50 gal water heater leaking and beyond what I wanted to spend to repair it so I was checking for a "tankless water heater using natural gas". My friend told me about Noritz brand (made in Japan) so I decided to check cost and installation. Payless WH&P called me back immediately after my initial inquiry, which was mid morning on Super Bowl Sunday and offered a free estimate visit same day (terrible last play call Seattle, yikes, should have gave the football to Lynch) thinking perhaps they can come on Monday if things work out. They sent Matthew from their Valencia location, courteous and friendly, same day, gave me window between 2pm to 4pm, Matt showed up 1:55pm, nice! He quoted me a fair price, including using the $200 discount coupon, got a Noritz NR981 OD NG, which is a 9.81 GPM (gallons per minute) unit. Average showering using 4 to 5 GPM, having 2 showers and a faucet or laundry washer running at the same time, originally interested EZTR40 or NR661 was not enough, as Matt had suggested a higher GPM model. I decided on the NR981. Matt ran about 25' of 3/4" dedicated copper gas line under the house (mostly 1/2" in residents and most of these Tankless uses 3/4" which is a part of the drawback for many consumers not wanting to foot the extra bill for running a new line of 3/4"), he removed the old 50 gal beast, enclosure and attachments, relocated the outlet and put a bubble cover on it to protect it. He started around 2pm and finished around 7pm. I felt bad about him working during Super Bowl but for all I know, he may be into Ping Pong and couldn't care less about Football or Katy Perry, although he hinted, he'll do the work regardless if there is a meteor headed our way of the size of a Super Bowl Arena. At that point, I didn't care if the cost and installation well exceeded what I was ready to pay for hot water and felt ease about having Matt and their company do the job after reaching a price. Ultimately, according to the "savings" chart, I will recoup the extra money I spent compared to another 50' gal tank water heater, in about 2 years and tankless unit will last me at least 15 to 25 years or more according to the consensus. I don't know if the Gas Company will give me a rebate since they change their minds about rebates every 6 months or so (I guess Monopoly on gas will let them do what ever they want, when ever they want, how ever they want and all we can say is "thank you sir, may I have another") but I'll have to look into it, usually $150/heater. Noritz Tankless Water Heater, NR981 OD-NG, 12 year warranty and 2 year warranty on installation. First time using it this morning, hot water took a bit longer than the previous 50 gal tank water heater to reach the 2nd floor bathroom with hot water, about 30 seconds more, located about 100 feet away, but it worked as it should and I hope to never deal with the water heater issue again, as this unit appears to be maintenance free, no flushing needed, no constant heating, no relief valve leak, no noise. If I had a green conscious, tech savvy, cost efficient seeking friend, he would say to me "welcome to the modern age" although this technology is probably older than me but is finally getting around. I still can't get my damn Culligan water softener to work properly but I don't have to worry about something so basic as HOT WATER which I realized was so crucial until I had trouble with the water heater. I think I made the right choice and a good technician representing a good brand and a good company seemed purely by luck in this age of sour faced, monotoned, hairy armed plumbers I've had to deal with in the past, who walked into our house without a second of thought to wear shoe covering, which Matt did put on when he came inside our house to check the work. Thank you Matt, I really do appreciate the extremely fast and efficient work you've done and extra big thanks for coming back today to adjust and fix the shower valve which improved the hot water pull for the downstairs shower and the neat cleaning of the old water heater area and sealing the old vent with aluminum tape. Anyone wondering about this company, if Matt is a typical example of their specialists, including their support staff that called me promptly to warn me about approximate arrival of their technician each time, I recommend them highly and I will keep them in my top list of Water Heaters & Plumbing work in the future. read more

