I recently had my A/C unit replaced in the attic. The unit was about 20
years old and the pan was in bad shape. When the repair company
initially replaced it they didn't replace the pan for some reason.
Later they came back to replace the pan but apparently put in one that
was too small, which caused water to leak out. There are visible water
marks on the ceiling in one room.

They have admitted that it was their mistake and have offered to fix it
for free. Obviously, I no longer trust these guys so I tried to get my
home warranty company to send out another company to assess and fix the
damage but they don't cover secondary damages due to attempted repairs
to the initial problem. Should I bother having another company come out
and assess/fix the damage at my own expense? Is this an expensive
problem to fix? Is this a difficult thing to fix (i.e. is it in their
obviously limited scope of abilities)?

Any advice general or specific is welcome.

Thanks,
Dave

On 26 Sep 2006 08:55:00 -0700, "headware"
wrote:

I recently had my A/C unit replaced in the attic. The unit was about 20
years old and the pan was in bad shape. When the repair company
initially replaced it they didn't replace the pan for some reason.
Later they came back to replace the pan but apparently put in one that
was too small, which caused water to leak out. There are visible water
marks on the ceiling in one room.

They have admitted that it was their mistake and have offered to fix it
for free. Obviously, I no longer trust these guys so I tried to get my
home warranty company to send out another company to assess and fix the
damage but they don't cover secondary damages due to attempted repairs
to the initial problem. Should I bother having another company come out
and assess/fix the damage at my own expense? Is this an expensive
problem to fix? Is this a difficult thing to fix (i.e. is it in their
obviously limited scope of abilities)?

Any advice general or specific is welcome.

Thanks,
Dave

In contract law, when there is a breach, the party at fault is
usually given the opportunity to repair the damage.

My opinion is that you have given up your rights by refusing them
access.

DK writes:

In contract law, when there is a breach, the party at fault is
usually given the opportunity to repair the damage.

The opportunity in this case would be to find somebody else that is
competent. The first goons were obviously chimpanzees.

Well I have refused them access yet. They said to call back when the
water stain has dried. I really just wanted to know whether or not
someone who can't be trusted to change out an A/C pan should be trusted
to assess and fix water damage. Or if it is worth fitting the bill
myself for another company to do it (based on price and difficulty of
the job).

Dave

DK wrote:
On 26 Sep 2006 08:55:00 -0700, "headware"
wrote:

I recently had my A/C unit replaced in the attic. The unit was about 20
years old and the pan was in bad shape. When the repair company
initially replaced it they didn't replace the pan for some reason.
Later they came back to replace the pan but apparently put in one that
was too small, which caused water to leak out. There are visible water
marks on the ceiling in one room.

They have admitted that it was their mistake and have offered to fix it
for free. Obviously, I no longer trust these guys so I tried to get my
home warranty company to send out another company to assess and fix the
damage but they don't cover secondary damages due to attempted repairs
to the initial problem. Should I bother having another company come out
and assess/fix the damage at my own expense? Is this an expensive
problem to fix? Is this a difficult thing to fix (i.e. is it in their
obviously limited scope of abilities)?

Any advice general or specific is welcome.

Thanks,
Dave

In contract law, when there is a breach, the party at fault is
usually given the opportunity to repair the damage.

My opinion is that you have given up your rights by refusing them
access.

On Tue, 26 Sep 2006 13:17:21 -0500, DK wrote:

On 26 Sep 2006 08:55:00 -0700, "headware"
wrote:

I recently had my A/C unit replaced in the attic. The unit was about 20
years old and the pan was in bad shape. When the repair company
initially replaced it they didn't replace the pan for some reason.
Later they came back to replace the pan but apparently put in one that
was too small, which caused water to leak out. There are visible water
marks on the ceiling in one room.

They have admitted that it was their mistake and have offered to fix it
for free. Obviously, I no longer trust these guys so I tried to get my
home warranty company to send out another company to assess and fix the
damage but they don't cover secondary damages due to attempted repairs
to the initial problem. Should I bother having another company come out
and assess/fix the damage at my own expense? Is this an expensive
problem to fix? Is this a difficult thing to fix (i.e. is it in their
obviously limited scope of abilities)?

