Help-Mouse ate my fujitsu split system head aircon electronics

[Learner]

The aircon installer did not fill the hole for piping to head although recommended in installation manual and mouse came through wall cavity into the head unit up the aircon pipes and chewed the electronics and wires inside the head unit.

Now I have huge bill for repairs

Bloody installers ignore manufacturers recommendations and do not seal the hole for piping to head. They can easily put expanding foam in this hole to fill gaps.

The mouse climbs up pipes and eats electronics.

Bloody installers!

[journeyman Mick]

I would write a letter to the installers, pointing out that they did not follow the manufacturer's recomendations for installation which has lead directly to the damage. Ask them to make good the damage and fit vermin proofing as per manufacturer's instructions. Cross your fingers and hope they come good. If they don't you could consider legal action, or at least get a solicitor to write a letter for you ointing out their legal obligations and threatening to pursue legal action to recover your repair and legal costs.

Mick

[Learner]

I would write a letter to the installers, pointing out that they did not follow the manufacturer's recomendations for installation which has lead directly to the damage. Ask them to make good the damage and fit vermin proofing as per manufacturer's instructions. Cross your fingers and hope they come good. If they don't you could consider legal action, or at least get a solicitor to write a letter for you ointing out their legal obligations and threatening to pursue legal action to recover your repair and legal costs.

Mick

The put capping on outside wall to conceal pipes. But mice come through the tiny external air-breathing holes of external wall into internal wall cavity and find their way into tiny gaps left in the hole for head unit pipe entry .

I heard it is standard practice not to fill the tiny gaps left in the hole for entry of pipes to head. They never do this in Australia.

[davo453]

I'd say that you have an insurance claim there (I take it you are insured).

I was a claims assessor and I'd be claiming. I wouldn't immediately acknowledge that you are aware that it wasn't installed exactly as per instructions, if you know what I mean.

But that said I think it may well still be a claim even if you do tell them. As it is clearly damage by vermin which is covered in most policies.

They can only say no you know.

Cheers



Dave

[journeyman Mick]

.............I heard it is standard practice not to fill the tiny gaps left in the hole for entry of pipes to head. They never do this in Australia.

I've always seen it done on jobs that I've worked on.

Mick

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

We've done it both ways. (Yet another of my past occupations. )

The dealership sold units on a "no-installation" basis, but provided the customers with a couple of phone numbers, including ours, as recommended installers.

Our std. fee covered labour and materials for a straight forward installation but if there were "extras" such as colour matched flashing, long pipe runs (ie. extra copper and regassing) and the like there was a corresponding price hike. Our profits were only about $50- per instal, less fuel expenses - divided between the two of us. Don't get me wrong: we worked our buns off to squeeze in a few units each day, so we weren't crying poor.

Even so, there were people who'd accept the quoted fee, then once we were on-site try to grind us down until they were getting all the extras for less than a std. installation. As often as not they succeeded, but in all honesty they only got what they paid for.

Bodgy price = bodgy installation.

Anyone with an ounce of brains should know not to off the installer of their new toy... at least, not until the job is done!

(Hey! Who hit the "reminisce" switch? )

[Smurf]

This is dangerous both to the mouse and the air-conditioner.

The mouse could get an electric shock or eat something toxic. This will severely shorten the life of the mouse.

And the air-conditioner could be eaten, shorted out or otherwise damaged. This will severely shorten the life of the air-conditioner.

I recommend that a mouse not be kept in the air-conditioner for this reason. It's much safe for both if the mouse is kept somewhere else. A cage is a good option.

OK, not a good attempt at humour. Seriously, I do think you have an insurance claim here unless your policy doesn't cover rodent damage.

Failing that I would be writing to the installers mentioning that you are investigating the possibility of a class action against them. Don't elaborate, just mention the possibility of a class action. And don't say that you are doing it, just that you are investigating the possibility. This will scare the you know what out of them if they have even a rough idea what this would involve and odds are they'll just pay the repair bill for you and/or pay you to keep quiet.

