AFFORDABLE WATER HEATERS & PLUMBING

My water heater went out and you know you really don't have time to scroll through Angie's List so you use the phone book and I went to water heaters.  I couldn't believe how much I paid for a water heater that isn't even a top of the line one.   

The worker was very experience & professional.  I had sticker shock with the price, parts, labor, permit.  This was not a top-of-the-line water heater.

These guys are a rip off. Shop around. Don't use them. I made a big mistake and didn't shop around.

Affordable Water Heaters installed our Rheem gas water heater 3 years ago. It stopped working, so we called them to come out and look at it. They came out the next morning promptly as scheduled, and determined that the Thermocouple had failed and had to be replaced. It was a weekday, not a weekend, during regular business hours, not an emergency nighttime or weekend appointment. They finished the job in 1.5 hours, and the heater works fine. My only concerns are:
1) They said they would send warranty paper work within a week, to claim credit for the part under warranty from Rheem, but we never received anything (the part value is probably minimal anyway); and
2) They charged us, an existing customer for a relatively new water heater they themselves installed, more to fix the Thermocouple than an entire new water heater would have cost per a recent Angie's List $799 special offer from "Fast Water Heater Company!
I only wish I had subscribed to Angie's list before calling them for this repair, as I probably could have saved many hundreds of dollars. Live and learn, and use Angie's list!
Summary: Affordable Water Heaters is prompt and efficient, but you can expect to pay through the nose for that service.

I called Affordable because of the sticker they send in the mail.  They were quick to respond to my emergency call (water heater split while I was at work on a Friday, and I didn't discover it until that night).  The technician showed up with two heaters; I was given my choice of size for the replacement with no price difference, and the brand was top rated.  The technician was efficient and skilled.  Therein lie the differences: 
The technician got the water to the heater shut off so that I could have water in the house on Friday night, and said he would be back Saturday morning by 9.  Saturday morning, no technician.  At 10;30, I called the company and was told the technician had a flat tire and was getting it replaced.  Fair enough.  At 12:30, I called again, and  was told he had to have additional work done.  At 2:00, they told me he was on his way, and the truck-mounted GPS had him at Home Depot, ostensibly picking up the parts he needed.  The technician showed up at 3:30, and told me that the reason he was late was that they had sent him on another job and they didnt have GPS, but that he  should repeat the story that had been fed to me.  He refused, and told them he would not lie to his customers.  They had offiered (to the technician) to send someone else to finish my job, but again he refused, saying that he finished what he started, and it wasn't fair to the customer. 
That being said, he then proceeded to do an excellent job repairing the damage to the heater cabinet, retrofitting the plumbing and the earthquake requirements, and installing the new heater (and cleaning up afterward).  He then gave me detailed lessons on maintenance, and told me to call for a free service call within a year (a feature that is buried in fine print, but he makes sure his customers are aware of it).  He was never condescending, and didn't try to upsell me (contrary to what he was told to do). 
The price was astronomical, but in an emergency call like mine, they pretty much have you over a barrel.  If I had had time to shop around, I would not have chosen them as their reviews are abysmal (expecially on the price points).
In short, Affordable Water Heaters are not, and their company ethics leave much to be desired.  If it hadn't been for the specific technician I got, I would have been extremely unhappy instead of just miffed about the price, and the rating would be much lower.

When the repair was completed the repair man told me that if the water heater leaks, let them know.  It leaked and so I called.  Promised he would be there between 12-3.  Called at 4 when he hadn't arrived and they said he would be there in a few minutes.  He did not come until 6PM.  He made some adjustments and said not to play with it. (Duh).   It was leaking again the next day and now he tells me they can replace the expansion tank for $468.  I told him I couldn't since I didn't have the problem before and he said it was because the valve was corroded a week ago and they replaced it so now it would leak.  When I told him I couldn't do $468 he called his boss and they lowered it to $400.  So, I said ok.  Then as he gives me all of this paperwork to sign and again wanted me to sign the paper that says I have the right to cancel and that I am waiving the right to cancel because of the emergency situation and again gave me a paper with the wording I was to use.  I filled it out and he went to the truck to get his tools.  I got really uncomfortable and a little leaking is not necessarily an emergency so I went to the truck to tell him I was going to wait and do some research.  That is when he came back to the door with a call from his boss who said if I do it right now he would reduce the price to $350.00.
CANCEL< CANCEL!!!!!!

They were prompt and the water heater needed a new Thermo couple because it had rusted. I was also told I needed the water heater grounded and a new T & P valve to prevent an explosion. I talked to "the boss" on the phone and he used the scare factor (telling me my water heater could explode as it was) to talk me into the things that needed to be fixed. I didn't want to call another company and pay another $100 trip fee (which is what I should have done). 15 minutes later he was done and he used about 1 ft. of bonding wire, new Thermo couple, T & P valve and union. After he left, I looked up the cost of all that was used and it totaled about $50. So, $50 and 15 minutes of work and they charged $465.00...what a rip off. I'll never call them again!

I needed to have an igniter replaced-parts cost less than $20.00.  when I called, they said there would be a $99 service charge, applied to the cost of repairs.  When he arrived, on time-and the work performed was just fine-I was informed that there would be a charge of $350 because the relief valve had to be replaced, and the pipes had to be "bonded"-although the serviceman agreed that there was nothing wrong with the relief valve, company policy was to replace it.  If I refused service, there would still be a $99 service charge-my issue obviously is with all the add on charges that were not disclosed

They overcharged us and lied to us. I bear part of the responsibility because I had company coming and I needed the water heater, so I agreed to let them do the work. Had I known about their bad side, I wouldn't have done business with them. The first man I talked to said it would cost $1800, which I thought was too high. They said that it was a top-of-the-line water heater guaranteed for 10 years, made in America. They also said that the inspection report alone would cost $500. When I complained about the price, they gave me a "senior discount" and reduced the price from $1800 to $1579. My husband got really upset about it as well.

More they came out the day that I called to replace my water heater.