Home Depot Stinks

AutumnWood Inc.

In slow times/winter time we do repairs on mobile homes so we got a call today to replace a hot water tank. whenever you have hot water tank in a mobile home there is generally 2 kinds of gas hot water tanks - atmostpheric (sp) and direct vent, generally 80% are direct vent.

Some home depots have both kinds some don't carry both kinds.
Most people or even most plumbers don't know the difference between the 2 hot water tanks. On both tanks boxes it says in a large bright green sticker Mobile Home Approved the atmostpheric is $358.00 the direct vent is $658.00 So when most people call or go to buy the tank they buy the cheaper tank or the guy working in their plumbing dept. don't know the difference sells them the wrong tank and we look like we are gouging are customers and they are selling all kinds of wrong tanks

Then to top it of today we had to go there to get a hot water tank today and there is a sales guy from Tony V's sunrooms walking down each isle in Home Depot trying to sell finished basements, sunrooms, pergolas (our main line of work)

It just reminded me not to go back !

__________________
michigan deck builders| oakland county michigan deck builders | macomb county michigan deck builders | michigan deck contractor |

Mike Finley

Did he use his master salesman powers on you?

They walk up to you and say:

"Have you heard what we are doing for homeowners today?" With a big sh*t eating grin on their faces.

That's when I point to the company logo on my shirt. Funny thing is only about half the time they even have a clue why I'm pointing to the logo.

SalesMGR1011

Don't get me wrong I am sure the guy was dumb, but really who would fault someone for having a partnership with Home Depot to get live leads? Maybe I'm missing something how that is wrong?

Tscarborough

It is wrong in the same way that a whore trolling a nightclub for tricks is wrong.

__________________
It ain't Rocket Science unless you are building rockets.

AutumnWood Inc.

I can't blame them for selling their stuff at Home Depot and setting at their both or display area.
But walking down each isle and passing out flyers
He came up to me in the plumbing isle
It is bad enough to be buying something there but to be approached by a saleman while your shoping is a little over the top

__________________
michigan deck builders| oakland county michigan deck builders | macomb county michigan deck builders | michigan deck contractor |

skyhook

So is atmospheric propane, electric or something else? As you can tell, I'm not a Plumber.

__________________

curapa

What the hell is wrong with that?

__________________
www.ParkerFenceandDeck.com

AutumnWood Inc.

Atmostpheric - has only 1 vent out the top (for mobile homes with access to the hot water tank on the exterior)

Direct vent - has 2 vents, 1 out the top and 1 air flow vent in from the bottom (for mobile homes with access to the hot water tank through the inside of the home)

Both could be natural gas or propane

__________________
michigan deck builders| oakland county michigan deck builders | macomb county michigan deck builders | michigan deck contractor |

wyoming 1

Correct me if I am wrong but the mobile home ones have a sealed cumbustion chamber correct

Mike Finley

I'm pretty sure what we are seeing is the subs who do the home services installation. They have to spend so many hours a week in the Home Depot stores kind of "interning" and working the store to churn up sales. So when you see one of those kids doing this, notice the shirt they are wearing, it isn't a Home Depot shirt. They have been hired by the 3rd party company that farms out the painting or siding or whatever to subs and is the middle man between the subs and Home Depot. Or in some cases they are the subs company themselves if they are big enough.

AutumnWood Inc.

Sealed combustion is the same as direct vent

__________________
michigan deck builders| oakland county michigan deck builders | macomb county michigan deck builders | michigan deck contractor |

JonM

Let me get this right...it's not ok for a guy to hustle a living at Home Depot...but it's alright for you (a deck builder) to install a dangerous piece of equipment in living quarters where only a licensed/insured plumber should be doing the work?....

mics_54

My understanding is,
Direct vented means just that...combustion air is supplied directly to the combustion chamber. This usually requires the appliance to be install on or very near an exterior wall or it may be vented through the roof in some applications. Atmospheric combustion air type appliances use the air from the atmosphere surrounding the appliance within an enclosure which would have air supplied from the exterior of the building such as a duct penetration in an exterior wall or exterior door access to that enclosure. Neither type appliance may rely soley upon air from within the building for combustion air. Interestingly ranges do not seem to have this type of requirement.

AutumnWood Inc.

We have a installer/servicer license for mobile home community's which allows us to replace hot water tanks in parks only as long as we only switch out the tank
And most residental plumbers will not even work on mobile homes or know anything about the proper hot water tanks to put in them

__________________
michigan deck builders| oakland county michigan deck builders | macomb county michigan deck builders | michigan deck contractor |

AutumnWood Inc.

So you would not mind being solicited at your local supply house by another local contractor and you would you still be doing business with them right?

__________________
michigan deck builders| oakland county michigan deck builders | macomb county michigan deck builders | michigan deck contractor |

Meetre

I think the point here is most of us don't use Home Depot or Lowe's for supplies, as they are competing with us for work (installed sales program). Knowing that they compete with us, we do our best not to buy from them.

__________________
www.meetre.com LinkedIn Facebook Meetre_Newsletter

SalesMGR1011

Its a partnership, just like a guy that does the install, except its SFI(sell, furnish, install) You see this stuff all the time even at sams club with people selling verizon, pictures, home repairs etc.

JonM

All's fair in Love and War my friend....business can be cutthroat sometimes...My option is to shop there or not...

JonM

hmmm strange law..By your own admittance, their are many mistakes installing a tank....I guess people in trailer parks arn't included in the body count....

mics_54

Provisions for other than licensed plumbers or mechanical contractors to install a water heater??? I doubt it.