WARNING (terrible husband) FUNNY ENDING: Total upgrade at a more than fair price just in time for Christmas. Fortunately for us, they were able to show up same day [later afternoon/early evening] as my morning call. **This was KEY because my wife was gone to work for the evening and I was hoping to make this a surprise for Christmas!! Because of the info on their homepage, and the thorough walk/talk-through of possibilities and prices on that morning's call (i think with Brian?) I had a good idea what to expect before the technician (Dan/Danny) arrived. Danny was able to diagnose the problem immediately, and also let me know where it was best to spend my money. The problem was our situation COULD be repaired, but the tank was so old and the previous work was obviously unpermitted. We were facing additional costs from tank failure in the near future (1month-couple years no telling) and that if we could afford to, it was best to replace the whole system now in one swoop. Of course he showed up with a fully loaded van and the ability to do a total swap, BUT did MORE than just a swap. He upgraded the work to "permitted quality/regulation" work at no xtra charge, and even drilled through our wall providing an outdoor drain in case of emergency, which our current situation did not have. Not only were we getting a better deal (which I'm ALL about) than expected, he applied a $50 discount and let me know he could take another $50 off if I paid in cash. I'm now looking at a savings of AT LEAST a couple hundred bucks or more (off an already unbeatable price) on the total job that was actually done. This gift couldn't come at a better time as we have 4kids and I was afraid this would completely tap me out before Christmas. We've had to relight the old unit over and over and over again for the past year and a half. My wife and i have had to take showers in the kid's bathrooms sometimes days -sometimes weeks at a time, till we could get the hot water to comeback on in the tank to our room (which heats the water for the back of the house.) HERES THE HILARIOUS PART! This unit is in a closet space at the rearest section of the home. No one goes in there but me to light the damn thing. So, now I'm playing games letting her THINK it's sometimes-working/not working! Lol. So, she's still doing the same routine running to the kid's shower for the next week! Lol! I plan on putting putting a wrapped printed/signed contract in her stocking and a big bow on the new unit when she'll inevitably go back to see it. I also plan on having "girly bath stuff" as presents this year so she can take a nice, long, hot, jet-bath [which she hasn't been able to run for the past year.] Our laundry is also on this tank and we can now run warm water when doing clothes. Until now we'd save the warm water to shower before eventually having to use the kids rooms again. Everything should go great so long as she doesn't notice the date of the actual install!!! Lol. Dan was awesome and made my Christmas gift to the wife/family come true. He worked completely outside the home using side gate and rear entry door directly to the water heater. He wore mask the entire time, and we did all paperless transactions. Seemed like a real stand up guy too. Kinda homie you wanna kick it with over a bbq or sports game. I left the kids (all 4of them) at home with out any fear, to run to the bank to grab the cash while he stayed and worked. HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY. Dan, if you read this I'm the surfboard-repair / surf-instructor guy. Hit me up dude. Free lesson on me after the New Year! MAHALO! read more

This great review must be posted to let the SCV know what a great business Payless Water Heaters is. The other day while I was leaving for work, I hear a loud banging and explosion, my son and I race to the garage to find water gushing out from the bottom of our water heater beginning to flood our garage. While I freak out for a minute, I managed to read the phone number on the large emergency sticker on the water heater and asked my son to call it not knowing it was Payless Water Heaters while I raced to unplug the exercise equipment. He spoke to a nice dispatch rep who instructed him to turn the knob at the top of the heater to shut off the water, which worked. She said she would be sending a technician to take a look at what happened in an hour which wasn't too bad. After 15 minutes I received another call from them saying the technician would be on his way soon which was even better. My husband was on his way home from work and asked the dispatch rep to tell the technician to wait another 30 minutes so I could go on to work and he could meet him at the house. They arranged this even though the tech was waiting out front for a bit when my husband arrived. The tech, Larry was very nice and thorough in checking the water heater and determined the heater needed to be replaced so he installed a new tank. We braced ourselves for the cost of the repair because we are currently still recovering from my being unemployed for almost 3 years after a layoff. We also wanted to give our kids a good Christmas now that I've had a steady job for a little over a year. When Larry showed my husband the first bill, my husband told him there was no way that we could afford to pay that amount. He explained to Larry what our family had been through and how we came close to losing our home and how we're still trying to catch up so Larry placed a call to his boss to see what he could do. He came back with a lower figure but my husband pleaded with Larry that we really still could not afford that. Once again, Larry went to his truck and placed another call to his boss. After a while, he came back and told my husband, "Merry Christmas" then showed my husband a new bill amount and it was such a great deal that we could not pass up - very, very affordable for us. My husband was in tears and couldn't thank Larry and Payless Water Heaters enough. They did a great job and had a heart in considering our plight and greatly reducing our bill so that we could enjoy our Christmas. So it goes without saying how highly we recommend anyone to use Payless Water Heaters, we are contacting our entire family, our co-workers and our neighbors to tell them about Payless and telling them to tell their friends to spread the word of how great this establishment is and that they're located in many other cities as well. read more

This is for Gonzo and Larry. These two guys were truly a blessing for me and my family. Our water heater blew one morning. My wife and son were at home and believe me they had no clue. When they called Payless the young lady who answered the phone talked my son through turning off the water. I was at work so I rushed home to sort through the mess. When i got there the tech was waiting for me. Nice and pleasant guy his name was Larry. These past 3 years have been a real struggle for us. When Larry looked at it we had our worst case scenario. The heater was a lost and had to be replaced. Now remember this has not been a smooth ride for us but we have been making it. Totally strapped for cash this is not what we need especially at this time of the year. What made it worse was in all the excitement I was supposed to call SCE and forgot. Now on top of the water heater being a lost we don't have any power. I know can it get any worse. Their price was fair but I just didn't have the money. I was a couple of days away from my pay cycle so unless so money falls from the sky we will be under candles and cold showers for a couple of days. I told Larry thanks but I was in a no win situation. I thought he left. Their was a knock at the door and it was Larry. He said his boss Gonzo wanted to speak with me.He really felt for my situation and gave me a price too good to be true.But remember power is out and I'm a couple of days away from being paid. I still can't do anything. Gonzo was great and he said he would honor his quote until i got paid. i told him thanks. I thanked Larry, again and closed the door. i heard another knock at the door. Guess who Larry again. He said his boss Gonzo wanted to speak with me again. I said hello and he said Merry Christmas. I have know clue what he'stalking about. He then said something that still has me in shock. He told me to let his tech Larry work and that this was his gift to me and my family. I asked him what did he mean because who would do something like that. He literally had me in tears and i didn't know what to say. Needless to say Larry did a perfect job and I'm still in shock. Gonzo you and Larry and the Payless Team are truly the Best. I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU GUYS. THANKS AGAIN........ read more

In April 2013, our old tank water heater was showing signs of age, so after researching our options, we decided to install a tankless water heater. After doing a lot of on-line research and getting multiple bids, we decided to go with Payless and a Noritz unit. The workmanship of the installer (Brandun) was of such a high quality that the city inspector actually said that it was one of the most "aesthetically flawless" installations he had ever seen. Based upon that experience, we naturally asked Payless to bid on doing a complete replacement of our HVAC system and all of the associated ductwork when we decided to do this in March 2014. The price we were quoted by Payless came in far under the price we were quoted by a company we learned about at our local Costco store. That company advertised that we would receive a $1000 Costco gift card with our purchase as well as the normal rebate that Costco gives its Executive Card holders. Even with those savings factored in, the price quoted by Payless was over 20% lower, and this for equipment with a much higher efficiency rating (the price Payless quoted included a 95% efficient gas furnace, whereas the higher price of the other company covered an 80% efficient unit). Of course we went with Payless, and once again our experience was excellent. The customer service manager (Ken) explained the pros and cons of all of the various equipment options when he first arrived to assess our home and prepare the bid, and helped us select an energy-efficient system from Trane. We made our decision to go with Payless on a Friday afternoon, and on Monday morning their crew (Jaime and Byron) arrived to start the job. Because they were only two, it took them three days to remove the old units and duct work and replace and calibrate the new equipment. But the weather was cooperative, and Jaime and Byron were both polite, professional, and courteous, and they answered all of my questions to my complete satisfaction. If you need a water heater or an HVAC system, be sure to have Payless bid on the job. Their prices are extremely competitive, and their staff is courteous and takes pride in their work. We are 100% satisified with all of our interactions with Payless. read more

