It may be the middle of winter, but a local man can’t wait to have his new furnace ripped out of his home.
Larry Gadal said the installers performed a hatchet job, even doing damage to his house, when they put the high-efficiency furnace into the home back in mid-October.
And when the first cold snap hit, he soon learned the furnace wasn’t up to the task of heating his home.
Gadal said he and his wife were contacted by Green Planet Home Services initially over the phone, and the company representative ramped up the pressure during a home visit shortly thereafter.
“They called and my wife talked to them, said he represented such and such a company. They came over and we had a little interview,” he said. “I wanted to do some work in the furnace room before they put the new one in, and they wanted to put it in the next morning.”
Gadal actually got two days to work on the furnace room before Green Planet installers arrived on site.
“I just had enough time to get in there and do some drywalling,” he said.
Green Planet installers showed up and rushed through the installation, Gadal added, leaving him unimpressed by their work.
“They did a horrible job. They drilled five holes through the wall before they got it where they wanted it,” he said. “If they didn’t hit the right spot, they’d just move over.”
The furnace vents out the front of Gadal’s home and is located midway up the wall.
“When they left, they didn’t even fill the holes. There was about a two-inch gap beside one of the pipes,” he said. “They came back with a caulking gun.”
As a result, plainly visible on the front of the house is a gap in the home’s vinyl siding. That gap is filled with uneven silicon caulking.
The white PVC venting pipe is already discoloured from the heat.
Gadal isn’t the only one with concerns over the installation.
Dave Cabral of Absolute Comfort in Chatham said an inspection of the installation left him stunned.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. This is the worst I’ve ever seen,” he said, referring to the workmanship and installation. “Nothing was installed to the manufacturer’s specifications. And the home was damaged in a couple of spots.”
Cabral and Absolute Comfort office manager Cindy Brooke contacted the Ontario College of Trades on behalf of Gadal to complain about the workmanship.
He said he was impressed by the quick action by the College of Trades.
“I am amazed at how much they helped us out,” Cabral said. “We called, explaining the problem and an inspector was there that afternoon. These guys are good.”
The Technical Standards Safety Authority (TSSA) then sent someone out who immediately condemned the furnace installation and had Union Gas personnel shut off the gas.
According to documents from the TSSA, the installation was deficient in three areas. The exhaust and intake venting wasn’t installed to the manufacturer’s certified instructions, there was insufficient service clearance, and the venting needed to be supported.
Cabral said his crew made a few adjustments just so Gadal could have his gas turned back on for 30 days until a permanent fix could be made.
That permanent fix is going to be the removal of the furnace, followed by a proper installation of another furnace, one large enough to heat the home.
Cabral said the plan is to “rip everything out, including the wiring, and leave it in his (Gadal’s) garage.”
“Absolute Comfort will put in my new furnace, once I get rid of my old one,” Gadal said.
Green Planet officials did not return phone calls by press time.
Gadal admitted he should have read the fine print in the contract he signed, as the payment plan of $158 a month is in place for the next 15 years. There are allowances in the contract for increases in rental fees of in excess of three per cent per year, as well.
By the end of that contract, Gadal would have paid upwards of $30,000 for the furnace and air conditioner.
And he wouldn’t have owned it.
“We’re just renting it,” he said.
Gadal has stopped payments to Green Planet and wants them to come and get their equipment.
Door-to-door furnace sales have garnered national attention recently, and not for any good reasons. The CTV newsmagazine show W5 opened its season with a report on the process.
CTV’s Kevin Newman called it a “hardcore sell that’s trapping thousands.”
Brooke urged residents to be wary of door-to-door sales efforts, and to ensure installers are qualified to do the work.
“The Ontario College of Trades, you can go on their website to make sure an installer is licensed,” she said.
Nicole Da Silva in Chatham-Kent Essex MPP Rick Nicholls’ office said she’s working on the matter on Gadal’s behalf. And it’s not the only door-to-door furnace issue on her plate.
High-pressure sales teams often target seniors, and she urges people to take the time to think about things before signing any contract.
“The biggest thing that I would say to people who are visited by door-to-door companies is be very, very careful and do your research online,” she said.
“Talk to family, talk to neighbours. Ask for references,” she added. “Do your due diligence and look at it from all aspects.”
Da Silva said the long-term leases on furnaces and air conditioners leave people paying four or five times as much as they should for the equipment and installation.
“The same equipment at your local company would not even cost $6,000,” she said. “But many people can’t afford to pay $6,000 for a new furnace. The monthly payments are very doable, so they are providing a service. But in the long run, it’s best to go local.”
Da Silva said a bill is working its way through the Legislature that will help consumers against high-pressure sales teams.
“The Putting Consumers First Act has only passed second reading and it’s not yet law. It’s supported by all parties,” she said. “Basically it will provide protection when contracts are signed. It’s more of a recourse for consumers, and helps get their complaints handled appropriately.”
