We are having trouble with our gas heater/air conditioner. One of the zones remains open no matter what temperature it is set at, meaning that it gets very cold compared to the rest of the house. We have been told by the air conditioner manufacturer that it is probably a zone motor/damper problem and therefore we need to call the installer. We were told that the air conditioner/gas heater came with a 5 year warranty, but the installer says that doesn’t apply to the ducting, zone motors etc… which only has a 12 month warranty. The unit was installed less than 3 years ago. We are being told that we must pay a call out fee, minimum 1 hour labour plus the parts. Do we have a case under consumer law to have the part replaced free of charge?
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I cannot answer that since I am not a lawyer, but suggest you collect every claim, including marketing statements, on any document related to your installation and especially any including the word ‘quality’ or similar.
The overview of consumer rights is here. It might be interesting to survey other manufacturers and vendors warranties for similar goods, and their prices, as points of comparison. You might find this and other similar data points useful to establish reasonable expectations that 12 months seems a bit under-done.
If I were you I would send them a ‘letter of demand’ stating your case, why you believe they are in breach, and what you want them to do and by when. Make sure you have written tracks.
I would build a dossier to cc to your state consumer affairs office if your supplier does not respond favourably in the first instance.
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I don’t know if the below is the case but I would assume it is.
If using the unit and one stays open or opens when all others are closed or very restricted that is part of the actual expected operation, it is the vent that opens to avoid too much back pressure. It is automatic and there is always one. If it is getting too cold then it is probably too far from the temp sensor and the AC is running too hard to get the temp at the sensor down.
You can normally change the vent/zone that opens in these circumstances and I would choose the zone in which the sensor is located (most likely it is incorporated into the AC controller).
The indications for this default zone differ but in ours it has a smaller square set in the larger zone square.
Check this out this before spending any money on an AC tech calling out.
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Good points. @sydsim noted it was under 3 years since install, so I presumed it worked well after original install. If it was always cold in the one zone since inception it could well be that setting.
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Or someone has accidently changed the default zone.
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The simplest solution is usually the best.
Otherwise it is broken 
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It really depends on how long one (a resonable person) expects the ducting to last. If you want an indication of how long other installers think the ducting should be trouble free, do some sesrches on line. The quick search I did shows thay some installer offer up to 10 years warranty but this is possibly conditional on the use of the aiconditioning system, including the ducting. If the system is used almost 27/7 and a ‘cheaper’ system was initially installed, then one could expect such a system to have a shorter life and a well maintained, more ‘expensive’ system which was run sporadically.
It may also be worth getting a second opinion on likely life rather thsn the installer you used. You could contact the original manufatcurer/distributer of the ducting components. … or check their website.
Also, if the installation was at fault, most states have defect periods associated with the construction/commercial building industry which from memory are periods for up to 7 years for structural work but less for non-structural work. This may also give an indication of the likely life of the ducting and also installation life. Maybe look at what your state government building and construction authority indicates as this could also be used as a guide.
Hope this helps.
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There’s not much I can add to the advice you have already received above @sydsim. As mentioned, The Australian Consumer Law trumps any warranty claim, so it depends on what is ‘reasonable’. It’s possible that your local fair trading body might be able to give you some guidance on what that means for your particular case, so give them a call. You can also reach out to our CHOICE Help service.
We’d be interested to hear how you go resolving the issue, so please keep in touch.
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Call-out fee is the biggest rort - especially in the context of minimum one hour labour - unless it is an after-hours/emergency call-out. If you live a long way out then it could be reasonable to charge travelling time, but otherwise no.
Personally I’d expect the system accessories to last the life of the system - and the minimum life of the system would be it’s warranty period - 5 years in this case, but could be longer … either way, if an installer hit me with that kind of response I’d do as others above have suggested but on a short fuse, then if no change of heart name and shame and go elsewhere
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Like you, I had a zone motor that wouldn’t close after only a couple of years. I too rang about the 5/10 year warranty only to be told that the ducting system was only warranted for 1 year. I suspected as much from the fine print wording, but it was worth a shot. I went in the roof and had a look at the zone motor, took pictures of the nameplate and was able to get a replacement from a supplier. Being an electrician (and A/C guy) I replaced the zone motor, the only problem was the laying in the ceiling trying to wrap duct tape around the 250mm duct where it joins the zone motor, and reconnecting the wiring. Oh and the heat in the ceiling space. The dud zone motor housing was plastic, the motor was still working, but the spindle was moving in a broken plastic hole. I always thought I could superglue it together if needed, but I have not had any problems with that one or the other two motors in 11 years now. As for the call out fee, when you consider the amount of time the repairman will have to work in the ceiling, the heat and cramped conditions, trying to remove and resecure the ducting, you would be lucky to get away with less than an hour. I’ve also had servicemen resecure loose 16" (400mm) dia ducting, but with me helping on the opposite side of the duct to make it easier (and ensure a good seal) while at the same time ensuring the job gets done faster.
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