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| - A 38-Gallon Whirlpool electric lowboy water heater sold along with the installation service and the entire experience blew up upon installation. Lowe's is reluctant to take responsibility from contracting with plumbers who are unqualified to install water heaters. Lowe's is less than accommodating for selling defective products and services although they consider honoring the word of a Lowe's employee an outstanding achievement.
First, the water heater purchased through the 1800 Installation Service number came from the Lowe's Sunrise location. Assurance that the price of installation was all inclusive and final and the additional parts ordered (drain pan, seismic straps, copper water lines, etc.) would not incur any additional installation charges I completed the purchase believing that the technician would leave any unused items for return to any Lowe's location.
Tony of Las Vegas Quality Water Works, Inc, the install company, called within 30 minutes of the purchase and said he would call back first thing in the morning because the order that came from Lowe's has too many items and is missing something. The next morning, Crystal from Lowe's contacted me demanding $185 for an "Up to Code" fee - NV code requirements require the seismic straps and shut off valve only (confirmed requirements with Clark County code enforcement division before purchasing). I stressed that installation of the water heater would meet code standards as the straps included along with the shut-off valve incurred no other installation fees. To resolve the $185 fee issue, I had to speak to a manager, Todd, who removed the hidden fees. Finally, an installation technician, Patrick, arrived at 5 PM that day.
Patrick did not test the power line (Lowe's sells line testers), he did not check the water heater power before connecting, but proceeded with the installation. When the circuit breaker switch was flipped on, an immediate hum sounded, then a popping noise and sparks flew. The circuit fried. Patrick remarked that there is an electrical problem and he was not an electrician and quickly departed with the unused copper wire and other remaining items.
The following morning I contacted both Las Vegas Quality Water and Lowe's to resolve the issue. Naturally, an electrician was called out to fix the circuit. My electrician verified that the water heater is defective and it tripped the circuit breaker again after being plugged in for 10 minutes. Another call to Lowe's instructed me to contact Whirlpool for an RA#. Meanwhile, there is still no hot running water because Whirlpool closed for the day. The appropriate solution would be to locate another water heater, arrange for installation and deal with Whirlpool later, instead another day (or two) with no hot water!
Additionally, Las Vegas Quality Water advertises their business as providers and installers of water purifiers; there is no mention of water heaters or other electric powered water appliances. Lowe's wants to argue that LVQW are licensed plumbers who do hundreds of installations, and it's what they do all day. They, therefore, are qualified to install water heaters. It may be true that they have on staff some skilled plumbers, but that does not mean that they sent a plumber who has adequate experience or knowledge on how to correctly install an electric water heater. Lowe's argument is like saying a board certified brain surgeon is qualified to operate on an eye because she has completed hundreds of surgeries and did surgery daily. Ability to work in one area of a field does not guarantee the same or equal ability in a related field. While professionals (or skilled tradespeople) are expected to be proficient in various areas of their field, a major component of professionalism is knowing when to ask for help from someone more qualified or with superior expertise to avoid negligent and harmful results. There is a reason why "specialists" exist. In this case, the installers/plumbers that specialize in purification systems should either employ plumbers who understand basic electrical current flow; or know installation basics of proper testing before installation; or simply not accept plumbing jobs that also include electrical connections. Because their employee did not know (but should have known) the most basic step of installation - testing components before connecting them - a bigger, avoidable and expensive problem is now present.
Between the courteous but less than helpful customer service, this Lowe's location, its management and sales representative would get a quarter star if it were possible. Shame on Lowe's for not being solution oriented and being more loyal to their vendor, than their customer.
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