My first Home Stars review citing poor service and, Im sorry to add, questionable conduct. It concerns 3 American Standard Trent toilets purchased in 2015. Within 3 years, all had the same problem. When flushed, water filled the basin but then slowly drained out again.
On Sept. 13th 2024, I submitted a work request through the Home Stars site. Drain King Plumbers responded; the plumber came that afternoon. He inspected all toilets, gave an estimate(which I agreed to) and left to obtain replacement flappers(the problem part). When he returned and installed the flappers, he mentioned the first toilet had a missing hook(the flapper arm attaches to this) and tried selling me a new toilet. He denied breaking the hook but I contradicted him for the following three reasons:
1. As mentioned, he examined inside all toilet basins initially in my presence and the missing hook, easily visible(see photos), wasnt mentioned.
2. Why did he wait until all were finished before telling me and install a replacement flapper if the hook was missing? He later removed the new flapper.
3. Most important, during the plumbers absence, I used the toilet, flushing it by removing the basin lid and adjusting the existing flapper. Both hooks were present which was before the repairs and after inspection.
I complained to the office and a supervisor contacted me later that day. He also insisted the hook was broken before the repairs. We agreed to disagree. The feeble unsupported alibi offended me more than the breakage(accidents happen). The broken hook means more expensive repairs or new toilet. Two toilets were fixed and the excellent customer service reps accounts for what little grade was given.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $603.00
- Company Response
Hello Jpw, thank you for the opportunity to provide you with service.
We will try keep this response short and sweet as it is very straightforward. All three of your toilets had issues before we arrived. Two of them required minor repairs, the third one required more extensive repairs or replacement due to the fact that the hook for the flapper on one side was missing. Replacing this part would require disassembling the toilet entirely, which considering the quality of the toilet you had installed was not recommended. This particular toilet was constantly running upon arrival due to the fact that the hook for the flapper was already missing.
You mentioned that in the Plumber's absence(before work was started), you had to move the flapper around in order to get a seal to use the toilet. This clearly indicates that the hook was already missing, otherwise there would have been no need to move the flapper around to get it to seat properly.
Thanks again for the opportunity to provide you with service we hope you understand that we had your best interest in mind every step of the way!
Best Regards,
Drain King Plumbers Team