I had a 4-1/2 year old 50 gallon Bradford White gas hot water heater spring a leak. I called B-W and their customer service rep said the heater was still under the 6 year warranty. However, because of a federal law passed last year I would have to pay for the upgraded model that has the sealed pilot light and burner. She would not say how much the upgrade would cost and that I would have to get it replaced by a licensed plumber and the price from them. She would not tell me who to call for service and that I should call numbers in the Yellow Pages to find someone who could handle a B-W warranty repair.
So, I called several places. After four phone calls I found one who would handle it. I asked for a quote over the phone and they said there was no way to give a quote without seeing the water heater first and it would cost me $13 for them to come out. They came out in 2-3 hours. The guy quoted me $209 "for everything" and I said to go ahead. He left and then returned 10 minutes later. He profusely apologized and said the $209 was for the replacement heater and that the entire job would cost $496. I cancelled the service and still had to pay a $13 'fuel charge.'
$209 for a heater that is covered under warranty? I felt like I was getting bent over and the lube was soon to come. I called B-W back and told them I felt like I was getting ripped and that I wanted to do the job myself. They said I could and gave me three distributor's names to call to see 'if they would work with a homeowner.'
The first one wanted $209 for the replacement heater plus a $35 warranty paperwork charge. I told the guy that before I paid $244 for a heater under warranty I would buy a different brand even if it cost more. I knew I could buy a Whirlpool with a 9 year warranty at Lowes for $328.
The second distributor wanted 'about $140.' He was the distributor that the plumber was going to get my replacement from because he already had my serial number. It took two more tries at how much was 'about $140' before he would commit to the price.
The third distributor quoted 'about $120 to $130.' What's with the 'about' crap? Don't people know how much they sell stuff for? I bought the replacement from #3 and it cost $127 plus change including tax.
Taking out the old heater and putting in the new one was a piece of cake with the exception of the gate valve on the cold water line to the heater. The stem broke inside the assembly which meant I could not refill the tank. Rather than sweat the old valve off and put on a new valve right away, I unscrewed the assembly, pulled out the broken gate and screwed the assembly back on. The water main valve is right next to the water heater so the temporary fix was easy. I'll pick up a new valve this weekend and replace it is convenient to shut the water off to the whole house.
It still irks me to have to pay for a water heater that was under warranty. Any other time something like this has happened the manufacturer says they are sorry for the inconvenience and here is the upgraded model at no extra charge. Is this a common practice in the plumbing business?