Stuart in Deer Park

Our property manager called Jermark in to replace three faulty shutoff valves in our condo, all in one place within a few inches of each other; a very simple, straightforward job. I reviewed the invoice with the PM. Apart from performing the sloppiest soldering I've ever seen, Jermark charged us for SEVEN AND A HALF HOURS labour, and over $460 for parts that retail for under $115. (They charged us OVER NINE DOLLARS for a simple copper elbow that costs $0.89 at Home Depot. ALMOST FIFTY DOLLARS for two couplings that retail for $6.50.) They also reused some of our existing parts (I know because they had our paint on them) but charged us for brand new. After the PM complained, they gave us a partial credit on the labour, but explained the parts pricing as being a result of buying from a plumbing supply company, not Home Depot, and they did not explain the old paint on "brand new" parts. They did not reduce the charges for parts. I called a plumbing supply company and asked for their price on a copper elbow: they said they would charge a plumber $1.85 -- NOT over $9.00, as Jermark charged us. Needless to say, Jermark will NOT be hired again for work in our building.

Very happy with the responsiveness, quick service, great communication, reasonable price. The drop-off and pick-up process was smooth (and contactless due to COVID). After inspection they sent photos showing the worn parts and asking for approval of repair cost. After repair, they sent photos of the whole process and a video of the machine back in good order. I received it all cleaned up and working nicely.

Our old Bosch dishwasher sprang a leak after 14 years and Peter advised that the labour + parts to repair made it more economical to purchase new. He charged about $70 for the service call, and said that if we called him back to install a new machine, there would be no similar charge for that visit. We had a new machine delivered on Friday and Peter scheduled the installation for Monday -- very prompt. He arrived on time within the 2-hour window he committed to, and worked efficiently to complete the installation. Friends of mine have also used Peter's services and they give equally glowing reviews. For appliance repair or installation, Modern Appliance is the way to go.

Web site is fairly easy to use, but it's quite annoying to have the chat window constantly popping up when all you want to do is research and compare products. However, this company did offer the best price of several suppliers I looked at and included delivery & removal of the old machine. When I finally did use the chat window, the conversation with the salesman was good; my questions were answered, and when I decided to buy, I immediately received a phone call to confirm details. I did give in to the salesman's strong advice to buy an extended warranty, but having spoken with my installer (see Modern Appliance here on HomeStars -- the best!) I have decided to cancel it per the 30-day time allowance. The fulfillment process was flawless. Delivery was promised Friday; an automated phone call and an e-mail Thursday allowed me to confirm that the date and time was right. Delivery was on time and the guy was polite. However, I would have preferred that he either take off his boots or put on some kind of indoor overshoe. Not a big deal, as the weather was good that day.

Peter was very responsive to emails, texts, and phone. He gave a close estimate initially and advised on how to decide whether to repair or replace. After investigating prices for new similar models, I chose repair of our 12-yr-old machine, as it has not had heavy use and is otherwise in good shape. The problem was with the circulation pump motor. Unfortunately, the first several attempts to get the part resulted in damage during shipping, and Peter refused to accept delivery until an undamaged part arrived. He was very good about keeping me up to date. We scheduled a visit and he arrived as promised. He works very methodically and did a great job bringing the machine back into good order. At my request and at no charge, Peter also had a look at our Liebherr fridge. He confirmed my own diagnosis of a malfunctioning temperature sensor (thermistor). Liebherr does not sell parts to other companies, so Peter was unable to do the repair, but I know what to say to the Liebherr tech when I call them. I'm very happy to recommend Modern Appliance.

In 2006, our apartment building's steam heating system was in bad shape, long neglected, run by an uninformed superintendent. We hired Cordell, and Aron took a personal interest in bringing the system back into a state of good repair. He recommended suitable additional controls, fixed the 60% of rad traps that had failed, fixed the 100% of F&T traps that had failed, tuned the system, and worked with me to ensure that we had the most efficient system possible. Our gas bill is half what it was, the system is now quietly reliable, and residents are happy. Aron knows his stuff. (On the other hand, some of the guys working for him are a few coupons short of a blender.) But if Aron's your guy, you're in good hands. He's reliable, knowledgeable, and keeps his commitments. Cordell is not the cheapest contractor; but you get what you pay for. (Or as my Newfie roofer said 25 years ago at my house, "you pays for what you gets." Pay a little for a bad job, pay a lot more to have it fixed.) Overall, we are happy with Cordell and continue to have them maintain and service our heating plant. (25-suite apartment building, downtown Toronto).

Paul installed a Mitsubishi Mr. Slim with one outdoor unit and two indoor units for us a couple of years ago (before I knew about Homestars), and he did a good job. His price was competitive with other companies I contacted, and in fact he ended up installing a higher-BTU indoor unit in the main rooms without charging more than the original quote. He and his crew did neat work, returning after the installation to check things out and to add the outdoor aluminum covers to hide the line sets. The system has worked very reliably and is very efficient -- the hydro bills hardly show a blip. I also recommended Paul to a neighbour who needed her outdoor unit temporarily removed to facilitate building repairs. She said he did the job for about $300 less than what her own installer was going to charge. Two happy customers.

Aubrey and I played telephone tag for a while, but he persisted, until finally catching me at home in the mid-evening. I explained the problem with the dishwasher (only 4 yrs old), and he immediately offered a diagnosis that I could test myself (being reasonably handy with tools). He was right on the money; half an hour later I was back in business with a fully functional machine. The other guys I contacted (Elite -- you can see their reviews on this site, too), were going to charge me $98 just to show up and make a diagnosis (oh, and let's not forget the $3.50 fuel surcharge), no guarantee of a fix. Aubrey got no money out of this service call, but he'll get no end of recommendations from me to all my friends -- and he's the first and only guy I'll call the next time I have an appliance problem.