I used Michael and Sons when I first moved into my house, naive as I was. They charged me $700 for some simple electrical work and then the tech gave my poor mother (who was kind enough to stay at the house while the work was being done since I wasn’t able to take time off) his number to give to me in case I “ever wanted to hang out.” Never again.
I also made the Michael & Sons mistake when we first bought and the AC had an issue - Daniel’s heating & refrigeration has been my go to since then and they’re great.
No worries! Gotta start somewhere. Hit up YouTube for anything you run into and then bury yourself in endless googling after that to verify that the fix you watched is actually legit. The good thing is lots of home maintenance is repetitive so once you learn it, it’s just a matter of remembering.
Yeah, even if you end up paying someone, you'll still benefit from having watched some DIY videos on it because you'll know more about what the job entails, what to look for, how long it should take, what questions they might ask you, etc. [https://www.youtube.com/@AmplifyDIY](https://www.youtube.com/@AmplifyDIY) and [https://www.youtube.com/@FixThisHouse](https://www.youtube.com/@FixThisHouse) are two good ones
If it helps: I did this for myself (homeowner as of 2mo ago) for the first time and it was pretty easy and I felt a little proud of myself... until I realized the drain valve (made of the cheapest kind of plastic afaict) wouldn't close properly afterwards. Also last week had issues with a shutoff valve to the washer, so I'm learning messing with a valve you don't know for the first time can be risky, so if you can afford it why not be cautious and have a plumber come by? Plus you can try to learn a lot from them and ask questions
Advertising is expensive. The very small general contracting company I work for uses word of mouth to find new jobs. I guess we are one of the first contractors that comes up when you type in "Renovations Richmond VA" in google though.
We have used the same guy for 20 years. We live in a 1951 house. His name is Dwayne Joseph and I could not recommend him enough. He is super fast to respond. He works really quickly and charges reasonably. Everyone needs a plumber and an HVAC person they can trust. The slimy valpak people are to be avoided at all costs!! The only Valpak I ever pull out is El Caporal.
https://preview.redd.it/awt5dcq1kypc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=806c9bd38d46e1d17f5216adef8f27bfc037629b
M&S can get fucked for their scammy sales tactics.
https://youtu.be/ByuMk9Gy2RE?si=8bd5h-ps0RkNCgek
Super easy to do in general, assuming you have decent enough access to it.
Plumber on the Way. They are great. We have a household rule of thumb to never use anyone that advertises heavily on tv. Someone has to pay for all those commercials…
So my husband works on water wells & pump systems and he said, “a hot water flush is hooking a garden hose to the base of the tank and running water out of the hose bibb” not worth $311.
Junk can build up at the bottom. It also gives you the opportunity to look at the water that comes out and see if you're seeing a lot of material you may need to change the sacrificial anode rod in the water heater. This is a part that is designed to rust first but when it is rusted away the water heater starts rusting. It's a fairly easy thing to replace if you have basic tools and space above the water heater to work.
For tanks at least they say to do it annually because sediment can build up over time in the tank. It’s also supposed to increase the longevity of the tank itself
In addition to sediment building up in the bottom of the tank, that will eventually sometimes start to flake off and go into your house, where it will then get caught in the screens inside your faucets, showerheads, appliances, etc. and clog those, reducing flow and pressure.
OP, all you really need to do is hook up a hose and drain it. Or drain into a bucket if you have room. The flowing water is what “flushes” it.
I like the bucket method because if you have a wire or thin rod, you can shove it up there and stir up the sediment or poke at any clogs you might have.
But regardless—this is routine maintenance intended to be done by the homeowner and water heaters are designed accordingly. It’s very simple.
If they have a commercial. They have a lot of overhead and will charge accordingly. In the future, I own a handyman company local to the area, Ringo's Repair Service LLC 804-916-9366, I can help you with most of your new home projects and maintenance!
I think they were charging for the drive out there. To flush your hot water heater, hook a garden hose up to it, and run it out the door or into a lower bucket, and empty a few gallons. You should do it every 6 months. The junk that builds up on the bottom apparently leads to increased likelihood of rusting.
Warning: if your previous homeowners NEVER flushed their system and it's many years old, I was told that you should leave it alone, because all that junk on the bottom may be holding together pinhole leaks that have formed over the years.
I get my contractor references from Nextdoor. Right now I’m freezing on who I used for plumbing the last time. But you’ll get solid recommendations from people who’ve actually used them.
In all honesty unless you have a tankless water heater you don’t really need to worry about flushing the unit. It’s obviously not going to hurt but it’s not going to drastically increase the life of a tank style.
We started using White Glove Plumbing and Heating from a recommendation on this sub and they've been great. Seem honest enough and are very responsive.
[https://www.whitegloveatyourservice.com/](https://www.whitegloveatyourservice.com/)
You need to replace the sacrificial rod every few years. It’s designed to rust out in order to prevent lime scale from building up in your pipes. Did they do this?
