Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
is the technology of indoor environmental comfort.
HVAC has been the single largest source of new home complaints by their owners since CPBH was formed in 2004. Design, poor quality systems and inadequate installations have all been found to be the problem in different parts of Canada.
Homeowners have found themselves freezing in their new homes, with temperature differences of as much as 15 degrees between floors. Some have put their children to bed with hats and mittens on; some have had their children sleep with the parents for warmth. As well, CPBH has received reports of seniors living in homes described as “dangerous” due to the cold.
In trying to get their builders, warranty providers and dispute resolution providers to help them, some have been successful, but many have hit brick walls. Without resolution, homeowners will not be able to sell the house at a reasonable price, can’t live in it the way it is and face major expenses to fix the problem themselves. Some choose ‘patch and run’ where problems are covered over and the house is sold with problems undisclosed, thereby passing the challenge on to the next owner.
After receiving ongoing complaints from homeowners, CPBH engaged with stakeholders and experts in industry, governments and municipalities.
In 2012, CPBH led a contingent of approximately 30 homeowners from across Ontario to Queen’s Park. These homeowners were raising serious issues about Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) construction defects and the lack of adequate consumer protection.
CTV’s Omar Sachedina investigates new homes with brand new heating systems that deliver a host of headaches instead of actual heat.
Also in 2012, CTV’s W-Five did an investigation about HVAC issues and concluded that one particular HVAC system causing many homeowners problems had been installed in approximately 50,000 homes in the GTA (Toronto area):
https://www.ctvnews.ca/seeking-answers-for-home-heating-woes-1.776550
Following this W-Five segment, CPBH approached Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (HRAI) Canada to try to find a way to address these sorts of serious issues in newly built homes. The result was that after a series of meetings, the HVAC industry made clear its commitment to proper HVAC systems in Canada, resulting in the 2013 “Joint Statement by the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Industry in Canada” which read, in part:
In 2014, the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada, which had signed the Joint Statement, followed up with its “activities and initiatives that HRAI has led or participated in that demonstrate the association’s ongoing support for the principles embodied in the Joint Industry Statement”.
Letter writing campaigns, media coverage, engagement with politicians and more left no doubt that inadequate and or improperly installed systems had been put into newly built homes. Entire communities were found to be suffering from these defects.
In some cases, the systems were repaired. Some owners had to move out because of the house became unlivable, as inadequate HVAC can lead to mould that causes illness. Some lost their homes. Others patched and ran.
CPBH would like to be able to say that this problem has been resolved. It has not:
Cardinal Creek homeowners locked in battle with builder Mould, cracks, leaks, mice among new homebuyers’ complaints
By Laura Osman – CBC News · Posted: Aug 22, 2018 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: August 22, 2018
Julie and Marcel Bellefeuille stand in the basement of their newly built Tamarack home, where they’ve found mould, leaks and deer mice droppings. (Laura Osman/CBC)
Residents of a suburban housing development in Ottawa’s east end say they’re worried their new homes are unsafe after discovering major construction defects soon after they moved in. More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/home-construction-defects-tamarack-cardinal-creek-1.4789234
TIP!
Thinking about a newly built home? Ask your builder BEFORE you sign if you will receive a new or used furnace.
#HVAC #BuyerBeware
Why your new home may come with a dirty, used furnace | CBC News One of the perks of moving into a newly built house is supposed to be the brand new appliances, but when it comes to furnaces, some homeowners are discovering that’s not always what they’re getting. cbc.ca
https://twitter.com/CPBH01/status/1152995848470573056
For more information, check out these links:
- April 2016 — Damaged During Construction, Plumbing and HVAC, The voice of
Canada’s mechanical industry, https://plumbingandhvac.ca - Nov. 2014 – Update from HRAI related to the Joint Statement by Canada’s HVAC Industry
- May 30, 2013 HVAC Industry Joint Statement – The HVAC Industry is working with CPBH to protect consumers by raising the bar in HVAC design, installation and inspection.
- HVAC Media Reports
- HVAC Legal Battles
- HVAC and Health
- HVAC and Indoor Climate
- Feb. 27, 2012 – CPBH led a contingent of approximately 30 homeowners from across Ontario to Queen’s Park. These homeowners were raising serious issues about Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) construction defects and the lack of adequate consumer protection. That same day, Ontario MPP, Ted Chudleigh, raised questions in the Ontario Legislature regarding these serious HVAC issues of Minister Margarett Best, who is responsible for consumer protection in Ontario. Unfortunately, Minister Best provided no meaningful responses to MPP Chudleigh and these concerned homeowners.
- Jan. 2012 – Ontario Newly Built Homes HVAC – Full Investigation Required!