Purchased a new split system air conditioner which failed within the 1st week.
Supplier refused to call warranty until after I had called on the installer for him to check his work. He came back twice in total. As it failed within a week again. He came back and went over everything to ensure it was not installer error. It failed again in under two weeks. One of those weeks was cooler and raining so the unit wasn’t used for a week.
Called supplier who then called warranty. Warranty guy came out and from the start went to great lengths to convince me 9 out of 10 problems are due to installer error.
More details below, however the call from the warranty agent was that it was not covered by warranty as it was a failure due to contamination; due to regasing with contaminated gas. However they could not offer any explanation how that would explain the unit failing with in a week of installation, as the new unit comes gassed and no gassing occurred at the time of installation? Also refused to provide anything in writing. Only phoned me to tell me it was not warranty and why.
On the day the warranty guy stated that he could not know if it was due to contamination without testing. Yet the State manufacture finally did email me to state that their opinion was that it failed due to contamination.
On the day the warranty guy stated that the gas pressure was good. Yet also in the email from the State manager, he stated that the gas pressure was not correct for that model?
Originally the warranty guy upon questioning tried to get me to agree to pay for the gas to be tested for contamination? After I questioned him how he could be sure it was contamination? (No gassing with a new unit) He just said it was his 30 years of experience? Yet he stated on the day that he could not know without testing?
In all, the manufacturer did many backflips in response to my questioning their story and position that it was not warranty. 1st they were firm over the phone that it was not warranty due to installer error. 2nd they said it still is not warranty but that they will send the guy out to make it right as a good faith gesture??? I asked them to put in writing just what they intended to do. 3rd time they said they would now replace the air conditioner but still claimed installer error.
Then when they send around one young guy to perform the unit replacement, he leaves stating everything is good. Yet the replaced unit is not level and is quite wobbly and loose on the wall.
I inform the warranty and manufacturer and am told that the young guy will be back the next day to fix it. He comes and leaves again with the unit still not level, still loose and wobbly. After informing my fiancé’ that that is as good as it can get. Yet the original installer had it firmly on the wall and level.
The State manage is now intending to come out next week with one of their specilists to provide an opinion? I have been advised by an industry insider that who ever comes out to inspect should be independent of the manufacturer and warranty people. Am also told that the only way to check everything is to degas the whole unit and remove it from the wall to check the brackets etc… This insider expressed a concern that one single guy performing a removal and re-install alone, runs a high risk of doing damage to the wall bracket. Stating that an extra pair of hands is need to lift the unit off and on the brackets properly.
Where to go from here? Disability pensioner with limited funds otherwise we would demand a refund and change to a different brand. However a lack of funds go up to a different brand and pay for another installation limits our choices.
