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Watch for a sale. Big box stores often have deals that include free installation and free haul-away of the old water heater. We got ours from Home Depot about 2 years ago. Free installation and haul-away included, plus good financing options. Haven't had a problem with it.
maybe you could give us one example of why those are better. HD and Lowe's have sold millions of them, and I don't see any complaints on this board and/or class action law suits. Haven't heard of any house fires either. Let me guess..you drive a GM Auto?
Because if you buy it yourself some contractor can't charge you twice what he paid for it and 6 or 700 to install it.
Since city-data is more open to dissenting opinions I can state; In MY opinion 60% of contractors are scam artists with a license.
I don't think they (the dishonest ones) were born thieves, but I think they get to a point where they have to rob Peter, to pay Paul. A number of them have had very expensive substance abuse problems, a number have very expensive marriages or girlfriends, many are uneducated and/or horrible with finance. Great chefs' restaurants fail all the time. That is because it is more about financial management than cooking. Same is true in contracting. And you can add to that the large numbers that were ruined during this crash.
I don't think they (the dishonest ones) were born thieves, but I think they get to a point where they have to rob Peter, to pay Paul. A number of them have had very expensive substance abuse problems, a number have very expensive marriages or girlfriends, many are uneducated and/or horrible with finance. Great chefs' restaurants fail all the time. That is because it is more about financial management than cooking. Same is true in contracting. And you can add to that the large numbers that were ruined during this crash.
I believe if you do good work at a fair price you will have more work than time to do it, instead of gouging each customer and not think about referrals or repeat business.
I believe if you do good work at a fair price you will have more work than time to do it, instead of gouging each customer and not think about referrals or repeat business.
I agree. For those that "screw" their customers, don't they realize the potential business they are going to lose?
Most people ask friends who to call when they need a service like this.
Do they really want their customer to tell their friends: "Well, whatever you do.....DON'T call So and So."
I will repeat this again: AVOID water heaters sold at big-box stores. Their quality is horrible. Instead, call some local plumbers and have them install for you either a Bradford White or Rheem unit ONLY. No exceptions.
I took your advice and called a local plumber for either a BW or Rheem.
The price between those and the Kenmore I was looking for were pretty much the same.
I asked for 50gal - 40,000 btu and instead I was given a 50gal - 38,000 btu.
Before the install I caught that is was a 38btu and not 40 like I asked.
The plumber told me that Rheem revamped their rating and that a new 38,000 btu is equivalent to an old Rheem 40,000 btu.
My old water heater was a BW 40,000 btu and supposedly this new Rheem at 38,000 btu is the same as the old BW.
He said I wasn't the first to catch that and past customers have asked about that as well and each time he tells them about the revamping of the Rheem rating.
Any truth to that? I tried to do a search and didn't find anything.
I took your advice and called a local plumber for either a BW or Rheem.
The price between those and the Kenmore I was looking for were pretty much the same.
I asked for 50gal - 40,000 btu and instead I was given a 50gal - 38,000 btu.
Before the install I caught that is was a 38btu and not 40 like I asked.
The plumber told me that Rheem revamped their rating and that a new 38,000 btu is equivalent to an old Rheem 40,000 btu.
My old water heater was a BW 40,000 btu and supposedly this new Rheem at 38,000 btu is the same as the old BW.
He said I wasn't the first to catch that and past customers have asked about that as well and each time he tells them about the revamping of the Rheem rating.
Any truth to that? I tried to do a search and didn't find anything.
Sounds pretty fishy to me. An output rating is just what it says output. If the new model has a lower rating it outputs less, unless the previous stated output was incorrect. I would contact Rheen for the stright skinny
Last edited by whirnot; 12-12-2011 at 08:47 PM..
Reason: addition
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