First, about my technician LAST year: Last Fall, 2017, during my routine maintenance cleaning, I pointed out to your technician that the spigot from which I drain/flush my steam furnace on a weekly basis was dripping. The technician replied that he couldn't do anything about it and advised me to keep a bucket under it at all times. Apparently he had second thoughts once I exited the room, and decided to install a cap to the spigot, presumably to prevent dripping. Unfortunately, he did not inform me of this (maybe he assumed I would figure it out, but it's in a dark and not easily accessible area, and not being mechanically inclined I had no idea that spigot caps existed), so I spent the entire heating season frustrated that no water would exit the spigot whenever I attempted to flush it. The water that showed in the gauge turned a dark murky brown from sediment and rust (because it wasn't being flushed regularly), but the worst part was that, because I had added extra water before attempting to flush it the first time after my cleaning (as I have done for the 12 years I have lived in my 100 year old house, to further loosen rusty sediment), and was then unable to open the spigot to drain it, the extra water stayed in the boiler all winter, and ended up backing into my pipes. Anyone who has lived with a finicky old steam heating system knows what happens next.. Your radiators emit an extremely loud, clanking, hammering sound , EVERY time your heat kicks on, morning, noon, or night (with night being the worst due to interrupted sleep!). This went on ALL winter. This same technician also neglected to tell me that he had broken a glass water level tube while performing the cleaning. I discovered the broken glass when I stepped barefoot into the area containing my furnace and sliced my foot open. Because of these 2 issues (which I never had before my original gas provider outsourced the cleanings to your company), I seriously considered dropping your highly priced Protection Plan. Finally I decided to extend my service with your company by one more year before making my decision. I'm glad I decided to give it another shot, as Chris was super professional and took the initiative to replace the leaky spigot without being asked. He also took the time to answer my questions thoughtfully and thoroughly, and gave me some helpful maintenance tips for my 30+ year old furnace. He reminded me of the technicians the gas company used to employ, being extremely knowable and professional. I will continue to purchase your company's protection plan in the foreseeable future, as long as I can request Chris!
