OK bad pun. I just needed to vent about the headaches I have been dealing with getting a fireplace installed in our new construction. I decided to go with the dealer that the majority of the builders in town use. They are actually 60 miles south of here but don’t charge for delivery and no place here in town carries Heat-N-Glo. I picked a couple models and had them write up an estimate. When I went to place the order the price was a grand more than I was expecting. Turns out the the model I chose is the only one they don’t give the 25% builders discount on and as such shouldn’t have been quoted that way. After much glaring on my part and talking to the manager, they gave me 15% off. I can deal with that.
Fireplace is delivered and I verify that all the ductwork matches the invoice. Then I get a call from the mfg saying that there is a recall on the model I bought because they might explode. They will have a fix for them in the next month. We can set it but for gods sake don’t hook up gas or electrical.
My hvac guy comes to install it and all the ductwork is the wrong diameter. I call them and tell them that they have sent the wrong pipe, I need 8 5/8″ DVD pipe and not the 8″ DVP pipe they sent. I gave them both the pipe model numbers and diameters. Several days later they deliver the new pipe, which is exactly the same as the pipe they shipped the first time. I tell the guy it isn’t going to fit, and of course he looks at me like I am an idiot, but when he checked the actual fireplace, sure enough it takes the bigger pipe (just like the manual says). So he calls the warehouse and after lots of discussion tells me that this must be an old production run since all the new ones use the smaller pipe. But they will deliver the right stuff
Wednesday they were scheduled to deliver the pipe and were supposed to call me on their way in so I be onsite to make sure it was right. No phone call but when I got back to the site after lunch the pipe was there and instead of the four 4′ sections I wanted, they delivered one used rusty 3′ section, two 2′ sections and nine 1′ sections, the roof flashing is still too small and has a busted seam. My HVAC guy is now pi$$ed about having to seal up 12 seams now instead of just 4.
I called the dealer and told them how ticked I was and how this has wasted almost two weeks week and we still don’t have the right parts, not to mention the part about the explosion recall. They offered to order the right parts but what they sent was all they had in stock as the older pipe is discontinued. I told them I wanted the new version of the fireplace with the smaller pipe but they ‘said’ they don’t have any in stock. If we didn’t already have the whole chase framed for this exact fireplace and a mantle started I would have them come get the dam thing and get a different one locally. Then to top it all off, my HVAC guy says he can’t fix the busted flashing so I had to drive 90 miles to their other store to get one so he could finish the install. At least this time I got a manager on the phone and he said he will look into this huge cluster
.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Dennis
Replies
yer wlcom
Well Dennis thats what you get for going down south to get the damn thing!
I'm assuming you went to CR to get it.
Doug
Doug,
Yep. I am sure you know trhe place up in Hiawatha on.
Dennis
Are you a HO or a contractor? (I suspect the former) and I don't mean to rap you on the head, but this is one of the hazards of trying to spec your own mat'ls.
The Sub who installs FP's, ranges, BBQ's, etc.for me, keeps abreast of these kind of issues and saves me a lot of headaches.
Just a bit of advice: In the future, get your installers involved prior to equipment purchases; oft times, they can source the stuff, and if not save you money, at least they inherit the headaches and the warrantee.
But I wish you well. As a G/C, this kind of crap can give me some sleepless nights at times.
Wormdrive,
Yes I am an O/B. My HVAC sub doesn't sell fireplaces, they just install them. He did spec out everything he needed including the pipe, fireblocks, etc. He just assumed (as I did) that they would send the right style/size pipe for the unit. This place has a good reputation. They supplied 90% of the parade homes last year.
Ah well live and learn.
Regards,
Dennis
They supplied 90% of the parade homes last year.
just a dise note ... that's absolutely meaningless.
just measn they cut their prices so people would think they have a good reputation!
Most "parade of homes" is a parade of poor quality, from those I've seen.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA