Advanced Heating and Cooling = DANGER

The last time I had someone that tried to rip me off was when I had my Dodge Neon and I was taking it to the Sundance Dodge Dealership. They refused to work on anything after hours of not being with a car. A gas furnace is no different and just as deadly if nobody fixes it correctly. A leaky gas furnace can cause people to die from the toxic fumes and can make a house explode. Who here understands this?
So, it takes about two hours to find people to fix the gas tank. Intermountain Gas does not do anything, they just provide the gas and take your money. I received a phone call from a guy named Stew from Advanced Heating and Cooling. This is how it went before he got there. (Remember, at this point there is no gas leaking. I also work alone and cannot come home in an emergency.)
Stew: What is the problem with the gas heater?
Me: The coupler keeps going out.
Stew: Is it constant or intermittent?
Me: This happened a year ago twice.
Stew: If it goes out like that it is the gas valve. A new gas valve will cost between $350 to $400. I can fix the coupler you will only be throwing your money away. I can show you how to fix it yourself so you will not have to pay anyone to fix it anymore.
So, I let him come over. I had to leave in a half an hour for work. I was calling from 8am until 1030 am, that is how hard it is to find someone to help me. He takes it apart, replaces the coupler, and does not show me how to do anything. The house at this point stinks from the gas. I figured it would be something that would air out. I ask him how much it was, he said not to worry about it. This is where I should be suspicious because of the smell and because he is not having me pay, right? No, I let him leave and I hurry to work because I am running late.
Roger calls my phone at around 7pm. He tells me that the house smells strongly of gas. I told him someone was over. I tell dad I need someone to check the house and check the dog. I call Stew and he says that the smell should be gone by then. He advises to check the connections and shut the gas off if there is still a problem.
I spoke with dad and he said that the smell was faint and the house must have aired out. I come home and it smells really weird. I called the emergency line for Intermountain Gas and tell them about the smell. The gas person came out and started with a reading of 3.2 and when he got closer to the heater it was 4.5. I am beginning to feel angry at Stew. The gas valve was broken and was leaking gas.
So, the gas person shut the water heater off and put a red tag on it. He told me when I can get it fixed to give him a call to remove the tag. Great. I called around to see which company Stew was working for. The places that are 24/7 are not answering the phone or returning phone calls.
I called Stew in the morning. He came back and tinkered with the gas heater some more. I figured if he broke it he would fix it. Guess again.
Stew: Well, just what I thought. The gas valve is bad.
Me: The gas was not leaking until you worked on it. The gas company said that the gas valve was broken.
Stew (trying to use some rhetoric): Well, I try to help you out and you accuse me of breaking your heater.
Me (I was educated in Critical Thinking): What company to you work for?
Stew: Advanced.
Me: Get out!
To me, the whole thing just seemed deliberate. Tells me it's the gas valve, it was leaking gas after, and now it was just what he thought. I call around trying to find someone who can fix this. The gas valve was ruined at this point and I am without hot water. I called the gas company to see if I could get anything. I called dad to see if there was any good advice. Call the company! Nobody is answering and I have to leave a message. I am pissed.
I called more people and I finally come across someone. He works for Todd's and he was working on a roof. I explained the situation to him and I am begging for help at this point. He thought the situation was messed up. He came over and put the heater back together. The gas company took it apart.
Michael made sure I was not going to have a leak again. Intermountain wanted to send someone tomorrow, I work all day and my classes begin I cannot do that. Michael was concerned and did not want to leave the gas running without someone signing off on it. The same gas guy came over, he was already at the house at 1am. Everything checked out okay. This seems a little weird as well, the gas leak was mysteriously gone.
But, it's fixed. Michael was really cool and he didn't charge for the service call. I am going to be raising some bones to get a new water heater and I'm going to be calling Todd's. I might even have them look at the wiring in the house. Finally!! I get to take care of some stuff.
By the way, I took down the chain link fence in the back. Dad has it and I also chucked a few random things into his truck. I took down the chicken wire. Roger fixed the hole above the door!! My house is looking less trashy. Now, I have to do something about the pile of twigs in the back and the tree stump out front.