Alternative Plumbing

Gene Smith of Alternative Plumbing was thorough and professional, first in his assessment of the problem, during which we discussed my options (the existing water heater was 20 years old, so I chose to replace it), and then in his performance of the work. He arrived on time the day the work was scheduled. The removal of the old heater and the installation of the new one were done carefully, with all the necessary attention to detail, and the cleanup afterward was exemplary. His final bill was within his estimate. He was a pleasure to work with.

Gene has done great work for me at a reasonable price for many years now. He even located a gas leak that both the gas company and home inspectors couldn’t pinpoint. Recently he installed a HPWH to replace a propane unit in series with my electric one. He plumbed all the cutoffs so I can operate the water heaters together or independently if needed as well as cleaning up everything when the job was done. Highly recommended.

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The biggest challenges to my job were that 1) the faucet was a 20+ old and no-longer-in-existence brand (thus replaced all the fixtures), and 2) in order to do the work from behind the wall, the water heater had to be drained, disconnected, moved, disconnect and move the washing machine, then cut out and install an access panel, do the work, reconnect the washing machine and reconnect and re-fill the water heater. The much higher than expected price was due to all the extra time and work. Several visits/quotes from other plumbers (about the same prices) seemed to hype up the whole process. I was really pleased when Gene came in and explained everything to me, he then explained that while it was not quick, it was not as big a deal as the others had suggested. That, and a recommendation from my HVAC company (who I highly regard), was the big detail that sold me on Alternative Plumbing. Gene and the other guy were so helpful and did a great job. They explained to me what they were doing, were not hyperbolic, and kept me posted on why things seemed to be taking longer than they did. They showed (not just told) me how they also labeled the hot/cold pipes in the wall with colored tape for easier identification in the future. I was impressed with the fact that they were very concerned about cleaning up everything. They swept the floor, tested the washing machine, waited until the water heater was filled, and asked me if there was anything else they needed to clean up (there wasn't). After the water heater had filled and warmed, I noticed that turning the handle in the shower for water temperature was backward. It was hot when it should have been cold, and cold when it should have been hot. Gene told me it was an easy fix (I was skeptical) and came out a few days later to fix it. He turned the cartridge around (didn't have to go into the access panel), and explained to me why it wasn't right the first time-- since the water heater didn't have hot water, they couldn't check that it was in the right way. The whole thing took less than 10 minutes, and with no charge, of course. It's hard nowadays to find companies that you really like and technicians you really trust. I like and trust Alternative Plumbing, and will certainly be using them again when my next plumbing issue arises.

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Gene was referred to us by our HVAC provider as the best. We weren't disappointed! The kitchen sink was clogged causing it not to drain completely and to also fill into the second sink (it's a double sink). Gene took apart the main drain area inside the cabinet to see where the clog was and make sure there was not problems with the pipes. By snaking the drain he was able to get it flowing perfectly. We haven't had a problem with it since. We had two toilets that needed the toilet fill valves (inner housing) replaced. I had purchased the repair kits and Gene installed them. One of the shut off valves needed to be replaced on one of the toilets as it was frozen so it could not be completely shut off. He also changed the flapper on a third toilet. While he was re-caulking the tub he found that the pipe for the overflow drain was out of line. He caulked around it to give it a tight seal, but the pipe will need to be realigned at a later date which will give a better seal. The bathtub drain was also clogged and even though it needed to be snaked several times he was able to get it flowing again perfectly! Everything is doing great thanks to Gene!

Fabulous experience - quick, neat, efficient, clean, explained every issue and fixed them completely. This is NOT the first time that I've used this company, and every experience has been the same - superb service.

They are a different company and they worked hand in hand. Jean Smith is the owner of the company. They installed gas operated tank less water heater system. They are absolutely fantastic. They are actually friends who have ended up passing each other work. Obviously it is very useful for some of them who are doing gas heating to co-ordinate with whoever is doing the gas tank less water system as well. They came out on the same weekend, they came the day after we got the keys of the house and they pretty much finished everything by Sunday evening. They are phenomenal. They kept me up to date with rebates that I could claim and send me the form, so that was amazing.

The installation was a bit tricky in that we wanted it in our garage, which required running the piping for quite a distance from our pressure tank/sediment filter in the crawlspace. He also by-passed our outside faucets by re-routing those pipes before the softener. He was very organized, detailed, and clean in this effort, which took well over 7 hours to complete. As a side point to his professionalism, and client relations, I had an issue with an air vent on my kitchen sink drain configuration. I asked him for some advice on this and he was kind enough to show me how to fix it and even brought out and used a special saw to help expedite the repair - all off the clock! I highly recommend Gene. He is a high class plumber and person.