I called Fred Marzouk to get a quote for installation of a water heater. I mentioned that (1) I would need a gas sediment trap (the Gas Company had advised me that I should get this) and (2) there are steps up to the house. I recommended that Mr. Marzouk come out to look at the job before giving me a quote, but he said that this was unnecessary and gave me a figure over the phone.
I had expected him to do the job himself, but he sent two other people from Mr. Speedy Plumbing. After the work was completed, I was presented an invoice that showed a price roughly 25 percent higher than the original quote. Given that nothing unexpected occurred during the installation, this is simply not right. The installer should have informed me of the price increase before starting the job.
On inspecting the work, I noticed that there was no gas line sediment filter and pointed this out. Fred told me that there is a gas line sediment filter internal to the water heater. I called the manufacturer, Rheem, at 800-432-8373 and spoke to Louis (X 350). Louis confirmed that the unit does not have a builtin gas line sediment filter, and said that he has never heard of such a thing. ""The installation checklist in the manual indicates that an external gas line sediment filter is required. You must have this to prevent damage to the burners.""
Mr. Speedy Plumbing did eventually install the gas line sediment filter, but not without much unpleasantness. I will not use them again.
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