Five On Your Side Helps Cool Home Heating Problem

Why worry about your heating system during the summer? Debbie and Albert Sanders have been trying to get their heating system fixed since last winter.

"It would cut off sometime during the night. I'm the first one up and it is cold," Debbie Sanders said.

The fix was simple, but a big hassle.

Albert Sanders said he all he had to do was take the fuse out and put it back in.The heater restarted -- until the next time.

"It was definitely a pain," he said of the brand new unit.

The Sanders paid Central Aire in Clayton almost $2,200 for the system in July 2002. The gas pack cooled fine. They said the problems did not start until they needed heat.

The unit was still under warranty, so Debbie Sanders called Central Aire. She got a recording referring her to Piedmont Metro Aire Serve.

Aire Serve sent a technician who had owned Central Aire and installed the Sanders system, but later sold the company to Aire Serve. After repeated calls and adjustments, the system still was not fixed.

When a different technician came out, Debbie Sanders said she was told the system had serious installation problems.

"I couldn't believe it, but I didn't think we'd have any trouble getting it fixed," she said.

When the couple never heard back from Aire Serve, they called Five On Your Side for help.

Owner Robert Truelove told Five On Your Side his company "only bought Central Aire's phone numbers" and is not responsible for its customers.

"If Aire Serve serve wasn't responsible, why couldn't he return a phone call and tell us that? Why did I have to go through all of this?" Debbie Sanders asked.

Truelove agreed to fix the problem, which has Sanders feeling a lot cooler.

"We paid for it to be right, so I want it to be right," she said.

The Sanders had state inspectors look at the repair work and said they gave it their "OK."

Before making a major purchase, like a heating unit, make sure the company has been around for a while. If the company goes out of business, the warranty is not worth much.