As long as you state that you are investigating such options and not that you will actually be doing them, you won't be caught out bluffing if they don't pay up. Worst case you waste an hour or so writing the letter plus 50 cents for postage. Be sure to sign the letter.

All this is assuming that you've approached them in a friendly manner first asking that they pay the cost of repairs. Always try the friendly approach before anything else - works most of the time but not always.

[Learner]

We've done it both ways. (Yet another of my past occupations. )

The dealership sold units on a "no-installation" basis, but provided the customers with a couple of phone numbers, including ours, as recommended installers.

Our std. fee covered labour and materials for a straight forward installation but if there were "extras" such as colour matched flashing, long pipe runs (ie. extra copper and regassing) and the like there was a corresponding price hike. Our profits were only about $50- per instal, less fuel expenses - divided between the two of us. Don't get me wrong: we worked our buns off to squeeze in a few units each day, so we weren't crying poor.

Even so, there were people who'd accept the quoted fee, then once we were on-site try to grind us down until they were getting all the extras for less than a std. installation. As often as not they succeeded, but in all honesty they only got what they paid for.

Bodgy price = bodgy installation.

Anyone with an ounce of brains should know not to off the installer of their new toy... at least, not until the job is done!

(Hey! Who hit the "reminisce" switch? )

i DO NOT LIKE AIR-CON INSTALLERS

[AIRMAN]

The best job I saw was where they had stuffed the penetration with a pair of undies. Not to sure where they came from but I hope they were clean.

But don't get me started on dodgy installs I have seen and have photos of hundreds, some you wouldn't even beleive without the photos.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

i DO NOT LIKE AIR-CON INSTALLERS

I thought I'd replied to this? Another one goes to the great bit-bucket in the sky, it seems.

The gist of my reply was: no aspersions were being thrown in your general direction, Learner. I was simply pointing out that we did things both ways, and gave one reason why.

But as with any trade, there are cowboys who do bodgy jobs 100% of the time.

[Learner]

Aussie aircon installers bad.

Final verdict

[Waldo]

Stick a cat in the cavity.

[journeyman Mick]

Aussie aircon installers bad.

Final verdict

So you've met every air-con installer in Australia in the last two weeeks and observed their work practices have you? Sweeping generalisations like this are no better than "All Americans are loud mouth know it alls" because clearly they're not (and just as clearly, some are). Mick

[Learner]

So you've met every air-con installer in Australia in the last two weeeks and observed their work practices have you? Sweeping generalisations like this are no better than "All Americans are loud mouth know it alls" because clearly they're not (and just as clearly, some are). Mick

No but a system that makes aircon installers apprentices to senior aircon installers who have followed wrong practice for years is clearly flawed.

What use is a compliance certificate when no one takes responsibility including the plumbing authority for dodgy installations and installers avoid precisely following a manufacturers recommendations.

No one covers you with workmanship warranty for hole gap filling.

Real apprenticeship and training is not about joining pipes, but learning about making holes in walls and closing them properly, climbing ladders, removing and replacing roof tiles, capping, leveling units, bolting outdoor units to the floor slab, placing outdoor units in places with sufficient space away from the wall for adequate air intake ventilation from the rear of the unit, making oil traps etc.

If aircon installation training was about joining pipes or vacuuming systems, refrigerant gas etc. I could learn this in just one week in a Tafe.

[journeyman Mick]

No but a system that makes aircon installers apprentices to senior aircon installers who have followed wrong practice for years is clearly flawed...................

Learner, you are making assumptions about the system and all
the people that work in it based on your one experience.

Do you know for a fact that all installers follow the wrong practices and have done so for years?

Like I said earlier, if you can show that the problem was caused by the installers not following the manufacturer's recomendations then they should be liable for repairs. You could/should have followed it up via consumer affairs in your state, or failing that, get a solicitor to write a letter to the company threatening legal action.

I find it extremely offensive that you pronounce that all air con installers in Australia do a bad job when clearly, you have no way of measuring this. Only a narrow bigotted mind passes judgement on an entire group of people based on a single experience with one person in the group. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I'm not an air-con installer.

Mick