If not for a second opinion, two Orangeville families would have had $5,000 to $6,000 less in their respective bank accounts this Christmas.
Terry Tovey and John Wilkinson are involved in a dispute with Direct Energy (DE), which shut down their furnaces earlier this month after finding what they said are heat exchanger cracks.
While DE officials are confident in those initial findings, both men are once again toasty warm after a second opinion resulted in their heat being turned back on by another company, without having repair or replacement.
“If I had gone ahead and purchased a furnace, I would have been none the wiser that wasn’t exactly necessary,” Tovey said, wondering how many people have simply opted for replacement under similar circumstances.
“I was quite perturbed about it,” Wilkinson added, noting he felt pressured by the situation. “It’s December. It’s cold.”
Faced with the prospect of little heat — they each have gas fireplaces — or a $5,000 to $6,000 bill for a new furnace, they each decided a second opinion was in order.
For Wilkinson, that happened the same day, Dec. 4. Tovey, however, had his furnace shut off on Dec. 3 and it wasn’t put back into action for three days, though he had the use of two heaters loaned to him by DE.
Working independently of one another, both men called Don’s Heating and Cooling to take a look. Don’s technicians determined there was nothing wrong and removed the red tags, allowing the furnaces to be turned back on.
Joshua Orzech, DE’s director of public relations, is looking into the complaints, but stands behind the original findings of his technicians.
“These technicians go through refresher training every year, before each season … to keep their skills current and up to date,” he said. “If they say something was there, and they’re showing it on the camera, it indicates there may be something there.
“We take pride in accurately assessing furnaces. We’ve been doing it for decades.”
Each inspection, Orzech explained, is supposed to involve a visual examination of the heat exchanger and testing for carbon monoxide emissions as part of an eight-point review. If a concern is revealed, a further 12-point inspection is to be conducted.
“In every instance, your safety is the most important thing we do,” he said. “In the unfortunate event we have to shut it down, we do that because we are concerned first and foremost about the safety of our customers. Leaving a defective furnace running is a serious risk to the family … and it’s not a risk we’re willing to take.”
According to Tovey and Wilkinson, the technicians who inspected their furnaces didn’t perform as thorough a job as Orzech described. As far as they are aware, only visual checks were done.
“I didn’t see a crack,” Tovey recalls of viewing the technician’s equipment. “It was not a very clear viewing on this little three-inch monitor, or whatever size it was, in his hand.”
Don Roper, owner of Don’s Heat and Heating, acknowledged a visual inspection may be all that’s needed, if a crack is apparent. In these cases, that wasn’t the opinion of his workers, and additional testing was done.
“If you don’t see a crack, you could still have a bad heat exchanger,” he said, explaining his preferred method is to check for oxygen levels inside the furnace. “That’s a real sure-fire way to find it.
“You’re still going to get the odd one it doesn’t show, but it’s more accurate than a visual inspection.”
The discrepancy in opinion inspired Tovey to file a formal complaint with DE and cancel all services he received from them. Wilkinson is also considering filing a complaint.
“I plan to definitely cancel my contract with them,” the latter man said.
Tovey has since rejected an offer from Orzech to have a more experienced DE field technician or supervisor take a look at his furnace, stating he’s already has a second opinion and he believes further testing would be a waste of time.
In turn, Orzech offered to drop off three carbon monoxide detectors for Tovey to have, just as a precaution if there really is a problem. Confident in the second opinion, Tovey refused.
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