My 40 gallon hot water tank has failed and needs to be replaced. The hot water tank itself is being replaced under warranty. The questions that I have is regarding the non-covered charges that the plumber is saying is necessary to replace the tank. The tank and all related equipment is 12 years old. He stated that the current expansion tank should be replaced, because someone wouldn’t "replace a cars engine without replacing the radiator" and he would like to charge 5 for parts and labor. Dielectric connectors have to be installed due to code and he wants to change 1 for those. The current tank is on a stand that was built when the house was build and is made of 2×6 with a 3/4" plywood top. He stated that it should be replaced because the plywood on top got wet and probably wouldn’t hold if it got wet again. Instead of replacing the top piece of wood with wood, he wants to remove that stand and install a steel stand and wants to charge another for that. To sum it up, here’s the charges:
Expansion Tank – 5
Dielectric Connectors – 1
Steel Stand –
Total Parts and Labor Costs = 1
Here’s the pricing I see at Home Depot:
Expansion Tank – .77
Dielectric Connectors – .27 X 2 = .54
Steel Stand – .17
Total Parts Cost = .48
He’s already being paid for the warranty work to remove the old tank and put the new one in, the installation of these items should take no more than 1 extra hour to complete and that’s being generous.
Does it seem like this plumber is trying to overcharge for these items to make up for any difference in payment for the warranty work that he is contracted to complete?
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
You are allowed to supply your own parts, if you want to go to Home Depot and get the parts then he has to put them in and you will only get charged for the labor. Just make sure your there when he comes, that way he doesn’t try to charge your for a whole bunch of labor. Good luck!
It sounds like what most " home improvement type " companies do as standard operating procedure.
Plumbers specialize in this type of bill padding.The plumbing companies actually teach their plumbers how to do this padding and fully expect them to do if they want to keep their job.
just tell him you cant afford it ,and to just to install the heater.
I think you should call the water heater company and tell them you want them to send out Honest installer.
send him away.
they continue to do it because most people are intimidated or ? and just go along with the gouging .
Don’t let him do it. He is screwing you good.
DEAR, "IT’S A ‘TANKLESS’ WORLD"
MOST CONTRACTORS THAT DO WARRENTY WORK LIKE YOU DESCRIBE HAVE A PRENEGOATED PRICE FROM THE MANUFACTER. ANY "NOT COVERED<by the warrentee>WORK" ALMOST ALWAYS INVOLVES EXTRA LABOR AND/OR CHARGES—-HOWEVER—IT SEEMS YOU ARE BEING BOTH BULLIED AND RIPPED OFF AND (POSSIBLY) BEING LIED TO. THE MAIN REASON TO REPLACE A (TANK TYPE) WATER HEATER IS BECAUSE THE TANK ROTTED OUT, YES EVEN THAT CAN BE REPAIRED BUT THE COST TO DO THAT REPAIR IS MORE COSTLY THEN A NEW WATER HEATER ( even if you happened to own your own welding shop you’d most likely trash the old unit)
"BULLIED": YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT DONE /BY ME(after all I’m here) ect. no you do not, DO YOU KNOW THIS PERSON??HAVE A DEEP MEANINGFULL TRUST RELATIONSHIP??? JUST BECAUSE HE/SHE SAYS SO, YOU DO NOT(REPEAT: DO NOT) HAVE TO USE HIM/HER, THIS APPLYS TO EVERY "SERVENT" TYPE SITUATION FROM PLUMBER TO TEACHER TO DOCTORS!!
"RIPPED OFF" :YOU ALREADY CHECKED THE ‘MATERIAL’ PRICES AND EST. IT WILL TAKE A EXTRA HOUR, EVEN IF YOU ARE 400% WRONG IN YOUR GUESS AS 2 LABOR, THOSE FIGURES (at the 400% wrong hours) STILL TOPS $100.00 AN HOUR (even union plumbers in New Jersey don’t get paid THAT much on average)
"LIED TO": TWO THINGS STRUCK ME AS ‘CURIOUS’ 1) ‘THE EXPANSHION TANK’ JUST HAPPENED 2 ‘GO’ TOO? (VERY RARE) 2) "THE PLYWOOD STAND": IT GOT WET (1 time??) and NEEDS TO GO (very unlikely) AN BE REPLACED WITH A STEEL STAND (doesn’t steel rust??) 1st OF ALL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH A WOODEN BASE SUPPORTING A (gas fired?) WATER HEATER?? DONT THEY HAVE BRICKS/BAGGED CONCRETE IN YOUR AREA???? ANY WAY , THAT IS WHY I THINK YOU ARE BEING FEED "SPIN"
‘POSSIBLE SOLUTION" LOOK IN YOUR ‘YELLOW’ PAGES AND PICK 2 LOCAL PLUMBING FIRMS AND GET ESTIMATES, ALSO GET A EST. FROM SOMEONE ADVERTISING IN YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER. YOU HAVE ENOUGH INFO SO THAT A ‘ROUGH EST.’ COULD BE DONE BY PHONE (but many contractors would want to ‘eye-ball’ the job a)booby traps, b) size YOU up, ie $$$ (contractors also get ripped off by dishonest customers) c)face 2 face is harder for you 2 say ‘no’ & easy to pick up a deposit <if needed> d) pay the bulk of the money at the end of the job (when he/she-proudly- shows you everything’s in working order)
GOOD CONTRACTORS ARE LIKE FINDING A GOOD SPOUSE, WHEN YOU FIND ONE YA WANT TO KEEP EM!! SOOOOOO…LET ME ALSO SUGGEST: KEEP THAT TRADESPERSONS CARD AND RECCOMEND THEM, GIVE HIM/HER A BONUS FOR A) BEING ON TIME B) TIMELY COMPLEATION C)DOING OUTSTANDING WORK D) CUTTING CORNERS OR NOT CUTTING CORNERS (per your wishes, in some areas of the country, building inspectors are such Natzies that a contractor can be paid extra if they a) shoot em???<joke> b) keep the job quiet) GOOD LUCK AND "ANGELS ON YOUR PILLOW" STECE C FROM MAGNA OAKS