Climate Air Heating & Air Conditioning Ltd

We had a 19-year old Rheem tank that was working fine, but was basically a ticking time bomb, with us having no idea how it had been maintained by previous owners. We decided a new water heater was needed and started the usual research and discussions/quote process with contractors.

Initially wanted a direct vent tank, but decided in the end to go with a tankless system since the price differential wasn't that great, and it would free up substantial space for us in an otherwise tight basement.

Met with and spoke to a handful of contractors, and I came up against the usual problem that after a lot of research I often know more than the contractors about the product they are selling and installing. This was also the case with Brian from Stouffville Home and Comfort, but he has a good presence on RedFlagDeals, answering many questions (although usually with a sales pitch built in) and running group buys that allow for good prices on quality products.

We ended up choosing the Rinnai RU98i through one of the group buys Brian was organizing. He honoured the GB price, even though I contacted him a few weeks after the GB had officially ended. Kudos for that.

Further kudos for him being patient while I figured out a good time for him to come and install it. This took a few months, and even though I had put down a deposit, I understand that he wants to get the unit installed, complete the sale and get the rest of his money as quickly as possible.

My main criticism concerns his installation crew and the installation itself. First of all, I have to say that the unit seems to be working fine and seems to be installed according to Rinnai guidelines. However, the install was anything but neat.

Prior to the installation I had prepared the area by putting up some extra studs on the wall where it would be placed, with some strips of rubber (to insulate against any vibrations and noise while unit is running) and a piece of plywood. When the installation crew came by I asked them if the setup was appropriate (had already talked to Brian about this) or if they needed anything else. They said it was fine. I had to go to work, but I made sure that they had my contact number and urged them to call me if they had any questions.

I heard nothing from them, but I got them on the phone at the end when I was speaking to my sister-in-law, who was at the house, about the payment (what amount to put on the cheque I had left). At that point I spoke to the installer again and asked him if there had been any issues or if there was anything I should be aware of. "No" was the response. The guy was clearly not the chatty kind, but it had been nice if he had offered some information. I had also asked them to service my AC and furnace, and I had to pry information out of him about this too. Nothing was volunteered ("change your furnace filter" was the extent of it).

When I got home I took a look at the installation. Still quite a bit of drywall and concrete pieces left on the floor. I went outside to take a look and found that the plastic flange they had put around the vent was really flimsy and the caulking was already peeling. This was actually an issue since they had not foamed the opening in the wall. From inside I could look straight out of the hole where the vent was sticking out - daylight was coming in! I had to foam the hole myself and clean up all the mess they had left behind.

Another issue was that he for some reason had loosened several of the screws I had used to secure the plywood. It is now actually quite loose in one corner and one of the rubber strips have come loose. This is the plywood that the unit is attached to. I have no idea why he did this. He could easily have explained this to me when I had him on the phone (e.g., "We had to loosen the plywood to make it completely plumb for the install" or something along those lines), but nothing was offered.

So, the unit works, no complaints there. However, for someone less handy, they might never have discovered that they were left with a gaping hole in their foundation where water and critters could get through. Also not happy with the cleanup I had to do. So, overall I can't recommend this company to others, while at the same time I don't want to give a failing grade since the product is actually fully working.

Update Jan 10, 2014:
I had my reservations about the quality of the installation, and just before Christmas the condensation drain started leaking. We were going away for the holidays, so we didn't have time to fix it right away. On Jan 2, I contacted their office and scheduled a time for them to come in and fix it. They showed up on time and took care of the problem. Due to the prompt response and good communication by Brian I have increased my rating from 6 to 7. I still have my reservations about the initial install, but I was very satisfied with their quick response and fix, so I'm confident they will take care of me in the future if anything else goes wrong.