Francis Plumbing Heating & Cooling

Our A/C unit failed on June 19th. That day I made a request for a call back through the Francis Plumbing website. They called back the next day, and that same day Ray came out to see me, assessed what was need and gave me a quote for a new A/C unit. The unit was installed three days later. The installers were friendly, knowlegeable and did an excellent job of installing the A/C, including moving the unit so that it was away from some outside vents. Ray also noticed that a cold air return was needed in the basement and arranged for proper installation (at ground level), at the same time. The installers answered all my questions about the furnace fan speed, and made sure that the fan was set to proper specs for the AC unit. Fast, Efficient, Excellent service, at a competitive price. I am a very happy customer.

Needed a new hot water tanks as the old one was begining to leak. Fast response to send a technician out to see what would suit use best - tanked or tankless system. Got a quick quote for both - both reasonable costs. Settled on an Pro Rheem tanked system as the warranty and cost compared well with other potential solutions. Better quality heater than available from the box store - installation a bit dearer but I have a better system so a good trade off. System installed yesterday with no major issues - only snag was the team arrived with a natural gas not the required propane heater due to an office transcription issue. Installation delayed by about about 2 hours as the fitters shot off to obtain the right heater from the other side of Ottawa. Installation team were friendly and helpful and the heater was installed fairly quick and everything was cleaned up everything afterwards. Old tank disposed of by the team as well. Overall a positive experience.

On March 16, 2016 I had a toilet flush valve replaced by D.R. Francis Plumbing and Heating. I didn’t enquire how much it would cost when I booked the appointment because this was a simple repair and I have a service agreement with them so assumed it would be reasonable because of this. I had already ordered and received the part from the toilet manufacturer so all that was needed was installation.

The toilet is a model requiring removal of the tank to replace the flush valve. The replacement part was shipped with detailed illustrated instructions (see instructions attached) and even a wrench to unscrew the nut underneath the toilet tank. There are also several YouTube videos online showing how to replace the flush valve on this very same toilet and I watched the video with the plumber when he arrived. It was a straightforward job requiring about a half hour of work for an experienced plumber.

Before getting started, the plumber informed me that the cost of the repair would be $184 plus tax. I told him I thought that was high given the fact this was such a straightforward job as evidenced by the instructions and the video but he said that it was a flat rate. Reluctantly, I gave him the go-ahead but only because it is a tax deductible expense for me since this is income property.

The work was performed without issues just as shown in the video and the instructions and took about half an hour as expected. I was charged $184 plus tax or $207.92 with tax. Before the plumber left, I asked him how much it would have cost without a service agreement and he said 25% more. That would be $230 plus tax or $259.90 with tax for replacing a toilet flush valve!

After the plumber left I contacted Francis Plumbing and Heating. I spoke to Caroline and asked her what the cost of replacing the flush valve was for someone without an agreement. She said that it was $600-$700! I was shocked by that and told her it was unbelievably high.

The next day, I contacted six other leading plumbing firms in Ottawa. I asked them to price the same job and indicated that I was supplying the part. The quotes ranged from $120 - $150 plus tax. The other firms were up front about their hourly rate which ranged from $85 - $100 and explained that they charged a minimum of 1.5 hours of labour even for a small repair like this one.

Armed with this information, I contacted Francis Plumbing and Heating again to discuss my concerns. I spoke to Ellen. I told her about the $600-$700 quote I had been given. She said that was a worst case scenario. So I asked her what the regular cost was and she said that it was what I had been charged. Then I pointed out that the plumber had told me I was charged 25% less because of the service agreement so I asked again what the cost was for someone without a service agreement. She refused to tell me. I then asked what the hourly rate was. She wouldn’t tell me that either saying they only charged a flat rate. When I suggested that the service agreement might be a gimmick she denied it. I then added that they were not showing much transparency but she denied that as well.

Based on my research, Francis Plumbing and Heating is one of the most expensive plumbing firms in Ottawa if not the most expensive. True, they employ only licensed plumbers but the other firms I contacted have licensed plumbers on staff as well. Furthermore, Francis Plumbing and Heating shows a complete lack of transparency in its pricing and its dealings with consumers.

I had several different companies come up to give me a quote on replacing my furnace, air conditioner and hot water tank. Francis was not the cheapest, or the most expensive, but I felt that Keith, the salesman really knew what he was talking about, and he pointed out things and made suggestions I did not hear from any of the other companies. The installation went well, the installers were knowledgeable and neat. So far I am pleased with my furnace, it does what it is supposed to do.

My natural gas hot water tank needed to be replaced urgently last winter. I got in touch with Francis Plumbing and Heating on the week-end. Monday morning I had one of their technicians to my house to look at the situation and by early Tuesday afternoon I had a new hot water tank and was back in business. Both technicians who worked on the job were professional and very friendly. The quality of their work was excellent. I would definitely use Francis again.

I had a blocked kitchen sink drain this morning. When I called Francis Plumbing they were very nice on the phone and they scheduled me a plumber for this afternoon. The man was clean, on time and polite. He fixed the problem in no time flat. He cleaned up after himself and left everything working great. Pricing was reasonable. i would use them again.

We had an older outside tap (hose bib) that was spraying all over when the garden hose was hooked up. Changing the washers or attempts at tightening the connection did not work. We called Francis Plumbing and arranged for a convenient time and the appointment was set up immediately. The gentleman that showed up at our door was very polite, courteous and knew what was needed. Without any hesitation he went to work immediately and had the repair completed in less than 3 quarters of an hour. The work site areas both in and outside were left very clean, the tap now functions as it should and it is now equipped with a shut off valve that is much easier to use. The cost for the work was extremely reasonable, we highly recommend Francis and we most definitely will use Francis for any future plumbing or heating concerns.

I contacted Francis to replace my hot water tank. They responded immediately with a fair price. The work was done on time in a very professional manner. As I had a furnace going in at the same time, they work space was tight. This caused no problems for the water tank installer and everything was done great.

I had a blocked kitchen sink drain this morning. When I called Francis Plumbing they were very nice on the phone and they scheduled me a plumber for this afternoon.

The man was clean, on time and polite. He fixed the problem in no time flat. He cleaned up after himself and left everything working great.

Pricing was reasonable. i would use them again.