Water Heater Replacement: 2010
Yesterday, I discovered a leak in our State 50-gallon gas water heater, and made arrangements for a new one to be installed today. Details of that effort follow:
09:00 AM: The first of two technicians arrived. He started the process of draining the old tank. We’ll call him Tech Guy #1. The premature failure of this unit surprised him but he says that six years life is not unheard of for tanks in very hard water environments, as ours is.
10:00 AM: The second technician arrived. We’ll call him Tech Guy #2.
10:15 AM: The two of them finished draining the old tank; hauling it out through the east poarch access portal. I helped Tech Guy #1 lift it to the opening, where Tech Guy #2 outside grabbed it and helped guide and pull it the rest of the way.
11:00 AM: They inspected the chimney exhaust openings and decided that they’ll have to chisel out the one they’ll use a little. At first, they were concerned, as they could not see daylight shining down through from the top of the chimney. But I put a mirror into the opening and saw a good bit of blue sky reflect back.
11:45 AM: They placed the new tank into position. However, since it has 1” pipe connections for the water, and the old tank had 3/4” fittings, Tech Guy #2 must go to the hardware store to get the bigger pieces during his lunch break. He also needs some additional black iron 1/2” pipe for the gas, since the new tank must be positioned differently than what was here. Tech Guy #1 left as the rest of the job can be performed by one person.
01:00 PM: Tech Guy #2 returned with the needed supplies, and immediately set to work.
01:45 PM: Tech Guy #2 was surprised that our humidifier had previously been connected to the hot water supply instead of the cold supply. He wondered why I had done this. I explained that I’d researched the subject of water evaporation, and found that the warmer water is, the more it evaporates. So it follows that the warmer the water injected into the humidifier, the more water vapor one can expect to get out. Also, I related the story of the humidifier at my Copper Creek Court house, which had originally been connected to a cold water feed. However, it did not appreciably raise the humidity until I moved its saddle valve over to the hot feed. Then, it started RAINING in my house. 
I think he, the plumber, learned something from me, the layman, today.
02:00 PM: All water connections made, and filling is under way. While that’s going on, Tech Guy #2 hooked up the gas line and performed the masonry modifications to the chimney to accommodate the bigger exhaust pipe.
02:45 PM: Tech Guy #2 finished cutting the piping for the exhaust, installed the pipe, applied a few sheet metal screws to tightly secure it, and then sprayed that quickly-hardening foam around where the exhaust pipe exists from the basement into the chimney. Normally he uses furnace cement for this but felt that the foam would seal equally as well, and with lest invested time.
03:00 PM: Installation complete. He lit the burner just now.
03:30 PM: He recorded the model and serial numbers of the new heater.
04:00 PM: Tech Guy #2 departed. The water is getting warmer as of this writing, and still appears rusty. So I’m in the process of flushing the system now. I’ll just let the hot water run until it clears. His company will bill me in the coming weeks for the work.
04:15 PM: Water is still cloudy. Flushing continues. Also, priming my circulating pump for the instant hot water proved a bit difficult because there was just SO much air left in the water lines after near-completely draining them as we drained the old tank. So to prime, I ran the circulater at full power, opened all bypass valves (two of them), and then drew hot water from the bath tub. After five or ten minutes, that strang gurgling noise coming from the circulating pump disappeared and it resumed its normal purring sound. So I ramped down the supply voltage from 110 volts to 70 volts. It’s working great now.
05:30 PM: Flushing operation done. The hot water now appears about as clear as the cold. So I’ll rely on subsequent hot water use in showers and laundry to rinse out whatever rust and other debris remains in the water lines.
07:45 PM: I stepped out for a couple hours and when I returned to find that the tank had finished the heating cycle, and the burner had shut off some time earlier, as the exhaust pipe was bone cold. The water is hot, and everything appears to be functioning as it should.
