would need to call to complete the ticket. He said everything works fine it is just too cold outside. Read the ticket) She said again the manager would have to discuss as she didn't have the authority and he would call me. No response. Later that week I called the dispatcher again and she said the manager was not available and they would have to call me back. I later received a call from the dispatcher and she informed me that the manager/owner said there is nothing he will do and that is that. The condo is a 1-bedroom total of 800 sq ft on the ground floor of a garden style complex. He was only there for a max of 30 mins total and that is pushing it. The heat pump is probably 30 paces from the front door. He performed no work. Gave me no solutions to fix other than buy a new furnace. And he charged me for 1hour of time. I feel this a gross overcharging. To add insult to injury, the tech wore paper boot covers in the house but his boots were wet from the snow and tracked mud onto the carpet and through the kitchen. He did offer clean the mud off of the kitchen floor. The carpet needed to be scrubbed when he left.Desired Settlement: Refund for the extra $52.50 charged for the 30mins charged while no work performed.
Business
Response:
Sorry for the delay in our response.
Review: Our company purchased (3) heating and cooling systems from Link. We spent thousands of dollars on this equipment and installation over $20k! We purchased the products and since day ONE we've had issues and nothing has been resolved. The units were purchased during the summer in July 2015, once it started to get colder outside we turned on the heat and noticed heat wasn't working in two of the units. At this time we've had the units for 3 or 4 months and never used the heat because it was warmer weather when we first purchased the units. Since mid September I've been calling Link on a weekly basis about this heating issue and they've sent techs out without any resolution. On days we come to our office and the temperature is 50 degrees! Our employees are outraged and we have 2 pregnant employees that refused to come to work until this matter is taken care of. We've purchased space heaters for the office in order to keep our employees and the building warm. I've complained personally to everyone at the company over 50 times, via email, phone calls, and I recently went to their office to speak with the owner! I express how water pipes could freeze due to these low temperatures as well as we have mechanical equipment needs to be in temperatures above 50 degrees. Right now winter hasn't fully kicked in and we're not getting -4 degree temperatures but when that happens without being able to heat our building will become a much larger issues. Just this week a part was finally replaced on the equipment as their tech found something faulty, but today we are faced with the same issues (no heat). When speaking to Link months ago, they actually told me that they would have to charge us for all the services calls to come out to fix this equipment as the work order had been completed. They delivered and installed a faulty piece of equipment and now we have to pay for the services to repair it and we haven't owned the equipment more than 4 months! I replied to them saying, so if they purchased a brand new car! and within 3 months the car only started and ran on some days. Do they think it would be okay that the dealership said we'll we're going to charge you every time you bring this vehicle back for service.Desired Settlement: GET OUR HEAT WORKING BEFORE ITS TOO LATE! THE COLD IS COMING!
I'm filing complaints with DCP, CT attorney general office, and contact the news company! this is just the start. we've waited months for them to fix this issue and they still haven't fixed the issue. Employees can't work in unworkable environments, this is an administrative office.
Business
Response:
We are fully aware of the problem with (1) of the new units and have been working closely with the manufacturers ([redacted]) technical assistance representative to resolve the issue via their help line. We have changed the (2) parts that the [redacted] technical representative has recommended.
Review: We had Link install a state of the art heating and hot water system 2 years ago. The furnace has been replaced once as has the hot water heater as being faulty. I am now experiencing a very loud and annoying noise, which they have heard. They are being extraordinarily uncooperative in scheduling a manufacturer's representative to come out and help diagnose the issue. We have turned off the heat for a night at their request and they did not show for the service call the next day. My husband came home from work and waited for them. they did not show. This is totally unacceptable and in violation of their written guarantees and warranties.I have copies of at least 20 service calls in the two years that the furnace and hot water heater have been installed.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund of my purchase price plus the money I have paid for repairs that obviously were not needed because the equipment was faulty. I would like interest on the purchase price and compensation for the time we spent waiting for them to show up for all the repairs. They can take the equipment out when I have scheduled a replacement from another company. I would also like to have a refund on my gas bills as they guaranteed lower gas bills as a result of this installation.
Business
Response:
02/06/14:
History of job and complaints:
02/11/11: We installed a new ECR100 high efficiency boiler with indirect water heater.
