Am I CRAZY???

Water heater crapped out…quote of $1471 for new tank, changeout, and installation. While the guy was installing, the propane gas line was too short. He pulled on the flexible line to get it hooked up temporarily and was going to come back and replace the pipe. He told me it “shouldn’t be a problem” having tension on the gas line for the short term and the new, longer pipe would be covered under installation.

A few hours later I got a call wanting $492 for them to come back and install a longer pipe or $290 for them to just drop off the pipe to me to install. I asked why it wasn’t covered under installation and they told me it wasn’t “standard” to replace a gas line of that length (20′) and the installer said it had a kink and that’s why it needed to be replaced? I let them know my thought and told them to fly a f’ing kite.

Am I crazy to think that installing a longer gas line is standard installation? I don’t understand how a company can ask for $500 for something that cost me $50 at Menards and 10 minutes to install myself. I now know what it feels like to be bent over the barrel.

I think they forgot the Vaseline.

I replaced my own for under 400 a few years back. WOW

Longer gas line for a water heater change out. Did they put it in a new location. Not very often the gas lines need to be changed. Most gas controls on the water heaters are located in the same place. If nothing else and you need a few extra inches just add a longer nipple or coupling.

Did you ask for the installers license number. Wouldn’t be surprised if it was a apprentice or who knows what.

I would charge extra if the entire new gas line was needed. Then again you would of known this ahead of time before the work started. You could always ask the plumbing inspector what he thinks of this when he inspects the job.

So what type of heater did you get?

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So what type of heater did you get?

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At $1471. that’s what I would like to know.

A 50 gal heater a fleet farm is $460 power vent $760 so some mark up and if it was done on the weekend on over time,thats not out of line,the gas line deal thats question able.I don’t know if replacement stuff gets inspected in WI.I just do my own and don’t worry about it.

Stan

I am in the process of just putting in a new water heater right now and more. Myne just took a crap on me and I have put in a new one and a water softener for $900!

Not that I think that price is out of line. Alot depends on the type of water heater. Its propane so that usually adds a little to the cost i think. Cant remember the last propane one I bought. Put in on Sunday or Holiday and that price seems pretty cheap. Then again some guys dont value their time off very well. Doesnt matter what the cost was if it was not put in right or issues with the installer it was to much.

Remember, I’m the guy that’s ticked off because I’m missing 5 twinkies.

sounds like you got a good deal.. I called a plumber to unhook one water heater and hook up another. (Switch from elec to gas)

i already had the new water heater put in place he had about a 2 foot run to hook into the lines.. but he had to run a gas line and i had him run a gas line for our gas dryer..

got a bill for $1300 I about #$%$ my

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Remember, I’m the guy that’s ticked off because I’m missing 5 twinkies.

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I would be too!Aint nobody got time for that!! Hang in there BK…

I had a 50 gal power vent installed. I looked at menards and they run about $900. The price for installation/removal of tank and the previous $168 bill for diagnoses wasn’t the part that bugged me so much. It was the $492 for a gas line that cost $50 at Menards.

Answering your question Mike about the license number…He told me he was just a ventilation guy and doesn’t usually install water heaters. I’m guessing he wasn’t a licensed plumber

I went to a Renaii tankless water heater. Lots of energy break incentives. Now I like saving over 40 bucks a month.

$40 a month savings on a tankless heater. last I seen a regular 40 gallon natural gas water heater cost about $300 a year to run. Tankless is about $200 a year. Yep. Just double checked my Navien tankless which is even more efficient than the Renaii. It says Est. cost $195 on the side.

Would be intersited in what the est is on the Renaii and the power vent that was just installed. Those are both more efficient then a standard 40 gallon gravity vent. Both cost more and use electricity which the gravity vent does not.

Think you got a heck of a deal on that power vent. Darn right if I was doing that install there would be no extras done for free. The shops doing big box stores installs need to jack the heck out of the extras in order to make any money on those calls.

My tankless is not 200 a month?? Granted My old tank was 80 gal. Mike. You must have meant 200 a year?

Yep. Just changed that. Put a reniaa in a number of years ago for my brother in law. had to vent it with a stainless steel vent system. One of the reasons I went navien is the PVC venting.

Yep PVC here also and thanks for clearing that up for me. There’s alota truth to your last paragraph about charging for extras.