Our boiler broke last week. Originally we
hoped it was just a bad circulator pump. During the course of trying to find
a
replacement pump for our 40-year-old (or more) boiler we were lucky enough to walk
into a local plumbing supply wholesaler
whose
staff - themselves very knowledgeable (and retired, unfortunately) plumbers - would
ultimately direct us both to a
reasonably-priced
new boiler, and to someone who could install it.
The local father-son plumbing business we
called was at the top of their very, very short list of recommendations, and were
the
ones about whom they could not say enough. Based on their recommendation (and a
strong sense of trust in their
knowledge
of and familiarity with plumbing and local plumbers – their customers) we
called Bob and Ross Watson.
Having had a number of no-so-pleasant
experiences in the past, I am always very wary of unfamiliar faces, especially
when
the
potential for a huge expense exists. This turned out, however, to be one of the
best decisions I’ve made. I cannot speak
highly
enough about them – from their honesty and frankness, to their obviously
very skilled work. As it turns out, in over
fifty
years of business, Bob has never advertised, relying only on word-of-mouth. He
and his son Ross work only on one job
at
a time, devoting themselves entirely to each customer instead of moving about
between jobs.
While they were here, of their own accord
they took it upon themselves to make several trips back and forth between
our
home and the business where we purchased the boiler – just to verify that
we had ordered one that was appropriate
for
our house (I’m sure many if not most plumbers would have been more than willing
to just take it and install it,
regardless
of whether it was the right one). They explained everything they did –
well. I learned later that they adjusted
their
schedules around their observations of my schedule, even though that meant
working later into the evening. Despite
the
fact that several problems arose - including the fact that the pump on the new
boiler was bad and had to be replaced,
which
meant several trips back and forth for them (and meant having to drain and refill
the entire radiator system) - they
stuck
to their initial quote. In short, it was obvious from the start that these guys
make the cornerstone of their business
their
reputation and the quality of their work. I cannot recommend them highly
enough. You will not, however, find them
listed
in the yellow pages. If you are considering having any plumbing work done, I’d
suggest giving them a call and at least
speaking
with them.
Bob and Ross Watson (412-969-8620)