Al's Water Heater Sales & Service

fine, no problems

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The woman answering calls was very friendly and explained the process of installing the heater and price differences. Al's brother came out the next day and removed the old heater and installed the new one in about an hour. I was out of town at the time so I appreciated the flexibility with scheduling and payment. When the inspector discovered a *tiny* leak during my city's required inspection of the heater, he called Al's right then and they came out within 30 minutes to rectify the problem. No problems since then.

Good. They put down tarps so they wouldn't track dirt through the house (it was nasty out that day), it took about an hour, maybe a little more. water heater was replaced and all mess cleaned up. Looks good. Almost broiled myself with my new hot water!

I'm really sorry but I cannot remember how much the job cost or the precise date on which the work was done. But I didn't have to pay for the actual water heater - that was covered under warranty. Al was very good indeed. He first came to look at the existing water heater to see if he could repair it. When it was clear that he couldn't he arranged to come back the following day with a new water heater. Everything he did minimised my inconvenience. It was also lovely for my father, who was visiting at the time, to be involved in home repair arrangements!

I discovered that my basement carpet was damp yesterday afternoon and immediately suspected my water heater as this had happened 9 years ago due to a leaking water heater which we replaced at the time. I called Al's based on their rating on Angie's List and the number of reviews. They told me they'd be right out and were at my door in less than 10 minutes! I told them that we sometimes had problems running out of hot water. We didn't have room for a larger water heater, but they recommended a higher BTU water heater. When I asked if there was a way to contain leaking water when it starts to leak again (we have bad luck with leaking water heaters) they suggested a pan with a hose to the floor drain, which cost $30. Within a few hours we had a new water heater installed. The installers were courteous, friendly, knowledgable and very prompt!

Al's was recommended to me by another local business that doesn't service water heaters. They were very nice on the phone and were able to come on a Saturday, which I consider very important because of my busy weekday work schedule. The service men who came were very nice and informative. I also had them evaluate my water heater for function because I was wondering if it wasn't working at top capacity. They explained what they needed to do, performed capably, and worked efficiently. They were on time and completed the work within an hour.I had a relatively simple problem (I think), and while I'm hoping not to need future water heater work, I would definitely use them again or recommend this company.

Carl called first thing Monday morning.He came out an hour later and checked things over.He told me what he would do and what the cost would be.I agreed and he was back in about an hour with everything he needed and a helper.They laid down tarps from the entry door to heater area and got to work.At all times they were friendly,informative,and efficient.They completed the work in about an hour and were on their way.They also put a sticker on the new water heater with their phone number and the date of installation.I was very pleased with the entire process.

Based on the great references on Angie's List, I called Al's around 1PM. Through a very helpful service rep, I was connected to Carl, a technician, in 30's. Carl came within two hours. Leak solved. No muss, no fuss. The service rep and the technician were very helpful and thoughful. The tech clearly new what he was doing. Do not hesitate to hire the contractor!

I called a plummer who did not do water heaters and they referred me to this company. I check Angie's list and saw it was A company so I called. The person answering said repair guy would call me within 1-2 hours and would for sure get to me that day. He called in a little over 1 hr and said he would be there in 1hr. He was on time and did work as stated before. I was happy with his customer service also.

Al's brother came out, took one look at our old heater and said he could have a new one installed in 2 hours. We bought a 50 gallon Bradford White (natural gas) and he also replaced some old valves. The old heater was hauled away and everything was left as before. New heater works great, we'll use Al's again due to prompt, professional service.

Old water heater sprung a fatal leak on Friday afternoon. Called Al who'd replaced a valve a couple years prior. Appointment made for the following morning. Arrived on time and within an hour had pulled the old unit, replaced with a new one, reconnected everything and ran us through how to use it. Super nice guy and very professional. Pretty much a package deal unless one wants a specific model other than the ones he stocks.

I knew my 11 year old water heater was nearing the end of its useful life as I had called Al's before to have a valve replaced. He had been able to get it fixed but noticed a small leak and predicted that the heater might need to be replaced fairly soon. After a recent episode where the the pilot light went out and I wouldn't reignite I called him to see whether it could still be repaired. He returned my call promptly and scheduled an appt for the next day. The leak had gotten worse and the water heater was declared officially dead. He replaced it the following day with a similar model and it ended up costing me less than i had feared. All my experiences with Al have been terrific. he is ethical, prompt and very professional.

