HOT WATER!

Dear American Home Shield, thank you so very much for your follow up call and generous offer of the gift card for the next service call.  Adrian Rodriquez was here this morning from AZ Plumbing and fixed the hot water heater.  It is working, knock on wood.  We have hot water and I plan to take a nice long shower in a few minutes and wash some clothes.  Mr. Rodriquez is very pleasant and seems to know what he is doing.  I would recommend him to anyone and hope he will coninue under contract to you.
This has been aggravating, for sure, but there is nothing that could have been helped and again, I have to be grateful that clean water is available to me 24/7 by the flick of a wrist...more than many in this world can say.
Thank you, AHS...until the next time and I hope that is a long way off.

Hello again American Home Shield

Dear American Home Shield,
     It's me again.  Still no hot water.  No part arrived but I did get a phone call telling me the part should arrive tomorrow, Thursday.  Rather strange as it was supposed to be sent by overnight Express at AZ Plumbing's expense on Monday which should have put it here by today, Wednesday, at the latest.  I received another call telling me the technician will be here Friday to install it so at least two more cold showers are ahead.  I have such a hard time understanding the caller I have to get her to repeat several times.  Geez...where is she?  Pakistan?
     Now the good news...for some reason I received a check for $22 from American Home Shield.  There was no note saying why I was getting it but I will indeed cash it.  I just wish it were big enough for us to check into the new Hilton down the street and enjoy a hot shower, a loooonnnnggg hot shower.
     We have had no hot water since a week ago last Sunday.  I would like to say that I am getting used to it but spoiled woman that I am, I'm not.  I'm trying to think positively and be really grateful that I have clean water knowing that there are many in the world who do not.  We do have a tub but I'm too old and stiff to get in and out of it so any suggestions of heating water on the stove and carrying it across the house are not valid.  Besides I don't think I can carry a big tub of anything all the way across the house but maybe two of us could.
     I can't point a finger at anybody in this.  It is what it is...what's broke is broke.  But word to the wise:  Do not buy a Whirlpool hot water heater.  Replaceable parts are unavailable at Home Depot, Lowe's and local plumbing supply houses.  Parts must be ordered directly from Whirlpool which frankly sucks for everyone but Whirlpool.

Geez louise...still no hot water

Dear American Home Shield, I know you consider me a liability at this point and I am beginning to wonder about you.  But I live in a house that is nearly 50 years old and shit just seems to happen through no fault of mine or yours BUT I still have no hot water.

The plumber was here Saturday, bless his heart, really, really nice guy named Adrian Ramirez who is truly doing the best he can with what he has.  It seems that he can't install the new part to the hot water heater because there is another problem concerning the baffle.  Evidently when it was installed a few years ago (by a plumber you, AHS, sent) it is minus some clips that hold up the baffle.  I recall the installation being done by an old guy and a young helper.  We were relieved he had a helper as he struggled to get up the ladder in the attic and we were afraid he might have a heart attack up there.  Evidently the clips were knocked off in the installation and I guess he didn't notice or figured it would last a while without them.  Well, it did until now.  So now we need another part in order to replace the previously ordered part.

Adrian called the "emergency parts" department of Whirlpool, the maker of the hot water heater.  They have the parts but can't ship until Monday. So even overnight the parts won't arrive until Tuesday or Wednesday.  Once again I am to call when the part arrives and pray that Adrian can come back ASAP to make the repairs.  I'm trying to think positively but past experience makes me wonder "Oh geez, what if they aren't the right parts?"  Here we go again?

I am learning to go with the flow...no pun intended or maybe it is.  I have figured out that if I wait to shower between 3 and 5, the water pipes in the attic are so warm that if I jump into the shower quickly, the water is hot for a few seconds before it turns lukewarm.  So I shampoo quickly, soap fast and then brace for the cool.  Hey, it works for me thought the rest of the family aren't  happy campers.  Granddaughter tried heating several kettles of hot water for her bath but by the time each kettle had heated, the water in the tub had cooled.   Hubby and daughter are just gritting their teeth and going for it.  We're using paper plates which ecologically bothers us but we do heat water for pots and pans, etc.

I am so happy to report that the light on my ceiling fan has been repaired, is better than before and the electrician was so polite and courteous.  That problem is fixed, thank you very much, American Home Shield.

Now the question:  back to the hot water heater....is this what is happening to everyone who has to deal with repairs?  Or is it just the tradesmen under contract to American Home Shield?  Up until this year we have never had a problem.  We've used AHS for years, used it for rental property.  Does this happen to everyone who lives in a house that is over 20 years old?  So frustrating.

Here we go again...

Hello American Home Shield...are you listening, Ms. Cameron?  Now it is our hot water heater.  A Whirlpool which you installed a few years ago when the old one went out during Christmas dinner and leaked through the ceiling onto the bar filled with pies.

Sunday night we had no hot water.  Early Monday morning I called AHS to report the problem.  I asked for AZ Plumbing who had just done a great job unstopping the tub.  I was to hear from them within a few hours. 

Tuesday, no call as yet.  I call them and was told a technician would be out Wednesday between 8 and 1. Cold showers it has been for our family of four...no dishwasher, etc.

I had to leave at noon and left my 40+ year old intelligent daughter in charge.  The technician arrives at 12:45, goes into the attic and comes back to say we need a thermal coupler which will have to be ordered.  It could take up to 2 weeks but we can order overnight shipping at our expense.  No estimate on how much that would be.  I return at 3 and call AZ Plumbing and explained I needed to know how much the overnight would be. Two weeks with no hot water is not a pretty picture, spoiled rotten woman that I am.   I'm thinking it could be cheaper and easier to go to Home Depot and get one but it turns out it also needs a converter for the way it threads which has to com from Whirlpool.  Not available anywhere else.  I was told to call Simon, the Supervisor.  I call Simon who asks me to hold while he checks something.  He comes back and says I need to call the number I just called.  I told him I just called it and they told me to call him.  He says "Hold on while I check."  He comes back and says a dispatcher will call shortly.

The dispather calls 30 minutes later and says the overnight will be $30 but it is too late to overnight it today and it will go out tomorrow.  Reluctantly I give my credit card.  Why do I have to pay for the shipping when it is something the plumbing company should carry?  I am to call when the part arrives at my house.  Is this sounding familiar?  Holy moly! 
I insist that the dispatcher arrange that when I call with the newly arrived part, a technician be available to put the part in on Friday.  She sounds very skeptical but agrees to make a note.
I DO NOT want to go through the weekend with no hot water! 

Tomorrow the electrician is to return with the light kit to fix the ceiling fan.  Wanna take bets on how that is going to go?