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Hinch tackles Brivis horror stories

Posted by: By Derryn Hinch, 3AW Drive | 14 January, 2009 - 1:31 PM

With the temperature today hovering close to 40 degrees – around 100 on the old gauge most fortunate people will have turned on the air conditioner for a bit of cool relief.

Or the fan or the water-cooled system. But not if you are the owner of one brand. A Brivis. Specifically a Brivis Evaporative Cooler. Manufactured here in Victoria at Braeside.

Brivis had a recall last month. And that can happen to any product. And they acted properly. Saying things like:

Brivis Evaporative Coolers

Date: 12/12/2008

Supplier Name: Brivis Australia Pty Ltd

Product Info: The Evaporative Coolers are manufactured in Braeside, Victoria and are primarily used in residential homes for cooling. They consist of cooling pads, an axial fan and motor assembly, a control box, pump and solenoid valve mounted on a metal chassis with a plastic cabinet exterior which is mounted on top of a roof. These units use water stored in the base of the unit which is pumped into a distribution system within the unit's roof that directs the water to the cooling pads through which air is drawn and cooled. This air then passes into a system of ducts within the roof space to provide cooling. The units were sold in Australia from 1 August 2001 to 31 October 2003. The affected units are Brivis Contour Evaporative Cooler and Brivis Profiler Evaporative Cooler serial numbers447638 to 559848.

Defect Details: Brivis has identified a potential defect in the supply fan motor starting device of some of its evaporative cooler units. The starting device in these units may fail and, in rare cases, property damage and/or personal injury could result.

Consumer action: If you had a Brivis evaporative cooler installed in your premises between 1 August 2001 and 31 October 2003 please stop operating the unit and contact Brivis at 1800 754 553 or visit the dedicated recall website at http://www.briviscoolerrework.com.au so that Brivis can make arrangements to carry out the desired work free of charge.

Market Coverage: National

Recall Coverage: National

But that's where the good corporate stuff ends. When they say 'The starting device in these units may fail and, in rare cases, property damage and/or personal injury could result'. They mean it could burst into flames – and it could burn you, or if you are out and it is left on, burn your house down.

Now that recall notice went out on December 12. One month ago. Some people, many people, still haven't had their units fixed or replaced. And you have to ask what the hell is going on here when people – especially older people, sick people, desperately need relief.

3AW.com.au note: The 'Last' link below does not work, please click on each individual page link or 'Next' only. The latest comments appear last in this blog.

Blog comments

They came to fix the heater 2 months ago, a bill per month is $500 now!!! THE MOST EFFICIENT GAS HEATING!!! I have called service, they have told me that 23'C is too high and I need to lover down to 21'C and see. We keep it at 17'C when we at work and put up to 23'C after 6PM when we get back. THIS IS THE WORSE COMPANY AROUND!!!

Mark Friday 20 August, 2010 - 6:32 PM
We had a Brivis unit installed into our Burbank new home approximately 10 months ago about september 2009 by a firm called Dandy air. While the house was still under construction in Novenber 2009 the unit blew off the roof and finished up scatterd across the street. The unit was replaced but in August 2010 the unit was blown off again.I contacted the brivis installers and they did not want to have anything to do with it saying that it was an act of god and to contact our house insurance. I also contacted Brivis and they said that they were manufacturers only and had nothing to do with the installation and did not want to know about it. Around March 2010 Brivis instructed their installers to carry out a modification involving 4 screws which made the unit much more stable because the unit was prone to being blown off during strong winds.When i contacted our insurance i was told that there was a $500 excess which i would have to pay thru no fault of my own.Still no interest by Brivis or the installers (Dandy air). Pretty lousy customer service i think and i would not recommend either of them.

Ray Greenaway Monday 16 August, 2010 - 3:25 PM
My company repairs Evaps & we have carried out warranty work for Brivis.

Brivis contours have various problems & communication between the NE6 (PCB in Evap)to the networker (Wall Control).

If the parameters within the Ne6 are not set correctly by the installer or repairer the fill times will overfill the unit. Especially if the water sensor has not been cleaned yearly or the front of the base tank has sagged.

Most repairs are carried out by people that just change components until they get it going.

Evaps of all brands are used incorrectly and should be set to manual not auto as auto cycles the pump on and off.

The fan speed while in cool normally should not exceed halfway and as the day gets hotter should have the fan speed progressively slowed down.

Slowing down the fan is to compensate for the drying effect of the sun on the pad as the day gets hotter.

When your evap finally dies by a Breezair or Braemar they have a far better water management system and quieter fans.

When most repairs are carried out in or out of warranty you are supposed to be issued a certificate of compliance, plumbing or electrical depending on the job. Therefore the person doing the job has to be a licenced tradesman and insured.

stephen Friday 2 July, 2010 - 1:02 AM
have several customers with brivis contours which have overflowed (over outside of unit) onto roof. solinoid spontaneously opens or just does not shut when cooler is activated in cool mode. have tried replacing solinoid, controller and probe in successive visits; have also tried using pressure limit valve in mains line + anti hammer devise; so far no long term result achieved. any one with anouther suggestion? would be grateful as we veiw our customers satisfaction as paramount.... chris

chris Saturday 13 March, 2010 - 11:43 PM
my brivis evaporative air-con is dumping 6 litres of water per minute when on and seems excessive? technician has replaced snorkel and found fault in N-E6. Also replaced. Why is so much water coming out?

liselle Sunday 28 February, 2010 - 4:50 PM
Just found out mine is on recall list. Only problem is it's 21/2/10 and it was purchased and installed on the 25/1/02 by Mannix.I would of thought I should of been notified.

Mark B Sunday 21 February, 2010 - 7:41 PM