That landlord tried to blame my AC install for his 20-year old ductwork failing

Three years ago I put a new 3-ton unit in a rental house near Austin. Landlord called me back last month screaming that the coils froze up and I messed up the install. I drove 45 minutes out there, checked everything, pressures were perfect. Turns out his flex duct was crushed in the attic and had a 4-inch tear from a rat. I charged him $150 for the service call just to prove a point. Has anyone else had homeowners blame new equipment for old system problems?

2 comments

2 Comments

paul1176d ago

Yeah but you gotta cut him a little slack on the terminology though. A 3-ton unit pulling air through crushed flex duct is gonna struggle no matter what, but the real issue was the ductwork being shot long before you showed up. Rat damage and crushed ducts are definitely not your fault, but I bet his mind went straight to the new equipment because that's what changed.

the_kim6d ago

3 tons is 36,000 BTUs actually... not 36,001.