HVAC disaster - advice needed!

[Kimberly Carver]

Hi all -

We have been landlords for 5 years with very few issues. Everything that has come up we have been able to fix within a day. We take great pride in our homes. I am sick to my stomach with an issue we have been having.

Well maintained and recently updated single family home we have owned since 2007.

New tenant moved in June 1.

Central Ac crapped out June 5.

Tenant informed us on a Saturday evening that the temp was not keeping up. We offered to bring over ac window units immediately and said we need would have someone Monday. Tenant declined window units.

Our usual guy could not come Sunday. At that point it was 2 degree mis match. Air continued to get further from temp. Monday came and, this was the first hot hot hot weekend, the guy want had planned to look at it got back up. Of note, he would not have been able to replace, just diagnose.

Monday we make nonstop calls- no one could come, most places wouldn’t even call back, the soonest appointment we could get was a week away.

Finally one company says they can come right now (at this point it is 7pm) for the service call. I go to the house and meet them there. They say new unit needed, they can do it tomorrow. Unit was old, I was not surprised and did not have the time for a second opinion. Price was in the ballpark of what I expected, and it was 85 degrees in the house. I sign contract and give 4K deposit. They say they will be over at 1 the next day and it will take 4 hours. The man made some strange comments but he seemed more like a grandpa who didn’t know what was appropriate and I let it roll off my shoulders

They come at 130 the next day. My husband meets therm there, offers to stay but tenant says ok to go. At 6pm I get a text from the tenant saying she feels uncomfortable and asks if we can come over. I call the guys and ask how much longer, they say an hour. I go over and sit with her. The guys are outside smoking cigarettes. Tenant tells me he said “I know you must have been so hot last night, I almost came back to see if you wanted to come to my house”... I understand why she felt weird, I felt uncomfortable ins them as well. After an hour, I ask how much longer, the guy says “why are you so pushy”. At this point it is 730pm. At 8 my husband swaps with me and stays with the tenant the installation was done. They finished at 1130pm!!!!!!!!!!!! Install was June 8. Mechanic text messages tenant the following day “how are you feeling? Is ac working ok?”. Tenant responds to only contact landlord.

June 20 tenant states Ac is not keeping up with the temperate. Another super hot weekend. Ac was on 67, getting to 74, and at one point 76. I did not feel comfortable calling back the same company. It’s Saturday afternoon. I get an AC guy we know and work with (would have asked to do the install June 8 but he was on his honeymoon!) and he comes 9am Sunday morning. Thought it was that some Freon was lost in the line, adds a pound of Freon. All is well.

Today, around noon I get a message with a photo of the thermostat- it reads 76, set to 68. I offer window ac and I call our guy and wait for him to respond. By the time I hear from him it’s 80 in the house. He can come tomorrow 8am. Asks to turn it off 2 hours then turn back on. She does it. As that’s happening I tell her she can go buy whatever stand up fan she wants and we will pay for it. (Ps All rooms have ceiling fans and there is a finished basement with half bath). She turns it back on 2 hours later- says no air is coming out, the air handler is not moving. Sends photo of breakers, no tripped breaker. She says she is nauseous from the heat. I ask if she wants to stay in a hotel tonight, she said not tonight but if this persists she will need another place to stay.

ANY AND ALL ADVICE IS WELCOME.