ComplaintsforHedlund Plumbing Company

• Initial Complaint

  10/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  End of September 2022 Hudlund Plumbing plumbers caused my drain to back up and advised me to tear out flooring around toilet, then call once done. This was done, called Hedlund back and they told me to find another plumber. The lady with their customer service was rude and didn't want to listen to what I had to say. I've been vacuuming up water every day. The drain did not do this before they worked on it.

  

  Business response

  10/18/2022

  I disagree about the drain not working only after we tried to clear it.  The only reason we were there was because this drain was not flowing properly and we have already told the customer that with our equipment we are not able to get the line cleared.  If we return we will be in the same situation and that is the reason we suggested a different drain cleaning company that could hopefully get the drain flowing properly.

  Customer response

  10/18/2022

   
  Complaint: 18234779
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  The drain was working in my toilet.  It became plugged when my mother used toilet paper and flushed toilet.  There was no damage to the pipes.  The plumber with Hedlund removed my toilet, capped it, removed my bathtub drain fixtures tore some of the tile around my toilet and told me to have someone tear all the tile out around the toilet so they can see the pipes.  They said once done, to call so they could come back and look.  Also. They were in the bathroom for over 3 hours and were making loud noise with their equipment.  The sewer water burst from toilet and filled the tub, and made a huge mess.  They said since they caused this problem, they would clean it up and no charge for what they did.  Well, it's obvious they damaged the pipe with whatever they shoved down the toilet.  I don't understand why they didn't have a camera to go through the pipes to spot where a plug may be.  I have had plumbers in the past snake the drain from the main drain in my basement and not directly down the toilet.  I have been vacuuming up water that comes up from the drains in my basement garage sink and on floor after showering in the bathroom where they replaced pipes.  The pipes that connect to main drain are damaged or plugged due to the equipment they used when shoving it down the toilet.

   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  12/06/2022

  From what I can understand this customer complaint stems from our visit on 9/20 where we were trying to clear the bathroom drain downstream from the toilet.  This is the bathroom where we had to pull the toilet for accessing the drain line but were not able to fully get our equipment through the lines, which usually occurs because of the age & style of fittings used.  Keep in mind this was NOT the same bathroom where we performed a full re-pipe on 8/18/22 but a separate bathroom without clear access to the pipes.  Compounding the issue was the fact that the toilet could not be reset due to rotted flooring around the base of the toilet area.  This was fully communicated to the customer by our drain technician while on site 9/20/22.  We were supposed to be notified when the flooring company was out so that we could hopefully view the piping before the sub floor was reset since there was no other access.   The customer also called on 9/26/22 with a different drain issue from the utility sink downstairs but we were never able to get to the house as she called back that same say to cancel, stating the home warranty company was handling that call.  In summary we did some original drain piping work on 8/18/22 and then were out four other times (9/6, 9/9, 9/19, and 9/20) to look at drain issues not even related to our original job, without any extra charges for those trips.  

  Customer response

  12/06/2022

   
  Complaint: 18234779
  
  I am rejecting this response because: on 9/20/22 the plumbers from Hedlund were in my bathroom for several hours.  They removed the toilet and caused a backup in the drain that caused water to continue to overflow in the pipes they installed.  They told me to tare out the floor so they could see the pipes then call them back to look at pipes.  I paid someone to tear out flooring and  will now have to replace the flooring.  When I called Hedlund the next day, they told me to find another plumber and hung up on me.  I found another plumber.  The plumber put a camera through all pipes and said my bathroom pipes and flantch were fine and did not need to get torn out, nor did PVC pipes need to get installed by Hedlund.  The plumbers found that the drain got very plugged up after Hedlund left and that I had to pay $14,200 to excavate under garage floor cement to replace the main pipe.  It got replaced and no more plumbing issues.  Hedlund failed to properly diagnose backup, told me to tare out floor, they removed toilet, and opened a stink pipe that caused main pipe to plug up causing flooding for several days until other plumber replaced main drain under garage floor cement.  They said that Hedlund should not have did what they did.  And that they told me to find another plumber, so I had to.  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  12/14/2022

