Flummer the Plumber

When things go Pop! in the morning
Three mornings ago after I’d left for work, and while the wife was enjoying a leisurely breakfast and the cats were gazing out the front windows, there was a «pop» and the sound of a water stream under pressure. The wife looked up from her oatmeal and blueberries, and the cats’ eyes got big as saucers because they have a constant fear of assassins. Was the house under attack?
Well, no. But the castle’s water supply’s pressure regulator had failed and caused the pressure relief valve to blow. Happily, there was someone home at the time to notice or it could have gotten messy.
The wife immediately turned off the water and consulted the Internet for a plumber with a reputation for reliability, and subsequently put in a call to Flummer the Plumber. The owner, Don, responded within a couple of hours and arranged to come out in the afternoon to give the debacle a look-​see.
As it turned out, it took more than one visit to set things right. On the first, Don placed a temporary cap on the leak and turned thewater back on. The next day, Don’s helper Riley installed a new regulator and valve. That evening, we noticed the new assembly was dripping water and had to call Don back to fine-​tune the repair, which he readily, promptly and personally did the third day.
What was particularly impressive was that Don came out the extra day in very hot, humid weather and worked in the sun without complaint to upgrade the repair to our and his satisfaction at no extra charge. For him, it’s a point of honor that the job was done correctly. He stands by his work, and we won’t need much of an excuse to ask him back in the future.

They Replaced a 1″ gas line with a new 2″ gas line about 70′ from the meter, through garage and then buried in a trench to a newly installed 400K BTU pool heater that was groaning and starving for fuel.
Also added a new larger earthquake valve at the gas meter which was upgraded by the gas company.
I got a very good impresison from him and his assistant Riley when they both came to estimate the job. Don is an old school plumber, he really knows his trade, the local codes, and has a great can-​do problem solving attitude. I also felt that he estimated the job and not me which I found very ethical. I did get other bids for the project — two were the same and two were higher. Don has great customer rapport and communication –if not one of the best I’ve encountered in the contracting profession. He gave me the quote when he said he would, showed up when promised, and called for updates and any questions. He also interfaced with the Gas Co. rep so that everything could be installed properly.
Installing the 2″ pipe was not easy as there were quite a few turns and fittings to deal with but they handled it well and made sure everything was right, tight, and sealed. The pool heater now works as it should and I have enough gas flow for future upgrades.
I was extremely please with Don and Riley and I am happy to have finally found a great local plumber I can rely on.