Poor Quality Work, Dishonest, and Unresponsive
Poor Work Quality: Mike from Wallingford Plumbing installed a water heater for us in 2017. Within 4 years, the cold water fitting was corroding due to improper installation. Once we noticed the corrosion, we realized that the cold water fitting was not secured as far down the nipple threads as the hot water fitting which resulted in an improper seal and eventual corrosion. We had to replace the water heater tank after less than 4.5 years which is about half of the expected lifetime! The plumber who replaced the damaged water heater tank said when they disconnected the original fitting, it was obvious that the installer hadn't used any pipe dope or thread sealant so it was not surprising that the connection corroded. Using Wallingford Plumbing & Heating was an expensive mistake!
Dishonest: Initially, we tried to give Mike an opportunity to repair the rust damage to the water heater tank. He came to look at the corrosion and claimed he needed to special order the fitting. After he left, I looked it up and it did not require a special part. He also claimed that he would have his wife schedule the repair when the part came in, but we did not receive a call or text to schedule a follow-up visit. He said it would take days for the part to come in, but any plumbing supply (or even Home Depot/Lowe's) carries the fitting so if he wanted the work, he could have gotten the part easily.
Unresponsive: I initially contacted Wallingford Plumbing in early June regarding concerning corrosion that was noticed on the hot water heater tank that Mike has installed 4 years earlier. It took 2 calls to actually get on Mike's schedule. He finally came to look at the corrosion in mid-June; he basically used a wire brush to rub the visible corrosion away which resulted in a small leak from the fitting (there was no visible leak until after Mike inspected the corrosion). He recommended that we just put a rag around the fitting until the repair could be done. A week later, I hadn't heard from Wallingford Plumbing so I followed-up; no response. Another week went by and I followed-up again; no response again. By mid-July, I still hadn't heard back after calling and texting to check on the status of the part and reminding Wallingford Plumbing that they had left me with a leaking water heater. Finally, I got a call back and Melinda claimed she "dropped the ball" and she would check to see if the part was on the truck and try to get us on the schedule; again, she never called me back.
Bottom-line: If you enjoy spending money on poor quality work and wasting time getting the run around from an unfriendly plumber, then you will love Wallingford Plumbing. For everyone else, avoid using Wallingford Plumbing; you will regret it if you use them like we did. read more