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heyandy_gw

Service problems after lightning damaged my new heat pump

heyandy
9 years ago

This winter I had a new heat pump system installed and found the existing posts on this forum very helpful in evaluating the estimates and making a decision. Unfortunately, a recent lighting storm damaged much of the air handler as well as the zone controller and condensate pump (plus other electronics in our home) and so far things are not going well with the repair so I've come here seeking advice as I deal with the service company (who I have generally found trustworthy and reliable and have a pretty solid reputation in the rural community I live in).

The system is a 4 ton American Standard setup (TAM7A0C48H41SC & 4TWB3048B1000B) in a 3-zone system. It took a few trips to diagnose the damage. The first technician found that the condensate pump, zone controller, and air handler circuit boards were damaged - they had to be ordered. When those parts were replaced it was discovered that the blower motor was also damaged - which also had to be ordered necessitating a third visit to finalize the repair. So far we are at about $3000 in repair costs (I am contacting my homeowners insurance to see what they will do).

Since the unit was fixed, I've noticed some irregularities in its operation. Some of this I suspected to be because the zone controller is a different - newer unit (Honeywell HZ322) which at the very least appears to support the variable speed air handler while the old one did not (curious that they didn't recommend an upgrade when the unit was installed).

This evening the system was running almost nonstop struggling to cool parts of the house while one area was quite cool. I tried to troubleshoot the zone control and dampers and found that the damper for the cool area wasn't closing (it appears to be a spring-open a power-close damper). I was moving the damper wires trying to trace from the controller to the dampers and found that when I wiggled that zone's wire I could hear a relay-like click in the damper and confirmed that I could get the damper to close. Obviously a faulty connection - and rather than mess with it myself I planned to call a technician back in to make things right.

The next thing I did was to open the access door to the air filter (when all of the zones were off - no calls for AC) to check the filter. Should be no big deal. When I closed the door and the unit came back on I saw red blinking lights in the status LEDs. I turned down one thermostat to activate the system and when I got back to the basement it seemed to run fine but instead would just spin up the blower for a minute or two, blink multiple red LEDs, and spin down before starting up again. During this, the outdoor compressor (which seemed fine so far) would repeatedly turn on briefly and then off.

I have shut off the system and will call for service tomorrow.

This is all very long and somewhat complicated. I guess I'm just wondering a couple things. First, do the repair costs seem quite high - maybe as much or more than the original cost of the air handler? Second - I'd greatly appreciate if any one can make sense of my story above and give me any pointers to evaluate the service I am being given. I am frustrated by the ongoing problems and am not sure if I should be losing faith in the company that is servicing my system or if this is just part of the chaotic nature of lighting strike damage.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read all of this. I'd be glad to provide more info - this is my attempt to keep the post short.

-Andy

Comments (7)

  • tigerdunes
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sorry for your trouble.

    And glad you have gotten your insurance company involved.

    With that said, the Trane portion of your system should be covered by the standard Trane 10 yr warranty on parts. Normally a dealer covers any labor for the first year following install. What did your purchase contract say? What is Trane dealer telling you? I can't make an informed comment about the $3 K cost and counting without knowing what it's for. List it out.

    It is difficult to tell from your story where the fault lies. I assume that HP part of your system is working fine. This leaves the new zoning control as the main culprit, whether equipment or install.

    IMO

    This post was edited by tigerdunes on Tue, Jul 15, 14 at 9:09

  • jackfre
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Warranty will not cover a lightening strike. Why should it? You may finesse(the nice view) warranty coverage, but with lightening strikes it is a straight insurance claim, or should be. Having been an HVAC manuf rep for 25 yrs in a six state area I have seen many lightening strike issues. Repairing a piece of equipment that has been hit is very problematic. Should you get it running it is likely that additional components that will still work will not last. You have tremendous power squirting around in a lightening strike. If you have insurance I would claim total loss of everything. Pay the deductible and move on. Then call an electrician to do a complete analysis of your electrical system, paying close attention to grounding.

  • heyandy
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the replies.