September 22nd, 2010 at 5:44 pm
01:00 PM: I heard a knock at the door. Tech Guy #2 from the water heater installation project, asking me to speak truthfully about him to his company. He told me that they thought he took too long here, and so, they fired him! But he was conscientious, careful, and did not doddle. I’m glad he stayed until finishing this job! Yep. Now I recall my acquired distaste for working for a boss, and will help this guy if I can. I liked him.
05:00 PM: I tried calling the company several times this afternoon but could not get a live person. I’ll try tomorrow. I feel badly for him too because he has a child and wife, and he just started this job a month ago. It’s sad to see someone fired for taking their time to do quality work. Corporations. I hate ‘em! That’s said in jest, but not fully.
September 23rd, 2010 at 8:20 am
I talked with one of the bosses this morning and sang Tech Guy #2′s praises to them. However, they said that he was not fired for work or performance issues, and of course they could not reveal why they actually did let him go. Nonetheless, I kept the boss on the phone for nearly ten minutes, while I enumerated every good trait about the plumber that I could speak truthfully on. They listened and thanked me profusely for my feedback; though I have low hopes that they’ll rehire him based on my comments. Oh well, at least I tried the best I could. It’s up to destiny to help him now I think.
October 13th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
01:20 PM: Wooo baby! Got the bill for the new water heater today. $2500 total, including the heater itself (which was $1500), and the parts and labor (which added another $1000 to the tally). Man! This thing better last 20 years. Wow! I feel drunk.
01:27 PM: Our new heater is a 75-gallon gas unit. The warranty issue is still pending (the old one is still under warranty). I’m gong to call presently and ask about it.
01:40 PM: Looks like they gave me a pretty competitive price on the heater. You can get something similar at Amazon for a few hundred dollars less. But you have to pay for 350 pounds of shipping charges, which no doubt more than makes up that price differential. Checking the labor costs now…
02:13 PM: This plumbing contractor was able to retrieve our purchase records for the 2004 water heater. They THINK it’s covered, but are investigating. Hopefully they’ll have some good news shortly because I’m ready to sober up.
02:35 PM: Yes, I probably should have followed your example [Brandon], and checked around a little more. But we were kind of in an emergency situation with the old tank leaking a fast trickle. Plus, the company that completed the 2004 work seemed to do… a good job for a decent price back then. So, in a pinch, I went with them again.
It appears that 75 gallon tanks cost significantly more than the 50s. But I must admit, I wasn’t expecting THAT much more.
Another wrinkle in all this is that they had to increase the size of the exhaust hole in the chimney from 3” to 4”, and that added close to two hours of labor ($150); not to mention the cost of the new, bigger pipe and fittings. Oh well. I’m near 50 years old but still learning. 
03:36 PM: Warranty coverage just got complicated. Because the original water heater (a State heater) was not replaced with another State, the only thing State will do is to buy out the warranty on my old unit. But since that warranty was within day…s of expiring, I don’t think they’ll pay very much (< $100). On the other hand, If the faulty heater had been replaced with another State unit, the entire cost of the new heater (minus labor costs) would have been covered. Grrrrrrr.
The contractor is investigating why the plumbers did not install a State unit for me, and he’s going to talk to his boss (who manages refunds, discounts, and such), and see if they can shave some dollars off this bill. I made an impassioned plea for them to do so.
07:38 PM: No I didn’t get estimates. I know. I should have. Go ahead and scold me. But the company who did the work came highly recommended, and they’ve done work for us before, for a reasonable price. This may not be their final price though. I talked with them today and they may be able to lower it a bit. The big part of the cost is the expensive heater I bought. Their price for this Bradford White unit was pretty reasonable actually, compared with Internet vendors. But their parts and labor costs were a bit steep, and I did discover several points of negotiation in their bill. They seemed willing to talk today. So they may give me a good discount. Stay tuned for what happens next.
