I wouldn't use this company again nor would I recommend it! Aaron was out and installed a solar pool heating system. The product itself is great however the installation was a botch job. I also posted a similar review elsewhere online where Aaron responded stating that I was insulting and rude and difficult to deal with. This is simply a complete fabrication. While Aaron was at my residence I warmed his lunch for him, let him in to use the rest room, offered water and was very courteous. This does not make me difficult. I was very clear I was unhappy with his work and he took that as an insult. He claims i didn't tell him that I wasn't happy when the fact is that I sent him an email 2 hours after he left and I had a chance to inspect the work. Just another fabrication by Aaron to save his reputation. The only person who was rude and insulting WAS AARON when I suggested I wasn't happy The fact that Aaron is not happy that I complained does not make me difficult, rude or insulting, it simply makes me an unhappy customer. His fabricated response about my behavior merely his defense mechanism to my complaint and speaks directly to the entire issue of his lack of customer service. He continues to state that this is not an eye sore; I would expect him to say nothing else. He won't agree because he doesn't want to fix it. I'm the customer my thoughts should matter but, not to this guy. He also fabricates the fact that he had the parts. Those parts weren't ordered until the second visit. His response is pure self preservation. Aaron had limited space to work in which he was aware of based on a prior visit. He had difficulty making the plumbing fit with the existing fittings. Instead of replacing the fittings Aaron first suggested denting my filter housing to make his "work around" work. I said no. He was able to fit it all in the end but not before cutting the handle off the new valve and putting the valve on an awkward angle that looks terrible. He ran all the piping directly over my salt cell making it difficult to access. The entire system is under so much tension that it started to leak at the heater and the valve. I send pictures of both. At this time he agreed that the tension could be the problem and ordered the new fittings to rework the plumbing. The solar system was hooked into an existing pentair panel. Aaron had to unhook another existing function on the pool to make the solar work, but in doing this he had no idea how to reconnect what he had disconnected, having limited knowledge of the equipment. He suggested I contact pentair to sort it out. This was a little off putting as I thought thats what I was paying for. I had to sort that issue out on my own in the end. I also explained that I was not happy that the handle on the valve was cut off. He suggested that this handle was purely aesthetic. This is up for debate as my pool company suggests it is for manual operation in the case the actuator fails completely. Regardless, I had to pay for this valve and did not expect him to damage it to install it. Aaron did come out for the leak but by that time the leak had stopped, I suspect by the hot weather a some expansion. He did nothing about the handle, or reworking the plumbing even though he was aware there was a leak and there was tension on the system. I tried to explain that I wasn’t happy with the plumbing or the damaged valve handle. He explained that I had no Idea what I was talking about, suggested i was slinging insults because I called his work into question suggesting he cut corners to save money & time by not just adding the new fittings and doing the plumbing properly in area where there is plenty of room & relieving the tension on the system. He also refused to replace the handle on the valve that I paid for via his install continuously stating it aesthetic only no even acknowledging the fact that he damaged what I paid for. After some bantering emails back and forth and knowing how unhappy I was about the system pluming, the comment that threw me the most was, and I quote directly from an email “You paid for a functional solar pool heater that works. I cut no corners. I made it fit in a tight situation. At no point during our contract did I say I was going to replace fittings at the heater or the filter.” This statement to me says it all. One would use common sense and realize that fittings may have to be replaced as existing ones are glued. I had to explain that the contract didn’t state I would receive damaged parts, and that he would make the system fit no matter how messy of a job it is either. I have attached a photo of the work. You see that there are pipes touching equipment. A pipe resting on a manual value handle, & the difficultly to access the salt cell now. Aaron offered to send a new handle but it won't fit as the auto valve is touching another pipe hence the reason he broke the first one off. Now a nightmare to service anything. He claims he ordered the parts so not why he didn't use them and just do the job properly. Anyone who even suggests damaging equipment, existing or new so he can complete his job cheaper is not a good contractor in my books If you paid 5k for something in your home would it matter to you how it looks? I suspect most would have an expectation of quality of work beyond just functionality. Bottom line, these systems are expensive and if your looking for good clean work, without a hassle I would look somewhere else. Terrible customer service, zero pride in workmanship.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $5,000.00
- Company Response
It's unfortunate that Jay feels this way. He claims it was a complete botch job, yet says that it's working fine. Also, when we left the jobsite initially after the job was completed he never mentioned he was unsatisfied with how the system appears. He is correct that we made a second visit to the site to examine the leak he told us was happening. At which time we found no leaks either around his pump, filter, heater nor on the roof. We also tightened the fittings on the filter and heater and checked the o-ring on the valve. There were also no air bubbles coming out of his jet. Most importantly about my interaction with Jay is that I told him on multiple occasions that we would fix the plumbing if it starts to leak in the future. He accused us of cutting corners because we didn't want to pay for the plumbing parts, however, I had already purchased the parts and they are sitting in the van. He became very unreasonable because we didn't change the plumbing needlessly. That's when the insults and his true temper materialized.
He claims it was due to tension on his fittings. It is true we had to fit the valve into a very tight space and as a result removed the handle on the actuator which serves no purpose as you cannot physically turn it (the actuator rotates automatically and the mechanical components of it prevent you from physically turning it). In the future if there is a problem with the actuator and it has to be removed to use the manual valve, I'd be more than happy to send him a $5 handle. He repeatedly claimed that he paid $5000 for damaged equipment which is an extreme over-exaggeration. What he was talking about is a $5 handle which serves no purpose in the functioning of the system. We worked hard to fit the valve in the tight space between the filter and the gas heater. He claims I told him that I could fit it in if I dented the filter, but that was at a time in which I didn't want to leave him with a non-functional pool and I certainly wasn't suggesting it as a permanent solution because the fittings for the filter and pump would have to be ordered. In the end, I fit it in without denting the filter so it was the whole subject was immaterial.
It is true that I removed the functionality of one of his valves and the only reason that was done is because it was plugged into the solar valve slot in his controller. He chose to use his existing controller instead of using the Pentair Solartouch controller. The way he set up his controller was using his cell phone so of course I was unsure of what to do with the valve that was plugged into the solar valve slot. Not sure why this is an issue as he was able to plug that valve (which is for his waterfall I believe) into another port and get it working on his own.
I tried to reason with Jay, and repeatedly offered to fix any issues down the road. He claims it is a botch job, yet it is working fine and to be honest is not an eye-sore at all. The bottom line is Jay is a very difficult person to deal with.
I am sure he will enjoy his pool in the end and have decades of free hot water.