Any advice general or specific is welcome.

Thanks,
Dave

In contract law, when there is a breach, the party at fault is
usually given the opportunity to repair the damage.

My opinion is that you have given up your rights by refusing them
access.

His story doesn't say that he told them no, never. He may have just
said, I"ll call you back. Even if he did say, No, I'll go somewhere
else, he can call back as if he never said that, or b) if necessary,
pretend he never said that, b) they'll probably want the chance to fix
it and repair the bad feelings between them and him; they may not even
remember what the OP said, c) even if they say, But you said you
didn't want us to, the OP can say, and I'll bet it is true, "I was
angry then, and I'm not anymore....."

It's almost always possible to reach an accord, and hopefully
satisfaction, that's fair, if both parties want that.

I can't see it from here, but I'd think a water stain could be
painted over safely and not have any long term effect for the life of
the house. Painting the stain once and then coming back and painting
the entire ceiling to match would suffice in most cases. But like I
said, I can't see it from here.

But let's talk about the leak. In my attic, the only pan visible is
the emergency overflow pan. In order for that pan to catch water
there is a normal condensate line that has to stop up. Then the
overflow pan has an emergency drain on it that drips out the eave in
front of a window. If the pan is the right size then two major
failures have to occur to get leakage on the ceiling.

I suspect major screw-ups during the install other than just the size
of the pan. I suspect they didn't clean out the condensate line and
no telling what else. Have you checked all your duct joints?

I think I'd tell them that I'd paint my own ceiling if they would
agree to put me in a free warning system that shuts off the AC when
the emergency pan catches water as part of their penalty for screwing
up.





On 26 Sep 2006 13:10:51 -0700, "headware"
wrote:

Well I have refused them access yet. They said to call back when the
water stain has dried. I really just wanted to know whether or not
someone who can't be trusted to change out an A/C pan should be trusted
to assess and fix water damage. Or if it is worth fitting the bill
myself for another company to do it (based on price and difficulty of
the job).

Dave

DK wrote:
On 26 Sep 2006 08:55:00 -0700, "headware"
wrote:

I recently had my A/C unit replaced in the attic. The unit was about 20
years old and the pan was in bad shape. When the repair company
initially replaced it they didn't replace the pan for some reason.
Later they came back to replace the pan but apparently put in one that
was too small, which caused water to leak out. There are visible water
marks on the ceiling in one room.

They have admitted that it was their mistake and have offered to fix it
for free. Obviously, I no longer trust these guys so I tried to get my
home warranty company to send out another company to assess and fix the
damage but they don't cover secondary damages due to attempted repairs
to the initial problem. Should I bother having another company come out
and assess/fix the damage at my own expense? Is this an expensive
problem to fix? Is this a difficult thing to fix (i.e. is it in their
obviously limited scope of abilities)?

Any advice general or specific is welcome.

Thanks,
Dave

In contract law, when there is a breach, the party at fault is
usually given the opportunity to repair the damage.

My opinion is that you have given up your rights by refusing them
access.

On 26 Sep 2006 13:10:51 -0700, "headware"
wrote:

Well I have refused them access yet. They said to call back when the
water stain has dried. I really just wanted to know whether or not
someone who can't be trusted to change out an A/C pan should be trusted
to assess and fix water damage.

I thought they were just volunteering to come back and replace the pan
right. And maybe pay for someone to paint your ceiling.

That's was what I thought when I posted yesterday, further down the
thread. I think I would let them put the pan in, and I would go look
to see if it was big enough -- really, it doesn't let them off the
hook but for your own benefit, you should have gone up and looked at
their work each evening, or earlier if you were home when they were
working -- but not let them paint. That's not their specialty, and I
can hardly believe they plan for their own employees to do it.

Are you sure they even offered to fix that part, the paint?
Maybe they plan to hire a guy or a company that does specialize in
plaster and paint. If so, if you talk to him directly, maybe he can
convince you he'll do the job right.

If there is no visible plaster damage, and it is latex paint, and you
know the color, you can just paint the bad stuff and won't see where
it joins.

I like DK"s suggestion. If not that, I'd want to see first hand that
the drain is clear and there is that method for overlowing through the
eaves.