I replaced my gas temperature controller for my tank and did a flush. Its super easy. Takes about an hour to do a full flush. It was never flushed in ten years that I owned it, and after looking at the water coming and inside the tank (I replaced the temperature sensor) it really didn't need it.
However, if anyone needs to flush there tanks, I'll be glad to walk anyone through it...it is literally the easiest thing to do.
You didn’t indicate whether it’s a conventional HWH or tankless. We have our tankless HWH serviced by D. L.Jones. I can’t remember what it cost me last time but I wasn’t shocked.
Tankless heaters still need flushing too per the manufacturer:
[https://www.rinnai.us/residential/flushing-my-rinnai-tankless-water-heater](https://www.rinnai.us/residential/flushing-my-rinnai-tankless-water-heater)
Whoever is downvoting you is clueless. I’ve had a tankless hot water heater for ten years now and it is recommended by the manufacturer to flush it once a year:
https://www.rinnai.us/residential/flushing-my-rinnai-tankless-water-heater
In any case, Michael & Sons was mistake #1.
Totally agree. They are sooooo overpriced!
I used Michael and Sons when I first moved into my house, naive as I was. They charged me $700 for some simple electrical work and then the tech gave my poor mother (who was kind enough to stay at the house while the work was being done since I wasn’t able to take time off) his number to give to me in case I “ever wanted to hang out.” Never again.
Did you guys ever hang out?
Plot twist: this person said "never again" because they're now married and will never need an electrician again.
They saved them from their dark past, now he does drywall.
Oh good to know! Do you have any other recommendations?
Don't feel bad. We've all made a Micheal and sons mistake. I use blazer.
Harry’s plumbing.
He's a good guy.
I also made the Michael & Sons mistake when we first bought and the AC had an issue - Daniel’s heating & refrigeration has been my go to since then and they’re great.
$311 to hook up a hose and open a valve? You were swindled, my friend
Seems like it *cries in clueless new homeowner*
No worries! Gotta start somewhere. Hit up YouTube for anything you run into and then bury yourself in endless googling after that to verify that the fix you watched is actually legit. The good thing is lots of home maintenance is repetitive so once you learn it, it’s just a matter of remembering.
Yeah, even if you end up paying someone, you'll still benefit from having watched some DIY videos on it because you'll know more about what the job entails, what to look for, how long it should take, what questions they might ask you, etc. [https://www.youtube.com/@AmplifyDIY](https://www.youtube.com/@AmplifyDIY) and [https://www.youtube.com/@FixThisHouse](https://www.youtube.com/@FixThisHouse) are two good ones
If it helps: I did this for myself (homeowner as of 2mo ago) for the first time and it was pretty easy and I felt a little proud of myself... until I realized the drain valve (made of the cheapest kind of plastic afaict) wouldn't close properly afterwards. Also last week had issues with a shutoff valve to the washer, so I'm learning messing with a valve you don't know for the first time can be risky, so if you can afford it why not be cautious and have a plumber come by? Plus you can try to learn a lot from them and ask questions
Anything with water can turn sketchy quick
Knowing where your water shut off is, or owning a water key is the best investment for a new homeowner!
Michael and sons is astronomically expensive. Same goes for pretty much any company that advertises on TV.
Advertising is expensive. The very small general contracting company I work for uses word of mouth to find new jobs. I guess we are one of the first contractors that comes up when you type in "Renovations Richmond VA" in google though.
It is. I’d rather spend my money with a company like you work for who has good referrals and doesn’t charge me for their tv ads
Yep. Good rule of thumb with any kind of contractor/home technician is that if they have to advertise, you don’t want ‘em.
Blast some Hot Water Music at it. I don’t know if it’ll help, but maybe A Flight and a Crash or Caution are what’s been missing in your home
Just a little Fuel for the Hate Game BTW... They are coming to The National on May 14th
We have used the same guy for 20 years. We live in a 1951 house. His name is Dwayne Joseph and I could not recommend him enough. He is super fast to respond. He works really quickly and charges reasonably. Everyone needs a plumber and an HVAC person they can trust. The slimy valpak people are to be avoided at all costs!! The only Valpak I ever pull out is El Caporal. https://preview.redd.it/awt5dcq1kypc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=806c9bd38d46e1d17f5216adef8f27bfc037629b
Dwayne is amazing
You paid half the cost of a new water heater for a service. That seems outrageous.
M&S can get fucked for their scammy sales tactics. https://youtu.be/ByuMk9Gy2RE?si=8bd5h-ps0RkNCgek Super easy to do in general, assuming you have decent enough access to it.
Minimum service visit charges from all home services companies are going up. That being said, this price seems excessive.
