This was, without exaggeration, the most unprofessional and damaging contractor experience I have ever had.
AquaRec showed up unprepared to install our wood stove and immediately demonstrated a shocking lack of competence. They did not bring the necessary materials and had to borrow lumber from me to lower my existing stove off the hearth. While doing so, they dropped the stove onto my hardwood floor and cracked it.
Instead of handling the mistake professionally, one crew member, Cisco, became visibly angry and aggressively threw lumber onto my brand-new concrete patio. When I asked them to protect the edges of my concrete stairs while lowering the stove, Cisco responded that the company would "pay for repairs" but didn't care if they got hurt. He then went on to complain about how little the company cares about its employees. This was completely inappropriate and alarming behavior in my home.
They left the old stove pipe sitting on my patio in the rain, permanently staining the concrete with rust. They also left the old stove blocking our parking spot and had to come back to remove it. When they returned, Cisco informed us he had just quit because the company "doesn't care" about its workers -- which frankly explains a lot.
The second crew managed to make things even worse. They left a hole in my roof overnight. It rained, and water splattered onto the brand-new stove, destroying the factory finish before we ever used it. Rather than take responsibility and properly refinish or replace the damaged unit, they handed me a used can of Flat Black Stove Bright paint and suggested I fix it myself. The damage was so severe that I had to sand the stove down to bare steel to get an even coating. I spent countless hours and additional money correcting damage they caused.
They still didn't bring all necessary components and had to return yet again. During that visit, they scratched the stainless Class A chimney pipe, scuffed the black stove pipe, and dropped rocks, dirt, and moss all over the newly refinished stove -- ruining the finish for a second time.
To make matters worse, a crew member sprayed Flat Black Stove Bright paint onto a hot stove pipe. When I questioned this, he insisted paint should be applied while the surface is hot. The manufacturer's instructions clearly state the stove must be cool (below 90°F) prior to application, with specific curing steps afterward. I later contacted the stove manufacturer and confirmed the correct OEM finish is Metallic Black from Senotherm -- not flat black Stove Bright. AquaRec used the wrong product and applied it incorrectly, directly contradicting manufacturer specifications.
Attempts to reach the owner, Kelly, were ignored by phone and met with delayed email responses. Customer service was atrocious from start to finish. When he finally responded, he suggested the crew would have simply "buffed out" the blemishes -- a statement that further illustrates a fundamental lack of knowledge about proper refinishing.
Every single visit resulted in more damage, more expense, and more frustration. I was forced to buy sanding supplies, paint, rust remover, and spend significant time and money fixing what they broke. After all of this, the stove did not pass inspection.
I now have to hire a completely different company to uninstall and reinstall the stove correctly because I no longer trust AquaRec to perform safe, code-compliant work or to avoid further damage to my home.
If you value your home, your money, or your sanity, do not hire AquaRec. This company demonstrated incompetence, disregard for property, disregard for manufacturer specifications, and an astonishing lack of professionalism at every stage of the project. read more