Or if it is worth fitting the bill
myself for another company to do it (based on price and difficulty of
the job).

Dave

DK wrote:
On 26 Sep 2006 08:55:00 -0700, "headware"
wrote:

I recently had my A/C unit replaced in the attic. The unit was about 20
years old and the pan was in bad shape. When the repair company
initially replaced it they didn't replace the pan for some reason.
Later they came back to replace the pan but apparently put in one that
was too small, which caused water to leak out. There are visible water
marks on the ceiling in one room.

They have admitted that it was their mistake and have offered to fix it
for free. Obviously, I no longer trust these guys so I tried to get my
home warranty company to send out another company to assess and fix the
damage but they don't cover secondary damages due to attempted repairs
to the initial problem. Should I bother having another company come out
and assess/fix the damage at my own expense? Is this an expensive
problem to fix? Is this a difficult thing to fix (i.e. is it in their
obviously limited scope of abilities)?

Any advice general or specific is welcome.

Thanks,
Dave

In contract law, when there is a breach, the party at fault is
usually given the opportunity to repair the damage.

My opinion is that you have given up your rights by refusing them
access.

mm wrote:
On 26 Sep 2006 13:10:51 -0700, "headware"
wrote:

Well I have refused them access yet. They said to call back when the
water stain has dried. I really just wanted to know whether or not
someone who can't be trusted to change out an A/C pan should be trusted
to assess and fix water damage.

I thought they were just volunteering to come back and replace the pan
right. And maybe pay for someone to paint your ceiling.

That's was what I thought when I posted yesterday, further down the
thread. I think I would let them put the pan in, and I would go look
to see if it was big enough -- really, it doesn't let them off the
hook but for your own benefit, you should have gone up and looked at
their work each evening, or earlier if you were home when they were
working -- but not let them paint. That's not their specialty, and I
can hardly believe they plan for their own employees to do it.

Are you sure they even offered to fix that part, the paint?
Maybe they plan to hire a guy or a company that does specialize in
plaster and paint. If so, if you talk to him directly, maybe he can
convince you he'll do the job right.

If there is no visible plaster damage, and it is latex paint, and you
know the color, you can just paint the bad stuff and won't see where
it joins.

I like DK"s suggestion. If not that, I'd want to see first hand that
the drain is clear and there is that method for overlowing through the
eaves.

Or if it is worth fitting the bill
myself for another company to do it (based on price and difficulty of
the job).

Dave

DK wrote:
On 26 Sep 2006 08:55:00 -0700, "headware"
wrote:

I recently had my A/C unit replaced in the attic. The unit was about 20
years old and the pan was in bad shape. When the repair company
initially replaced it they didn't replace the pan for some reason.
Later they came back to replace the pan but apparently put in one that
was too small, which caused water to leak out. There are visible water
marks on the ceiling in one room.

They have admitted that it was their mistake and have offered to fix it
for free. Obviously, I no longer trust these guys so I tried to get my
home warranty company to send out another company to assess and fix the
damage but they don't cover secondary damages due to attempted repairs
to the initial problem. Should I bother having another company come out
and assess/fix the damage at my own expense? Is this an expensive
problem to fix? Is this a difficult thing to fix (i.e. is it in their
obviously limited scope of abilities)?

Any advice general or specific is welcome.

Thanks,
Dave

In contract law, when there is a breach, the party at fault is
usually given the opportunity to repair the damage.

My opinion is that you have given up your rights by refusing them
access.

Sorry, I meant to type "I haven't refused them access yet". I'm not
sure exactly what they plan on doing because I wasn't there when this
all happened and I haven't spoken to them yet (the ceiling isn't dry).
I don't think they'll be painting because I don't have paint on my
ceilings, I have popcorn. I'm not even sure what is damaged and how
badly. I looked up there but not knowing anything about A/C's or
ceilings, I can't tell what's damaged. There is a lot of junk strewn
around from when they were working. I can't see any water damage from
the attic but I would assume it's hidden by the fiberglass.

I think I'll probably hire another A/C guy to come out and look at the
system to make sure nothing else is screwed up. With all the problems
I've had with these guys I can't believe they're still in business.

Thanks,
Dave