TheKeyToComfort.com

Review: From the very beginning, this company has done work less than standard on my home. I hired them to install a new energy efficitent furnace, central air, and an on demand water heating system, new water lines, and a water softener, none of which a permit from my township was obtained. I was notified by the city inspector that this should have been done prior to installation, and that this company did not have licensed plumbers OR electircians to complete the work properly and the inspector came to my house and also wrote down a list of repairs or things that were missing during installation. I do not trust this company to fix those items. here is the list from inspector:

1. Valve on softener-missing

2. Drain for softener-unapproved material

3.One valve for 2 hose bibs

4.Hose vents on laundry tray

5. MIssing vent for laundry tray

6.Permits not pulled

7. no license for electrical or plumbing for Key to Comfort

Also this letter is from the plumber who did the work, as I was advised by an attorney friend to contract an outside plumber to do repairs. The repairs came to $680 and I am awaiting an estimate for items listed above that need to be repaired

To whom it concerns,

On Friday the 18th of March 2014 I was on site at [redacted]. Too look over the installation of a Ranni Tank less water heater installed by a third party. I was contacted by the homeowner [redacted] with concerns that the venting installation was incorrect and also had water leaking out of the water heater.

Upon arrival I noticed that the vent piping was pitching the wrong direction for the type of vent system they had installed. As I pulled the venting system apart to inspect I found that the intake and exhaust were both ¾ full of water from a combination of condensation and rain water. If the exhaust were to fill up completely it would not allow the exhaust gasses to vent out of the building causing a health hazard and/or possible death from Carbon Dioxide Poisoning. Even in the state I found the vent in with the amount of water in the exhaust there were most likely some gasses not being vented from the building. To correct the problem I had to disassemble the vent system and remove some of the block foundation to correct the pitch of the pipe. Per manufactures Specifications the vent should be pitched so water can run back to the unit and collect in the factory installed condensate collector inside the unit then drain to approved sanitary building drain.

As I removed the pipe and fittings from each other I found that none of the pipe that had been cut during the original installation was deburred or even cut straight, both of which could cause a leak in the venting and again pose the threat of poison gasses backing up into the home. I also discovered that when they had opened up the wall to run the vent outside they simply put a wall flange against the outside wall (common practice) however they never used any method to seal around the pipe to prevent water, pests or vermin from entering the home. The elevation of the penetration is at grade so all of the above listed would have easily happed. They did caulk the pipe to wall joint on the inside of the home. Which really was only for aesthetics not function?

After correcting the pitch on the pipe and removing the burrs left behind from cutting I reinstalled the vent system. I used expanding foam on the inside and the outside of the wall penetration to ensure a good seal from the outside elements as well as pest and vermin. I also added a 45 on the end of the vent to prevent rain/snow from entering the vent and overflowing the condensate system.

A visual inspection of the internal parts of the water heater were in like new condition, nothing seemed to be damaged or malfunctioning do to the water that had passed through the vent system and over ran the condensate ultimately flooding the unit with water.

[redacted] was present the entire time I was on site and took pictures of the findings as we went through this process. [redacted]Desired Settlement: I want to be reimbursed for the $680 charge for the plumber, and the items on inspectors list to be repaired and Key to Comfort to pay for them also, and then I wish to have no further contact with this company. The customer service by the owners have been nothing short of rude, and condescending. If you dont know how to complete a job or are not licensed to do it, you should not be completing this work or attempting to provide this service. Prefer to settle out of court.

Business

Response:

Revdex.com of Wisconsin,

This is our response to the complaint.

We were made aware of a water issue in the area of her water

heater on 9/24/2013.

We responded to the customer call and were unable to determine the cause by the

time the customer granted access to her home.

The next time the homeowner called about water was on Sunday April 13th,

2014 at 7pm. We responded to the call

within two hours. Our technician

witnessed the water issue. We were

denied access to the home to have a supervisor review the situation for two

additional days. When we were allowed back on site to determine what action

needed to take place on the 16th we told the homeowner that based

the availability of the venting from our supplier we would return and we would

let her know what they told us. We

ordered the parts from our supplier on the 17th and expected them to

arrive on the 18th. We

advised the homeowner on the 17th we would be returning to remedy

the issue on the 18th. She

said that it was taken care of and would see us in court.