JD McElhaney Plumbing LLC

After valve was installed the pump failed to work. A service time was set up and he failed to appear. Repeated calls and letters brought no response. However, I was never charged for the check valve or the service. A couple of years ago he installed a water heater for me and I was very satisfied.

I had a water pipe bust in my wall and I called them the next day they were out in a couple hours and had it fixed.

I had used this plumber previously; as a matter of fact, the week before I had recommended him to my sister-in-law and he installed a water heater for her. I realize now that he's a fair weather plumber: if he can do it easily and quickly, then he's all for it. If it taxes him at all physically or mentally, he's either going to short cut it or not take it on. I told him twice that I had worked on putting the faucet in and didn't have any success, that I needed a plumber to put it back like it was originally. When he finally came, I was at work and my tenant let him in. I don't know how long he looked at it, but he ended up cutting two holes in the side of my old kitchen cabinet and running the faucet there. It looks okay, but I could have done that; as a matter of fact, I had half of the plumbing done that could connect to that (flexible line, connectors, etc.). He never called to ask if that was okay or to even check with me. My tenant told me he left to get parts, which consisted of two short lengths of galvanized pipe, a flexible line and fittings. What plumber doesn't carry simple parts like that on his truck? And evidently I got charged for his time away from the job as well. When I called him after I received the bill, I guess he was expecting it, because he was immediately on the defensive and rude. I told him that I didn't think much of getting charged $185 for something I had waited a week on that I could have done myself. He's reply? and quot;Then why didn't you do it?and quot; I replied because that was why I waited a week for him: to get it done the right way. I also asked him why he didn't just simply call me on my cell when he saw that he couldn't do it the way I wanted it. His reply? and quot;I don't have time to fiddle-fart around waiting on people. I have places to be and jobs to do. My time is money.and quot; And I thought, and quot;That's weird, my time is money, too, and I'm getting ripped off for it by a rude jerk.and quot; He had told my tenant that he would come by and cover the holes left exposed by the non-faucet; that was three weeks ago. But he won't be back, because he knows I'm going to pay him regardless and he doesn't finish out anything that would cost him and quot;time and money,and quot; although I paid my money for him to drive to get a dollar part. If he had been half way polite during the call, then I would've cut him some slack, but evidently he gets lots of calls like this. Don't call him if you don't have some easy Mickey Mouse thing to do; call Pierce Plumbing, which I should have done while I was ahead.

I called JD mcElhaney plumbing and requested an estimate. He took my plans and had an estimate for me the next afternoon. He told me a date that he could start but had to push it back because of the rain. He made sure that the foundation was dry enough to work on and completed the job in one day. I made a small change to the plans after he had done the work but he was able to come back out the next day and fix my changes promptly.

Like anyone else, I certainly didn't want to spend money, especially for something that really wasn't broken. The LP heater worked, and it wasn't dangerous, it just ultimately needed to be exchanged for a more efficient heater made solely for the use of natural gas. Yet in the scheme of things, it was money well-spent, and under the circumstances, it was a pleasurable experience. I can't count the times my wife and I have spent our hard-earned money on some service or product that absolutely had to be spent, only to be bitterly disappointed by either the service/work, the product, or both. It was nice to spend that money knowing that the job was done right and that the product was a good one. Nothing worst than buying a great product and having the installer ruin either the product or the experience. Thanks again, John David.