October 18th, 2010 at 10:16 am
10:15 AM: Today, I offered to settle the water heater replacement bill for $1500, and the contractor is considering it. Why? Not only was the warranty on the replaced water heater not properly executed, but inspection of the contractor’s invoice shows several excessive charges. Let’s see. They levied a higher-than-usual price for the new heater (several hundred dollars more in fact than what it’s available for on the Internet (and that’s with free shipping too)). They also charged extra for unused copper tubing (90 feet of it). They billed for gas pipe fittings that I actually had here already, which I had offered up to the plumber. But he declined using my materials; though my fittings looked just like his. Finally, they used two 1” threaded to 3/4” sweat copper adapters to connect the house plumbing to the new water heater. For these, they charged $22.50 each. But they’re available online for $2. Yep. You gotta keep an eye on sellers; even if they’re your friends.
October 21st, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Today, I wrote the contractor this letter:
From: Me.
To: Them.
Dear account specialists:
Last week, I received your October 6th, 2010 invoice for the recent replacement and upgrade of a faulty water heater here at my residence, from a 50 to a 75 gallon unit.
The unit works very well and I’m pleased with the work performed. However, I’d like to dispute some of the charges on the invoice as follows:
• I’ve been charged for hardware that was not actually used in the job (90 feet of ¾’’ copper pipe) (approximately $50).
• The then in-effect warranty for the State water heater they replaced on September 21st, 2010 was not honored, as there’s no credit for this showing on the invoice. In fact, the warranty was a big reason I asked McCarl’s to do this work, as they were the ones who installed the failed unit back in 2004.
• Also, I find higher-than-usual prices for some of the hardware that was supplied. E.g. $18 for ONE #8 sheet metal screw for anchoring the exhaust pipe, and $45 for two 1” threaded female to 3/4” sweat fittings, that can be purchased locally for about a fifth of that price).
• I’m also concerned that I was charged for gas pipe and fittings which I already had here and which, I offered to the senior plumber. But he declined them. I’d like to offer you similar fittings for credit in the amount that you charged me for them.
I’ve called the manufacturer of the failed water heater (State), and they verified that upon the replacement date, the unit was still under warranty.
I’m looking to negotiate a fair price for all.
I’ve called you several times since receipt of the above invoice to discuss further, and I did speak a few times with the service manager there. But unfortunately, the folks who have the power to adjust invoices have not been available, and they have not as of yet, contacted me, though the service manager said that he did forward my complaint to them.
So, can you have someone who is authorized to negotiate a final pay-off price get in touch with me at your earliest convenience?
Thanks very much.
October 25th, 2010 at 8:33 am
11:30 AM: Sent the above letter, certified mail, to the contractor.
October 28th, 2010 at 10:14 am
The receipt for the certified letter came back to me. They’ve received it, for sure.
February 15th, 2011 at 9:34 am
10:30 AM: Our lawyer returned my call from yesterday. All things considered given Mom’s situation, he feels that it’s best that I just pay off the plumbers for last fall’s new water heater installation. He thinks I could win the case, particularly since the old water heater was under warranty and that warranty was not honored in the original invoice; both points easily proven. But since the disputed amount is only perhaps $600, I’d have very little of that left once all the legal fees are paid. So, as much as I hate to do this, I’ll pay the damn bill received minus the interest charges they tacked on. I believe their failure to communicate with me to resolve the issue amicably is a terribly bad way to do business, and so I’ll certainly never do business with this company again and will advise my friends to avoid them as well. But sometimes you get the bear and at other times, the bear gets you. Well, the bear got me this time, and I’ll certainly NEVER contract work again without knowing precisely how much it will cost upfront.
February 25th, 2011 at 6:37 pm
Water heater update: The vendor credited me for disputed hardware and all interest charges. But they claim that they’re not responsible for honoring the warranty for the replaced heater because the manufacturer of that unit no longer deals in this area. Our lawyer says I could win but that it’s not worth it. So I’ll pay the ?*-.:s!, but never do business with them again. I’m relieved that this is over.
Moral: Install new water heaters yourself.