  I'm sorry but your information is still incorrect.  Number one the existing flooring under the toilet was so rotted that we could not have successfully reset the toilet anyway due to not enough support.  ************** explained this fully and we were told that we would be notified when the flooring company was out so that during the floor repairs we could inspect the ****** and drains to get a better idea on the type of fittings that were used and the direction they travelled.  We never received a phone call about the flooring.  This is also the first we've even heard about having to replace a large section of piping under the garage floor, but if that was needed, then it is obviously related to the original backup.  The accusation that we somehow "caused the drain to backup after work was done" is 100% incorrect.   We explained that our equipment could not get through the piping and that was the reason why later when the customer called back we explained we did not have a solution for this main drain issue.  

  Customer response

  01/05/2023

   
  Complaint: 18234779
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I did call Hedlund the next day after plumbers were here.  The plumber told me to tear out the flooring and call when done so that they could come back to look at the pipes.  When I called back the next day, I was told to find another plumber.  I found another plumber and they used their camera to find the back up in the main drain in my garage.  When Hedlund plumbers left my house, the *** pipe that they attached to main drain pipe was leaking water and water was overflowing in basement sink.  The plumber told me that Hedlund should not have removed my toilet, that the pipes are fine in bathroom.  The toilet and flooring are still removed.  Hedlund plumbers were in my bathroom for several hours and whatever they did caused the back up to become worse.  Roter Rooter had to flush the main drain at $1400 cost, I have to pay $1600 for new flooring and pay $500 to get toilet put on.  I also paid $15,500 to get main pipe replaced.  The *** pipes that Hedlund put on, for $2770 did not fix the backup.  The pipes were leaking and I have video and pictures of this. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  01/30/2023

  Again, this is factually incorrect.  The information given is NOT accurate as to how the job was left.  We were not able to get through the plugged drain and communicated that to the customer but at the same time did not charge for that trip or the following 2-3 trips out.  

  Customer response

  01/30/2023

   
  Complaint: 18234779
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  The plumber removed my toilet and bathtub fixtures and did something to cause the main drain to plug up.  I was vacuuming up water.  The plumber said to tear out the flooring and call Hedlund back once done, and that the would like at pipes further.  I paid someone to tear out flooring, called Hedlund next day that thus was done, then told to call another plumber.
  Sincerely,
  
  *************************

  

  Business response

  05/03/2023

  I don't know why I keep getting these notifications.  The customer took us to small claims court, despite not having a legitimate claim, and lost.  This was disregarded by Judge *************************** with the Ingham County Court on 3/24/23.  This BBB complaint is unjust and should be removed.

   

  *** Hedlund

  Hedlund Plumbing

• Initial Complaint

  07/15/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In June 6, 2022 I had a water heater installed and other plumbing work done at my residence in Lansing Township, ********. I paid Hedlund for the permit/inspection fee. Hedlund plumbing has not filed the permit with Lansing Township, and no inspection has taken place as of July 15. After about a month, Kimmy admitted (after I suggested it to her) that Hedlund pulled the permit in *************** instead of Lansing Township. I have had several telephone conversations with Kimmy and **** at Hedlund Plumbing, and ****** at Lansing Township. Hedlund keeps referring me to Kimmy, who I spoke with more recently on July 5, and today, July 15, Kimmy lied again and said she hasn't spoken with me in about a month and hung up on me. Hedlund should not collect a permit/inspection fee if they were not going to follow the correct process required by Lansing Township. If they are incapable of following directions and communicating appropriately, then let the customer file the permit and get the job done. I feel less confident that they correctly installed the water heater and am concerned about personal safety.

  

  Business response

  07/15/2022

  In regards to the missing water heater permit, the customer is exactly correct about us mistakenly sending it to the *************** vs. Lansing Township.  At least two weeks went by before we got the information back from the city and we discovered the error.  A new permit application and check was sent to Lansing Township but apparently that has come up missing.  We physically dropped off the permit application and check today 7/15 at the township office in order expidite things so it has been confirmed that the building department has everything they need.  We are usually able to process permits and get them turned around within days of an installation, and obviously that did not happen in this case.  We have also reviewed our internal process this week to ensure that this situation does not occur in the future if at all possible, and I am confident that this will be the case moving forward.  

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