Van's Plumbing & Electric

Mark H.

More than a year ago, we needed to replace our aged water heater, and I started shopping around for a hybrid electric water heater.It was ridiculously difficult to get any plumber to either call me back or agree to install the water heater for us, and after several months of this, I did find Van's, and their office people were very responsive, and they provided us with a quote in short order. All good so far.

Much like everything I buy, I researched the heck out of this product, it being a major investment and all, and one thing I definitely wanted, and the written estimate agreed with, was installing a pan under the water heater. This particular water heat has a sensor that sits in the pan, and if there is even a small leak, it sets off an alarm and sends your a text. Obviously something you'd want. Yeah, so did I get a pan under the water heater? No, I did not. I asked the installed to put one it, they said I didn't need one, I said I wanted one, offered to go get one if they didn't have one handy, but no way Jose, no pan for me.

Then there was connecting the water heater to the electric power, it being an electric water heater and all. Who is going to hook up the power, the installer asks at the critical moment, because, he says, they aren't supposed to. Um. Well, I have an electrician that I work with, because apparently Van's Plumbing and Electric doesn't have electricians, and I call him and ask if he can come out, and my guy says sure, but I'm the homeowner and I can legally connect it, and I agree, but meanwhile the Van's installers have decided that they could connect the power and they do. OK, so the water heater is installed, without the pan (but I'm not bitter), and it's working, right? Um, well....

About that leak sensor: it sends me an alarm and says the water heater is leaking, so I run out and look and, no, it's not leaking, so I shut off the alarm. Which comes back. Again. And again. So I call Van's and the guy comes out and looks at it and says, well, you don't really need that anyway, but if you think you do need it, you can contact the manufacturer. Sure, I can call the manufacturer, because I only paid Van's 2500 bucks to install the water heater. The manufacturer sent me a replacement part, which solved the problem.


We're not done yet, however. I noticed that I had a water leak in the condensate drain line, so Van's came back out and found that they hadn't glued the pipes together. Speaking of the condensate drain line, the manufacturer says not to connect it to the pressure release valve drain...but Van's connected the two together. Also, the electrical conduit is touching the hot water line, and as the hot water line moves, I assume that eventually the conduit will saw through the water line. And the general look of the install is chaotic and unfinished.


We've pretty much decided at this point to spend the money to get someone else out here to reinstall the water heater and clean up the general lack of attention to detail that plagues this install. Should I call Van's and ask them to fix it? Well, my mom used to say, if they weren't willing to do it right the first time, what makes you think they'll do it right the second time? After all, who am I to argue with my mom?


As for the hybrid water heater, which is a Ruud brand: definitely works great and is worth owning. Saves money, plenty of hot water, manage it via an app, it's da bomb. Good luck finding someone to install one.


UPDATE: I contacted Van's about the two install issues, and they did send an actual plumber out to fix them within a week, and he was able to fix both problems satisfactorily. Good follow up by Van's. But overall, still wouldn't recommend for a water heater.

Joanne F.

I have had nothing but positive experiences with this company. They are thorough, kind, respectful and know what they are doing. They have done extensive work in my home and nothing has gone wrong post reno. The gentlemen who work here are outstanding. I love this company. No sloppy work here!!

Leonel C.

Ahemmm where do I start
AMAZING!!!!!!
The girl who help me was phenomenal.
Call them to figure out why my upstairs bathroom wasn't draining they came over and pulled out miles and miles of hair. While they were there they replaced a bunch of knobs that I couldn't figure out how to put on. I recently used them again for a dishwasher and in sink garage disposal where they walked me through the steps. Would I use them again most definitely.

Ben R.

Vans Plumbing and Electric has got me out of many jams in the past. They have come out and done work in all their trades including Plumbing, electrical and Heating for many years at are home and rental. All of their employees have been on time and very courteous. I feel that their rates are very fair and they do a very good job . Especially taking the time to explain what they're doing and how much it's going to cost. I would highly recommend them.

Lauren S.

Great showroom with a large display of not only just plumbing fixtures, but also generators, flashlights, and parts! I was impressed with everything that was on display here, along with the knowledgeable staff. Thank you for everything.

Ken H.

I have used VANS for both electrical and plumbing needs for about 15 years. I have NEVER had a problem with them. Used them for preventative issues too such as dripping outside faucets. They were also used in conjunction with remodels done by Lynden floors to my kitchen and two bathrooms.
Highly recommend, that is why I keep using them.

