5 Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Water Heater Service Provider
5 Questions For Your Water Heater Technician
If your water heater suddenly stops working, do you have a plan of action? If you don't already have a local plumber, contractor, or handyman in your contact list, odds are that you will probably head over to Google and search something like "water heater repair near me" or "plumber near me."
Instead of calling the first option that appears, you should carefully review their reviews and company website to get an idea of their service offerings and policies. Once you begin to narrow down your top choices, you should vet the potential candidates by asking the right questions. Here are the top 5 questions you should ask a water heater service provider
before you hire them, based on feedback from our most experienced service technicians' and office team members' experience:
1. How much water heater experience do you have?/Do you have experience repairing tankless water heaters, heat pump water heaters, etc.?
Experience = Quality Service (in most cases)
As with most industries, the amount of time a company has been involved in the water heater industry is often an indicator of their experience level. If a service company is dishonest or their team members lack water heater diagnostic and repair skills, they probably would not stay in business for 5, 10, 20, or 50+ years.
Experience levels also differ by individual service technicians. In a smaller repair company, your initial call to request service may lead you directly to the plumber or service technician who will repair your unit. In larger companies, there will typically be a dispatch team who manages incoming service requests and can answer any questions you may have. Regardless of the size of the company, it is important to ask if their team members have water heater repair experience.
Do you have a tankless water heater, heat pump water heater, or a special water heater repair need?
Although tankless and heat pump water heaters are becoming more popular in the United States and are projected to continue gaining popularity (based on data from 2022), not every service provider may be experienced nor willing to take on the job.
Each technician will have a different experience and skill level that may vary. Not all water heater technicians will have experience for the work you need done.
Some water heater repair companies simply don’t service tankless water heaters,
heat pump water heaters,
or
commercial water heaters.
How does @uswhpro measure up?
Here at U.S. Water Heating Solutions, we have been in business for five years (and counting).
All of our service technician are factory trained/certified and regularly participate in manufacturer's training seminars to stay up to date on water heater industry developments.
We service a wide variety of water heaters including:
2. Are you an authorized warranty service provider for any water heater manufacturers?
In the United States, the demand for water heaters is ever-increasing, with nearly every home having at least one water heater on site; there are an estimated 9-10 million water heaters sold per year between water heater replacements and water heater installations in newly constructed homes, as of 2009.
With such a large number of annual sales, water heater manufacturers typically offer a warranty on new qualifying purchases.
The manufacturers don’t typically have in-house technicians that travel to the end user's home to service their warranty claims because their products are sold all across the United States. Instead, they enlist the help water heater repair companies and plumbing companies to do the work for them. Each manufacturer sets their own standards for warranty service providers; most manufacturers, however, require their contacted service providers to attend manufacturer's trainings and to have their team members certified for service
before
they are even allowed to apply to become a warranty service provider.
If you file a warranty claim, you will either be given a list of authorized service providers in your area or assigned to a designated service provider.
U.S. Water Heating Solutions Provides Warranty Service for These Manufacturers:
3. What are your service call rates? / How do you charge your customers?
Water heater repair and replacement can get expensive, depending on the service(s) required. You’ll need to understand the fees in advance to establish a reasonable budget.
For residential water heater repair service, a reputable service company will provide you with their service call rates or a detailed quote that clearly explains their fees.
Most water heater repair companies will charge a standard flat rate fee to travel to your home and to troubleshoot your water heater. In most cases, this fee only includes the repair technician's
labor
because they do not know what parts are needed until they have run diagnostics on the unit.
Unless your water heater is covered under warranty, you will also likely be responsible for the cost of:
- any parts and materials used
- local taxes on parts and labor
In the event of warranty water heater service, as long as labor is covered, the manufacturer is responsible for the labor taxation.
Water Heater Service Call Rate Summary:
- Water heater repair: Ask for service call rates and a ballpark estimate for your type of unit
- Usually billed for labor and parts
- Water heater replacement: Request a quote
- If you are upgrading to tankless you should have a site inspection, which may require a fee
- Usually billed from an estimate based on the scope of labor
Here's What You'll Need to Request Service or a Quote:
- Water Heater Model & Serial Number
- Description of Services Needed
- Repairs: What is wrong with your water heater? Is there an error code showing?
- Replacement: Do you want your service provider to provide the new water heater or do you just want them to install the new water heater you have already purchased?
4. Do you have replacement water heater parts in stock for my unit?
After a technician diagnoses the issue with your water heater, they may need to replace parts. This is why it is so important to have your model and serial number available when you request water heater repairs -- these numbers are the key to finding replacement parts for your unit.
Many repair companies and plumbers will send a service technician to your home to diagnose the issue without having any parts for your unit. This usually means: returning to their office or warehouse to retrieve the necessary replacement parts, sourcing the parts from a supply house, or ordering parts from the manufacturer.
Bottom Line:
Many water heater repair companies
do not stock parts, which may delay the restoration of your hot water anywhere from a couple hours to a couple weeks.
How Parts with U.S. Water Heating Solutions are Different:
At U.S. Water Heating Solutions, we REQUIRE customers to provide their water heater model and serial number to make a service request, allowing us to see whether we carry any stock for their water heater. We notify you ahead of time if we expect (or don't expect) to have the parts to repair your unit.
We also have a large stock of over ~10,000 genuine replacement parts for water heaters from multiple manufacturers in our company warehouse and on our technicians' service vehicles.
Our technicians' service vehicles contain a stock of the most common water heater parts (e.g., gas valves, elements, pilot assemblies, etc.) and materials (thermal expansion tanks, fittings, pipe, and more).
By providing our service techs with a large mobile stock of genuine manufacturer's replacement parts, we are able to restore hot water on a single service appointment, instead of ordering parts and returning to install them.
Logistics + Inventory Planning = Faster Hot Water Restoration.
5. Is there a guarantee on your work? Do you offer a labor warranty?
When a technician fixes your water heater or installs a new water heater in your home, you expect it to work properly. However, a small percentage of water heaters and water heater parts fail due to manufacturing issues and general wear; that's why the manufacturers offer a warranty. Similarly, service technicians are human beings and sometimes make mistakes; they may misdiagnose an issue or think they have resolved an issue and it returns a few days later. A reputable service company should offer a service guarantee or warranty (in addition to having a plumbing/contractor's license and insurance) so you can rest easy.
@uswhpro offers a 30 day warranty on all labor
Replacement Part Warranties Come From the Manufacturers
*Warranty length differs by manufacturer*
Rheem: 1 Year from purchase date
U.S. Water Heating Solutions: Your Water Heater Repair Specialists in the Midwest and South
Need water heater repair, replacement, installation, or parts?
Call U.S. Water Heating Solutions today to get more information about our services, pricing, and experience our high quality customer service experience.
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055-044429
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