Hot Water

First words I hear this morning as Justin is leaving to teach class were, "Baby, I need you to go ahead and get up and start calling plumbers, we have no hot water and the hot water heater is leaking." Great, we just purchased a fridge and dishwasher two weeks ago and now this??? So I got out of bed, got some coffee down me and started calling random plumbers on a Saturday morning. Initially, I spoke to no one, just left voicemails or messages with call centers. Eventually I started receiving return calls and one thing was evident most plumbers did NOT want to work today.

Here is a brief synopsis of what I learned today:

1) 80 gallon hot water heaters are not cheap; I was thinking a couple hundred bucks.....wrong!
2) All plumbers think Whirlpool and GE water heaters you can purchase at Lowe's or Home Depot are crap and highly suggest you buy a "professional" one.
3) Most plumbers don't keep stock in hot water heaters and most plumbing supply stores are closed on Saturday.
4) The one company who had one in stock and could install today was going to charge $1600 + $79 Saturday fee for the heater and installation. Are you freaking kidding me???? My car wasn't much more than that, granted I drive a 2001 Cavalier, but damnnnnnnn!
5) Always do your own research so you know exactly how much you are really spending on the heater and the labor. I found out we could purchase and have a "professional" heater shipped to us for around $650......so we would be paying $1000 for installation???? (See lesson #4 above)
6) Ask for what you want, you may get it.
7) Called back plumber with the $1600 "company quote" and told him about my online research, he suggested I call the one supply company open for 45 more minutes and see if they had what I needed in stock. SCORE!!!!
8) Met Justin, purchased and picked up water heater, called above plumber and made a deal about a "side job"......must learn to speak in code at this point in the game. Plumber is currently here installing the new water heater at $150 discount than what his company would have charged.
9) Do your own research, ask for what you want, use your common sense and in the end save over $800.
10) I may want to reconsider my accounting profession; these plumbers are making the jack. But then again, I don't really want sewage as a daily job hazard.


Even with all the stress and cost of today, at least we were able to do it and that's the blessing. I may get a shower in a few hours too.