Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Hot Bath Anyone?
You won't get a hot bath at my house without at least a little work.
The hot water heater has been down for a couple of days. M and I fought with the Home Depot, Lowes, and finally Sears of the course of 12 hours today trying to get a hot water heater installed "same day." Same day, by the way doesn't really mean the day you buy the appliance. It means they day the installing company can pull their head out of their ass, go get the appliance out of a warehouse, and actually then maybe find your house.
The story of hot water heater #1
M calls Home Depot -- located about 3 miles from his house -- at 9:30am today. They sell him a 50 gallon, best GE (note: grades for GE water heaters are good, better, and best with price and efficiency going up with each step and heating time going down), with same day install (note: there is no optional, "I don't give a shit when you come to install my appliance" deal for less money, you only get the ass reaming), and a 12 year warranty. When the install people call they are brining a 40 gallon, good grade, 6 year warranty water heater. They didn't have the one M wanted so they down graded him, didn't adjust the price accordingly, and may or may not make it out that day to do the install. Here is a big Go Fuck Yourself to Home Depot.
The story of hot water heater #2
M calls Lowes -- located about 20 miles from his house -- at 11:30am today. At this point we are trying to beat the noon deadline for same day install. They don't have GE, the best warranty is 6 years, the efficiency and heating times get close, and the price is slightly less. Install is more but they say they can do it same day. At 1:00pm we still had not heard from the install company. We try looking the company up in the Yellow Pages and can't find them, call the store, and they say they'll call back. 1:30pm they call back to say they are doing what they can. Their install guys can't make it and they are trying to find any company that will do it that day and will eat the cost difference themselves. Just before 2pm they call back, they have a guy, he'll do it after normal work hours and should be there at 4pm. I leave at 2pm to check out a job site and run some errands and am back by 5:30pm. I go downstairs and there is no new water heater. This house has a special low emissions water heater. The exhaust is mixed with air, which cools it, allowing it to be vented with PVC pipe rather than metal and also make 90 degree bends rather than shoot straight up out of the roof. This is called a power vent water heater, is rare, hard to find, and never in stock. Lowes, thanks for all of your help, we really appreciate it, your customer service beat the snot out of Home Depot, but we still don't have hot water.
The story of hot water heater #3
M calls Sears (Lowes and Home Depot don't even carry power vent hot water heaters and it is either buy a power vent or redo the exhaust -- which would require a hole through the floor and ceiling of the spare bedroom) at 7:30pm to order the hot water heater. They usually take 14 days to come in but they are trying to find one locally. They hope to have one here and installed by Feb 1st. So the story really isn't over. I'll believe that we have a new water heater when I can turn on the faucet and actually get some hot water. Until then, my hot water gets made with three big stock pots on the stove.
The hot water heater has been down for a couple of days. M and I fought with the Home Depot, Lowes, and finally Sears of the course of 12 hours today trying to get a hot water heater installed "same day." Same day, by the way doesn't really mean the day you buy the appliance. It means they day the installing company can pull their head out of their ass, go get the appliance out of a warehouse, and actually then maybe find your house.
The story of hot water heater #1
M calls Home Depot -- located about 3 miles from his house -- at 9:30am today. They sell him a 50 gallon, best GE (note: grades for GE water heaters are good, better, and best with price and efficiency going up with each step and heating time going down), with same day install (note: there is no optional, "I don't give a shit when you come to install my appliance" deal for less money, you only get the ass reaming), and a 12 year warranty. When the install people call they are brining a 40 gallon, good grade, 6 year warranty water heater. They didn't have the one M wanted so they down graded him, didn't adjust the price accordingly, and may or may not make it out that day to do the install. Here is a big Go Fuck Yourself to Home Depot.
The story of hot water heater #2
M calls Lowes -- located about 20 miles from his house -- at 11:30am today. At this point we are trying to beat the noon deadline for same day install. They don't have GE, the best warranty is 6 years, the efficiency and heating times get close, and the price is slightly less. Install is more but they say they can do it same day. At 1:00pm we still had not heard from the install company. We try looking the company up in the Yellow Pages and can't find them, call the store, and they say they'll call back. 1:30pm they call back to say they are doing what they can. Their install guys can't make it and they are trying to find any company that will do it that day and will eat the cost difference themselves. Just before 2pm they call back, they have a guy, he'll do it after normal work hours and should be there at 4pm. I leave at 2pm to check out a job site and run some errands and am back by 5:30pm. I go downstairs and there is no new water heater. This house has a special low emissions water heater. The exhaust is mixed with air, which cools it, allowing it to be vented with PVC pipe rather than metal and also make 90 degree bends rather than shoot straight up out of the roof. This is called a power vent water heater, is rare, hard to find, and never in stock. Lowes, thanks for all of your help, we really appreciate it, your customer service beat the snot out of Home Depot, but we still don't have hot water.
The story of hot water heater #3
M calls Sears (Lowes and Home Depot don't even carry power vent hot water heaters and it is either buy a power vent or redo the exhaust -- which would require a hole through the floor and ceiling of the spare bedroom) at 7:30pm to order the hot water heater. They usually take 14 days to come in but they are trying to find one locally. They hope to have one here and installed by Feb 1st. So the story really isn't over. I'll believe that we have a new water heater when I can turn on the faucet and actually get some hot water. Until then, my hot water gets made with three big stock pots on the stove.
# posted by chilort @ 8:40 PM 
