NORTHWEST HEATING

unknown

I received many bids on this job and I actually chose this company because they were willing to relocated the furnace unit to where my old oil tank was sitting in the corner of the basement. This was not the highest nor even close to the lowest bid I received. The ladies in the front office were always excellent to work with and quick to respond to any questions. I actually thought this job was going to go very smoothly at first. The first day of demolition was the tip off that things were not going to go well. I had removed almost everything I could from the basement and put it outside in the driveway...including everything from the garage that would be in the way. The one item I left agaisnt the wall behind some main water pipes was a solid wood door with a etched glass window and original 1900's crystal door knobs. The door is extremely heavy and difficult for me as a disabled person to lift. I thought for sure it would be safe right where it was at. Later in the day, after they left I discovered while cleaning up the mess they left that the glass had been broken out of the door. Not only did they break the glass, but they didn't bother to tell me they did it nor did the clean up the broken glass. I discovered that by cutting myself on a shard of glass before seeing the rest of it conveniently hidden behind the door. The next day I confronted one of the workman about the broken door...he said, and quot;On yeah, we did that,sorryand quot;. The next day was worse, I came down mid afternoon to check on the progress and discovered ...I had a lake in my basement that was never there before. I was livid. The leak was coming from my water main shut off. There had never been a leak there ever...and it wasn't an old shut off...I had all the water shut offs replace two years before with all new fittings and handles. This damaged was caused by my main foreman on the job standing on it to put the new duct work in. He denied any responsibility which frankly made me furious. I had to call the city water dept to come out right then and shut the water off at the street while it was repaired. It still leaked off and on for days and even after a year, you don't dare touch it or it still will leak at little. On the third day they did take the door and say they were having it repaired. I never saw the door again. The final day of installation the foreman demanded payment before he left. The job was not finished, the oil tank was still in my yard, there was mess to clean up and it was 5:00 pm. I had made it crystal clear that I was not paying the balance owed until the job was completely done. I had been burned twice before on large jobs that we never completed when I paid the balance early. The foreman, got very ugly with me and demanded payment right then and said , he was not leaving until he had that check in his hand. I felt violated by his strong armed tactics. It was very unprofessional and unnecessary. Everyone on this job knew that this installation was a gift from someone and that I had to leave and go pick up the check with no notice from the person who was paying the bill. This was extremely embarrassing. The job did eventually get finished and some of the repairing/filling of the holes in my concrete foundation was sloppy and unsightly. Even there person who comes out and troubleshoots problems took pictures and agreed that the work was not done properly. I made several calls over the next year about the whereabouts of my door...but always got an excuse of we will get back to you. Finally, this spring when they called to schedule the regular maintenance check...I asked about the door again. They told me then that they had lost it. There was never an offer of compensation for that door...which is not cheap. The day came for the regular maintenance to be done. The repairman called two hours late and said he was held up. He said, he was picking up my door and would be on his way soon. I was a little shocked when he said he was picking up my door. He never arrived. I was annoyed they wasted my entire day stuck at home waiting but thought perhaps a truck broke down so I came them a few days to call. On the following Monday called and left a message to call me to re-schedule. The next day, I had a call from them that showed on my caller ID but they hung up on the second ring. I tried to call back and the number sounded like it was disconnected. This job in the end actually cost 13,000 cash, because an upgrade in electrical had to be done to support the new equipment. That is a lot of money to a widow on a fixed income. I feel I was cheated and take advantage of and did not get the service I paid for. The door if lost should have been covered by their insurance. They are not even honoring their service contract now.

Northwest Heating dealt with our Homeowners Warranty provider to get them to pay for the replacement. They were professional and quick. They ordered the furnace one day and they were replacing it the next.

John did a great job diagnosing and fixing my AC. Despite van problems, he showed up, was very professional, and knowledgeable.