Complaint Review: Dryden Enterprises Inc.

On June 14, 2012 the ceiling of our kitchen collapsed because the air conditioning unit was not properly installed and the necessary corresponding equipment was either not installed or was not
functioning correctly.  We had initially placed Dryden Enterprises on notice that the air conditioning unit was not functioning properly one week after we moved into our new home in April 2011.  Dryden sent out repairmen who temporarily fixed some of the problems that we were dealing with.  Over a span of 2 months we complained that the air conditioning unit was not working and had repairmen out to work on the unit twelve times.

Additionally, on one occasion when my husband told Dryden that he could meet them at the house at 4pm, they said they could be there at 12 noon and no later because they had a birthday party to attend.  They showed up at 12 noon and left a business card.  Because it was late Friday, we had to call a different mechanic on Saturday (and pay for an expensive weekend call). This mechanic stated that he found common wires [were] loose at wire nut, the cond[enser] unit was overcharge[ed], the drain line [was] double [and] triple trapped, and the tubing was forced together instead of using couplings. Furthermore, the tubing was not adequately sloped for draining from the evaporator.

On June 23, 2011 we personally handed Dryden a letter detailing every visit that the repairmen had made and the repairs that they made.  Two ladies in the Hinesville office dismissed our complaints, telling us that it was normal for houses in the area to be 80F when the outside temperature
was 100F.  One lady said her office was 80 the previous day as well.  We showed her our inflated electric bills as compared to our electric bills in our previous home for the corresponding months in 2010, but they were dismissed.  Prior to delivering the letter, we looked up the minimum tonnage for an outdoor condenser unit for our size home and found that it should be at least 2.5 tons. However, our unit was only 2 tons. Our request for a larger unit was disregarded.

After two more visits from their office in 2011, we finally were forced to recognize that they would not replace our air conditioning unit and attempts at fixing the problem would not last more
than two weeks, so we had a second heating and cooling company install a 3 ton unit.  This company told us that the prior units 24 volt hot and ground wires [were] not hooked up on [the] outside unit. Furthermore, the reversing wire in [the] thermostat [was] installed on [the] wrong terminal.  These were all pre-existing conditions from when the unit was initially installed by Dryden.  This company installed the new air conditioning unit and split the duct work to make it more efficient, however, he continued to use the existing piping and drain pan since they were only a year old.

On June 14, 2012, we noticed water marks on the kitchen ceiling. Despite our best efforts to use a wet vac and a garden hose to try to dislodge a possible clog in the drain tube, the water soaked through the attic floor, destroying the floors infrastructure and collapsing our kitchen ceiling onto the kitchen floor. As a result, we have both ceiling and floor damage.  The float switch that was supposed to turn off the air conditioner when the water rose too high did not because it was faulty.  Also, the drain pan should have [a] drain line running outside of [the] house.

Also, a restoration project manager from Paul Davis Restoration told us that there was supposed to be a secondary drain pan to help if the water overflowed, however, we did not have this secondary drain pan.  M 1411.4 requires an auxiliary drain pan where damage to any building component will occur as a
result of stoppage in the condensate drainage system.

As a result of the faulty float switch, inadequate sloping for the tubing, a drain line that was double and triple trapped, tubing that was forced together instead of using couplings, and a lack of an auxiliary drain pan, the excess water from the air conditioning unit saturated the floor of the attic (where the air conditioning unit was installed) and was the proximate cause to the complete failure of the support
system in the ceiling.

In the early visits Bill's Heating and Air (subcontractor) told me that homes in these neighborhoods often have "power flickers" and that I would need to reset the thermostat once a week.  He said that he did that at his home as well.  They also told me to just keep the thermostat on the "hold" setting, as if that would magically keep the a/c from its continuous running and not cooling to an adequate temperature! 

During the summer of 2011 we called Dryden at least fourteen times to have someone come out to fix our air conditioning problems, the house and all of the materials were under warranty. 

Our ceiling was repaired by and we were waiting for the replacement flooring to be installed.
However, July 5, 2012, we noticed additional water seepage in the same ceiling area as the initial damage. A technician came out and found that the entire unit was not level, causing the condensation to not reach the drain tube and to drain over the back edge of the pan onto the attic floor. The 2x4s elevating the unit were lower on one side because one of the boards was turned wrong. There was cardboard wedged in above one of the 2x4s, apparently in an attempt to level the unit.  Furthermore, some of the ductwork was detached, causing hot air from the attic to be sucked into the system and
also allowing condensation to leak directly onto the attic floor.  The technician repaired these problems and also installed a vital piece of extra piping with a cap, to be used for adding bleach monthly during the warmer months to prevent the common problem of algae buildup in the drain line.  While the technician was working, the large section of sheetrock crashed into the kitchen, barely missing our friend who was in the kitchen at the time.

Dryden Enterpises create temporary solutions until our warranty expired, and the nightmare this has caused in terms of stress and financial strain (a new a/c unit plus service calls plus $2000 in repair deductibles) is unbelievable.  They are now denying any responsibility and saying that because we initially used allergen filters that we are the cause of our a/c problems.  WOW
 
I quote from their recent letter "Dryden maintains that the liability for any damage to your home rests solely with you.  After a careful review of this matter, Dryden believes that it acted at all times in a reasonable manner and is in no way responsible for your losses."

They basically pretended to be concerned until our Home Warranty ran out.  Now they are suggesting arbitration.  Stay away from this company.