$250 to flush hot water tank

[Velvet]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

[retiredguy123]

The price is way too high. This is an easy DIY or handyman project. No need for a plumber. Also, the Rheem manual does not recommend flushing out a hot water tank. If it is a Rheem, read your manual.

Note that I recently had Mike Scott Plumbing provide and install a new garbage disposal for $240, total price for materials and labor. The Home Depot price for the disposal alone was $117.

[petsetc]

A very expensive lesson. YouTube is you friend.

In fairness, they did have to send a person in a truck to you for an hour. So maybe 150 should be the number, but I suspect they have a rate schedule that accounts for time if problems occur.

[photo1902]

The price is way too high. This is an easy DIY or handyman project. No need for a plumber. Also, the Rheem manual does not recommend flushing out a hot water tank. If it is a Rheem, read your manual.

Note that I recently had Mike Scott Plumbing provide and install a new garbage disposal for $240, total price for materials and labor. The Home Depot price for the disposal alone was $117.

Super easy DIY job.

[retiredguy123]

In the past, I have read some good reviews about this company, Village Plumbing. But, this is the second social media posting I have read within a week about possible overcharging and/or deceptive practices.

When I have a clearly defined plumbing project or other project, I want a phone quote before I schedule an appointment. I would never hire a contractor to come to my house to do a specific job without a firm price quote. There is no reason why a plumber could not have told you exactly what they would charge to flush out a water heater tank. Suppose they had asked you for $2,000?

[Velvet]

Well, I don’t have hubby to run ideas by him but as you say an expensive lesson. And you know I’m going to keep repeating it so that other people may learn the lesson through me. If anyone doubts I can post the invoice.

[retiredguy123]

A very expensive lesson. YouTube is you friend.

In fairness, they did have to send a person in a truck to you for an hour. So maybe 150 should be the number, but I suspect they have a rate schedule that accounts for time if problems occur.
I could somewhat agree with $150 for a plumber. But, this is really not a job that requires the expertise of a licensed plumber. Perhaps the company could have told the OP that in advance.

[Bogie Shooter]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

Whose idea was it to flush the tank…..and why?

[Velvet]

The water was not getting as hot as before. I have heard popping previously when the tank was heating. I was told it was deposits. The water temperature is the same as it was before so the flushing made no difference.

[retiredguy123]

Whose idea was it to flush the tank…..and why?
Good question. I know some will disagree, but my advice about water heaters is to leave it alone until it fails, and then buy a new one. There is a plumbing company on this website that will replace the entire water heater, including an expansion tank, for $875.

[Velvet]

Well, retiredguy and my friends here at TOTV, we learn from each other.

[Keefelane66]

It amazes how people get taken in The Villages for the simplest tasks.

[Velvet]

It amazes how people get taken in The Villages for the simplest tasks.

Yes, actually I had a much bigger job in line for them. This was just an introduction. And they’ve also introduced themselves now to TOTV.

[Bomarsh]

Go on you tube and watch DIY repairs on video.

[Rainger99]

Well, I don’t have a hubby to run ideas by him but as you say an expensive lesson

You should always get at least three quotes and then run it by TOTV. There are enough knowledgeable people here that they can give you some advice on what the cost should be.

That should reduce the chances of getting ripped off.

[Topspinmo]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

Chicken feed. :mmmm:
Just wait til l you have or have your irrigation backflow valve replaced. :throwtomatoes:

[Blackbird45]

What I'm going to suggest is somewhat off the topic. I had a water purified system install for the entire house, which was not cheap. Twice a year someone comes out and replaces my filter for $100, something I could do myself if I wasn't so lazy. Now the reason I'm bringing this up is when they installed it, they cleared my hot water tank and told me that it would never have to be clear again. Now you might believe that was just a sales pitch, but I was also changing my refrigerator water filter every 6 months. My frig would give me a warning that the filter had to be change and of course I would ignore it, until the flow would start to slow down to a trickle. I haven't changed it in years. Maybe you should look into this, not only will you not have to clear your tank every so many years, but you'll also have clean water running throughout your house.

[RICH1]

ouch , 800-1000 to have it replaced !
don't call them rip off artists again

[Laurawilcox]

The replacement price you are mentioning is for tankless or tank?

[Pmelo]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

that's insane! it is very easy to flush a water tank and as you said - what takes the longest is waiting for the water and sediment to come out

[BlueStarAirlines]

There are a few Villages facebook groups where this is discussed and it seems the going price is $50-$75.

