A Costly and Frustrating Experience
A Costly and Frustrating Experience
We selected INNOVA's HRA-I SLIM systems for our holiday home project NALA VILLAGE in Zutphen, the Netherlands, where approximately 100 holiday homes are being developed.
Before purchasing the units, we travelled to INNOVA's factory in Italy and presented the entire project, including floor plans and specifications. During meetings with Alberto, Stefano and Beniamino, we specifically discussed the climate requirements of our homes. We were repeatedly assured that installing two HRA-I SLIM units per house (2x 200 in the ZEN model and 2x 300 in the BLISS model) would be more than sufficient to provide excellent ventilation, cooling and heating.
Based on those assurances, we moved forward.
From the moment the first systems were commissioned, problems started.
The cooling did not work properly. The heating did not work properly. The ventilation performance was poor. What was marketed as a high-end plug-and-play solution simply failed to deliver.
What followed can only be described as months of frustration.
First, I was told the problem was related to the M7 controllers. New controllers were ordered and installed. Since then, I have replaced 28 M7 controllers. Apparently, this was not an isolated issue. Even the replacement controllers only partially solved the problems.
Over the months, I spent countless hours exchanging emails, making site visits, testing settings, replacing components, changing parameters and performing diagnostics. Every time one explanation was eliminated, another excuse appeared.
"If only you had this measuring device."
"If only you had another laptop."
"If only you had a different cable."
"If only you changed these settings."
Then, three months later, you discover those settings were wrong and need to be changed again.
In total, I have invested well over 100 hours of support, troubleshooting, travel and diagnostics into systems that were sold as "plug-and-play".
The most unacceptable part came later when INNOVA's technical support suggested that the systems were not really designed for this type of dwelling.
Really?
Because before we purchased them, the complete project was reviewed by INNOVA and we were explicitly told they were the right solution.
Today I am left with expensive systems that still do not perform as promised, a significant financial loss, unhappy customers, and hundreds of hours of wasted time.
As long as the invoice is paid, everything seems to be your problem, not theirs.
Huge amount of time lost.
Significant additional costs.
Repeated controller failures.
Endless troubleshooting.
Poor ownership of the problems.
Promises made during the sales phase that were later contradicted.
If you are looking for a reliable plug-and-play climate solution, look elsewhere.
For us, this has been an extremely expensive mistake which continues to cost money long after the systems were installed.
1 star is generous.
Reply from Innova
Dear Cedric
My truth is, you came to INNOVA to have technical training on some products (not HRA-I SLIM), and you got information on all the ranges.
We never approved the use of HRA-I SLIM for your project, as we never shared complete and exhaustive details of it – the choice of the product and the project were made only and exclusively by you without our concrete contribution and approval.
The mess that happened with replacement of controls, has nothing to do with the wrong choice of the product, that was never approved by us.
Our Dutch importer just visited the site and I sent you the recording he made, which clearly shows a crazy situation in ductwork, that would make any product, even if correctly chosen, work poorly.
Once you will streamline installation we are available to give any help requested, having well clarified and confirmed that the choice of the product was your decision without any endorsement from us.
I am available for any clarification.
Gianandrea Masserdotti /INNOVA Sales Director