Questionable Diagnostic Practices and Lack of Accountability…read moreI recently had Hurley & David (HD Air) come to my home after my 13-year-old American Standard propane furnace stopped working. I paid $99 for a diagnostic visit and was informed that my inducer motor had failed and, more concerningly, that there was a hole in my heat exchanger, making the furnace unsafe and requiring replacement.
The technician showed me photographs that were presented as evidence of the damage. Based on that diagnosis, I was quoted $12,801 to replace just the furnace, or $23,500 to replace both the furnace and central AC.
Given the significant cost, I decided to go with another HVAC company, which replaced my furnace at a lesser cost.
Here's where this situation becomes extremely concerning.
During the replacement, the second HVAC company inspected my original heat exchanger and informed me that they could not find the hole HD Air claimed was present.
Even more troubling, when comparing photographs of my actual heat exchanger to the pictures HD Air had shown me, there were noticeable differences in the spacing, appearance, and discoloration of the components. The second HVAC company also expressed concern that the photographs did not appear to show the same heat exchanger.
This raises a serious question: Was I shown photographs of another furnace to justify recommending an expensive replacement?
I understand that HVAC equipment can have defects that aren't immediately visible, and I'm not disputing that my inducer motor had failed. However, I find it deeply troubling that photographs presented as evidence of a dangerous defect appear inconsistent with my actual equipment.
What makes this even more disappointing is the complete lack of follow-up from HD Air.
On Wednesday, I called the company and left a message requesting a return call to discuss these concerns. I never received one.
I also contacted their customer support team, explained the situation, and was told that my concerns were being escalated to a service manager.
As of writing this review, I have not received a single call, explanation, or follow-up from anyone at the company.
This is particularly frustrating because I'm not simply disputing a price or expressing dissatisfaction with a service. I'm raising concerns about the accuracy of a safety-related diagnosis and whether the photographic evidence presented to me actually belonged to my furnace.
When a professional tells a homeowner that their heating system has a dangerous defect, that carries tremendous weight.
I have several questions for Hurley & David's management:
What safeguards are in place to ensure customers are shown accurate evidence of problems with their own equipment?
Will management investigate this incident and address any improper diagnostic or sales practices that may have occurred?
Given the conflicting findings and the thousands I spent replacing my furnace, is HD Air willing to discuss financial compensation if its diagnosis caused an unnecessary replacement?
Why has nobody followed up after multiple attempts to bring this situation to management's attention?
I'm writing because I believe homeowners deserve honest diagnoses, accurate evidence, and the opportunity to make informed decisions without being unnecessarily pressured by potentially misleading information.
If the photographs presented to me were not of my furnace, that would be an extremely serious breach of trust. And if the company has evidence supporting its original diagnosis, I would welcome the opportunity to review it.
I encourage anyone facing an expensive HVAC repair or replacement to get a second opinion, request copies of diagnostic photographs, ask technicians to identify the specific defect, and speak up when something doesn't seem right.
I would genuinely like to give Hurley & David an opportunity to explain what happened, address my concerns, and discuss an appropriate resolution. Unfortunately, despite my attempts to contact them, I have received no response.
