MB Heating & Cooling Plumbing & Electric

All work was done by unsupervised techs. We don’t expect perfection, but expect a reasonable level of competency, honesty, and professionalism. GAS: As the MB tech was finishing up his last work day he announced we would be w/o hot water because the copper line from the steel main to the hot water tank "broke" and he was not allowed to install or reattach copper. He then told us of a home where the gas company "condemned" it because they were using copper. The gas company is responsible only for the lines up to, and the meter itself, and has no power to inspect or dictate what’s inside your home. And the state-licensed home inspector we hired before purchase saw no issue with copper, which is fairly common in older homes for appliance connections, though not the first choice. The MB tech indicated it broke while installing a valve because it was bad and not anything he did, so the “repair” was not part of the renovation. Copper can deteriorate over time, but usually as a pinhole leak, and breaks occur due to extreme or repeated bending, and does not rip or shear apart under normal handling as he indicated. The integrity of the line where it “broke” appeared solid, and we noticed fresh tool marks all around it. He stated he didn’t have the “proper” line MB uses (I believe flex CSST). Apparently, his office suggested he go to the local hardware store for it, as I overheard him on the phone state they didn’t have it, although he made no call other than to his office. He also quoted $588, which was “worst case” whatever that means. The same tech was here twice before, to include inspecting the system to determine what was needed, and could have brought the copper subject up any time, allowing us time to research and make an informed decision. The wife wanted hot water ASAP and due to few plumbers in our area, the 20 ft line was replaced the next day by MB in about an hour. So on top of being inconvenienced we were charged $588 to replace a 20 ft line, including a trip charge that was unnecessary. WATER: The MB tech installed a water line from under the kitchen sink to the refrigerator, running it under the floor. The holes were notably larger than the line itself, and he filled in the gaps with plumbers’ putty, leaving them as “finished,” including a putty-filled hole in our new floor in plain sight, on the outside back corner of our 36”-wide fridge, vs. behind it. Later we realized the kitchen faucet lines were crossed so that hot water runs with the handle in the position labeled “Cold,” and vice-versa. And despite plenty of room under the double sink, he installed the water lines in a way that left no free room for the up and down movement of the weight used to “auto” retract the pull-out sprayer for the faucet. ELECTRIC: After the 2 MB techs stated they were done and left, they were called back due to no power to the garbage disposal. Later we discovered a puck light over the sink didn’t work. About 12 days later the senior of the 2 techs returned to get it working, stating it was due to the “Newbie” although it doesn’t explain why neither checked their work before leaving. A couple days later we noticed that particular puck and the attached ribbon LEDs over the left side of the counter flicker. Also, they installed a box for a ceiling light, but did not leave the screws to attach a light. These particular machine screws come with the electrical boxes, not the light fixtures. An MB rep did respond after our review, but the message he left sounded tailored more for a difficult customer with unreasonable expectations, rather than one taking ownership, as also reflected in his online response to our review that we indicated to the GC that we were “happy” with the work. But that conversation encompassed the cabinets, counter, and backsplash completed by others, not the bulk of utility-related work completed later on by MB. And frankly, we don’t want anyone from MB inside our home again.MB was used by our general contractor (GC) for gas, water, and electrical work for our kitchen renovation. All work was done by unsupervised technicians. We don’t expect perfection, but do expect a sensible level of competency, honesty, and professionalism. GAS: As the MB tech was finishing up at the end of his last work day he announced we would be w/o hot water because the copper line from the steel main to the hot water tank "broke" and he was not allowed to install or reattach copper. He then told us of a home where the gas company "condemned" it because they were using copper, which didn't make sense. The gas company is responsible only for the lines up to, and the meter itself, and has no power to inspect or dictate what’s inside your home. And the state-licensed home inspector we hired before buying the property did not see an issue with copper, which is fairly common in older homes for appliance connections, although not the first choice. The MB tech indicated the line broke while installing a valve because it was bad and not anything he did, so the “repair” was not part of the renovation, and would be an additional cost. Copper can deteriorate over time, but if it fails it’s usually a pinhole leak, and breaks occur due to extreme or repeated bending, and it did not rip or shear apart under normal handling as he indicated. The integrity of the line where it “broke” appears solid, and we also noticed fresh tool marks/scrapings all around it. He stated he didn’t have the “proper” line MB uses (I believe flex CSST). Apparently, his office suggested that he go to the local hardware store for it, as I overheard him on the phone state that he checked and they didn’t have it, although he made no call other than to his office. He also quoted $588, which was “worst case” whatever that means. The same tech was here twice before, to include inspecting the system to determine what was needed, and could have brought the copper subject up any time, allowing us time to research and make an informed decision. The wife wanted hot water ASAP and because of few plumbers in our rural area, the line was replaced the next day by different MB plumbers in about an hour, who stated they charge whatever is on the work order (which did not fully break out the costs), and don’t negotiate. So on top of being inconvenienced we were charged $588, which evidently included a trip charge that was unnecessary. WATER: The MB plumbing tech installed a water line from under the kitchen sink to the refrigerator, running it under the floor. The holes were notably larger than the line itself, and he filled in the gaps with plumbers’ putty, leaving them as “finished,” including a putty-filled hole in our new floor in plain sight, on the outside back corner of our 36”-wide fridge, vs. behind it. Later we realized the kitchen faucet lines were crossed so that hot water runs with the handle in the position labeled “Cold,” and vice-versa. And despite plenty of room under the double sink, he installed the water lines in a way that left no free room for the up and down movement of the weight used to “auto” retract the pull-out sprayer for the faucet. ELECTRIC: After the 2 MB techs stated they were done and left, they were called back due to no power to the garbage disposal. Later we discovered a puck light over the sink didn’t work. About 12 days later the senior of the 2 techs returned to get it working, stating it was due to the “Newbie” although it doesn’t explain why neither checked their work before leaving. A couple days later we noticed that particular puck and the attached ribbon LEDs over the left side of the counter flicker. Also, they installed a box for a ceiling light, but did not leave the screws to attach a light. These particular machine screws come with the electrical boxes, not the light fixtures. An MB rep did respond after our review, but the message he left sounded tailored more for a difficult customer with unreasonable expectations, rather than one taking ownership, as also reflected in his online response to our review that we indicated to the GC that we were “happy” with the work. But that conversation encompassed the cabinets, counter, and backsplash completed by others, not the bulk of utility-related work completed later on by MB. And frankly, we don’t want anyone from MB inside our home again.