Water heater and trouble with American Home Sheild (install, plumber, natural gas)
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American Home Shield has thousand of complaints online.<>
cancel AHS. They are worthless. My mother and I both had them and it was a nightmare trying to get them to fix anything in a timely basis.
There are complaints, yes, I know. My experience has been excellent with them. The process is questionable since you initiate the call online and they send someone out to investigate the next day and they report back and the actual repair is a day later. Not ideal when the failure is your heat, eh? But then, they did fix it and it cost $100. It was not something I could have identified as the problem, and the work is guaranteed.
The $100 charge to replace an old gas water heater last Fall saved me about $2500. My house was built in 1991 and I anticipate eventual failure of the HVAC system. To me the warranty is worthwhile.
A 25 year old water heater? It's DEAD! <> A warranty on a 25 year hot water tank? Can't even imagine how much that would cost over the years....probably enough to replace the tank a couple of times.
Insurance could be replaced with a conscientious deposit into a saving account. Who is up for that?
When I needed a new water heater I simply went out and bought a new one. I had a friend that worked at a plumbing and heating outfit who told me what I needed to do it right. Something about different types of material can't be in direct contact with each other. I got the right parts and did it myself. Total cost was about $225. That's how it works when you don't have a piece of crap warranty and you don't live in a nanny state.
The big money is for replacing the non-code flex lines with hard soldered pipes from the couplers to the new heater. F'ing stupid Illinois code.
Did you know that before codes water heaters used to explode and fly up out of the basement and crash through the roof of the house?
"Stupid is, is stupid does, Momma used to say"
Some of us do have a savings account for home repairs.
exactly we do too and sure as hell better than a POS home warranty , home warranty companies get away with their crap because some people don't know any better and become suckers and they can spot one a mile away .
American Home Shield has thousand of complaints online. They are happy to take your money every month, not so happy when they actually have to repair or replace something. Their customer service stinks as do the 2nd rate vendors they send to your house.
Buy a new water heater, use your own plumber and cancel AHS. They are worthless. My mother and I both had them and it was a nightmare trying to get them to fix anything in a timely basis.
So the 25 year old water heater is busted. It is still working but leaking a little, rusted out, and mishaped. I called AHS.
It seems the latest scam is that the repair people claim that parts of the installation are a "modification" not covered and you have to pay them a bunch of money on the side. In this case the plumber is claiming replacing the water and gas supply lines and the T&P valve are modifications and I should pay him $450. I am leaning towards letting him do the T&P valve and just shutting down and draining the heater myself the night before, buying the $30 install kit and replacing the supply lines myself and having them ready for him.
I assume the install kit which typically includes braided water supply and epoxy coated SS for gas are in code. He was giving me a bunch of stuff about codes, flex lines, and pipe materials. The pipes leading to the couplings are copper for water and I think steel for gas (it is blackish in color and solid).
Buy a new water heater. A 25 year old water heater has reached its lifespan. Most water heaters are good for about 10 years. I am amazed your water heater has lasted as long at it has. Here's what Lowe's has to say about water heaters: https://www.lowes.com/projects/repai...heater/project
Another tip: Most insurance companies such as AHS are in the business to make money. I would take a look at the BBB to see what their rating is. Finally, I would suggest finding a good local plumber, electrician, etc. you can trust.
Our family just did two water heaters, one in Los Angeles and one in British Columbia Canada. WITH the plumbers CERTIFIED seal number on the tank, issued by the Province/State the cost was similar in both cases: about $2,000 U.S. You get a full warranty, correct work, and any govt. seal or authorization registered (gas ticket).
I love people in other places talking about a few hundred bucks for installing. My BC contractor wouldn't fire his truck up for 350. dollars and he lives across the street!
i.e. when you're dealing with natural gas I wouldn't go "back yard" on the job.
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