    Tigerdunes - I was probably unclear in trying to be brief in my original post. The zone controller issue seems to be a simple fix of making proper contact for the damper wires - but just after diagnosing the issue, the air handler circuit boards (visible through a small window on the unit) began blinking error codes on it's LEDs and the whole system began acting erratically. I can't imagine that anything I did while looking at the zone controller caused the larger problem, I was very deliberately trying to be hands-off. The system had been running a little erratically for a few days (I know that's horribly vague - I can try to elaborate if it would help at all).

    Jackfre - I don't have a detailed invoice with itemizing parts vs. labor. The invoices just describe the repairs and have a flat fee. They installed a new zone board, indoor control boards & DC board, new blower motor 3/4 h/p, and new condensate pump for $3060. Also, in the original setup, the condensate pump was connected to the zone controller board to shut down the system if it failed. Now there is no connection from the condensate pump to any part of the system (the new zone board doesn't seem to have any terminals for this). I'll be asking about this when they visit.

    I'm definitely aware that the initial damage wasn't a candidate for warranty coverage - but wonder if the sebsequent failure that happened last night was a faulty repair (and should be taken care of by the installers) or was caused by deeper damage from the lightning strike. I have a homowner's insurance claim opened and will see where that takes me. At this point I'm inclined to do as Jackfre advises and try to get the whole system replaced. I'm sure I've complicated matters by trying to get it repaired. Early on it looked like the damage was minor but it's just snowballed from there.

    I have an HVAC technician coming tomorrow but am inclined to hold off incurring any more repair consts until the insurance company has a chance to weigh in.

    -Andy

  • cindywhitall
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I hate to be a Debbie Downer...but the insurance will not look kindly at you're having had repairs done BEFORE you contacted them. I hope I misunderstood the order of things. At the very least I hope you have the damaged parts. The insurance has a right to inspect the damage BEFORE it is repaired, otherwise where is the proof of the cause of the damage? I would not spend any more money until they authorize it. Hopefully it will go smoothly for you. I also would keep the hvac company on your good side in case they have to go to bat for you with your insurance claim.

  • jackfre
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would suggest that you not discuss the previous repair attempt with the agent. At least consider that. If the insurance can wiggle out, they will. Remember insurance companies hire only two types of people. Sales people and attorneys to defend declined coverage. You will take a hit on the failed repair, but that may be the best option. I guess there is a balance in there somewhere. Good luck and please keep us posted on how this develops for you.

  • heyandy
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    cindywhitall - No worries, your comment is spot-on and pretty much sums up my situation.

    Jackfre - I hear you, but despite my well-earned cynicism I'm too honest to take that path (tangled webs and what-not). If there's only one party acting with integrity through this, I want it to be me...

    ...but today was an interesting day and there may be hope for a decent resolution.

    First, I talked to my homeowners insurance company about my claim - and they seem ready to cover any damages from the lighting strike and support replacement of the HVAC system. However, they will only cover the replacement - not the repairs that have been done so far.

    Second, I had a technician visit from the HVAC company - someone who has yet to be involved with my repair. He was interested to hear my story and as I gave him the rundown - and he saw the status of my system - he clearly felt that it had not been handled correctly. There were sloppy connections on the zone board (as I found) and the air handler error code indicated deeper damgage - which he confirmed with testing. He agreed that with lighting damage the repaired unit could have lingering isssues that would only get worse over time and replacement is the best solution - a real concern for a brand new system that we hope to get 15-20 years of service out of.

    He didn't have the authority to offer me any immediate help, but will be taking my case to one of the business owners tomorrow morning. As I see it, the first diagnosis was hasty and incomplete which set us up for a series of repairs that have been both expensive and ineffective. I'll ask them to refund the repairs and replace the air handler - which will be covered by insurance. Hopefully I find a sympathetic ear.

    If I knew three weeks ago what I know now, this all would have gone much more smoothly. As I've been reminding myself since the storm, at least no one was hurt (my wife saw sparks in the lving room when the lighting sruck), nothing caught fire, and the weather has been relatively mild while our AC is out. Plus, I've finally gotten around to making some nice window screens for the kids' bedrooms.

  • mike_home
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Check all the electronics in your house that were connected to the house wiring at the time of the lightening strike (garage door openers, alarms, sprinkler systems, etc.) There is a potential they were also damaged. If you find any add them to the insurance claim.