Also at this same location, we were asked to repair a toilet on the basement level of the home. Upon inspecting this toilet, our first determination was that this toilet was an American Standard Cadet 2 toilet, from looking at the design of the toilet tank. When we noticed that the flush valve assembly had been retrofitted with a fluidmaster flush valve assembly, someone obviously had problems with this toilet and didn't want to put back the correct original equipment manufacture products. This creates a slippery slope that only gets worse.
As with 99% of all toilet repairs we perform, our first intended move is replace the flapper with either a west coast flapper or a red Korky replacement flapper. These two flappers take care of and work for nearly most toilets. The first flapper, the west coast flapper allowed the dye that was put in the tank to bleed through.
The second flapper did the exact same thing, leaked. There was an older Hunter fill valve that given the age of the fill valve was in need of replacement, but it wasn't till the first flapper leaked that we knew the flush valve assembly was defective.
With the customer watching us come to this conclusion, the discussion was now a toilet that had been worked on and still not repaired. Closer inspection of this toilet revealed that the toilet was not an American Standard toilet, but an Aqualine that the local (and best served) service supply house could not find information on the toilet, with exception to a builder's grade, cheap toilet that was sold locally at Home Quarters (HQ) that has been out of business for a number of years here in the Northern Kentucky area.
This discovery of the actual brand was only known after the lot numbers were ran inside the tank. This toilet design was almost a carbon copy design of the American Standard Cadet 2, which is why we made that first statement.
The customer asked in detail the costs involved in repairing this toilet, and we explained the costs. At that very moment knowing the time already invested, knowing the quality of the toilet, we recommended replacing the toilet, explaining that the time invested with our company would be nearly the same whether it was a replace or a repair.
Customer decided to just leave the toilet as it first was, and we agreed as well. The toilet actually ran for months, costing a great deal of money to this property owner.
We believe that this constant leaking marred or wore an uneven surface on the flush valve seal's lip. Thus the reason two different brand new flappers did not solve the issue.
Given that the toilet was very inexpensive, "most" customers are an open ear to suggestions. This property owner took our good advice as insults from the time we mentioned the high water pressure.
At no time do we ever subject our customer base to high pressure sales. We simply tell them for the mere reasoning of liability so they know their plumber has done his job to let it be known that there are symptoms, and then there are problems.
The symptoms were the leaking faucets, the problem is a defective/blown Pressure Reducing Valve.
As a result of this situation with this customer, we decided to discount our services to excuse ourselves, made notations on the invoice that the customer was fully aware of the situation.
This is the first customer that we've had that does NOT represent the great and loyal customer base of Dunbar Plumbing. The great relief was the 2 repeat customers that left voicemails requiring our services while we attended to the above work detail.
I'm writing these statements above in representation of my company. In a public statement, I can say firsthand to my repeat customers, my incoming customers that if we as a plumbing company get treated without respect, considering our good technical information as unimportant, our decision to dismiss and desist any future work relationship is done solely out of respect for our time and attention to our customers that DO respect the level of knowledge we bring to the front door, and how that very knowledge protects them in the event there are issues relating to the potential of causing damage to personal property along with premature wear of the components involved in the plumbing system.
We wish the best for this customer and their plumbing related issues, but we feel this customer is better served with another plumbing contractor that can better serve their special needs.
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Topic: Toilet Repair - Laundry Tub Faucet Repair - Grovepoint Drive Florence Kentucky (Read 3162 times)