Recommendations In The Ankeny Area

serverguy · 03-07-2007, 10:35 AM

I live in Ankeny and was wondering if anybody has a good recommendation for a plumber? I think our water heater is going bad and need to have somebody look at it.

Thanks!

joepublic · 03-07-2007, 10:52 AM

Polk county heating and cooling is good. He's lower than the others and he's kind of old school in that he'll tell you if it really is going bad or not.

psycln11 · 03-07-2007, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by joepublic

Polk county heating and cooling is good. He's lower than the others and he's kind of old school in that he'll tell you if it really is going bad or not.

How is he making any money doing "the right thing"??

cyclonekj · 03-07-2007, 12:00 PM

Customer loyalty?

That is old school.

Cyclonepride · 03-07-2007, 12:02 PM

I'll second the Polk County Heating and Cooling. I'm in construction and several of my builders use them, and seem to be happy.

joepublic · 03-07-2007, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by psycln11

How is he making any money doing "the right thing"??

I tell ya, we had to put in a new furnace a couple years ago and we got bids. One Ankeny company was about $1,700 more than the others, PLUS before he'd put it in he wanted to charge us 200 bucks to do an "efficiency assessment." I told him he'd have to kiss me first if he wanted to do that to me.

CyinCo · 03-07-2007, 12:32 PM

If you need to replace it, just go to Home Depot and buy one. Then hire the install separately. If you hire a company to replace and install, they will mark up the water heater about 100-150%.

CyinCo · 03-07-2007, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by joepublic

I tell ya, we had to put in a new furnace a couple years ago and we got bids. One Ankeny company was about $1,700 more than the others, PLUS before he'd put it in he wanted to charge us 200 bucks to do an "efficiency assessment." I told him he'd have to kiss me first if he wanted to do that to me.

I work in the energy efficieny field (for large commercial buildings not residential) and I have no idea what and "efficiency assessment" would even get you.

psycln11 · 03-07-2007, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by CyinCo

If you need to replace it, just go to Home Depot and buy one. Then hire the install separately. If you hire a company to replace and install, they will mark up the water heater about 100-150%.

I did that a few years ago.

I bought a new water heater from Lowe's and had a friend's dad who owns a heating and cooling business in Ames to install it for me. Of course I got the friendly discount but I'm sure he is very reasonable.

He also works in Ankeny if you are interested...

Jerry's Heating and Cooling
(515) 291-2584

Jerry1982 · 03-07-2007, 01:18 PM

Gas or electric water heater?

serverguy · 03-08-2007, 12:47 AM

It is an electric water heater. Thanks again to everybody that replied.

vanillathrilla · 03-08-2007, 07:21 AM

NEVER go to HD or Lowes to buy one!!! I worked at a Plumbing wholesale store in Ames for the last 4.5 years during school and all the plumbers in the area had NOTHING good to say about stuff bought from HD or Lowes. If you ever need a plumber in the Ames area, send me a PM and I will recommend a real good one!!! I know all of them in the Ames area and will tell you who to stay away from.

brianhos · 03-08-2007, 08:15 AM

If it is electric it is really really easy to just do it yourself.

All it is is 2 lines to unhook and rehook up, you just need a pipe wrench or crescent wrench and a roll of plumbers tape. You could probably finish the whole job in 20 min.

Just make sure you empty the old tank before moving it, that would make a mess.

travman23 · 03-08-2007, 08:35 AM

I've found out the hard way that reasonable plumbers and electricians in the Des Moines area are tough to find. I scheduled 3 different plumbers once before I finally got 1 to come out and do the work. One place never returned my calls, another "forgot" my appointment, came out and gave me a quote and told me they could come back in a week to do it which I was not happy I had just taken the day off to be home for it and expected they'd do the work the same day I scheduled them, then finally a 3rd place came and did it and was in and out in about an hour or so.

Electricians, nearly the same expirience as unless you have something that will take them some time they don't seem to care about your "little problem." Well my little problem was my entire kitchen lost power and it was a shorted wire somewhere and I could not find where the problem was at. Took the guy about 15 minutes to find and fix it and he charged by the hour even if he didn't take an hour so while I still had 45 minutes to spare I had him take care of a few other annoyances. :)

Jerry1982 · 03-08-2007, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by brianhos

If it is electric it is really really easy to just do it yourself.

All it is is 2 lines to unhook and rehook up, you just need a pipe wrench or crescent wrench and a roll of plumbers tape. You could probably finish the whole job in 20 min.

Just make sure you empty the old tank before moving it, that would make a mess.

Serverguy, Brianhos can walk you through this. There really is nothing to a water heater. Perhaps all you need is a $30 element. What are the symptoms?