Background: New water heater installed 2/06 by Ann Arbor Co. 12/09 pilot went out. I called Al in Chelsea as he was rated highly on Angie's List. Al replaced the pilot assembly on a Sat and only charged $75.00 (part under warranty). Three days later the pilot went out again. Al relit the pilot at no charge. The gas meter was not working properly at the time. He showed me how to relight the pilot. The pilot has gone out 5 times since. I called the Ann Arbor HVAC that installed the unit, they just gave me the AO Smith warranty number. I called AO Smith. They were not very nice. I called Al yesterday. He came out today, replaced the pilot assembly with a different part, cleaned the unit and would not charge me. He said he would deal with AO Smith. My next water heater will be installed from Al's.

Quite simple, they arrived on time, removed the old unit and installed a new one.

My hot water heater quit giving hot water. I knew that I could reset it by pressing a red button, but I wanted a more long-term solution. I called Al because of the favorable reports on Angie's list. He replaced the top thermostat and left. It did not resolve the problem, so I set up another appt. I think he forgot me this time, and I called after waiting a half-hour. At this point he said he was on his way home, could we meet tomorrow. I said I'd rather not because I have to take vacation time off work. To his credit he came right over. He replaced the bottom thermostat but did not write up a bill, saying he wasn't sure if it would work or not, and to let him know. It did not work, so I called him a few days later. I don't know if I caught him at a bad time, but he seemed impatient (bordering on rude), saying, "you saw me replace the top and bottom thermostats, right?" He seemed stumped, and asked me what I thought the problem could be. I didn't know, and suggested he was the expert. He asked me for the maker of the water heater (Lochinvar) and said he'd talk to them and get back with me. I never heard back -- it's been about 2 months. So I still have a dud water heater and one less service person I feel I can call on. I've been hitting the red button every couple of days, but I know that's just delaying the inevitable. It's only 8 years old, and Al said electric heaters last forever. I need one that works, though. At this writing I'm not sure what I'll do next, but will check around more.

I got Al's name from Angie's List. I did not want to use the company that installed it as they charge a trip charge plus weekend premiums. I called Al at 11:00 on a Sat. because no hot water and he arrived at 12:30 pm. He replaced a defective part, re-lit the pilot and was done in minutes. He only charged $75.00 even though he drove from Chelsea to Ann Arbor on a Saturday. Inasmuch as the part was under warranty, there was just a labor charge.I called him again for the same problem. On the phone he said he thought it was because the gas supply was being interrupted by a separate problem I was having with the old Mich Con meter. He offered to come out and relight the pilot. He arrived within 90 min which was important as I was getting ready to leave town. He vacuumed under the water heater, re-lit the pilot and showed me how to do it. He would not take any payment, not even for gas! I called DTE back to see if they could move up the appointment to repair the meter. They never returned my call even after Al called and spoke to the supervisor for the case. Needless to say, I am very relieved to have discovered Al's Hot water Sales but not so happy with DTE.

He did the work quickly and also cleaned up once the job was done. His pricing was very reasonable as well. He was professional, responsive and punctual. The quality of his work was good and I was satisfied with his service.

Steady leak at drain valve. Knowing the unit was about 11 years old, we expected the worst. Called Al's at about 3:15 PM on Tuesday to find out if anyone was available to take a look. Spoke with Al himself who arranged to come out the next morning to check. He was there promptly at 10am as arranged. He showed me that the only leak was at the valve so I could hold off on a replacement a little longer and make it a planned expense. He arranged to come back around 3PM with the needed part. Again, he was prompt to return and complete the job.

As far as I am concerned, this was a perfect service experience. His price for installing a top of the line Bradford White gas water heater was $250 less than Sears, Lowes, and Home Depot. He is extremely knowledgeable about water heaters and was very helpful throughout the whole process. He put cloths down to protect our floors on the way in and out of the basement. He cleaned up after himself. He did exactly what he said he was going to do, arrived exactly when he said he would, and charged a very fair price. What more could you ask for?

My tenant called and he responded immediately. He offered to sell us a water heater that he had installed for another customer, but he changed his mind after a week and returned it. Al sold us the water heater and installed it for the price that other companies charge for installation. Although the guarantee is only a year, my tenant felt it was a fair price and I agreed.

Al replaced two water heaters for me during the past 16 years. I've been impressed with his knowledge, experience, and straightforward communications. Al gives the kind of "old time" good work for a fair price that has become scarce. I called at noon and by 3:30 the job was completed and I could take a hot shower. I called one of the national department stores and they wanted 50% more to do the same job. When I called Al, he called right back and agreed to call me when he was on his way to my house. The cost was a little higher than the quote, because a different vent pipe and a different gas valve were needed. I would recommend Al's to anyone.

No work was performed at all. We set up times for him to come and he would set appointments and never show up. Was irresponsible, unprofessional, and a complete waste of time. Never apologized, never bothered to call.