[Janie123]

What I'm going to suggest is somewhat off the topic. I had a water purified system install for the entire house, which was not cheap. Twice a year someone comes out and replaces my filter for $100, something I could do myself if I wasn't so lazy. Now the reason I'm bringing this up is when they installed it, they cleared my hot water tank and told me that it would never have to be clear again. Now you might believe that was just a sales pitch, but I was also changing my refrigerator water filter every 6 months. My frig would give me a warning that the filter had to be change and of course I would ignore it, until the flow would start to slow down to a trickle. I haven't changed it in years. Maybe you should look into this, not only will you not have to clear your tank every so many years, but you'll also have clean water running throughout your house.
I agree and love our water now. For those that say there is no need for this, we always had a layer of film on the top of hot drinks and the iced tea pitcher and well, maybe it won’t kill me but the the pitchers and glasses no longer attract this film.

And don’t hate on Villages Plumber, $250 is probably the lowest price they charge for a trip to the house. They did a two day project for me and after various quotes with other plumbers, they were the average price but they were able to show up sooner than most.

I was able to just remove the filter from the fridge as I read somewhere that you don’t need it with whole house filtration systems although some fridges squawk if no filter is in place.

I change my house filters myself once a year for $85.

[Normal]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

So sorry you ran into such a con. There seem to be more and more scammers these days. Thank you for posting, hopefully no one else gets hit by these crooks!

[BostonTom]

I would never hire him again he was at my house for 30 minutes parts were probably about 20 bucks and charge me $250 stupidly on my part for not asking the price up front.

[retiredguy123]

I agree and love our water now. For those that say there is no need for this, we always had a layer of film on the top of hot drinks and the iced tea pitcher and well, maybe it won’t kill me but the the pitchers and glasses no longer attract this film.

And don’t hate on Villages Plumber, $250 is probably the lowest price they charge for a trip to the house. They did a two day project for me and after various quotes with other plumbers, they were the average price but they were able to show up sooner than most.

I was able to just remove the filter from the fridge as I read somewhere that you don’t need it with whole house filtration systems although some fridges squawk if no filter is in place.

I change my house filters myself once a year for $85.
A plumber who charges $250 as a minimum trip charge could not stay in business. I believe that the going rate is closer to $85. But, this job doesn't even require a licensed plumber. They could have sent a helper or recommended a handyman.

[airstreamingypsy]

It's a thing in TV, when people ask questions like, "Who should I call to replace my garbage disposal in the sink?" Half the responses are this plumber or that plumber...... ridiculous. You can do it yourself, or get anyone of the Villages handypeople to come for way less than a plumber. I'm a woman, with no particular plumbing skills, and I've installed two of them myself, after watching a Youtube video. I'm sorry that happened to you Velvet, thank you for the heads up..... that overcharge hurt you a bit, but it will hurt Village Plumber a lot more in lost revenue because you mentioned it.

[lawgolfer]

The water was not getting as hot as before. I have heard popping previously when the tank was heating. I was told it was deposits. The water temperature is the same as it was before so the flushing made no difference.

If flushing the tank did nothing, I expect it has been in service for years without having been flushed. If so, you have a deposit at the bottom of the tank that is like rock, which first has to be heated before it, in turn, heats the water.

Do you have a build-up of white deposits on your faucets? your shower head?. If so, the same thing is happening inside your water heater.

The solution to these problems is water softener and a canister water filter. There is a business which regularly advertises in the Daily Sun that sells and installs a softener and filter set. Everyone that has used them seems satisfied. My only objection is that they add a 3rd filter for heavy metals, which is not needed. The two filters you should have are one for chlorine and another for sediment. One word of advice--if you will be changing the filters yourself, have the smaller (10") filters installed as they are much easier to change than the large (20") filters. The smaller filters work just a well as the larger ones; however, you will have to change them more often, perhaps every 6 months vs 12 months.

A water softener is one of the best expenditures a homeowner can make. It will prevent "build-up" in your pipes, faucets, and water heater. In existing houses, a softener will, over time, reduce the existing deposits. The best part about a softener is that your laundry will be cleaner, there will be no soap scum in your shower or bathtub, and your hair and skin will both be cleaner and softer. Without a softener, the same soap scum that collects in your shower and bathtub will also be in your hair and on your skin.

