Edward Hughes & Son

Literal HVAC lifesavers!

It's 17 degrees outside and my furnace took a crap.  It was freezing in here!

I called Hughes at 2 pm, they said they'd get a tech out to me in 30 minutes.  Sweet!

He was about 30 minutes behind schedule, but was courteous (even asked for a towel to wipe his boots before strolling through the house!) and had it fixed in an hour for a reasonable fee.

He offered tips for how to prevent the issue in the future, and the shop takes credit card payment by phone, or a check.

The location of this business is weird on the Yelp listing, but the phone number for this listing is correct to reach a dispatcher in the 19125 ZIP code - Fishtown/Kensington.

What can I say?

Thanks to Hughes Plumbing the house heating system is inoperable. They left a 71y/o Vietnam War Veteran who was later diagnosed with cancer without heat for the rest of the cold season.

They were hired to repair a steam house heater, they said it was the piping that was wrong (same piping was there when we bought the house 5 years earlier), they Repaired the piping after we took out a loan to pay them several thousand dollars, heat worked for a while and then never came on again.

Called almost every day practically begging for them to come check it out. Calls went ignored, any appointment I was able to make were no shows and the reality of them not caring was real.

Mr. Hughes you really should do the right thing.

I depended on you and your company to fix our problem, and now due to your negligence, my senior father and I have figure out how we will come up with at least 50K to fix the entire system because that's what was quoted due to the extensive work that has to be done to correct what you and your company did.

My father does not deserve this.
Service: Repair heating system

Had a great experience with Edward Hughes and Sons. I was recommended them by another plumber who was a little further away from me. I had a plumbing emergency with a leaking sewer pipe (are they ever not plumbing emergencies?) and they called me back right away and came out that day to assess the situation. They told me I unfortunately should replace the whole pipe (110 years old) and scheduled to come out a day later. They came when they said they would, they were on time, and really friendly to work with. I would absolutely call them again. I don't write reviews too often, but some of the bad reviews on here scared me but I am happy to say that I had a really positive experience working with them and would call them again.

On 1/8/20 I made the unfortunate decision to contact Edwards Hughes & Son Inc as my heat wasn't working. I needed someone asap as it was too cold for my elderly grandmother & they were the only company that could come out asap.

I used them about 10 months ago to replace a leaking hot water heater. I also requested the heater be serviced. That night there was leaking from plumbing associated with the hot water heater. The boiler, which was supposed to be cleaned/serviced, was no longer turning on and remained covered in dust/dirt. When I called a person was sent out who agreed the boiler hadn't been serviced. He apologized & made arrangements for the heater person to come out the following day. He also made repairs to piping, what exactly I'm not sure. The heater was serviced the following day.

Back to 1/28/20. A service person came out for lack of heat. He reported there was a backup light switch that someone must have turned off which was why the heat wasn't on/working. I was charged the $125 service fee. Later that day the house got warmer, but the temp did not go above 69 degrees. I called back to inform them of this and was told they could send someone out the following day. On 1/29/20 a service person returned and informed my grandmother there was something wrong with the pipes/vents. I called the co. to request a call to explain the issue. 1/30/20 I received a call, was told there was a problem with air vents not opening which he was able to open and an issue with a device that controls how much air may get in the piping so he bled pipes. He quoted a 2000 to replace pipes, but said if that didn't work a new heater would be 4700. I received a bill in the mail for 145. Today my hot water heater is leaking through the floor into the closet. I called, received a return call and stated my hot water heater was now leaking and this could lead to a lawsuit. I believe it was the owner who talked over me, did not listen and hung up on me. I have already called another plumber to come out. AVOID!!

Although they fixed the problem, which turned out to be a loose electrical wire, for 45 mins of work, they charged $315!¡. And their technician took his mask off in the house.  When asked if he is not afraid of getting Covid, he declared that everyone has to die of something!!  Which rock is this fella living under? I wish I had read these comments before calling them.

I never leave reviews but this service was so poor I wouldn't want anyone else to contact them. We got the number from my fiancé's parents to call them
for a leak in our basement and it's 4 hours later on a Wednesday night and still no call from any technician after calling dispatch 4 times. Now we get to stay up until 4am for someone from roto rooter to come by because nobody has anything else to do at 4am. save yourself the aggravation and never call these people for service. ever.

Company is terrible, they make appointments and don't keep them. Very expensive and there warranty is useless!

