SMI MECHANICAL

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Frank warned me that it could be messy but that all the vents would be taped, tarps would be layed on the floor and that his men would clean up as best they could. First of all the removal of the old stuff was amazingly fast. The house was cleaner than they found it. The workers were quiet, respectful, and amazing. The new duct work was put together on the spot. Frank and the other gentlemen explained every step of the way. Came up with a vastly more efficient way to install the new ducts and unit in the attic for ease of any needed maintenance or repair and for efficiency and for providing more storage space for our things. The new compressor was installed in a much safer area of the yard for flood potential. Frank suggested that I look into a new electrical panel as ours was a possible fire hazard. The worker he recommended for this was as efficient as SMI was. The cost was slightly higher than other offers but the pleasant experience and professionalism was well worth the extra. He also gave me websites to do my homework on American Standard air cooling units. Because the work was done in cooler weather, they will return in the summer to check out the equipment again in the heat.

12 AUG REVIEW: About six or seven years ago, SMI Mechanical did a complete install of an HVAC system in my old house, a house built in 1908; one can imagine the extensive work required. While I thought SMI had done a decent job, to this day, I continue to discover problems with the workmanship and quality of that initial HVAC installation. What started at the very beginning and has continued to this day is SMI owner's reluctance to take responsibility for the poor workmanship and lack of internal quality control. The owner also does not fix these initial installation issues without charging additional monies for the repairs -- repairs which should never have been required had the system been properly installed. His excuse: I or someone else who has lived in my home might have tampered with the unit since its initial installation. (Certainly, not true and completely unfounded.) Additionally, as I continue to and quot;stumble uponand quot; issues with the initial installation and workmanship, I continue to have to prove the legitimacy of these discoveries. A good example of this: years ago and days after the initial installation had been completed, the owner did not believe me when I phoned saying I was still having heating issues. (I had been previously told to do this and that with the thermostat and to wait as heating the big house takes time, etc; ultimately, nothing worked.) So, the owner's doubt of my ability to properly work a thermostat or judge room temperature led him to personally come over and inspect the unit. It was clear to me he thought he would not find one thing wrong, yet the moment he removed the cover to the control panel he noted it had been improperly installed -- significantly wrong, like upside down and backwards wrong. While I appreciated his honesty at telling me what he discovered, as a consumer, I found it highly unfortunate (and now extremely aggravating) to have to prove something awry with the quality of the workmanship of that initial installation. Such issues should have been caught and fixed early-on via a thorough quality control inspection performed by SMI Mechanical vice by a consumer who accidentally stumbles upon installation issues. Unfortunately, issues with the quality of that initial workmanship continue. Today, the drainage pipes which move the water away from the A/C unit had to be cut and realigned from the way they had been initially installed as they were not installed in a continuous downward sloping manner. This poor installation led to poor drainage and clogging after a few years; ultimately, the built-in pressure caused leaking at the pipe seams, leading to water build-up on top and inside the heating panel; with the continued presence of water ultimately rusting out the internal heating inducer/control motor. As could be predicted, the owner of SMI Mechanical did not take responsibility, opting instead to respond with excuses, relaying to me that the unit could have been tampered with by someone through the years vice accepting and acknowledging the pipes had never been installed properly! Thus, I have been told that I must pay for the realignment of the pipes and for the replacement of the inducer motor despite the reason that the pipes were incorrectly aligned and caused the motor to rust and stop functioning properly. Adding to this, last week while a plumber was working beside the HVAC system, he pointed out to me that the exhaust pipes which lead away from the HVAC unit and up the chimney had not been properly installed/sealed. The workman from SMI Mechanical confirmed today as true what the plumber had noticed. (With respect to this latest initial installation deficiency, I am still waiting to hear from the owner how he will handle it, but ... I can only imagine.) My question: why didn't anyone from SMI Mechanical ever note these initial installation deficiencies and correct them? SMI Mechanical has been the ONLY company to service and maintain this HVAC system through the years, beginning with its installation. I understand business and I understand the desire of businessmen to point their fingers outward vice inward as pointing inward does not make them money, but this is plain wrong, and has been wrong since the installation occurred years ago. As a homeowner who does NOT install HVAC units, I relied on SMI Mechanical to properly install an HVAC system in my home, then I expected them to stand behind their work, taking pride in its quality and fixing anything which had been improperly done without additional charges or hassles, regardless of the passing of time. To date, outside of that initial control panel being installed upside down and backwards, such has not occurred. Thus, I cannot recommend SMI Mechanical to another homeowner as the company does not take responsibility for the quality of its workmanship nor does the company stand behind it; instead it opts to charge the consumer/customer for its own failings. 16 AUGUST REVIEW: The owner of SMI Mechanical came to my home today and spent a few hours going over the entire HVAC system. He was very disgruntled to see how it had been installed all those years ago. He acknowledged it was done poorly and not to his personal standards. Most significantly, he took full responsibility and promised to repair it, ensuring it was done correctly this time. When I asked how much I would have to pay for the additional work, he replied, and quot;Zero dollarsand quot;. Certainly, I was happy to hear that as I believed that was the absolutely right thing to say. Nonetheless, as the work has yet to be performed, I am leery to change the overall rating of SMI Mechanical any higher than a C. But, should good, quality work be done, and be done at no additional cost to me, then the rating will reflect such accordingly. We agreed to wait to perform the necessary work until after the hurricane season ends as this will be another big job to do. As the saying goes, and quot;better late than never.and quot;

