Mercer Island Heating

Jeff was very helpful and transparent the whole process. Thankful for their help and would choose them again without a doubt

Our technician arrived promptly the morning after we called, he figured out our problem in a short amount of time and then arranged to come out the next day and replace our failed pressure relief valve. We messaged our neighborhood WhatsApp group to see if others noticed increased water pressure. Hugo went above and beyond when he went to our neighbors to test their water pressures to see if they had issues. Some did. I’m sure it will lead to follow on work. He was courteous and efficient. We are happy with his work.

Great work, clear explanations, pleasant and courteous…very happy

We had Colby from Gene Johnson come out to estimate a gas line move for a kitchen remodel as well as a tankless water heater. He was professional (they wear shoe covers!), friendly and very honest about the requested services pricing and feasibility with a 100+ year old house. We haven’t chosen them for the actual work yet but most likely will given the experience. I will be sure to update my review when that happens!

Mike K was great. We’re in a new house, so Mike gave great advice on what to watch out for in a brand of toilet we’ve never used. Very friendly and walked me through all of our options to arrive at the best possible price.

Mark gave excellent service clearing my shower drain

Just a small bathroom sink job but Mark was fantastic. All is now functioning properly

Steven and Edgar were professional and timely – great communication as well. Would recommend!

Summary: Gene Johnson sent a tech (Matt Hunter) to address our home heating system, which was sending no heat at all to many rooms in the house. Our system is a wonky spaghetti mess of piping, controllers and pumps that theoretically delivers hot water to legacy cast iron radiators, new floorboard radiators, and seven in-floor hydronic loops. It has not worked as intended since we bought the house 15 years ago. It has likely *never worked right since the last house renovation 25 years go (2000), given the horrid “design” that was implemented then. Matt was the first tech ever to figure out how it all works. He repaired every failed component and problem that could be fixed, given our disastrous configuration. We are completely satisfied with Matt’s work and privately are enormously grateful that this money hole has now been tamed.

Our house dates to 1918, so challenges in upgrading the heating plant in 2000 were a certainty. However, the zoo in our HVAC room is nearly indecipherable. I have hired one HVAC company after another over last 15 years to make sense of it, at great expense.

Ninety percent of past techs gave incomplete explanations, proposed the replacement of a pump or controller, or the addition of a valve, and then left. Some were honest enough to simply offer a theory of how it works, while admitting they didn’t know, and then left us with a big bill.

Enter Matt Hunt. Not sure if Matt looks the part of genius plumber, but then I’ve never seen one till now. He’s a little nerdy perhaps (like me) and also a dirt bike racer. Whatever: Matt alone successfully unraveled the mysteries of our home hot-water distribution plant. He confirmed that the entire house is controlled by two thermostats, which are, incredibly, located just 16 feet apart on the first floor. (One controls all hot water distributed on the north side of the house; one controls all hot water sent to the south side. Go figure.) Matt explained why heat often doesn’t reach the upper floors even when the system is “working” (if it’s warm on the first floor, naturally, no heat is available to the second and third floors).

Matt discovered that the pressure in the water distribution lines was only 4PSI (target range: 13-22PSI), determined that the cause was huge amounts of air in the pipes, and the culprit was a broken refill valve. The new valve includes a pressure gauge so we can now see when the pressure in the water lines has fallen so low that the system can’t deliver hot water to the upper stories. He also spotted problems with the air eliminator, i.e. the “burping” component that normally should purge some/most of the air. He has proposed replacing that (agreed).

Matt drained the pipes on all floors; refilled the lines; purged all zones of air; and replaced the (broken) thermal expansion tank. Heat began to flow again to all rooms. He demosnttated that heat only happens on the upper floors provided that the two first-floor thermostats that control distribution to the entire home are below target temps and are calling for heat.

Matt mapped every radiator and hydronic zone to the main thermostat controlling it. He also determined which rooms/areas the hydronic thermostats control. (Of course, the hydronic thermostats, which are sprinkled around the house, are comic: they only perform as intended when the primary thermostats on the first floor are delivering hot water.) Matt gave us a detailed written explanation of what each component does and how it’s controlled.

Matt did all this in less time than some prior techs took to try and ultimately give up.

Our home heating system is a design wreck and will never deliver heat around the house reliably. However, with the fixes (and insights) mATT delivered, we now get heat when we want it with some work-arounds (like cooling down the first floor therostats). Further, we understand how to spot problems and fix the system going forward.

Thank you, Matt!

Steven came out to troubleshoot our tankless water heater and quickly identified the issue as a clogged condensate pump. What really stood out was the time he took to explain everything in detail. He walked me through the condition of the unit, the manufacturer’s recommended lifespan, and the condensation damage and rust that had already occurred due to the blockage.

Steven gave me honest, thoughtful guidance and helped me make an informed decision about replacing the unit, without any pressure whatsoever. He clearly explained that we could have gotten by with a descaling for now, but also helped me understand why replacing it would likely save money and headaches over the long run.

He was patient, knowledgeable, and answered all of my questions thoroughly. I really appreciated his transparency and professionalism, and I would absolutely recommend Steven and Gene Johnson to anyone needing plumbing or tankless water heater service. Thanks!

Very knowledgeable. Mike Keane really did an awesome job. Highly recommend these guys for all your plumbing needs. Definitely going to be a life long customer.

Joseph F came for a leak we were experiencing along with his partner and was beyond helpful. We have a 4 month old and also had a contractor there at the same time. He was kind enough to entertain our little one in his swing while my husband was moving some things in the bathroom and I was talking to the contractor. So unexpected and beyond the call they came out for. Thank you!

Jaren was great to work with! he came for the drain and returned for the toilet. Ran into some issues with both but resolved them quickly. good Job!

Right on time, quickly fixed the problems, friendly

Sean Smith is a great plumber that does a great job!!! Very happy with the new set up!! He was compassionate & professional all from day 1. We greatly recommend him!!!! Thank you Sean for all that you did & staying late to get the job done. ❤️

Michael K was extremely thorough and very easy to understand when explaining our plumbing problem. I would highly highly recommend using him in the future.

Jaren replaced the kitchen faucet. He did a great job!

Michael K. did a phenomenal job helping with our plumbing issue. He was professional, courteous, and detailed in his work. He made everything very easy to understand, and worked very efficiently from start to finish. I would recommend him and Gene Johnston Plumbing to anyone looking for a reliable plumber that’s a true professional.

Great service!