Unless you are a skilled DIY'er, you'll need a plumber. If you don't use the company that advertises in the paper, Home Depot or Lowe's will provide one and guarantee their work.

[MikeN]

Last time we had ours done back in St John’s we paid $75. What do you think! What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

[ron32162]

Sounds like you thought it was No problem to do, just a hose no parts no install and a hour of someone else's time yet you did not want to do it then complain about a 250 charge? I dont get it??

[retiredguy123]

Installing a water softener and/or filter is a personal decision. But, I don't know of any evidence that it will affect the performance or lifespan of your water heater. My last water heater lasted over 20 years with no maintenance, and I only replaced it as part of an HVAC replacement project. I have never owned a water treatment system.

[BowlTurner]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.
Sounds like a hose job.

[Rodneysblue]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

My daughter does her for free. Once every two years.

[Switter]

Well, retiredguy and my friends here at TOTV, we learn from each other.

Yep, that's right. We do learn from each other. It's the main reason I come to this site. I just moved here from Minnesota and to get any kind of contractor on site up there is going to run you a minimum of $200, and that's just for them to walk in your front door. So is $240 expensive? Not for Minnesota but I am learning labor down here is a lot cheaper.

I flushed my tank myself up in Minnesota but that was in preparation of installing a sand filter and an anode rod in my water heater due to iron in my water.

Also, flushing a water tank may seem like a simple task but if you have a gas water heater you're supposed to shut off the gas. That means you need to know how to turn it off, turn it on, and light your pilot. If you don't know what you're doing this could be potentially very dangerous. When I was a septic contractor I went out to a house where there had been a propane gas leak that had been running all night while the homeowner slept. He woke up in the morning and flicked on his light switch and it blew up the house. It ripped 2/3 of the roof off the house, blew out half of the main floor and cracked the concrete floor in the basement. They found the guy laying out in his yard with third-degree burns. I don't think he made it. I'm not saying that this would happen with a hot water heater but messing with gas is no joke.

[Wondering]

Why would anyone hire a plumber to drain a hotter tank? Anyone can do it. Try You Tube video to see how it's done.

[bsloan1960]

The price is way too high. This is an easy DIY or handyman project. No need for a plumber. Also, the Rheem manual does not recommend flushing out a hot water tank. If it is a Rheem, read your manual.

Note that I recently had Mike Scott Plumbing provide and install a new garbage disposal for $240, total price for materials and labor. The Home Depot price for the disposal alone was $117.
Don't have my Rheem manual- are you saying we don't have to flush every year with vinegar? I've been hearing since moving here that was standard practice.

[MrFlorida]

Never in my life have I flushed out a hot water heater, and never had one fail...replace it every 10 years and forget about it.

[Regorp]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

A handy neighbor could help you and give them a gift certificate or treat to a nice dinner out. Less than an hour

[mrf0151]

Call Frank Gay, he'll hook you up.

[Velvet]

call frank gay, he'll hook you up.

lol!

[Velvet]

Sounds like you thought it was No problem to do, just a hose no parts no install and a hour of someone else's time yet you did not want to do it then complain about a 250 charge? I dont get it??

They specifically asked for feedback. I’m surprised they didn’t ask for a tip too …so I thought I’d ask my forum what they thought of it.

[retiredguy123]

Don't have my Rheem manual- are you saying we don't have to flush every year with vinegar? I've been hearing since moving here that was standard practice.
I'm confused. How would you flush a tank type water heater with vinegar? Are you referring to a tankless water heater? If so, I understand that they need to be descaled regularly. The Rheem manuals are available on the internet. I have a tank type Rheem water heater, and the manual does not recommend flushing out the entire tank. It does "suggest" that you drain a small amount of water from the tank every month or so, but I don't do that. My water heater is 8 years old, and I have never done any maintenance on it. When it fails, I will buy a new one.

[Switter]

Sounds like you thought it was No problem to do, just a hose no parts no install and a hour of someone else's time yet you did not want to do it then complain about a 250 charge? I dont get it??

I don't get the sense at all the OP was complaining, just asking for opinions. That's perfectly legit.

