My furnace and A/C were replaced by another large dealer in the winter, when it's not possible to safely check the A/C coolant charge due to the cold weather and risk of causing damage to the outdoor unit. I was told by that company that the system comes pre-charged and there's no need to check the charge in the spring.
I called Richard and he disagreed, saying it's an important part of the initial installation. I asked Richard and Eric to come and check the system when the weather got warmer, and sure enough they found the system to be lacking charge, an issue which they easily corrected. He also found that the original installing contractor likely worked on the copper without adequately cooling surrounding valves / components, which resulted in one valve leaking coolant. Luckily he was able to correct this as well.
Moral of the story, hire someone like Richard who cares about and knows what he's doing. I didn't understand this before, but the quality of the installation is just about as important as, if not more so, than the actual equipment that's installed.
Some backstory:
My furnace failed and I called various dealers in a panic trying to get it replaced as soon as possible. I found another highly rated company who agreed to replace the unit the same day, and I never got around to calling Richard of Core Temp to get his quote.
I ultimately had my furnace and A/C replaced, but began to suspect that perhaps things weren't installed as they should be. I called Richard and he was more than happy to discuss the situation with me. Not only did he confirm that my suspicions were correct, but he pointed out several other issues I wasn't informed enough about to notice.
Suffice it to say that some of the errors could be described as amateurish. Homeowners don't consider this, but many companies subcontract their installations, and problems like mine ensue. To the best of my knowledge, Richard does not subcontract his jobs and that's why his installations are of a higher standard.
I won't mention the name of the installing company simply because they ultimately made the situation right and corrected their mistakes. I'll just say that it's funny that one has to call someone like Richard to verify the work of others and learn just how poor installations by other companies can be. I bet there are customers of this other company that had their equipment installed and have no idea it was done incorrectly.
Richard was patient and thorough when I spoke to him on several occasions. I can't believe he was willing to be bothered even though he had nothing to gain. Simply, Richard is a highly ethical, pleasant, kind hearted and technically skilled person. I'll be seeking his help in the future should my equipment need servicing.
When you're spending thousands of dollars and making decisions you have to live with for the life of the equipment, say circa 20 years, do yourself a favour and call someone who knows what they're doing. Call Richard.
Thanks again Richard!