Ricky G.

I had Van's Plumbing out to fix a leak on my toilet. When the van first pulled up in my drive way, I was impressed. The technician came in, he was very respectful of my house, and fixed the leak in about 20 minutes! I was very surprised after my interactions with other Bellingham and Lynden plumbers I've had out. Van's Plumbing & Electric's quality and expertise really makes them better than the competition.

Richard D.

Don't use these guys. Apparently, the time they need to prep their vehicles, which could mean anything from load supplies, drink their first coffee while the engine warms up, etc. counts for their ""drive time"" from the office to your home. That's NOT what was quoted to me when I called for their hourly rate prior scheduling an appointment. They did NOT tell me that the clock starts, and thus I'm paying for, their tech to get himself together in the morning. So, by this rationale, those that have a late morning call, or afternoon, are at an advantage price-wise because, presumably, the tech should already have all the things he needs, unless you get charged while they finish their lunch.

I will not EVER use these guys again, and I will make sure that anyone who considers using them, and asks me for recommendations, is aware of this. By the way, the tech did great work, I just ended up paying 2.5 hours for only 45 min of actual work.

Ellen W.

Quick response time but bill not itemized very well as to labor charge. No senior discount offered.

J H.

The recent experience my family had with Van's Plumbing & Electric was extremely unfortunate and weighs heavy on my mind. Let me begin by stating that my family and I are strong proponents of supporting local business and appreciate the honest work ethic that goes into creating a successful company.

In my opinion, respect and customer service is paramount to becoming a successful and admired company. After serving Whatcom County for over 40 years, I would expect that Van's Plumbing & Electric would value respect and have a solid foundation built around customer service. I also believe that honest reviews are extremely valuable when considering services or products and that we can all learn from them, positive or negative. Sadly, in our recent experience with Van's Plumbing & Electric, respect and customer service was severely lacking.

From the initial attempt to schedule the job to receiving the final statement, communication from Van's Plumbing & Electric was weak. It took a several phone calls initiated by myself over the course of a week to schedule and explain the parameters of the job. Unbenounced to me, the job was scheduled without notification or confirmation requiring additional clarification to assure the job would be completed within the parameters required.

Initial contact with the technicians was brief and went fairly smooth, as there was very little work to be completed at that time (the majority of work was to be completed on day two roughly two weeks later). During day two, the technicians did not appear confident with the task at hand and were in and out of the work site several times throughout the day. All this resulted in another trade on site to be held-up. At one point I had noticed new work being installed in an area that the technicians and I did not discuss. Even though I was clear on the location of where I wanted this new work, I was told by the technicians that they knew this, but the current location would be ""just fine."" Upon completion of a fairly basic job, the work site was left cluttered with job related debris, fasteners were not replaced, caulking was not applied to the exterior areas where access was made through a wall and siding was cracked. At no time was I informed that the job had drastically exceeded the quote given.

The first time that I became aware that the job had exceeded the quote given, by close to three times, was roughly two weeks following job completion when I received the statement in the mail. I initially contacted Van's Plumbing & Electric via phone to discuss the statement and after being placed on hold several times I was told that I would have to speak with the boss (owner). Following this phone call, I visited Van's Plumbing & Electric in person in an attempt to respectfully and mutually come to an agreement regarding my concern with the statement I had received. During this visit I voiced my concern that the statement amount was close to three times that of which was quoted. I offered fair solutions to my concern which still exceeded the quoted amount. I was immediately met with confrontation and threats from the staff who were visibly upset (red facial color, body tremors and a lack of eye contact). After roughly five minutes of discussion with the employee who initially quoted the job I was told by the owner of Van's Plumbing & Electric, who appeared from around a corner, to ""leave"" that he would ""give me the job"" and that I was a ""charity-case."" The owner then denied me a receipt for waiving any charges and said I ""will not receive anything else from Van's."" With my family at my side we left in shock and disbelief of what had just transpired. Following this interaction we felt bullied and fearing future retaliation.

It is extremely unfortunate that a local business serving Whatcom County for over four decades has come to treat their customers in this fashion. Because of the unwillingness of the staff to understand my concerns and attempt to come to a mutual agreement, the threats made and ultimately the name calling by the owner, I can not recommend doing business with Van's Plumbing & Electric.