I would highly recommended Payless water heaters to anyone. The service was top notch, honest and very professional. This company sure went out of their way to get me the right product, great price including the install. Last week, I bought a water tank and it never worked right from day one, so I called the company back out. Within 4 hours a tech came out. Changed out the thermostat and tested unit. It failed within an hour. I then called them out again on a Saturday night at 11:00p.m. after the gas company came out at 10:00p.m. to check my gas pressure and line. All found to be good since my house is brand new. The next day was Sunday, (Father's Day) Payless called me at 7:00a.m to come out to work on the unit. Matthew the service tech came out to do a full inspection. In 3 minutes of being at my house, he found one thing wrong which caused the water heater fail since the install. My exhaust vent in the roof was too small for the water heater size, therefore the exhaust gases where not releasing and actually going back into the tank causing it fail, gas leak and CO2 filled in garage. Matthew talked to me about a NORITZ tankless heater to avoid all these issues. He called his boss to work on the price. I was very pleased, I bought it on the spot. He them made some phones calls to get all the items that he needed. Josh, very nice man came to the house with the Tankless unit. Matthew is a very nice and knowledgeable tech. He sure knows he stuff. Before he did anything, he explained everything to me on how he will install the unit with the pipes and larger gas line. The install was flawless. I couldn't be happier. Looks like it was built with the house. It took 6+ hours to do the install. When he was done, he cleaned up after himself. Everything was straight and level. He didn't leave until, I was 100% satisfied. Matthew is also a very friendly guy to talk to. I learned a lot from him explaining to me about the unit and how to maintain it. I would rate him a 10 all the way. His work was very professionally done. I would definitely use him again to do more work. I am a customer for life and plan to use this company again to remodel my kitchen. They gave me an awesome price. read more

Part II of the Water Heater Saga... Roughly 24 hours after I had a part installed on my unreliable Whirlpool water heater (see 07/21/2015 review), I had the same error message that I had when this first started. This was not Payless' fault... just a sign that Whirlpool had misdiagnosed the problem, and that the part they sent did not fully correct the issue. I was tired of dealing with this hit or miss approach, and decided to cut my losses. I called Payless back and asked them to set up an appointment to install a new water heater. They were able to send someone out first thing the next morning. Chris arrived to do the installation, and did an excellent job. I am very happy with my new Bradford White water heater. While firing the new water heater up, Chris noticed that my kitchen faucet was on its last legs. He gave me some pointers on what type of faucet to buy, and said he could come back to install it, if and when I was ready. I went out that afternoon to get a new faucet and set up an appointment with Chris for the very next day. It is a huge relief to no longer have a faucet that sprays water around and leaks constantly. I truly feel that Chris went beyond the call in helping resolve the issue with my faucet. He took the time to look at a website for a home improvement store with me, and provided some input into not only buying a faucet that would fit my current setup, but also buying a quality brand that would last for many years. I know Payless specializes in water heaters, but I truly appreciated the help in getting my faucet replaced. I am grateful that Payless was able to set up appointments on such short notice... The water heater issue could have dragged on for days, but they were always able to get someone out that same day, or the first thing the next morning. Meanwhile, that place I referred to in my first review STILL hasn't called me back -- over a week later! Their loss is Payless' gain. Thank you again, Payless & Chris! read more