I had this company hook up a gas dryer in my new house because the gas line to the dryer was a little over two feet too short. The job ended up taking about 40 minutes and I was charged $400 (at the owners direction, I was told) when every other company I'd talked to had quoted me around $100-150. To top it off, since it was a Saturday there was no one in the office to answer why I was being charged so much. I've been calling basically every day for over a week to get some answers and I've consistently been told by numerous people The boss knows you're trying to reach him, he'll get back to you tomorrow. Well, it's been over five weeks with me calling and nobody has gotten back to me with any information about why this job was so much more expensive than anyone else told me it would be.

EDIT: I'd also been told over the course of the five weeks of calling that I would be (and a few times had been) refunded various amounts. No refund ever came through. I finally had someone call me back from the company to talk to me about the cost of the job and now they're saying I won't be refunded anything.

I say either go with another plumber or, if you'd like the same experience in a much shorter time frame, drink a bunch of poison.

Worst experience ever. Work completed improperly the first time and instead of fixing it the second time they actually caused damage to a wall in the house instead. Owner's son was supposed to come a see the problem and never showed. Waited again another day and was told that someone was on the way but no one showed. The only answer I received is that they will get around to the repairs when they have time  but it's not a priority. Basically left with no other option than to proceed with legal action. Be forewarned people.

They charged my dad a whopping $300 to replace an igniter for our heater few years ago. A part which I learned about and bought myself after this unfortunate experience for around 20 bucks. The service tech, Gary, also lied to me and told me at the time of service that it was a very expensive part and that I wouldn't be able to obtain this myself. Businesses and people like this is why I started educating my self on many things and I can tell all of you I've saved a bunch of money in doing so and have become smarter. So, thank you EH&S. Just make sure to always be extra conscious in regards to safety when handling anything if you do decide to do something yourself.

These guys also did service in our house to fix a drain pipe, which required a cut out of drywall. The patch job was not good and clearly visible after it was painted, which they don't do by the way. However they did manage to charge a boat load once more but this time for a bad job. I do think there are good businesses out there but you gotta do your search and find it. Just don't go to these folks. They seem to drive their business by taking advantage of people that are not experts in their fields.

Horrible company. Had an appointment setup to have them cancel over the phone because they didn't want to spend the time finding a leak.  The owner Edward was argumentative on the phone. Awful.

Let's face it, nobody calls plumbers just to say hi.  It's a shame really because they're people too.

I called initially because I was having an issue with my sump pump.  After an initial consultation (which was free btw) it was determined that it should be replaced.  They offered me a fair price and performed the work quickly and expertly, explaining everything along with way.  I was quite happy with the service I received.

A few weeks later, I noticed that our water heater was leaking.  Our water heater has been on the outs for quite some time now and thankfully, I had just recently had a good experience with Edward Hughes & Sons so I called upon them once again.  At 9pm, they had an answering service who took my call.  I was contacted the next morning and even though I had a busy day they worked around my schedule and installed a new water heater in about 2 hours.  We are back up and running with hot water and just as last time the service was efficient, clean and they explained everything to me along the way.

These guys are my plumber and I sleep a little better at night knowing that I have found a reliable, professional plumbing service in Philadelphia.

This company came out to clear my drain, didn't get it clear and wouldn't come back. I had to pay another plumber to clear it. To top it off, they actually threatened to pour cement down my drain if I didn't pay their bill. Stay away from these thugs.

They were nice enough to come out - thank you. However, they asked for $550 to replace  kitchen faucet. They wouldn't tell me the breakdown of the parts/labor, rather just one package. I found out the faucet cost $99 at Home Depot. 1 hour of labor to install a faucet does not equal $450 in labor. C'mon. I didn't have the work completed by this company, so i'm only rating my experience.  I called someone else and they just fixed the thing for less than $100.

never allow Edward Hughes & Sons into your home.  NEVER!!! Not honest and will report you to City Hall.

We had a crack in our main sewage pipe and Ed Hughes was recommended to us by several people. The work was quick and well done. However, the cement used to seal up the job on my pavement, began to crumble and my basement began to get very damp. After several phone calls (that were not returned) my husband and I finally got through to someone. They came out and fixed the issue and We haven't had an problems since. Long story short, original cement job wasn't great and I had to call them more times than I wanted to. The woman on the phone was very nice and the important work was great. Would recommend.