[Kluthy]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.
You have to remember a contractor needs to earn a minimum amount to do a job. He has to answer calls to diagnose a problem, travel time to/from the job, truck/office expenses, etc etc etc
The days of the $100 service calls are over

[Tokyogirl]

I would give The Village Plumbers a very good review. Recently, sewage backed up in my whole house. Called 5 other plumbing companies and no one could help (they all wanted to book an apt a day or two out). Anyway, called the Village Plumbers and they sent someone out immediately. He fixed my issue and even cleaned some of the mess. They charged $285. The sense of urgency and helpfulness was priceless. I will call them first next time.

[JWGifford]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.
Water under the bridge at this point. ;-) I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just chalk it up as a life lesson. Honestly, I’ve never once flushed my hot water heater in any house I’ve ever owned and don't recall ever having any problems. I‘ve replaced one or two, but they were at the end of their life span.

[rockyhyder]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

Way too much! Thanks for letting us know whom to avoid.

[Switter]

You have to remember a contractor needs to earn a minimum amount to do a job. He has to answer calls to diagnose a problem, travel time to/from the job, truck/office expenses, etc etc etc
The days of the $100 service calls are over

Right. Throw in the rising cost of insurance and inflation on top of it. A bare-bone pick up truck is $35-40,000. Back in the mid 90s the same truck was $15,000.

[Two Bills]

Reading some of the responses to this thread, there are some mean S'sOB on TOTV.

[bigjohnny19]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

Mike Scott charged $163 in September.

[retiredguy123]

You have to remember a contractor needs to earn a minimum amount to do a job. He has to answer calls to diagnose a problem, travel time to/from the job, truck/office expenses, etc etc etc
The days of the $100 service calls are over
In The Villages, it would be unusual for a plumber or electrician to have a minimum charge of more than $100 to come to your house and diagnose an issue. Can you name one? I think the typical mimimum service call is about $85. But, in any event, paying $250 just to drain and flush a water heater for routine maintenance is excessive.

[buttonhut]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

Mine has not been done in 18 years. Why bother

[retiredguy123]

Mine has not been done in 18 years. Why bother
I agree. My guess is that at least 95 percent of homeowners have never flushed out their water heater tank.

[Bob Bowman]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

We had 2 thermostats replaced- $205. He suggested that we flush sediment by attaching a garden hose to tank and extend out to driveway, turn switch 1/4 turn to open and run 10 to 15 min. He advised it's a pretty simple proceedure.

[JGVillages]

Good question. I know some will disagree, but my advice about water heaters is to leave it alone until it fails, and then buy a new one. There is a plumbing company on this website that will replace the entire water heater, including an expansion tank, for $875.

Which Plumber will do it for$875?

[Bogie Shooter]

Which Plumber will do it for$875?

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/contractors-services-91/water-heater-replacement--345952/

[photo1902]

Whose idea was it to flush the tank…..and why?

Rheem, Bradford White, A.O. Smith (to name a few) all recommend annual flushes as well at TPR Valve testing. Do most people do this, no, but given how easy it is, why not? If it buys another year or two before you have to replace the tank, I don't see what it hurts.

Of course everyone has an opinion on this, but it's simply that...an opinion.

[retiredguy123]

Rheem, Bradford White, A.O. Smith (to name a few) all recommend annual flushes as well at TPR Valve testing. Do most people do this, no, but given how easy it is, why not? If it buys another year or two before you have to replace the tank, I don't see what it hurts.

Of course everyone has an opinion on this, but it's simply that...an opinion.
My water heater is an electric Rheem. My manual does not recommend any flushing of the entire tank. It only "suggests" (not recommends) that you drain a "small amount" of water from the tank every month or so, which sounds like a waste of time to me.

[Topspinmo]

Right. Throw in the rising cost of insurance and inflation on top of it. A bare-bone pick up truck is $35-40,000. Back in the mid 90s the same truck was $15,000.

Full size pickup start around 45K even my Maverick which is cheapest small new pickup truck you can get around 30K.

[photo1902]

My water heater is an electric Rheem. My manual does not recommend any flushing of the entire tank. It only "suggests" (not recommends) that you drain a "small amount" of water from the tank every month or so, which sounds like a waste of time to me.

Draining a small amount is done to “flush” sediments. And again, it’s a personal choice.

[retiredguy123]

Draining a small amount is done to “flush” sediments. And again, it’s a personal choice.
I agree

[Topspinmo]

Which Plumber will do it for$875?

That $875 probably electric water heater? which most anybody can replace with minimum skills. But, in Florida you probably have to get permit. In another state I replaced my own water heater, then they was 4 0r 5 hundred bucks.

