Common pitfalls index
These are the recurring mistakes the install team and Con Edison flag most often. Read this list once a month.
Decommissioning pitfalls
Section titled “Decommissioning pitfalls”Quoting oil decom without the electric water heater. Every oil decom is full tank removal plus a 50 or 70 gallon electric water heater (plumber sizes at survey). Both line items must be on the order. → Oil decommissioning
Leaving 410A units in the home. Even functional 410A units must be replaced for the job to qualify. → R32 vs 410A
Forgetting the boiler-removal adder on gas decommissioning. If the homeowner wants the shell removed (Option B), the order needs the adder. → Gas boiler decommissioning
Sizing pitfalls
Section titled “Sizing pitfalls”Underselling on unit count is a red flag. Selling a 9K in every room without thinking about size is a problem. Reps should oversize before underselling. → Sizing rules
Skipping a small room with a bed. Even tiny rooms with beds need either a unit or the bed clearly removed/covered. → Room requirements
Skipping an empty room. Decently-sized livable rooms count even if no one currently sleeps there. → Room requirements
Survey pitfalls
Section titled “Survey pitfalls”Not setting the piping-cover expectation on attached homes. If the homeowner doesn’t want front-facade units, back-routing means visible piping covers inside the house. Set this expectation at the survey. → Site survey
Skipping the breaker box check. Sub-panel adders surface as change orders if not surveyed. → Electrical & sub-panel
Equipment pitfalls
Section titled “Equipment pitfalls”Selling Mitsubishi without warning the homeowner about repair times. Repairs can take 48 hours because only one specialized team services Mitsubishi. → Brand selection
Skipping the refrigerant nameplate check. Always verify whether existing units are R32 or 410A at the survey. → R32 vs 410A
Promising the homeowner they can keep their old unit before checking. Don’t commit to leaving any existing unit in place until you’ve read the nameplate. → R32 vs 410A
Electrical pitfalls
Section titled “Electrical pitfalls”Quoting without checking the breaker box. Sub-panel adders become change orders. → Electrical & sub-panel
Assuming “looks like enough space” = no sub-panel. Available slot count is necessary but not sufficient. → Electrical & sub-panel
Diagnosing old panels from memory. Fuse panels, Federal Pacific-style panels, and unfamiliar breaker boxes need photos escalated to electrical review. Don’t guess in the home. → Electrical & sub-panel
Permit / location pitfalls
Section titled “Permit / location pitfalls”Yonkers + active solar inspection = stop. If solar is pending inspection, you must pull HVAC permits before install or homeowner gets a violation. Fines $8K–$32K. → Solar interaction
Multi-family pitfalls
Section titled “Multi-family pitfalls”Not offering a common-area unit on multi-family homes. Tenants will complain about freezing hallways. Always make the offer at the sales appointment. → Common areas
Process pitfalls
Section titled “Process pitfalls”Inaccurate Newtonian layout. Forces a survey or causes change orders on install day. Get good at the layout. → Site survey, Speed-to-install