02/22/11: Replaced faulty control board on boiler. (No Charge to customer)
06/01/11: No hot water service call. (No Charge to customer)
12/05/11: Performed seasonal maintenance. (No Charge to customer)
01/13/12: Noisy boiler. Mfg rep indicated that they know about this problem and have a fix. A new software upgrade on the board needs to be done. (No Charge to customer)
04/17/12: No Hot water service call. Found problem with programming on control board. (No Charge to customer)
10/10/12: Replace Boiler. Due to numerous service calls, Link Mechanical secured a new boiler from the mfg and replaced it. (No Charge to customer)
09/17/13: Boiler tripping service call. Our tech found a faulty thermostat control on the indirect water heater. Technician quoted customer the cost of acquiring and replacing the part before doing work. Customer agreed to quote. Our technician replaced the control. (Customer paid $643.63)
11/26/13: No heat. Our technician found that the indirect water heater had a leak and the water shorted out the control and shut down the boiler. We replaced the indirect water heater on 12/04/13 (under warranty). (No charge to customer)
01/23/14: Customer called to complain that the boiler is making a noise. Our technician could not reproduce the noise but did a complete inspection and test out of the boiler. Our technician also spoke with the mfg tech service department. (No Charge to Customer)
01/29/13: Customer called to complain about boiler noise. At this point we (Link Mechanical) placed a call to the mfg rep ([redacted] Associates) to set up an appointment for the local ECR tech rep to meet us at the customers house. (We left message)
01/31/14: We called again to mfg rep about appointment. We were able to secure an appointment at the customers house for 02/04/14 12:30-1:00PM.
02/04/14: ECR tech rep called our office at 12:45PM to inform us he was running about an hour behind schedule. My office did NOT notify customer that the tech was running late. At 1:20PM customer called our office to tell us that they could no longer wait for the ECR tech rep and that we needed to reschedule. Our office told the customer that we would set up another appointment with the ECR tech rep. Our office called and requested another ECR tech rep appointment.
02/06/14: Customer called our office about tech rep appointment. Our office called and left another message for the ECR tech rep. We received call back from [redacted] Associates and asked them to contact customer directly to set up appointment.
02/06/14: Received Revdex.com complaint.
02/06/14: [redacted] associates has set up an appointment to survey the problem for 02/10/14 at 8:30AM.
Link Mechanical Services has done everything we could to resolve the issues this customer has had and is having. We feel we have acted appropriately and fairly.
We expect the mfg tech rep to rectify the problem the customer is currently having.
Thank You,
Consumer
Response:
COMPLAINT NO.
RESPONSE TO LINK MECHANICAL
I would like to add the additional material to the list of service calls made to my heating and hot water system installed by Link Mechanical.
First, I would like to respond that until recently, Link was responsive to my service calls. That is not the substance of my complaint. The substance of my complaint is that they have installed a product that 1) does not work; 2) has caused extensive need for service calls; 3) has required a significant amount of time on my and my husband’s part to attend to the service calls; and 4) I have been charged for a repair that was unnecessary. I would also like to note that the lengthy list of service calls provided by [redacted] is evidence that my complaint has merit.
Second, I would like to add these additional comments to provide a full record of the product and service provided by Link Mechanical.
1. 2/22/11- 2/23/11: We returned from vacation on this cold winter night to find our house at 52 degrees as well as no hot water. We have no idea how long the heat had not been operating properly. This means that within a week there was a problem with the boiler. There was no charge obviously because the product was under warranty. We did not have heat until 2-3am on 2/23/11. Control board was not installed at this time. A temporary fix was put in place.
2. 2/28/11: Service call to replace ignition board
3. 06/1/11: After just 3 ½ months, had no hot water. Service call.
4. 12/5/11: No heat again. Service call.
5. 03/30/12: Boiler continuously running. Service call. Installed new control.
6. 04/15/12: No hot water. Boiler not running. At this time we refused to sign the invoice and rejected the boiler, requesting a replacement.
7. 10/10/12: Boiler and thermostat on hot water heater replaced.
8. 09/17/13: No hot water. Service call. I paid to replace the thermostat I signed the invoice because at the time I did not know that the thermostat repair was unnecessary. I complained about the cost at the time and spoke to a manager named Joe about the cost. It was obviously not the problem. I hardly think it is a fair statement that I agreed to the cost. See 9. Below.
9. 11/26/13: No hot water. Service call. The invoice said “Found water leaking into electrical cabinet on the indirect hot water heater recently installed by us”.
10. Another service call to replace hot water heater. See 9. Above. Because obviously the hot water heater itself was faulty and not the thermostat, I request a full refund for the unnecessary repair made on 09/17/13
11. 01/23/14: Service call. Boiler making a very loud noise. Service technician could not find source of noise.
12. 01/28/14: Service call scheduled to respond to continuing loud noise from boiler. At request of Link, we turned off heat for the night in preparation for service call scheduled at 8:30 am. No show. At 9:00 am we receive call from Link that the appointment is not going to happen.
13. 01/28/14; rescheduled service call. Husband left work to meet technician. No Show and no call.
14. 02/06/14: Did not hear from Link so I called to see about what was being done about fixing the noise.
