Litigation / Trial Practice A class action lawsuit filed against Goodman Global, Inc., and certain affiliated companies, alleges that central air conditioning units and heat pumps sold under the Goodman® and Amana® brands since 2007 are defective.  Evaporator coils are generally located inside a consumer’s home and they are essential to the proper functioning of any central air conditioning system or heat pump.  According to the lawsuit, Goodman and Amana central air conditioning and heat pump systems contain defective evaporator coils that improperly and prematurely leak refrigerant (a.k.a. Freon®).  Although Goodman sells these units with a warranty, that warranty is limited in a way that provides insignificant protection to owners of the units.  In particular, the Goodman warranty, by its terms, covers replacement parts, but not the labor costs associated with the replacement.  According to the lawsuit, the result is that, when a defective evaporator coil fails, Goodman provides the owner with a replacement coil, but does not pay to have the old coil removed or the replacement coil installed. 

As alleged in the lawsuit, those labor costs typically run in the hundreds of dollars, and in some cases, thousands of dollars.  The complaint also alleges that Goodman has known that its units sold since 2007 contained defective evaporator coils, but the company failed to inform consumers about the problem or issue a recall.  prices for hvac systems residentialIndeed, according to the lawsuit, Goodman continued to tout the quality of its air conditioning systems—claiming they were durable, dependable, and long lasting—even though it was aware that the defective evaporator coils would cause the units to fail prematurely and at rates far above the industry average.electrical load 5 ton ac unit The lead plaintiff in the case acquired his Goodman unit when he purchased his new house in September 2011.  stand alone ac unit for sale

According to the lawsuit, in or about July 2013, after only one summer of use, the unit stopped cooling the plaintiff’s home.  A service technician allegedly found that the unit was low on refrigerant and added four pounds of refrigerant, which immediately leaked out of the system.  After observing this, the technician determined that the evaporator coil was leaking and needed to be replaced.  To read a copy of the complaint, click here.Lennox Industries Inc. has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it manufactured and sold defective evaporator coils. If you purchased at least one uncoated copper tube Lennox Aire-Flo, Armstrong Air, AirEase, Concord or Ducane brand evaporator coil, you could be eligible for benefits from the class action settlement. The evaporator coil class action settlement will resolve allegations that Lennox manufactures and sells air conditioning and heat pump systems that contain defective evaporator coils that are susceptible to corrosion.

The plaintiffs allege the evaporator coils, which are made with copper tubing, experience a chemical reaction that causes microscopic tunnels to form and causes the coils to leak refrigerant. The Lennox evaporator coil class action lawsuit alleges Lennox knew or should have known about the evaporator coil defect, and that it should have informed customers about the defect. According to the plaintiffs, Lennox should have replaced the coils instead of the refrigerant in the unit when the evaporator coils leaked. The plaintiffs also claim that Lennox should have manufactured the evaporator coils with coated copper or aluminum tubing to decrease the risk of corrosion and leakage. Lennox denies the allegations but has agreed to settle the class action lawsuit to avoid the risk and expense of ongoing litigation. UPDATE: Beginning late March 2016, the Settlement Administrator will start notifying individuals who filed a Claim Form about their status. Class Members can visit the “Check Claim Status” page on the Settlement website to check on their claim.

Class Members of the Lennox evaporator coil settlement include “all U.S. residents who, between Oct. 29, 2007 and July 9, 2015, purchased at least one uncoated copper tube Lennox brand, Aire-Flo brand, Armstrong Air brand, AirEase brand, Concord brand, or Ducane brand evaporator coil, covered by an Original Warranty, for their personal, their family, or their household purposes, that was installed in a house, condominium unit, apartment unit, or any other residential dwelling located in the United States.” The evaporator coils may have been purchased separately, as part of an air handler, or they may have been included as part of a packaged unit. Class Members who submit timely and valid claims for the Lennox evaporator coil settlement will be eligible to receive: A one-time $75 service rebate; An aluminum tube or coated copper tube replacement coil after the first coil replacement; Up to $550 as a retroactive reimbursement for labor and refrigerant charges for the replacement of the original coil (in the event there is more than one coil replacement);

Up to $550 as reimbursement for labor and refrigerant charges for each uncoated copper tube coil replacement after the first replacement. Note: To be eligible for benefits, the Class Member must have experienced a leak that required replacement within five years after installation. Class Members must provide documentation of purchase, repair, and service dates and costs, as applicable. NOTE: If your original coil is replaced with a replacement coil within five years of the date of installation and on or after Dec. 4, 2015, you must submit a Claim Form within 60 days after the date on which the original coil was replaced. Thomas v. Lennox Industries Inc., Case No. 13-cv-07747, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Thomas v. Lennox Industries Inc. KOHN SWIFT & GRAF PC WINSTON & STRAWN LLP We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter. Email*State*selectAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingArmed Forces AmericasArmed Forces EuropeArmed Forces Pacific