LONNEMAN PLUMBING INC

Uneventful spigot works as it should now

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Excellent work.

Very professional, knowledgeable & neat. Will definitely get them again if needed.

See above.

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They are very reliable and dependable. All of their work has always been done correctly the first time, with no callbacks.

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The service man was very professional and came on time.  He completed the job quickly in less than a half hour and I was very pleased with the work.  The problem is that they don't bill you on site and I can tell why.  I received a bill in the mail for $175 and he was there altogether for less than 40 minutes.  I looked up the part online and the most expensive one I could find was $27 at Home Depot.
I gave them a call to question the bill.  The gentleman was very kind and gave me the breakdown:
$85/hr labor
$40 Travel Charge
$50 for the part?
Again, all I question is the price.  I couldn't imagine what they would charge to complete a more comprehensive job and that's why I would not use them again when I finish my basement or do kitchen/bathroom remodeling.  I also think it's more professional to bill on site, but I fault myself for not asking beforehand.  Lesson learned.

I put in a call on a Wednesday to Lonneman immediately after discovering that my existing water heater was leaking at the top seam.  Unlike another local company that I've used in the past, Lonneman seems to have a fully staffed office during business hours, and I was able to get right through to them.  Everyone that I spoke to there were very courteous and professional.  They said that they could install a new heater the very next morning.

They sell Rheem products, and recommended the appropriate 50 gallon powervent replacement.  They also recommended that I have the expansion tank replaced at the same time (something they say that they always want to do when replacing a water heater), to which I agreed.  After arranging for the service, I called back a couple more times trying to get information on the exact model Rheem powervent water heater that they would be installing.  They were unable to provide me with this information.  I had already done some research online, and knew that of the two possible 50 gallon Rheem consumer powervent models, one would be just the heater, while the other would be the same heater but with an external remote control unit.  I was disappointed that they could not provide the information.  As it turned out, it was the lower priced model without the external control.

The installers were prompt and also very courteous.  They uninstalled the old unit, and began to install the new one.  After some of the pipes were connected, I went downstairs and saw that the new heater was sitting directly on the cement floor of my basement.  The previous one had been installed on spacers, to raise the heater off of the ground about 1/2" to prevent rusting of the bottom.  I told them that I wanted the new heater to be installed in the same manner as the old one.  They agreed to provide spacers, and went about disconnecting the pipes and installing spacers.  Frankly, I was surprised that I had to actually point this out, as I would have thought that they would have simply installed the new one the same as the old (or had at least asked me for my preference).

After the installation was complete and the technicians had departed, I noticed that the new expansion tank was smaller than the old one.  Upon looking at the new expansion tank, I saw that the warnings on the side said that it was only rated for a maximum 40 gallon water tank.  The old and new water tanks are both 50 gallon.  Also, the expansion tank warnings said that the preinstallation pressure should match that of my homes supply line pressure, which in my case is 70-80 psi.  I called Lonneman, and they said that the installers do not check the preinstallation pressure.  They also said that they always use the smaller expansion tanks until they get up to the 80 gallon sized water heaters.

When I expressed my concern about this I was told that "they have been installing expansion tanks in this manner for many years, with no issues".  To which I responded "how would you know if there was an issue, since you would only know if there was a problem when the relief valve on the water heater discharged?".  In other words, the expansion tank could be not functioning properly, or was damaged by excess expansion from a combination of incorrect precharge and an undersized application, without any obvious external signs.  

I was told that I was the first one to ever bring this up.  I also said to them "why are there then warnings for proper installation printed on the expansion tank if they are not intended to be followed?  Just to provide legal coverage for the expansion tank manufacturer?".

In all our communications everyone at Lonneman's was very responsive, courteous, and professional.  I rate them highly for this.  But in terms of the way the tank was initally installed (directly on the cement floor), and the selection of an undersized expansion tank (based on the manufacturers specifications), I have to rate the quality of their work as lower than I would like to see.

I would probably use them again, but I would be certain to ask detailed questions beforehand in regards to the exact services they would be providing.

This is the second time I have used this plumber and I am VERY impressed with them! I called to have two toilets repaired, they answered the phone promptly, were able to come out on the day/time I requested. The repairman was neatly dressed, courteous, and took the time to make sure his shoes were well wiped before stepping into my carpet. He fixed both toilets promptly and even fixed the tank on my older one so it did not list to the back as badly as it had been! I have their number on my fridge and they will be my ONLY choice from now on. I do not know the amount of the work because they mail a bill later but the first work they did (repaired a broken pipe) was very reasonable!

Had another plumber before this one and they said we needed to buy all new parts. When Lonneman came and looked at it - parts just needed some cleaning and oiling and a new washer and everything was just fine. Glad we wanted to get a second opinion.

I dealt directly with Eric Krumpleman and he was professional and I couldn't say enough good things. His team came in and completed everything including the permit in 3 days. They were fantastic and I wouldn't use anyone else. It is important to note that when I was buying the house I contacted Lonneman to make sure I was making the right decision. The plumbing concerned me and I wanted to make the right decision. Eric came out the same day and looked at the plumbing. He said it was in good working order and any changes would only enhance. I opted to replace everything as we were doing all of the other work. They were fantastic!!!!!!

Quite smoothly -- they made helpful suggestions before embarking on the job, and did a first class job about 3 days later.

The overall service went very well. They were on time and did a good job. They answered any questions that we had. We were very pleased with their services. They were little high priced though.

They will always come first thing in the morning, so I don't have to be late to work. The price is reasonable, and the repairs are always permanent. If the repair doesn't work, they will come back at no cost. They are excellent!

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