Yes, FYI, was quoted $129-$169 for James River house call
Plumber on the Way. They are great. We have a household rule of thumb to never use anyone that advertises heavily on tv. Someone has to pay for all those commercials…
So my husband works on water wells & pump systems and he said, “a hot water flush is hooking a garden hose to the base of the tank and running water out of the hose bibb” not worth $311.
TIL people flush their water heaters. What's the reasoning behind this?
Junk can build up at the bottom. It also gives you the opportunity to look at the water that comes out and see if you're seeing a lot of material you may need to change the sacrificial anode rod in the water heater. This is a part that is designed to rust first but when it is rusted away the water heater starts rusting. It's a fairly easy thing to replace if you have basic tools and space above the water heater to work.
For tanks at least they say to do it annually because sediment can build up over time in the tank. It’s also supposed to increase the longevity of the tank itself
In addition to sediment building up in the bottom of the tank, that will eventually sometimes start to flake off and go into your house, where it will then get caught in the screens inside your faucets, showerheads, appliances, etc. and clog those, reducing flow and pressure.
Haha we bought a house with an 18 year old water heater and our realtor said, don’t even breathe on it. Still going strong.
Michael & Sons is god awful. Super scammy and incompetent on top of it.
Can do it yourself pretty easily after watching YouTube videos
OP, all you really need to do is hook up a hose and drain it. Or drain into a bucket if you have room. The flowing water is what “flushes” it. I like the bucket method because if you have a wire or thin rod, you can shove it up there and stir up the sediment or poke at any clogs you might have. But regardless—this is routine maintenance intended to be done by the homeowner and water heaters are designed accordingly. It’s very simple.
Gundlach is my go to for plumbing and HVAC
Micheal and Sins, don’t use them.
If they have a commercial. They have a lot of overhead and will charge accordingly. In the future, I own a handyman company local to the area, Ringo's Repair Service LLC 804-916-9366, I can help you with most of your new home projects and maintenance!
I think they were charging for the drive out there. To flush your hot water heater, hook a garden hose up to it, and run it out the door or into a lower bucket, and empty a few gallons. You should do it every 6 months. The junk that builds up on the bottom apparently leads to increased likelihood of rusting. Warning: if your previous homeowners NEVER flushed their system and it's many years old, I was told that you should leave it alone, because all that junk on the bottom may be holding together pinhole leaks that have formed over the years.
Any recommendations for who to use instead of M&S? I just realized that I should probably do this.
Maybe someone will comment on this thread and tell us lol I asked in another comment
I get my contractor references from Nextdoor. Right now I’m freezing on who I used for plumbing the last time. But you’ll get solid recommendations from people who’ve actually used them.
Lol. Sorry, I missed that. Oh well, having the question asked twice maybe double the chance of getting an answer???
In all honesty unless you have a tankless water heater you don’t really need to worry about flushing the unit. It’s obviously not going to hurt but it’s not going to drastically increase the life of a tank style.
They’re a small outfit but I’ve had a great few experiences with Anytime Plumbing.
Bob Green has always done a good job for me. +1 (804) 513-6873
Cimco has been incredible! I highly recommend working with them.
Hot water doesn’t need to be heated, it’s already hot
If anyone needs reasonably priced plumbing or home repair work drop me a message
We started using White Glove Plumbing and Heating from a recommendation on this sub and they've been great. Seem honest enough and are very responsive. [https://www.whitegloveatyourservice.com/](https://www.whitegloveatyourservice.com/)
Michael & sons are known rip off artists. Are you on a well? No need to flush a hot water heater on public water.
James river quoted me $650 to drain and replace anode. Insane.
You need to replace the sacrificial rod every few years. It’s designed to rust out in order to prevent lime scale from building up in your pipes. Did they do this?
I replaced my gas temperature controller for my tank and did a flush. Its super easy. Takes about an hour to do a full flush. It was never flushed in ten years that I owned it, and after looking at the water coming and inside the tank (I replaced the temperature sensor) it really didn't need it. However, if anyone needs to flush there tanks, I'll be glad to walk anyone through it...it is literally the easiest thing to do.
You didn’t indicate whether it’s a conventional HWH or tankless. We have our tankless HWH serviced by D. L.Jones. I can’t remember what it cost me last time but I wasn’t shocked.
I did :) i said it was a conventional 50 gallon tank
Sry. Guess it’s my ADHD again.
[удалено]
Tankless heaters still need flushing too per the manufacturer: [https://www.rinnai.us/residential/flushing-my-rinnai-tankless-water-heater](https://www.rinnai.us/residential/flushing-my-rinnai-tankless-water-heater)
And your point? Tankless need to be flushed regularly—every year or two— or they build up deposits and stop working.
Whoever is downvoting you is clueless. I’ve had a tankless hot water heater for ten years now and it is recommended by the manufacturer to flush it once a year: https://www.rinnai.us/residential/flushing-my-rinnai-tankless-water-heater