Hello! We are having an issue with our minisplits, that are currently being installed. There have now been three kinks in the minisplit lines. Our original, licensed GC ran lines to two rooms but did not install any units and otherwise did not otherwise work on the minisplits. He unfortunately to deal with an injury he sustained at another job site and left the project. We hired a new GC and HVAC company to complete the bulk of the work. New GC blamed the original contractor for the kinked lines. So far he has found three kinks and we have to pay each time he drains the lines and repairs a kink. Should he have had a better process to identify the kinks instead of fixing them and pressurizing one at a time and charging us separately for each repair? He did not look for other kinks after finding the first or second. The floor boards in the attic under which lines were run were open to him and the two lines with all the problems were very accessible until today. One kink was ten inches from another kink.
After this last time, I asked him why he doesn’t/didn’t replace the line because there could still be more kinks (not realizing that he didn’t do any investigatory work prior to repairing the first two. Now he says he can’t replace because the GC just installed flooring in the attic today making it much much more difficult to access the line. Should GC and his HVAC installer have communicated better and perhaps not installed flooring until they knew the problem was resolved? The GC keeps throwing the old contractor under bus and charging us for “unanticipated” problems from the original contractor’s work which I think should have been visible to him before starting the project because the walls and underneath the floors were completely open. Should they have even used the lines after they claimed to have so many problems with the previous contractor’s work? They haven’t even tested the units. Just now, we experienced an extremely loud vibrating noise (like a powerdrill or saw) at the distribution box even though no units are on.
I have been the one to test the units after they leave and identified the hissing sound, which they later confirm is a kink. Should the HVAC installer be testing the minisplits and confirming they all work? His plan tomorrow is to cut out the small kink and pressurize (and charge us) again. Thank you for any advice you have. Are they addressing how you would address or is there a better solution?
After this last time, I asked him why he doesn’t/didn’t replace the line because there could still be more kinks (not realizing that he didn’t do any investigatory work prior to repairing the first two. Now he says he can’t replace because the GC just installed flooring in the attic today making it much much more difficult to access the line. Should GC and his HVAC installer have communicated better and perhaps not installed flooring until they knew the problem was resolved? The GC keeps throwing the old contractor under bus and charging us for “unanticipated” problems from the original contractor’s work which I think should have been visible to him before starting the project because the walls and underneath the floors were completely open. Should they have even used the lines after they claimed to have so many problems with the previous contractor’s work? They haven’t even tested the units. Just now, we experienced an extremely loud vibrating noise (like a powerdrill or saw) at the distribution box even though no units are on.
I have been the one to test the units after they leave and identified the hissing sound, which they later confirm is a kink. Should the HVAC installer be testing the minisplits and confirming they all work? His plan tomorrow is to cut out the small kink and pressurize (and charge us) again. Thank you for any advice you have. Are they addressing how you would address or is there a better solution?
