ComplaintsforWet Willie's Sprinkler Repair, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  01/06/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I requested this company come out to fix an issue with the master valve for my sprinkler system. The solenoid had broken off at the base of the valve and needed to be replaced. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Prior to this master valve issue, I had no issues with the water flow to my sprinkler system. All of the on/off levers were on and we had water flowing to the system. The sprinkler company showed up and began working on the master valve. They also opened the main water supply box by the street and the check valve box next to it. (both of these boxes are where the water flow on/off valves are). Again, note that prior to their working on my system, there was NO ISSUE with the water flow to my sprinkler system. While one person worked on the master valve and solenoid, I observed the other person working in both main water supply boxes at the street. After that, the person working in the boxes by the street notified me that the sprinkler check valve on/off nob was broken in the off position and they would need to be replaced at a cost of almost $1000. They told me it was not broken by then and must have been broken before their arrival, which is not the case (see my important note above). they refused to own that they broke this on/off nob and asserted it was broken prior to their arrival, which it WAS NOT.

  Business response

  03/04/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2022/01/12) */ Customer called and said his system wouldn't work and we discussed that he might have wired up his new controller wrong (he installed it himself). He also indicated that either HE; or another company had already tried some repairs. He and I discussed the possibility that lightning might have struck and knocked out all of his solenoids on the valves, because NOTHING WOULD WORK. Regardless, and as evidenced in the file I attached the client said his system wasn't running AT ALL. (The file attached includes our original telephone conversation and scheduling of the appointment). He thought it was the master valve solenoid (he had broken it off)... IF the Master VAlve is broken - then nothing works! So we went to repair his master valve. We charge more than $150 for a solenoid install. I had agreed to do it for $50 since he had purchased his own solenoid. Upon arrival - he needed an entirely new valve (not just the solenoid). In addition, THERE WAS NO WATER COMING OUT OF THIS BROKEN VALVE/BROKEN SOLENOID. (It should have been leaking water profusely being broken like this). The reason it wasn't leaking water is because his sprinkler device was not working. This is the device down in the ground that is Tee'd off into the water meter in order to get water to the sprinkler system. We told him BEFORE we did any work that his device has failed and no water can pass through it because it's broken. The device normally has 2 handles on it - these handles open and close the device. We told him that we were only going to touch one handle because the other one had not only the handle broken off, but also the nipple that remained had backed out of the device - indicating that a gate valve had failed within the device. My technician did not want to touch this part of the device and called the office immediately to tell me he was only going to try the handle on the right, because the one on the left looked in bad shape. Not only did we explain this to the client - My technician called after repairing both the solenoid and the master valve WHILE THERE and explained to me (i'm the owner) - that his device wouldn't work and he has no water to his system. He also told me that we discussed this with the homeowner. We changed the valve and the customer paid. We told him he needed a new sprinkler device $975.00. THe device was broken when we arrived. Finally, this customer has never called the office to complain or try to resolve anything. Had he called me, I would have explained again what my technicians found when we arrived. I'll be happy to refund this client his $240 if he's not happy, but I won't pay for something we did not do. Consumer Response /* (3000, 7, 2022/01/13) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) yes, when I contacted you I said that my system had shorted out and that none of the zones were running. that I had tried to replace the control panel and that they were still not running. I thought I had wired it incorrectly, until I mentioned the lightening strike on my tree and you stated that there was the possibility that it shorted the other other solenoids. All of that is factual. What is also factual, its that there was water flowing through my system prior to that, and that NOONE had touched that main water flow valve by the street prior to your team being on site. that being said, 1) your techs ONLY replaced the cover on the master valve, not the entire valve. they said the cost was the same for the work whether I used my solenoid or theirs, so they used theirs. 2) your tech did say that they didnt see water flowing to the master valve and that is why they said the main valve was bad. However, he was turning the 1 shutoff lever back and forth and wasnt sure himself, which setting was open or closed (that seemed odd to me). I explained to him AGAIN, that NOONE had touched that valve or levers and there was no issue with water flow prior. HE continued to assert that this needed to be replaced at a cost of $900 before they could troubleshoot further. I refused at the time because either they broke it while moving the lever on/off, or was trying to get me to pay for additional work that didnt need to be performed and that I wouldnt know the difference. I refused to have them do the work, paid them for the work they did do, and sent them away. