We purchased a lake house with all kinds of Pella, picture windows, crank out windows, heavy-duty…read moresliding doors with automatic screen closers, etc. Last fall the screen door started squealing, called Pella and they suggested that I use a special lubricant and that worked for a week or two.
Then the sound started again so I took a video and e-mailed it to them made a few calls until I got a live person and she informed me that it needed a new screen door closer unit, fair enough, $90.00 for the part, and just under $200 for the tech to install it. I ask if I can do it myself with youtube and they said perhaps but you should really have our techs do it, it's fairly complicated. Takes a few months and many phone calls (not once did I get a callback, I always had to keep calling until I got through, perhaps four or five separate times, COVID and all so they get a pass on this) Finally they come out and I am told it really only needs new wheels and not the auto closer, the guy had some extra wheels in the truck and suggested that he installs the closer as I already purchased it. Fine with me, just make it work.
Two days later the door won't close all the way, it was 3/4 of an inch open so bugs are getting in AND the inside cat can push the door open so I call again. They had a guy in my area from Vermont the next week and send him over. He tells me that the tracks are filthy and clogged up, note we are two adults that live here and infrequently use this entrance so it's not like we goobered up the floor and door tracks in the two days since the last tech was here. This tech fixes the tracks and does something to the latch that needed repair.
All Set! - Guess again...
Within a week there is a 24" string from the door's upper track that is hanging down from the top of the door, its actually part the auto closer that they replaced so the screen door was not auto-closing, the reason for all of this to start with. I took pictures, called and e-mailed again, after a few days I call back and get a live person. she puts me on hold and after 10 minutes calls back and said "good news, we are going to send you the install directions so you can fix it your-self" These directions are 8-pages long! Remember, I was told that really a Pella tech should do this last winter.
I called an old friend that's a finish builder and he is sending one of his guys over to fix it for me in the next week or two. He tells me that Pella product is excellent but their service is sub-par, I have to agree,