After my husband's 4am COLD shower, he declared the water heater had seen its final day. Water was streaming down the outside of the tank, into the pan and draining to the outside of the house. So, after a few hours of checking Yelp and the internet for prices and brands...I called A Payless. Like a past review, I had saved the big red card & attached it to the front of the WH, as it had a quick reminder to turn off the gas if it was leaking after an earthquake. I called a few other places to determine if we should replace it with a tankless WH or keep the type we had, and Payless explained the difference (aside from the price) so we opted for a 50 gallon tank to replace the huge 75 gallon gas WH we had. No one else that I called could come out and replace it on the same day. The serviceman was supposed to arrive between 2 and 4p, but there was some confusion in the office, so I called back around 4:15...then called again around 6p. I was getting concerned, but I had a back up plan for the next morning. When "Martin" showed up, he was quick to assess the situation, and really had to work to get that big tank out, rework the pipes to keep it set up the same complicated way it had originally been installed. He also suggested we fix the house water pressure valve, which we knew was faulty (too high). Considering that my hubby had to remove the door, frame, moulding, etc because the last owner had built the room around the water heater closet, it all worked out great. Martin had the tank, valves, copper piping and anything else he needed on his truck. All in all, we were extremely pleased with the job he did, the quality and warranty of the water heater and the price...and we had hot water by 9:30 that night! The old WH must have been crusty and inefficient ever since we moved in a couple of years ago. Since Payless replaced the WH, we've enjoyed hot showers galore, we still have plenty of water pressure, it's better regulated and the water is much softer! read more

If you WANT a GREAT EXPERIENCE - Call MATT R. Important - Matt RRRRRRRRR! Matt explained and made sure that the job was fully understood by my wife and me (I was remote). He was very professional in all his actions. What impressed me even more was his responsibility to not just take pictures of the completed project (water heater replacement) - he did what I consider "the over the top service" of a full cleanup of the area he worked in. He swept and wiped down the areas. He completely tested the system! Matt RRRRRRRRR's work was so perfect that when the job was done - you did not even know he was there, except for a brand new, proper and professionally installed water heater and all its fix'n. And yes, I will review the opportunity to buy a water treatment system from Matt RRRRRRRRR and Payless. Smart Management at Payless for securing Matt RRRRRRRR and his life long expertise as a true professional plumber. He created a higher standard in plumbing. Thanks to Payless and Matt RRRRRRR! I am also sending this note to Fidelity Home Warranty for having the confidence in Payless and Matt RRRRRRRRRRRR! Thanks again, Matt RRRRRRRRRRRRR! 11/8/2014. Mark S. As a side note: Matt RRRRRRRRR diagnosed another problem with my water system that had to be repaired by a different service person per the guidelines of my Fidelity Home Warranty Coverage . Matt RRRRRRRR diagnosed the problem correctly and I was disappointed that Payless/Matt RRRRRRRRR did not get the authorization to do the work. The second repair service that I had to secure because Payless was not an authorized servicer for this additional repair was very unprofessional between poor time management by the scheduler/owner, a messy service person who did not clean up after themselves and expected me to do it. A full report to Fidelity Home Warranty Company will be done recommending the other company not be part of their Professional Team of Servicing Companies. read more

This review is for the Anaheim area in Orange County. There was not a local office that I could post to. My experience was a good one. A 6 1/2 year old 75 gallon water heater died this morning. Out of warranty by 6 months (of course). I called for service at 11am and they were here before 2:30. I was able to stay at work since they called when they were 30 minutes away. That was appreciated. Matt and Elliott were on time, friendly, and knowledgeable. They verified the warranty situation (I confirmed independently). They inspected the heater and determined it was cracked. They also gave the details about what was needed to bring it to code. It was correctly installed originally, but the codes change. It all sounded legit and city permits are being pulled for an after installation inspection. I was initially bummed that the city was being involved, but I do appreciate the assurances that this will be done right. Then they gave me the bad news on the price. I asked them to hang out for 5 minutes while I thought about it. I called my regular plumber, who could not get here today, and he confirmed the price was in the ballpark. I then called the manufacturer and asked who their local installer was. I called the installer and their quote was $500 more that the quote from Payless. I don't like big surprises or big bills. It's an easier pill to take if the big bill is a fair deal. Add that to the fact that they were here and could get it done today and it was an easy decision. I'm glad that I didn't check Yelp first. My experience has not been consistent with some of the other Yelpers. It might be because this is an old-school water heater. It might be the installers (Matt and Elliott). I'm happy to give 5 stars and will refer. read more