I have been trying to get them to install a shower door since November  Hughes did some other work for me in November, but called me in December and wanted payment for the plumbing AND the shower door job.  I said no, and the owner's son said I could pay the whole bill when the job got done.  It is now February. I called and made an appointment for installation today.They called twice to confirm that I would be home today and then texted to tell me they would be here in the afternoon instead of the morning.  They never showed and called at 3:30 to see if I could take another day off of work for them.  They sincerely apologized.  When I said that this was the SECOND time they did not show up and that an apology would not cut it, the owner, Ed Hughes, Sr., got on the phone and  started yelling and cursing at me for ordering the wrong @#$&* shower door, that  HIS guy had told me to go ahead and order.  After much more screaming and an F -bomb, he hung up on me.  Just total verbal abuse. I have been their customer for 15 years and have given them over $10,000 worth of business.  This was the response I got.  
Also charged me $500 to put a new trap in my kitchen sink and $5000 to replace a cracked main sewer pipe.

Four words:  Unreliable, abusive.  Zero stars.

They were called out to work on a property of mine. I gave them a deposit to cover the work and after four hours (only one of which they actually worked) they realized they could not fix the issue and left. I have been calling everyday for the past two months trying to get back my deposit and all I get is the run around and that billing is not there and that someone would call me back.

Its a joke of a company and they are crooks.....my advice, do not get caught up with them.

I have a so called working relationship with these guys from faucets, shut- off valves, traps , you name it, they do it all. Even roofing. They are the one stop shop!

Problem: Heat pump system was blowing out cold (30-40Fº) air when it should have been heating our house.

I first called them up expecting to need to schedule an appointment later in the week.  I was told I could expect a visit on the same day.  Additionally, I received two callbacks prior to their arrival letting me know approximately when I should expect them to arrive.  They also informed me that the minimum service charge would be $75 for diagnostics.  I bristled, however I appreciated their frankness.

Heating tech came out within 2 hours of my first call to their service.  He looked at all the components of our heat pump system, trying to identify the root cause of the problem.  Like most service techs, they could easily have exploited my naivete to sell me on a costly repair or service (e.g., an overhaul of the air handler and/or heat pump).  He did not.  He looked into the wiring of the system, identified incorrect wiring, and through his thorough inspection, was able to identify the proper means of wiring the system.  

The tech explained, in plain terms that I could understand, that the incorrect wiring in the heat pump system was running emergency heat ($$$), but then incorrectly running A/C instead of standard heating ($$$).  This caused a problematic cycle wherein I was paying a lot to heat my house, then paying a lot to cool my house - ad infinitum.  

He spent a little over an hour, and with minimal labor costs, my heat pump system is now running properly.  

Excellent (above and beyond, really) response time, reasonable labor costs overall (my final charge was under $150), and respectful, professional treatment.  While I hope to have to wait a long time until I have to call for an HVAC service again, when I do, I will most certainly call Edward Hughes and Sons.

I have never written a review before but am so very frustrated. This was my third time using this company over a garage disposal. First two times, the disposal was clogged and not working. Finally, decided to replace with a larger unit. I do want to state all three plumbers were great, very pleasant and professional. After plumber finished he called owner to get price $550.00, I paid and after he left looked at receipt. It was not broken down as to cost of disposal, cost of house call and labor etc. Seeming, high I looked up cost of disposal and highest price I found $150.00. Wanting some answers, I called and asked to speak to the owner and a very pleasant women took my message and said owner would call me back. I have called four times in two days and no one has called back!  I feel the Owner owes me at least a few minutes of his time to break down the bill.
I will never use his Company again and will share my experience to others who are looking for a reliable Plumbing Service.
I live in Philadelphia!

Hughes Plumbing repeatedly missed appointments on multiple occasions with no phone call or follow-up. Also, during the installation of a new HVAC unit, the roof was not properly sealed which resulted in a major leak in our home. It took over a year to get the problem resolved and the roof patched and drywall fixed - again with major delays and missed appointments. The individuals who did show up were professional and courteous, but overall the customer service and quality of work was extremely poor.

UPDATE - when the contractor came to fix the drywall today he just put spackle over the water damage instead of replacing the drywall and was completely unprofessional and unwilling to help/do his job. ABSOLUTELY WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY TO ANYONE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

Had them install a washer and dryer in an apartment above my office.  They gave me a reasonable estimate, so we went ahead with the work.  Of course, they found something extra to charge me during the job which I thought to be unwarranted.  Their billing and clerical department is an utter disaster.  I will never use them again.

Not certain how my last review has vanished but somehow, it did.
I'll warn everyone. BAIT & SWITCH. Enough said.