15. 02/10/14: Link and Manufacturer’s Representative made service call to house. Believes the pipes need to be flushed to eliminate the noise.
16. 02/14/14: Still waiting…..
CONCLUSION
I reject the furnace and hot water heater and demand that Link Mechanical remove the boiler and hot water heater and provide me with a full refund plus interest from that date of first installation. The first boiler and hot water heater have both been replaced and continue to be problematic. I also want to be compensated at our hourly rate for the time my husband and I needed to take off from work to meet the Link Mechanical technician responding to the excessive (13) service calls over a two year period. This averages one call every two months. I also request a full refund of the costs associated with the installation of the thermostat on September 17, 2013 by March 1, 2014. Again, the equipment is faulty and cannot be trusted to function in a reasonable manner.
Consumer
Response:
Review: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because: See attached.
Sincerely,
Business
Response:
As the history shows, Link Mechanical Services has responded to every call for service and has gone and gotten additional assistance from the manufacturer when needed. We completely understand the frustration. We in addition to the customer have lost time, productivity and revenues.
The water heater and boiler are separate issues and manufacturers.
WATER HEATER: Originally installed in February of 2011. Replaced under warranty in November of 2013. That's a full 33 months after the original installation. It was a manufacturers defect. The water heater itself was covered under the manufacturers warranty, no miscellaneous parts or labor are covered under this warranty. Link Mechanical Services applied the earlier service repair charge towards the labor and parts required to replace the water heater. This ended up being less than what we would have normally charged. Please note that the leak in the water heater caused the no heat boiler trip on 09/13/13 and 11/26/13. This was not due to a problem with the boiler.
BOILER NOISE: Our technicians were unable to diagnose what was causing the problem. So we requested a factory representative visit the job site. The factory rep determined that the inside of the high efficiency heat exchanger is covered with a thin layer of particulate that was in the heating system. This film on the heat exchanger is causing small bubbles of water to boil off when the boiler reaches operating temperatures of or around 180 degrees. The factory rep indicated that this dirt problem on the high efficiency heat exchangers has come to light in the last year or two and usually only shows up in houses or buildings that have the old style of steel piping and / or cast iron radiators. The Kipnis house does have some steel piping and cast iron radiators. As a temporary fix to reduce the noise coming from the boiler, the factory rep lowered the high operating limit on the boiler from 180 degrees down to 170 degrees.
The factory rep recommended that we do the following to fix the noise problem. 1) Replace the existing air eliminator with a "micro-bubble style air eliminator. 2) Add a cleaning agent to the boiler water that was designed for this specific problem. Let the cleaning agent circulate through the system for at least 3 days, but no longer than 2 weeks. 3) Return and completely flush out the heating system and boiler with fresh water. 4) Fill the boiler and heating system with clean water and add a water additive to help keep the heat exchanger clean and the PH level in the water at proper levels. Link Mechanical notified the customer that there would be NO CHARGE for this work to be done.
Link Mechanical acquired the needed parts and chemicals that the factory rep recommended. We then attempted to schedule a time to do the work. The customer set up an appointment that was at the date of their choosing but cancelled the day before.
PLEASE NOTE: The problem that was diagnosed by the factory rep usually only appears in high efficiency stainless steel heat exchangers that have small water passages when they are installed in older homes that have steel piping and/or cast iron radiators.
The factory rep for ECR is extremely confident that the noise problem will be eliminated with this fix and will not cause any harm to the boiler, its performance or reliability. They also indicated that they are not willing to participate in refunding any monies to the customer at this time, because they feel the noise problem is being caused by the dirty piping of the customers heating system and can be completely rectified with a proper cleaning.
We would like the opportunity to come and do the work recommended by the factory rep and are will make our selves available for any reasonable time request from the customer.
Sincerely
Consumer
Response:
-----Original Message-----
From: [redacted] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2014 8:40 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: You have a New Message from Revdex.com Serving Connecticut Regarding Complaint #[redacted]
In response to [redacted]'s last email, he mistakenly says that the water heater was replace 33 months after the water heater was installed, after the warranty period expired. There is a life time warranty on that equipment...
Recently, it took three calls to [redacted] to discuss the issues raised in the complaint and then he had someone else return the call.
Today a technician came and installed a part on the boiler in an effort to fix the noise coming from the boiler. It did not fix the noise and had led to a new, more annoying noise coming from the boiler.
All this means to me is that the equipment installed at significant expense is not quality and needs to be removed.
Business
Response:
On 04/11/14 we completed the flushing and cleaning of the boiler heat exchanger, radiator system, replaced the control circuit board and did a combustion efficiency and adjustment test on the boiler. There was no charge for this work.
Please see attached copy of warranty invoice.
Thank You.