Extremely Disappointing Experience -- Unprofessional Service and a Worse Problem Than Before…read more
I had an absolutely terrible experience with Dr. Ductless, and I would strongly caution anyone considering hiring this company.
I called Dr. Ductless because my Daikin ductless ceiling unit was having problems with its wall controller and condensation drainage. The controller had been working intermittently, and the unit was still blowing cold air even when the controller wouldn't turn on.
The technician identified an issue with the condensation drain line and the emergency shut off -- the emergency shut off was full of water from the line not draining and it was turning off the control panel. He proceeded to CUT the line to blow water out. He then claimed that insulation in my attic was preventing the line from draining properly, but refused to move or work around the insulation to investigate further. Instead, he told me I needed to address the insulation before he could determine what was actually wrong.
Here's where the experience became completely unacceptable.
After he worked on the drain line and emergency shut off, water began leaking THROUGH MY CEILING. This was NOT happening before his visit. When I pointed out the new leak, rather than taking responsibility or investigating why the situation had worsened, he insisted that it had already been leaking before he touched anything. While there might have been a small leak (I really don't know) it was not coming through the ceiling until he worked on it. What might have been a drop here and there was now a river destroying my ceiling.
He claimed the water was coming from the emergency safety shutoff, said he had reconnected the drain line, and suggested that the condensate pump might be broken. But he couldn't confirm the cause.
His proposed solution? Come back another day for a repair that he said could cost $900- $2,000, without providing a definitive diagnosis. He said he'd have to replace the drain line to see if that fixed the problem and if it didn't he would replace a pump and see if that fixed it. But he didn't really know if either of those things would fix it and suggested I try moving the insulation myself first. Meanwhile water was leaking through the ceiling. I asked him to fix the leak and he said it would stop if I turned off the unit. I pointed out the controller was not working and I have no way to turn it off. He offered no additional solutions, charged me $189 (the price I agreed to when I scheduled the visit) and left.
So, to summarize: I paid for a professional to diagnose a problem, was told he couldn't properly investigate it because of attic insulation, watched the situation become significantly worse after he worked on the system, and was then presented with the possibility of a $2,000 repair without a clear explanation of what had actually failed.
What I found most disturbing wasn't just the lack of a clear diagnosis. It was the dismissive response when I pointed out that water was now leaking through my ceiling. I expected a professional technician to take that concern seriously, investigate the source, and make sure the system was left in a safe condition.
Instead, I was left with a malfunctioning air conditioner, a blank wall controller, water leaking into my ceiling, and no resolution. I called a handyman I've used before and he came to my house the next morning, propped up the condensation drainage pipe (without touching the insulation) and the leak stopped, the pipe began flowing properly, and the control panel started working. Why the doctor ductless technician couldn't do that is beyond me. It took 15 minutes.
I have completely lost confidence in Dr. Ductless and will not be using this company again. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend them. If you value accountability, thorough troubleshooting, and technicians who take your concerns seriously, I would strongly suggest looking elsewhere.