u/mjbonness

UPDATE: It sounds like the manufacturer is likely responsible for some of these issues (the warped back liner panel and the wrong size baffle), while the dealer/installer is likely responsible for at least some of them (crucially, fastening the warped back liner panel to the unit's back with a screw and causing the resulting chips.) Still, very disappointing.

[Original post:]

I'm a homeowner and recently purchased a Mendota gas insert from an authorized dealer. Mendota's fireplaces are marketed as superior products. But the issues I've encountered with the unit I received -- including some shoddy workmanship and multiple quality assurance misses -- leave me seriously concerned with Mendota's quality.

I purchased an FV44i direct vent gas insert with the "full view" "premium fiber oak" log set and porcelain reflective liner, totaling more than than $10,000 with the liner kit, surround, sales tax, and shipping fees (but excluding installation). When the dealer initially installed it, we immediately noticed the following defect:

• Chipped Side Liner Panel: The front edge of the side liner panel, right up against the glass, had a 1- or 1.5-inch long chip in the porcelain finish. See photo.

When the dealer returned to replace that side panel, we discovered the following issues:

• Warped Back Liner Panel: The back liner panel was warped. (I don't have a photo of this.) This is significant because the back panel is intended to sit flush against the back of the unit's interior, providing adequate room for the side panels, which also sit up against the glass front.
• Two Chips in the Back Liner Panel: There were two roughly dime-sized chips in the porcelain finish of the back liner panel, in opposite corners. See photo. One was hidden by the adjacent side panel, and one was visible, but obscured by the logs.
• Screw Through Back Liner Panel and Back of Unit: At least one of those chips in the back liner panel was (and likely both were) caused by a screw that someone had shot through the panel and through the back of the unit, in order to force the panel to sit flush against the back of the unit. See photo of the resulting screw hole in the unit's back. ...It looks like they made two attempts at fastening the back liner panel like this. I have confirmed with the manufacturer that the back panel is designed to merely sit against the back of the unit; not to be screwed to it.
• Wrong Thickness Baffle: Additionally, the dealer discovered that the baffle panel that was shipped with the unit was the wrong thickness. It was something like 3/4 of an inch, but it should have been something like 5/8 of an inch. This is not just a tolerance issue. Instead, there are two different baffle part numbers. They are very similar, but slightly different thicknesses. And that difference is significant because the thicker baffle was crushed during the initial installation and was somewhat broken and flaking. (I don't have a photo of this.)

That Mendota shipped this unit without QA spotting the chip in the side panel is disappointing. It's also disappointing that whoever picked parts grabbed the wrong thickness baffle. But the decisions to (1) use a warped back panel, (2) force it into place by shooting a screw through the back of the unit, and then (3) ship the unit with the resulting chips in the porcelain finish are simply unacceptable.

Has anyone else noticed these sorts of manufacturing issues or QA misses with Mendota? When did you discover them? Did your dealer and/or Mendota cover them under warranty?