Straight from the City:
The technician noted that the ITM needs to be replaced. The ITM (Intelligent Touch Manager) is the software that is used to run the unit. The cost to replace is $6,378, not including labor. Labor is estimated at $2,000. The software only has a one-year warranty.
[What wait wait wait….a ONE YEAR warranty on SOFTWARE?? There are no moving parts on software. It’s not a transmission. It’s not an engine. It’s a few dozen lines of code, probably: IF it gets hot, THEN turn on unit! What the fuck?!? There shouldn’t be a need for a “warranty” at all, and if there IS, it should be a HELL of a lot longer than one year! And the LABOR to ‘fix’ this software is $2,000? Get the fuck out of here with that face rape. Even at the ludicrous rate of $200 per hour there is no way in hell it takes 10 hours to “fix” the software. Fucking Tesla does over-the-air updates, for crying out loud.
So basically, some moron (likely Finley himself) was told by these AC shitbirds back in 2019: “hey man, this software kicks ass and is super complicated with many bells and whistles you will never need or use. But we only guarantee it for a year. If it shits the bed in 13 months, you owe us $8,400 to fix it.” Is that about right?? Only a COMPLETE MORON would agree to such a deal. Hey, since Finley still works for the City in his secret project manager capacity, maybe someone on City council should ask him who signed off on such an ass raping. I’d love to know.]
The ground level system is showing to possibly have a refrigerant leak which would require a leak search. The quote for a leak search on a system of this size would be $9,400 as it would require 2 technicians for a full day plus drive time and up to 100 lbs. of refrigerant. Upon service there is no guarantee that there would not be additional costs associated with findings from leak search. The service supervisor cannot guarantee there will not be other issues with the air handler or condenser, etc. in the future.
We do have a 10-year parts warranty that does not include labor or refrigerant. The unit itself is 7 years old; typically, commercial systems last 10-15 years.
[Pardon my interruption again here, but I remember this monstrosity being completed in late-2019 with the dedication in December of 2019 – which isn’t even SIX years, by my math. Ten years of useful service is ridiculous. Durable goods should last 15 to 20 years – we aren’t sitting on the ocean getting sprayed with salt air, or anything. Again, somebody failed to do their homework on the HVAC. Finley? Talbert? The foreman? Fuck if I know. But when I built MY house, I researched all of this thoroughly, as a sane person would do. The less bells and whistles, the better.]
Staff has worked with John Stokes, All Seasons to validate findings and to look into possible alternatives. He has spoken with several Daikin suppliers and met onsite to look at the system. At the present time, VRF Services is the sole provider available to make the necessary repairs due to the complexity of the unit; specifically, the software,changes in freon (from R-410A to R-32) and replacement units not being available until the end of 2025.
[Nobody thought about this when the monstrosity was built, apparently. “Oh, it’s super complex, only one company repairs them and they’re in Austin? With a shitty warranty? Sign us up!]
Mr. Stokes recommends that once the equipment is out of warranty, the city install a new unit without the software so that the units can run independently from each other with a more simplified approach for future repairs.
With the initial service bill of $2,418.75 and the estimated costs to repair, the overall is estimated at $20,196.75.
Ah yes! “More simplified!” – makes sense. What DOESN’T make sense is why you’d buy this in the first place. Unless, of course, the entire project was initially run by retards like Talbert who have the attitude of “spare no expense” since it isn’t their money. I’m wondering why they didn’t give this job to Stokes and Four Seasons in the first place. You know, “keep it local” and simple.
A ten-year warranty is decent, I suppose. What ISN’T decent is the decision by someone (we’ll never know who) to go with a fancy, complicated, ‘intelligent’ software-addled air handler which seems to have only ONE company that knows how to fix it. LOL. Typical City council.
P.S. – according to Google “Daikin are expensive because of their technological complexity and reliability.
LOL. Ummmm….breaking down at 5.5 years is not “reliability,” you half wits. So the city paid up for “reliability” and “technological advance” and didn’t get either.
P.P.S. – The INITIAL budget for the “new City council chambers” back in 2015 was under $400,000. I think it was $375,000, if memory serves. They ended up blowing $1.5 MILLION on the damn thing. Stupid shit like this $8,400 “smart software” that actually sucks ass is how they did it.