[retiredguy123]

That $875 probably electric water heater? which most anybody can replace with minimum skills. But, in Florida you probably have to get permit. In another state I replaced my own water heater, then they was 4 0r 5 hundred bucks.
Yes, it is for a 40-gallon electric water heater. Personally, I think it is a good price. Most homeowners could not even lift and remove the old tank. And then, you need to do the electrical and plumbing work to hook up the new one, including an expansion tank. I would gladly pay $875.

[Lastag]

Way to high! I did it and it cost me $120.

[stratmax]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

I have a couple questions.

Gas/electric
If electric does this service include replacing the zinc rod(s), if so it’s an ok deal.
If gas, not so great of a deal. Do you have a neighbor that is moderately handy?
It’s a fairly simple process, hooking a garden hose up to the hot water heater, running the hose out to the street then opening the valve until the water runs clear.

[Michael 61]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

I just hired a handyman to do this and paid less than $100.

[retiredguy123]

I have a couple questions.

Gas/electric
If electric does this service include replacing the zinc rod(s), if so it’s an ok deal.
If gas, not so great of a deal. Do you have a neighbor that is moderately handy?
It’s a fairly simple process, hooking a garden hose up to the hot water heater, running the hose out to the street then opening the valve until the water runs clear.
The OP said there were no parts and no installation, so the anode rod was not replaced.

[Normal]

You can report them to the BBB. I don’t know how you could go about banning them from the Villages.

[OhioBuckeye]

Personally I think $250. is a ripoff. All they did was turned Water Heater water off by tripping breaker, turn water off to heater, hooked hose to bottom of heater to hose hook up & drained. It’s been cleaned. Then close hose valve, turned water back on to refill water heater, tripped breaker back on to heater water in heater. Now that’s worth $250.? I don’t think so. If I was there yet I would do it for you for FREE.

[HABckb]

The price is way too high. This is an easy DIY or handyman project. No need for a plumber. Also, the Rheem manual does not recommend flushing out a hot water tank. If it is a Rheem, read your manual.

Note that I recently had Mike Scott Plumbing provide and install a new garbage disposal for $240, total price for materials and labor. The Home Depot price for the disposal alone was $117.

just checked my manual for RHeem re: maintenance and it says to drain a few gallons out monthly. not necessary to drain whole tank.

[jlejsek@sbcglobal.net]

What do you think? Village Plumber wants my feedback. $250 to flush 40 gallon tank. Took about an hour with a hose. No parts, no installation.

Total rip off. I have my HVAC company up north on a monthly contract of $20. They do a Spring and Fall clean and check on my AC and furnace and flush my tank for $240 yearly. Get away from that person!

[daniel200]

In my experience, The Village Plumber will always provide a quote for this type of service. Yes, the price is high. And more than i would agree to pay.

But it is not a ripoff if you agreed to their quote or just didn’t ask.

We all make choices every day on where to buy based on price.

[Blueblaze]

$250 for a service call and an hour of a plumber's time. Seems about typical. The question is, why would you pay someone for a pointless, unneeded procedure that you could have easily done yourself with a garden hose and access to Google, if you were that worried about it.

If Village Plumber did something to trick you into paying them to flush your water heater, then shame on Village Plumber. But I can't blame them too much for taking your money if you called them up and asked them to do it.

[Velvet]

Actually, I was not sure what to think. I know nothing about plumbing. I really appreciate everyone’s response. If Village Plumber asks for feedback, I’ll just copy this thread for them.

[Nana2Teddy]

It amazes how people get taken in The Villages for the simplest tasks.
Especially a woman living alone.

[Nana2Teddy]

Reading some of the responses to this thread, there are some mean S'sOB on TOTV.
And the worst of the meanies haven’t even chimed in… yet.

[Nana2Teddy]

I just hired a handyman to do this and paid less than $100.
But don’t you have a tankless water heater in Richmond? She’s talking about a 40 gallon water heater tank.

[Topspinmo]

Yes, it is for a 40-gallon electric water heater. Personally, I think it is a good price. Most homeowners could not even lift and remove the old tank. And then, you need to do the electrical and plumbing work to hook up the new one, including an expansion tank. I would gladly pay $875.

I usually emptied the electric water heater before I removed it. :shrug: It’s simple job if and “BIG IF” you can do it and have skills.

