Last summer, a significant issue occurred in the air conditioning industry. It appeared initially to be a problem with thermal expansion valves and, then, after further review, was traced to a problem with the rust inhibitor used during the manufacturing of compressors. My purpose is not to argue the issues as much to address the real cause of the problem. How do we, as contractors, handle an issue such as this? It’s important we know and understand how to handle a problem that is more significant than our normal warranty responsibility.
This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time, there has been such an occurrence. Through the years, I’ve seen many such issues, and most were more far-reaching. A couple that come to mind are gas air conditioning units and the first 85 percent efficiency furnaces. As manufacturers attempt to stretch the envelope and find a “better mousetrap,” in many cases, their innovation turns out to be a major industry problem. Again, the issue for us, as contractors, is how we handle the problem.