M J BRIGGS HVAC

I hired Briggs in 2018 to fix my malfunctioning geothermal system (which he did not install). The main problem was that it was not keeping up with heating and cooling demand. I asked if we should try to fix this system or maybe think about putting in a new system other than geothermal (so I gave Mike Briggs the choice). He assured me that he could fix the existing system and make it function better. I spent $30,000 to fix the system and another $2,500 to insulate the pipes (a company he recommended). I tried to hold back $10,000 to make sure it worked when it got cold, but Mike complained mightily. Paying him that money was one of the worst decisions I ever made. The system did no better at heating/cooling and the small tank corroded and leaked. He did fix that on his dime, just outside the warranty (more on this later). As we headed into winter last year, the main unit died. Granted this was not something that he installed. I was left with a small backup unit that would only heat the house to the mid 50s on cold days. Certainly not ideal! I called him multiple times to help fix it. He ignored my calls for some time, finally getting back to me saying he had high crew turnover and couldn't help. I kept checking in regularly, but he never got back to me all winter. We had to deal with these cold temps - including our young children. If we did not have a mild winter, I'm pretty sure the pipes would have froze. Finally, in MARCH, after my consistent outreach, his assistant got back to me and said "We don't geothermal work anymore." and suggested a firm with a bad reputation. I was left hung out to dry... As a bonus, early on I noticed my electric usage went up by 50% since he installed the unit. He had no explanation as to why and did not attempt to resolve it. This has cost me additional thousands of dollars. I called in another company who does geothermal work to take a look. Here is what they found: - The geo tank was designed for radiant heat, which I do not have. The tank installed could really only support the system calling for a water temp of 105. Well, given it needed to be higher because it was not radiant (120+) that put huge demands on the main unit, which is the reason it died. And probably partially explains the increased electric usage. - The reason the tank corroded (and it happened again, which I had to pay for myself), was because there was air in the line. A valve should have been installed to release the air. - The airhandler he installed was too big (and I probably spent too much as a result) given the number of outlets. - The pipes were not the right size. He did not install them, but should have known. I could spend $46K more to fix all of this, and it still wouldn't work right or go with a gas system. I'm doing the latter - $40K more I have to spend! This entire thing is still a nightmare. I have asked Mike for a refund and he has ignored me. Seems to me if he got out of the business he must of known it was not a strong area for him, so why have me spend all of that money to try to fix it? Why didn’t he suggest another type of system? And to ignore me the way he did leaving us stuck with marginal heating over the winter was a disgrace. Absolutely terrible service on top of an incorrect installation. Though he does not do geothermal work anymore, I’m not sure you’d want to use him for anything given how he has treated me.