First called Hughes because a friend I trust recommended them. The first two larger jobs they did for us were not cheap but they came and seemed competent. Since then, we scheduled a job for which we paid $225 as the first installment. This was early last fall. Since then they have been a consistent no-show or canceled at least 5 times, the owner was verbally abusive to us on the phone (another recommendation on Yelp also mentions similar phone interaction), and finally last month their answering service took messages and no one has ever called back. Every phone call was either an exercise in frustration or them making an appointment (with my husband staying home from work on a couple of days) and then canceling or a no-show. Being understanding and nice with them has no effect. This company is most unreliable ever. Our money went down the drain so to speak. Don't hire them! Negative votes with devil horns if there were such a thing!

I used them last year with success. This year I called for routine servicing of the heater in my Center City apartment and they never showed. Called the office 3 times and was told the service person would call me. Never did. Maybe they are competing with the cable company.

I spoke to two females the first quoted a price of $125 service fee the second one quoted me a price of 150. When I protested the second female became very nasty and rude. This is the last time a will patronized this business. I HAD to call them and utilize their services previously only because it was and is an extreme emergency. I have no heat, the temp outside is 8 degrees without windchill. The previous times the problem was leaking pipe in wall, well guess their is still a leak. The plumbers are just as cold as the weather outside don't clean up after themselves.
I am so upset. My service appt is suppose to be tonight.

These guys did a great job. Next day consultation and speedy service. I just bought a home in the area and needed my (older) steam heater maintenanced - and they got it up and running in no time. They were very thorough and even came to check up a few days later for pipe leaks.

They were awesome. Called on a Sunday about a leak, thinking I'd just leave a message, and I actually got a person.  They came out first thing Monday and by Tuesday afternoon the problem was fixed. It wasn't cheap (the only reason they don't get five stars!), but everyone was knowledgeable, professional, courteous. Can't say enough good things about how responsive everyone was.

A man came out for our not working toilet in rental apartment. He was extremely knowledgable and very nice. Financially- he dealt with our landlord. And he also thoroughly explained all issues and what was needed to be done. Definitely recommend this company!

Problem: Seller sold house without disclosing that there was no sewer hookup whatsoever to the house. Sewage Backed up in basement after 2 days of ownership.

These guys are Great! Hardworking honest company. From the beginning they were helpful, found the initial problem. They also have the latest and greatest equipment to ensure their success. Had to dig the sidewalk by hand 8 feet down. Come to find out that there is no sewer connection to the house. Seller ran it to the outside and duct taped the end shut. These guys helped us out with the help of their friend Leon and his Ma-Cheen and agreed to stay late on a friday evening to get us on line with a new working sewer. They even sent guys out the next day to ensure that the sewer was cleaned out properly. Ryan, BJ, Matt, Ray, Carl, Jeff, and Leon Thanks for all of your expertise and help. They even volunteered their help when taking these sellers to court. Thanks again

RIP OFF! I had a cracked water pan and wanted an estimate to have it replaced.  Andrew, the repairman from Ed Hughes, told me I had to replace the coil and pan, estimated at $1700.00.  My coil wasn't broken, I was getting cold air, but this man insisted I replace EVERYTHING because it is all attached together.  Believing this was a lie I told Andrew I wanted a second opinion.  The repairman wouldn't leave until I paid him a $125.00 Service Charge, when the website clearly states Free Estimates.  I paid him the money just to get him out of my house and I asked for a refund and the company refuses to return my phone calls.  I had a second estimate and the pan was replaced for a little over $300.00, the coil was fine.

This company falsely claims to be a BBB member on their website, this must to be investigated by the BBB and have the BBB Member removed from the Ed Hughes website.

I had to call these guys out twice this month. They have been great and very professional. They have same day/next day service and come within the time frame given.

Generally good although they can get sloppy when it comes to cleaning up. Some of the Hughes employees are stiff faced non-personality types who don't talk and who seem so uptight and afraid of people. Weird. They must be all Irish North Catholic grads.

I called Edward Hughes and Sons on April 3rd to fix my heater that was not working. I had used this company over the years and thought I could trust them. A old man came that day and told my husband that the problem was the Computer Board. He supposingly repaired it and he told my husband that he took some unnessary commands off of my thermostat. He charged me $125 for a service charge because it was on a Sunday and $100 for the repair which totallled $225. On April 13, the heater stopped working again. In previous years the problem with my heater was a bad switch which was replaced and the heater would work. The last time it was fixed was two years ago so I was thinking it was the same thing this time but was told it was the Computer Board. I called the company to have them come back out to check my heater again since I paid for them to fix it and it is not working again and was told someone would call me to let me know what time they would be out that day. I called them several times after not getting a call and it was after 5 PM and was told I was on the schedule and somebody would be here. At 7:30 I got a call telling me they were backed up and couldn't come that day but would be here the next day. The next day it was the same thing, they promised me I would get a call and someone would be out here to fix it and they didn't fall or come. Today I called at 9:30 AM and was told someone would call me and its 10:42 and nobody has called.  They are not going to call today I am sure because it they couldn't get to me for the last two days, they would have been her first thing this morning. I don't recommend this company to anybody. I don't know what has happened to them but after getting the run around, I started looking them up and found out that they do this kind of thing a lot, telling people they will call but don't. I have a child in my house and my house is cold.