[Blueblaze]

Total rip off. I have my HVAC company up north on a monthly contract of $20. They do a Spring and Fall clean and check on my AC and furnace and flush my tank for $240 yearly. Get away from that person!

Now THERE'S a total ripoff. $20/month to LOOK at your systems twice a year and flush a hot water tank every year that never needs flushing? Wow.

In my 70 years, I've owned at least 10 hot water tanks, most of them over 20 years old by the time I sold that house. Never in my life have I flushed a hot water tank or had one fail on me.

Here's a clue for how to save yourself the cost of three TV streaming services a year: Watch what he does, and then do it yourself next time.

The only useful thing you will see him do is blow the dust off your heating coils and check for debris in your A/C compressor outside. The most useless thing will be the H/W tank flush. The most damaging will be the A/C coolant check, which loses a little coolant every time they do it, thereby guaranteeing them a chance to sell you some $50/oz coolant every few years.

[Topspinmo]

Now THERE'S a total ripoff. $20/month to LOOK at your systems twice a year and flush a hot water tank every year that never needs flushing? Wow.

In my 70 years, I've owned at least 10 hot water tanks, most of them over 20 years old by the time I sold that house. Never in my life have I flushed a hot water tank or had one fail on me.

Here's a clue for how to save yourself the cost of three TV streaming services a year: Watch what he does, and then do it yourself next time.

The only useful thing you will see him do is blow the dust off your heating coils and check for debris in your A/C compressor outside. The most useless thing will be the H/W tank flush. The most damaging will be the A/C coolant check, which loses a little coolant every time they do it, thereby guaranteeing them a chance to sell you some $50/oz coolant every few years.

Refrigerant for my old A/C was $125 pound. I thought they was pumping liquid gold into it.

[Normal]

Refrigerant for my old A/C was $125 pound. I thought they was pumping liquid gold into it.

In some cases…the government banned certain types of refrigerants (Freon) because of environmental concerns. After R 12 was banned R 134 took its place. This made R 12 much more valuable. Most compressors on AC units couldn’t handle the new refrigerant so R 12 was the only option or just buy a brand new AC. Condensation rates and expansion valves weren’t compatible with transient mixes.

[retiredguy123]

In some cases…the government banned certain types of refrigerants (Freon) because of environmental concerns. After R 12 was banned R 134 took its place. This made R 12 much more valuable. Most compressors on AC units couldn’t handle the new refrigerant so R 12 was the only option or just buy a brand new AC. Condensation rates and expansion valves weren’t compatible with transient mixes.
As I understand it, the production of the old refrigerants was banned, but not the recycling of those refrigerants. So, when an older HVAC system is replaced, the old, obsolete refrigerant is reclaimed and resold as a recycled product. There is a good supply of the older refrigerants still available for purchase.

[retiredguy123]

$250 for a service call and an hour of a plumber's time. Seems about typical. The question is, why would you pay someone for a pointless, unneeded procedure that you could have easily done yourself with a garden hose and access to Google, if you were that worried about it.

If Village Plumber did something to trick you into paying them to flush your water heater, then shame on Village Plumber. But I can't blame them too much for taking your money if you called them up and asked them to do it.
In my experience, charging $250 to flush out a water heater is not typical, whether it is done by a plumber or not. It is overcharging.

[Normal]

As I understand it, the production of the old refrigerants was banned, but not the recycling of those refrigerants. So, when an older HVAC system is replaced, the old, obsolete refrigerant is reclaimed and resold as a recycled product. There is a good supply of the older refrigerants still available for purchase.

Yes, remember in the mid 80s the old practice for repair was to vent all the Freon to the air, fix, vacuum and refill. Reclamation receiver equipment wasn’t/still isn’t cheap and loss of Freon was the original symptom to malfunctioning ACs. This made it less and less of a possibility to even repair systems. R 11 Chillers are a whole different story.

[retiredguy123]

Yes, remember in the mid 80s the old practice for repair was to vent all the Freon to the air, fix, vacuum and refill. Reclamation receiver equipment wasn’t/still isn’t cheap and loss of Freon was the original symptom to malfunctioning ACs. This made it less and less of a possibility to even repair systems. R 11 Chillers are a whole different story.
I could be wrong, but I think it may now be illegal to vent the refrigerant to the air, and HVAC companies need to account for the refrigerant they remove from old systems.