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - After your crew left, I went back and made sure the on/off lever was indeed on, then changed the solenoid to zone 1. went back to my panel, turned on zone 1 for a test and it ran as it should (water flowing with no issue). replaced solenoid for zone 2, and ran test with that zone and it ran as expected. Replaced remaining solenoids and all zones ran. So, tell me how it is, when your team was here it was broke and wouldnt allow water to flow unless I paid them $900 to fix, but when they left and I changed 1 solenoid and re-ran the zone it worked with no issue and has been working since? I dont want your reimbursement, I paid them for the work they did, but I do want this complaint on record so maybe your techs dont try to cheat their next client out of $ for work that doesnt need to be performed Business Response /* (4000, 9, 2022/01/27) */ Again, we changed the customer's master valve - BOTH the solenoid and the diaphram inside (we changed the whole valve). It needed a whole new valve - not just a solenoid. The customer had his own solenoid, but not the other part - the diaphram. It needed a whole new valve. Once again, after replacing the master valve, our technician turned 1 of the 2 handles on the sprinkler doublecheck device (what allows the water through to the sprinkler system). The reason customer states that my technician didn't know what he was doing, is because my technician was "perplexed" because the water didn't come on when turning the "good"; (available handle) The sprinkler doublecheck device has 2 handles that need to be turned PARRALLEL to the pipe in order for it to be turned on completely. Our technician stated that HE WILL NOT TOUCH THE HANDLE ON THE LEFT because it was not in good shape. When turning the handle on the right - NO WATER came out of the device indicating that the handle we did not touch had already failed (the one on the left) or; it was not in the right position. We told the customer he had no water running through the device and that if we touched the handle on the left - it could permanently FAIL - causing the device to never work again. We weren't confused. We just didn't want to chance breaking the device because its $975 to replace it. So that's when we told the customer about the issue with the doublecheck. Now - the customer states that he worked on the system after we left and that now he has water in it. Well - he must have turned the other handle or had someone willing to mess with it - because now he states that he has water to the system... don't know who messed with it after we left - but we were not going to attempt to turn the other handle. Based on this customer's complaints/answers - HE IS THE ONE who has been messing with his own solenoids and doublecheck device...He is the one who somehow got the water turned on. Now it sounds like it's all good. We are glad he was able to get the doublecheck device turned on - as we were not going to try the handle on the left that was in bad shape (and turning this handle could have caused the device to fail). (Both handles need to be parallel to the pipe in order for the device to work). We turned the one on the right into the correct position and there was no water - indicating the handle on the left had failed already, or needed to be turned parallel to the pipe just like the other handle. BUT WE WEREN'T going to attempt that. We didn't want to be responsible if the device failed by turning the left (KNOB). (The handele was already missing and there was only a knob/nipple sticking out - with no handle - so we would not have been able to "tell" whether the device was indeed parallel or not....) What the customer did after we left and however he got the left knob to work - is fine with us. We weren't going to mess with it - and though it had already probably failed, or would fail if we attempted to turn the left handle. We are happy he got it working! We never tried to sell him anything other than the master valve replacement...we only suggested he probably needed a new one (doublecheck device), because the left handle was in bad shape, and we would not attempt to turn the device completely on due to the fact that it might break or had already been broken. FOR BETTER BACKGROUND: THE SYSTEM DIDN'T WORK UPON ARRIVAL 1. If the master valve doesn't work - THE ENTIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM WON'T WORK. 2. If the sprinkler Doublecheck Device doesn't work - THE ENTIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM WON'T WORK 3. Over the telephone and upon arrival - the master valve was broken. 4. We repaired the master valve thinking that was the issue causing the system not to work. 5. Once we repaired the Master Valve - the system still would not work !! 6. So, obviously we checked his doublecheck device thinking someone had shut it off ... 7. It was indeed off - and we turned the only existing handle (the one on the right) - to the parallel position (the ON position) 8. Device still didn't work and provided no water - indicating the gate valve had failed within the device (which is controlled by the handle on the left - which was only a knub; and we would not touch it. 9. After that we told the customer what we thought was wrong (that he might need a new doublecheck device) and we weren't sure because we weren't going to turn the knob on the left and be responsible for possibly causing the gate valve to fail. 10. If the customers' system works now - then either someone used a wrench to turn the left knob, or it's been replaced. Consumer Response /* (4200, 11, 2022/01/31) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) I did not do anything to the system after your team left except to change 1 solenoid on one of the zones and run that zone. I did nothing to those valves, and why I said there were no issues with waterflow as your team suggested and that the system was working after the master valve was fixed. otherwise, me replacing a solenoid on one of the zones would not have made a difference. That being said, you may close out this complaint, but I want in notated that anyone reading this should get a second opinion before trusting this companies technicians that the work they are stating needs to be done, actually needs to be done

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