Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  12/18/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In Oct. 2024, we hired Caps & Dampers for a chimney rebuild, liner install, and furnace flue clean. Shortly after, we heard noises in our basement and saw flooding resulted from the malfunctioning boiler. We later figured out that Caps & Dampers installed an incorrectly sized liner. The Town of ******* **** ******* confirmed that this installation was unsafe and caused the furnace to malfunction, and that this could have led to a fire, and CO leaks in the house. Caps & Dampers initially ignored our numerous requests for correction. On Dec. 14, they refunded only a portion of the cost and removed the liner. Caps and Dampers maintains that the work was correctly done despite advice from the **** ******* that the work would not be considered safe and would not be approved. Caps and Dampers' faulty workmanship potentially put our lives and house in danger and resulted in extra financial costs. Their faulty work and unwillingness to take responsibility jeopardized our family’s safety, and if allowed in other homes places other innocent citizens and firemen's lives at risk. Caps & Dampers should be held accountable for refusing to take responsibility for dangerous and irresponsible work. As public employees we are earnest in our desire to protect our neighbors and firefighters.

  Business response

  12/19/2024

  10/8/2024: Liner installed.
  
  
  Unrelated masonry work - rebuilt chimney from roof.
  Crown seal and cap installed on second chimney. 
  
  
  11/21/2024: Customer called reporting hearing noises from the barometric damper 
  
  
  11/27/2024: Customer canceled appointment to check on complaint 
  
  
  12/13/2024: Customer requested immediate removal of liner and reimbursement 
  
  
  12/13/2024: Technicians removed liner per customer request 
  
  
  12/13/2024: Customer requested additional reimbursement for unrelated masonry work in exchange for not taking legal action. 
  
  
  12/14/2024: $2350 reimbursed to customer (amount of liner and labor for install) 
  
  
  12/14/2024: Customer submitted receipts for unrelated hot water heater replacement and boiler expansion tank. 
  (There is no relationship between these home repair items and a chimney liner, the systems are not connected.)
  
  
  12/14/2024: Customer escalated threatening legal action causing a cease in communication 
  
  
  In regards to the claim that we installed the wrong sized liner. Our work process is dictated by the building codes and the building department. They are the department that is informed and responsible for chimney liners. We follow industry standards which are to provide our suppliers with the height of the chimney, the area of the flue tiles and the capacity of the furnace. Our supplier then provides us the correct sized liner. This is the industry standard process and is what we did here. Our supplier has assured us that the liner they sold us is indeed the correct liner for their home. 

  Customer response

  12/19/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response as noted below.
  

  CUSTOMER RESPONSE 12/19/24-------------
  10/8/2024: Liner installed.
  Unrelated masonry work - rebuilt chimney from roof.
  Crown seal and cap installed on second chimney. 
  ? CUSTOMER RESPONSE:  C&D completed Chimney work and installation of the incorrectly sized liner.  BUT DID NOT PULL PERMITS as is customary business practice for any contractor.  We were not informed that the permits had not been pulled. We were not informed that C&D did not intend to pull a permit.  We would not have allowed C&D to perform work on our property if we knew they were unwilling to permit the work.
  ***NOTE: 12/19/24 C&D has now submitted permitting documentation to the Town of *******.
  CUSTOMER NOTE: 11/19/24: Ugent text message regarding furnace system was disregarded by C&D.  Same text number used for prior C&D communications.
  11/21/2024: Customer called reporting hearing noises from the barometric damper 
  ? CUSTOMER RESPONSE: The barometric damper’s activity was directly related to the undersized flue.
  11/27/2024: Customer canceled appointment to check on complaint 
  —> CUSTOMER RESPONSE: C&D had maintained that their work was correct and so we called a boiler technician instead.
  12/13/2024: Customer requested immediate removal of liner and reimbursement 
  —> CUSTOMER RESPONSE: C&D’s initial response from Gary was that their installation was correct and that nothing would be done until he came out and met with us on Saturday 12/14.  
  ? C&D did respond to our demands for removal when we notified them that the Town of ******* **** *******’s office informed us that C&D installed liner was incorrectly sized as it did not meet boiler manufacturer standards and that it posed a fire and CO poisoning risk. This necessitated immediate removal of the incorrectly sized liner. Industry standards were clearly not followed in respect to this boiler.  
  12/13/2024: Technicians removed liner per customer request 
  CUSTOMER RESPONSE:  C&D technicians maintained that the liner was correctly sized and that their work was acceptable. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN FOR US AND FOR ALL FIREMAN AND *********** NEIGHBORS. 
  12/13/2024: Customer requested additional reimbursement for unrelated masonry work in exchange for not taking legal action. 
  —> CUSTOMER RESPONSE:  Reimbursement request is for an amount similar to the masonry work but not for the masonry work.  A consulting engineer, boiler technician, and boiler serviceman have confirmed that the undersized flue caused additional stress to the boiler necessitating service work in excess of $5259.26. 
  12/14/2024: $2350 reimbursed to customer (amount of liner and labor for install) 
  ? CUSTOMER RESPONSE:  We are thankful for this. However C&D had informed us orally that they were prepared to refund $4000 rather than the full amount requested. 
  12/14/2024: Customer submitted receipts for unrelated hot water heater replacement and boiler expansion tank. 
  (There is no relationship between these home repair items and a chimney liner, the systems are not connected.)
  ? CUSTOMER RESPONSE:  A consulting engineer, boiler technician, and boiler serviceman have confirmed that the undersized flue caused additional stress to the boiler necessitating service work in excess of $5259.26. The flue is most certainly connected to the boiler.  This is a single system.
  12/14/2024: Customer escalated threatening legal action causing a cease in communication 
  ? CUSTOMER RESPONSE:  Initially we assured C&D that we did not intend legal action. However we were advised by the Town of ******* Building Inspector and the Town of ******* **** ******* that we should pursue legal remedies unless C&D pulled a permit for the chimney work. 
  NOTE: 12/19/24 C&D has now submitted permitting documentation to the Town of *******.
  

