I had been considering replacing the water heater in my home for several months, as it was almost 27 years old. It was working fine, but probably wouldn't have lasted much longer. So I called Mr Waterheater. We discussed the options. Even though my household is only me and my wife, they recommended a 50 gallon tank over a 40. One reason to seek out a professional is that you pay for expertise and knowledge that you yourself do not posses. I am not a water heater or water specialist, so I relied on them to guide me in my purchase. I opted for the best tank with the longest warranty. I didn't want to "cheap out" on this purchase.
They scheduled the installation for the next day and called when the techs were on the way. So far so good. The techs arrived and i showed them the installation site and access door to my basement. I was working from home that day so i went back to work. I asked the tech if he saw any issues with my well, plumbing or install. He said no it's a pretty straightforward job. It took them a few hours to do the job, but when finishing up he discovered a very large dent in the bottom of the new tank. He had to call and have another tank brought to my house and then reinstall an undamaged tank. While inconvenient, as I had no water for most of the day, The installer was profession, courteous and apologetic, so I wasn't upset.
This is where things went off the rails. Several days later i began to notice a foul odor in my hot water, especially in the shower. A rotten egg smell. I had never had that before, and have lived in this house for 27 years. I thought it might just be because the new tank had "break in" (again, i am not an expert here, that's why i hire professionals). It actually got worse so i called Mr Waterheater and complained. Their response was my well was reacting to the anodes in the water heater and creating the smell. He said that happens with well water and the way to fix it is replace the anodes with a different type.
Here is my issue with Mr Waterheater. This was NEVER mentioned when i ordered the unit and it was never mentioned during the installation, even though it was clear i had a well. Had the professionals i hired told me of this possibility, i would have had them put the different rods in right then. But not a word. So now, I need work on my new water heater and was quoted $350-$400! I asked for some consideration, perhaps split it 50-50. He wasn't real receptive but said he would see how the job went. At that point I didn't have much choice, the water smelled horrible, and I didn't want to risk voiding my warranty by having someone else work on my brand new water heater.
So the techs came the next day. They were professional and courteous. They installed the new rods. They presented me with a bill for $375. So much for 50-50 or a consideration.
My biggest complaint was having to pay $375 additional when the problem could have been prevented from the beginning. Why was I never even given the option of the different rods?
I gave them 2 stars instead of 1 because they were quick to respond and the techs were professional and courteous. But having to shell out the additional $375 after spending $1300 the month before hurt, especially since it could have been prevented. Then not even offering a compromise on the price to make the water heater right is the reason for this review. read more