I have used Hughes several times for heating and plumbing issues (including replacement of my HVAC system).  They are extremely responsive, including keeping you apprised as to when they will be arriving.  The work has always been top notch and the technicians are professional, forthcoming with information and friendly.  And what do I know, but the prices seem extremely fair.  Bottom line is I trust them and recommend without hesitation.

I had a clogged drain that a different company couldn't clear. I called Hughes they showed up on time and got the job done right the first time.  I will definitely use their services again and highly recommend them.

Cannot be more thankful to have used Edward Hughes & Sons for our sewer problems. They stayed a total of 11 hours with no break just to help solve our problem which they did with ease and worked very long into a friday night! I cannot stress enough how great they were and beyond helpful.

I am writing this as a precaution for anyone thinking of using this company.  I am surprised that they have four strong reviews on here.  I called to have a clogged sewer lined snaked because of some tenants throwing wipes into the toilet.  The guy came out with a snake and told me it doesn't look good.  the main pipe in the street is broken and I would have to have it repaired.  He called an estimator on the spot who came out to run an estimate.  The estimator gave me an estimate for $7500 to have my main pipe repaired, I also had to pay the drain clog guy $125 for coming out.    I was very sad and distraught as you can imagine so I called around for some second opinions.  I called one company and the woman on the other line told me something sounds very wrong and that she's never heard anything like that.  She would have someone call me back..no one ever did but it at least made me more sure that I should get some second opinions.  I called another company and asked them to come out and try to clear the clog for me again.  This guy confirmed that there was something wrong with the pipe and that digging would have to be done.  Later on the owner of the company told me that the part of the pipe that was damaged was the portion between my home and the street and the cost to repair would be $2680.  I asked him repeatedly if he was sure because the other company told me it was the main pipe out to the sewer.  He told me if that were the case, the water would be coming up onto the sidewalk and on the street.  I called another company who does trenchless repairs (basically lining the pipe) and the cost would have been $3500... he told me that the part of the pipe that was cracked had to be between the house and the street...not the main.  I asked him how he determined that and he said otherwise, the water would be backing out onto the street...just like the second plumber said.  With that being said, I am grateful I am not going with Ed hughes and sons, and I just wish I could get my $125 back.

came out and looked at why the a/c was not working. told me I needed a new unit even though mine was only a couple of years old. i called another company and all it was was a blown fuse. the final indignity was they changed my filter with one that I had purchased and charged me $50 for the 1min of time. THESE GUYS ARE SHYSTERS. DO NOT USE THEM.

If you want to waste your hard own money for a new bathroom , $16,000 dollars for the cheapest fixtures, then told,  you can buy what you want something that will last for years to come, then told you have a budget and if you go over it they charge  you for what you went over. Told one week now in the middle of three weeks, they start off with three men then you have one. They did not take care of permits in time. They call the night before tell you someone will be there the next day and no one shows up. They seem to forget we have family's, appointments of our own to do, they say leave a key with them. In this time and day I think not. Please it says plumbing , not remodeling. They broke floor, told they me will give me $200.00 towards a new floor. I made the mistake learn by mine. 3 days no one showed up, But one man will come out and ask for more money by the second week, Will tell you that the $8.000 you already gave him he ate up in the materials and labor for his men. Then takes what materials that are left as far as all the wood, takes to the next job and charges them for what they think is their new material. Keep looking, I would not recommend this company. They came back the second week for $4.000 more have had only one worker, the tile man couldn't make it due to the weather, that I understood and he called to let me know. But Edward Hughes and son Inc has four location, you would think they would have enough men to do the job. They are out for your hard earned money. Wished I did not have to pay the rest of the $4,184.24 to them. There should be a law against a person who claims to be as good and quick as they claim. Don't bother to clean your home till they are done either. Feel like this company has no morals when it comes to giving good workmanship . You want cheap stuff have to replace things in a few years or when you drop something on one of the tubs they try and give you. Call them. Don't make the same mistake I did. shop around for someone you can count on and not be taken like I have.