  Sincerely,
  
  ******* *********

  Business response

  01/03/2025

  Hello,

  Here is a basic overview of the situation with the Spaulding claim against Caps and Dampers. 

   

  The customer believes that we installed the incorrect liner for their home. As experts in this field, the product we sold them was more than adequate for the job. 

   

  When the customer first called to express a concern, we tried to come out immediately. They were unavailable for us to come out, and then they canceled the appointment, 

   

  More than three weeks after we tried to visit the home to look at the liner, they requested it be removed. We removed the product and refunded their money when the request came in.

   

  Despite this, the customer has called and emailed repeatedly, demanding an additional $4-5,000, depending on the day. Some days, it is for an unrelated water heater; some days, it is for pain and suffering related to having a liner they didn't want in their home for 3 weeks. 

   

  We have allowed them to return the product and refunded them the money and the labor to install it promptly. 

   

  Despite our efforts to resolve this with a customer-forward approach, the customer seems unwilling to move forward unless we pay them the $4-5,000 number they would like. We can see no justification for this request. 

   

  I've attached a detailed account of all that has occurred if it's helpful. 

   

  --

  Delightfully,

  Lena

   

  --

  Caps and Dampers

  ************

  ******************************

  Customer response

  01/03/2025

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting the response of Caps and Dampers.

  
  We are dismayed by the Caps and Dampers response of 1/3/25 which is not factually correct in many respects.

  
  However our greatest concern is for the safety of our neighbors and first responders. This is our number one objective in our complaint. The Caps and Dampers explanation for their installation does not adequately account for the demands of the boiler manufacturer for proper breeching of the boiler as it is installed in our home.

  
  There are many omissions and factual errors in the Caps and Dampers chronology.  We will not correct all of them. However it should be noted that:
  Caps and Dampers DID NOT inform us orally or in writing that they would not pull a permit for either the chimney work or the liner work or that we should do this as a homeowner.  Professionals do this. The C&D chronology is incorrect.

  
  Caps and Dampers DID NOT try to come out immediately when we first raised concerns but scheduled a visit the following week maintaining that their work was correct and this was not an emergency issue. We DID cancel this appointment because Gary (Caps and Dampers) was adamant that the liner was not the issue so we called a burner technician instead. The C&D chronology is incorrect.

  
  Caps and Dampers initially was unwilling to remove the liner despite being requested to do so on the basis of the boiler manufacturer documentation. We were told by Caps and Dampers that “The fear of fire and Carbon Dioxide is all in your head.”  

  
  Only after being informed that the town **** *******l had informed us that they would not approve a liner that did not meet boiler manufacturer specifications did they remove the liner. The C&D chronology is incomplete.

  
  Caps and Dampers initiated an offer of a $4000 refund but subsequently we received a refund of $2350, the cost of liner and labor.  We would have been disappointed but satisfied with the $4000 offer as it offered a token consideration for the extra expenses associated with the cost of the water heater and expansion tank ($5259.26) which failed following the installation of the incorrect liner – failure that could have been precipitated by extra stress placed on the boiler. 

  
  The basis of our monetary request of $5000 IS NOT pain and suffering or distress at the prospect of dangers posed by the liner. We DID make this clear to Caps and Dampers in writing when we provided receipts. It is outrageous and insulting that a telephone conversation between Lena (Caps and Dampers) and Ruth Spaulding regarding individual life challenges would be construed as the basis for our request.

  
  We DID write an email to Caps and Dampers assuring them that we were NOT planning legal action.  The Caps and Dampers chronology is incorrect.
  We DID later suggest legal action when we were advised by the Town of ******* Building Department and the Town of West Hartford and the Town of ******* **** *******s to consider legal recourse if Caps and Dampers refused to permit the chimney rebuilding work (not the liner work which had been removed).  We are thankful that they did subsequently permit the chimney rebuilding work (not the liner work). 

  
  The failure of Caps and Dampers to take responsibility for an incorrect liner for this furnace is a concern for our neighbors especially the innocent and vulnerable who especially our senior citizens and families with young children at home.

  
  As a customer it is difficult to believe that this is a “customer forward” business.

  
  Sincerely,
  ******* *********
  

• Initial Complaint

  09/16/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Refusals by Caps Dampers to return after cleaning(3/2022 $265 payment) tech knocked parts out of place during cleaning causing stove not to ignite after cleaning. Gary B******* Refused to check on9/17/22 appt.

  Business response

  09/16/2022

  We are reaching out to this customer to try to resolve this issue. This customer admittedly used her stove the rest of the burning season after our visit. We will try to remedy this situation asap.

  Customer response

  09/19/2022

  ***** ******** ****** **************************** ***** ******* ********* *** **** ***** ** *** ********** *********************** ******** *** *** **** * *** ******* **** *** ******* *********** ********* ********* *********

   

  Please CANCEL my complaint. Caps called me and came to my home after i left voice mail relling them i reported a complaint. Then Caps technician phoned sayiny would send Gary B***** ** to my home to check stove.

  Again Cancel complaint.

  Thanks.

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