Wieronski Plumbing & Heating

Ryan was very knowledgeable and serviced and cleaned the boiler. He also found a defective valve and an expansion tank which he replaced. replaced

With bitter cold temperatures (below zero) and furnace not working, when called they said they could be out in a couple days. When pressed, they agreed to come that day, but at emergency rates. Starter unit cost approx. $12 and time spent was perhaps 15 minutes to install. Cost over $300, as I remember. Next time starter unit went out, I called another company. Cost less than $50, and was told if unit went out again, where to purchase the unit and how to install it myself.

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The problem begins with tenants in my rental house calling to let me know that the heat was out (in the dead of Colorado high country, ski-area Winter). Because we had used Wieronski Heating several times over the past twenty or so years and had always had amicable, satisfactory dealings (despite their charges always being on high side) and they have an (apparently, based on this incident, undeserved) reputation of quality, though high-cost, service in the Breckenridge community, I called to employ their services for repair, believing my tenants comfort to be of greater importance than cost. Although the service technician arrived fairly promptly, it was not until I inquired what the diagnosis and estimated cost was that I was informed that I had already incurred $450 in cost, $200 for the service call and $250 for the diagnosis. I'm not sure what the value of a service call is without a diagnosis of the problem, but the two were priced separately (and outrageously)! Feeling that I'd already wasted $450 and precious time, I agreed to pay this outlandish cost to get me tenants furnace working ASAP. The tech could not accept my oral agreement and my offer to give my credit card information, as that would have to be done the next day by the office. The following day, I received an e-mail "Credit Card Authorization" which didn't even contain a price of the work to be performed. Unwilling to sign a "blank check" authorization, I called and got a resent credit card authorization with the $1,327.75 agreed total charge and a curious provision that "if invoice is not paid" within a specified time, collection charges and court costs and attorney fees would be assessed together with monthly interest. Mind you, this is the treatment I received as a long-time customer, who had always paid invoices in full, as billed and without complaint. This "Credit Card Authorization" I was required to fax back (although for a business to expect a personal consumer to have ready access to a fax machine - forty year old technology - in this era seems demanding). Unbeknown to me, they didn't receive that fax and began no work toward solving my tenants' problem for several days of sub-zero temperatures until I re-sent the authorization. Finally paid, they began work nearly a week after first contacted for the problem, the whole while my tenants freezing in the house with only a downstairs wood fireplace for heat. When work began, parts had to be ordered from Denver, despite Wieronski's website boast that their trucks carry a great supply of parts for repairs to forestall that parts problem and this furnace being a brand (Goodman) that uses generally available replacement parts. After several trips and two technicians, the repair was done, but the tenants reported that it appeared that the problem was not a gas valve, as originally diagnose (at the $450 cost), but and electronic board, the replacement of which appears to have solved the problem. Six months later - still no invoice! This is the most unprofessional, unprepared and outrageous treatment of long-time customers imaginable - carelessly callous indifference to the health, comfort and well-being of my tenants, despite my agreement to pay their outrageous charges from the outset. The failure to disclose the $450 charge for service call and diagnosis (obviously calculated to discourage alternate bids or estimates) is further outrage. I'll not use Wieronski again.

We were having a problem with one of the heater valves on our heater. The guy came out and said that the whole furnace was shot, 6 of the valves were gone, the tank was ruined and it would be $6000 to repair and $40,000 to replace. He then told my wife that it was leaking carbon monoxide at is was dangerous and it needed to be fixed right away. Totally ridiculous. I had another guy out who fixed the valve and inspected the furnace from top to bottom. The system is old but working just fine. $250 and it was back to working I can not stress enough that no one should ever use this company. Unethical would be the nicest word I could use. Seriously, NEVER USE THESE GUYS.

The serviceman prepared a list of everything I needed amounting to almost $6000! This included new glycol which they installed only 2 yrs. ago. Instead of just adding more to the system I was told I needed replacement. Also insisted the transformer needed replacement as it was "buzzing". It has buzzed since it was installed almost 10 yrs. ago and there is nothing wrong with it. Also wanted to replace the expansion tank. It was new 2 yrs. ago and another plumber said there is nothing wrong with it. The manufacturer says the entire system should last 15 - 20 yrs. I was told it needs replacement very soon at a cost of $30K !!! These service people must be working on commission! Needless to say I called another plumber who repaired the leaking pipe and said everything else was fine and I should just have a routine cleaning when I have the time.

After the short inspection, Wieronski said our heating system was dangerous and repairs would cost a whopping $10,000. Baffled by the astronomical quote and their push to act quickly, we got two other opinions. The second opinions came in at just under $2,000 and both confirmed that the system posed no immediate danger. We told Wieronski that we would be going with another contractor, at which point they attempted to charge us an additional $200 diagnostic fee (on top of their trip fee).

After they added the glycol to the system, we no longer had heat in our upstairs bathroom. It took three tries to get the air out of the in-floor piping so that the bathroom could get heat. On the upside, they did come back each time and keep trying. It was, however, at their leisure and their timing, not mine, since I had already paid them.

Wieronski always does a fantastic job when they come out. I asked them to look at my water heater and they drained it at no additional cost. They are easy to make an appointment with and they get out to the house quickly.