They were fantastic. I would definitely use them again.

They seemed to be reasonable. They just came, did their work, and left. They were good. They were on time, and I did not have any issues with them.

The experience was pretty standard and they were fine.

We ended up getting 5 quotes for the replacement of our HVAC unit. We ended up with 5 because of the inconsistencies in the various proposals. SMI was referred to us through Home Depot home services. The sales guy from SMI was willing to spend the time answering my very detailed technical questions. He was helpful with the decision of the more expensive 15 SEER unit that qualifies for the Federal Tax credit or the less expensive 13 SEER unit. We ended up with the 15 SEER unit. Installation was scheduled immediately. The installers arrived on time. They laid out drop cloths to protect the carpet. So far, so good. The house was built in 1930 so the company's Installation Manager came along to trouble shoot any installation problems created by the old house. There was a problem getting the air handler into the attic. The opening was 3/4" too small. He discussed his proposed solution with me before taking the attic stairs apart. Worked like a charm and no trim was damaged. As expected it took all day to install the unit. When they finished they hauled away the old unit and cleaned up. The only thing left were a couple of dirty hand prints. :) The next day we hit 105 degrees here and they had to send a tech to top off the refrigerant in the system. We had a tech at our door in less than 2 hours after calling. Not bad for a really hot day. Over all I would recommend SMI Mechanical.

Everything went very smoothly. They have been wonderful to work with for the last 8 years. They are very quick and responsive to keeping your units running well and taking care of any mechanical problems ASAP.

The addition of the new supplies and the air valve went smoothly and quickly. Identifying and repairing the multiple flaws in the initial installation by the first company took several visits, mostly to let the soggy insulation dry out so it could be sealed properly. The SMI techs were knowledgeable, professional, and dogged in their pursuit of solutions to the problems caused by the previous improper installation. I now have the reliable system that I should have had the first time, and a reliable company to maintain it.

They have and excellent customer service! They called me all the time to check upon me. They were just the people I needed and that I could trust with this job. S M I Mechanical even gave two free check ups after the job was completed.

SMI Mechanical came on time and knew exactly what to do. They were very professional and courteous. We've used this company for a long time and they've always been responsive and prompt with their service. We have no complaints.

S M I Mechanical was a great company and the unit they installed was perfect. There had not been a problem with it since the installation. Their prices were very reasonable and I would highly recommend this company to anyone.