I was assigned to change a fan motor on an HVAC unit several months ago. As part of my training I took a lot of pictures that day. I didn't have access to the inside of the rental unit because no one lived there. I could only test the unit from the outside by pushing the contactor switch, the same switch that the inside thermostat controls.
What was really bizarre was the fact that who ever had just worked on the unit had the condenser unit fan turning the wrong direction, it was pulling the air INTO the unit instead of blowing out the top. Plus the bearings were shot on the motor. The owner of the house was trying to sell the building and didn't want to pay for a new motor, so my mentor friend graciously gave him an old motor that still worked just fine. Emphasis: FREE motor.
My mentor had told me that I would get the service call fee for performing the motor swap.
I waited several weeks. No pay. No mention about that particular job.
Finally when I ask my mentor, he tells me that the landlord doesn't want to pay because he said the unit didn't work so the landlord had someone else change out the motor again (without telling us) and that the AC unit still doesn't work.
So I drove by and checked on the unit because it was easily accessible. My previous photos came in handy because it proved that YES, the motor had been changed again, but this time the motor had a rotation arrow on the outside case that showed the direction it would spin, AND ... are you ready for this? ... the fan was installed backwards AGAIN. So I called my mentor and informed him of my discovery. He would see what he could do.
Nothing. That is what got accomplished. So after several weeks I called him up again pointing out the business logic of the situation saying, we were only asked to change out a fan motor and that we had accomplished that particular task and that we, or rather I, should be paid for doing the job. Of course I was given the line that the unit didn't function so the customer didn't want to pay.
So yesterday I decided to confirm that the fan was actually installed backwards when I realized that all I had to do was press the contactor button again to prove that it was installed wrong. So I did this, AND shot video of the fan running the wrong direction. I also ran the compressor just long enough so that I could feel the suction line getting cold, so the compressor works at least to some degree.
So I let my mentor know what my latest discoveries were and so I think I should hopefully get paid. But I'm not eXpecting anything anytime too soon from anyone.
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