[Bill]

Had to go out on a call today because of a toilet that moves. Got there and found the PVC flange was broke, so I fixed it, installed the toilet. Turn the water on and the tank filled and started overflowing. So with the HO standing there I reach in and adjust the fill valve float. She said that the carpenter who was working on her house installed the toilet and said thats what they are supposed to do. I asked her how long ago he installed it and she said about 6 months ago! I told her no, thats not what they are supposed to do. She had said her other 2 were doing the same thing. Upon examining the others, they too needed adjustment. She then told me that she had to turn the water heater up wide open so the water on the second floor shower would be hot. She said a "plumber" told her that the water was not getting hot upstairs because it had so far to travel. A quick adjustment and the temp was fine! Amazing! That just goes to show that carpenters are not plumbers, and a plumbing company wont always send out a plumber:blink:

 

[422 plumber]

Almost every carpenter/tile/floor guy thinks they can plumb because they pull toilets to redo a floor and then reinstall them. I don't pretend to know their trade, but it pisses me off that they claim to know mine.

 

[Plumberman]

Almost every carpenter/tile/floor guy thinks they can plumb because they pull toilets to redo a floor and then reinstall them. I don't pretend to know their trade, but it pisses me off that they claim to know mine.

I know what you mean. I was doing some work on a old recently updated apartment building. Floor man had to pull the toliet to lay his floor. Broke the brass flange off and stuck a PVC one inside the lead arm... yeah it leaked. Asked him about it and he told me he never pulled the toliet.

 

[Alan]

we have contractors laying pvc waterlines now, and they don't use primer. Went to pull the temporary off to connect the house, and the pvc 90 just blew right off when we dug it up. :laughing::no:

They are also really sloppy with their glue. Makes me cringe when I see them tapping into our lines. :blink:

 

[Plumberman]

Not using primer with glue is like trying to solder with no flux....

 

[Alan]

Not using primer with glue is like trying to solder with no flux....

kinda like trying to frame a house with no nails? :laughing:

 

[Plumberman]

Or sticking it together with Gorilla Glue

 

[threaderman]

When will you guys ever learn.Don't you know that plumbing is easy?Just ask anyone.:blink:

 

[Bill]

Had a call from a guy about 3 years ago. Had water coming into the basement behind the paneling. I was thinking ground water. After I removed a section of panel I noticed the block wall was wet, but it did not look right. It was wet all the way up above grade!
I noticed a toilet above and asked him to flush it. When he did there was water to the max! Pulled the toilet and found that the people who laid the tile had pulled the toilet, installed cement board, laid tile, then installed a wax ring, re set toilet, but the height from the flange to the top of floor kept the toilet from contacting the ring! The ring was un touched! So when the toilet was flushed all the water had been running downstairs. These floor people were from New York Carpet World. A reputable company before they went out of business.

 

[ILPlumber]

I worked on a job with a plumber one time that poured purple primer in his cement to make it look like he used both.:no:

 

[user4]

I worked on a job with a plumber one time that poured purple primer in his cement to make it look like he used both.:no:

We had a traveller from Florida at one shop I worked at that would dump a gallon of purple primer in a bucket and throw the whole fitting in the bucket and fish it back. What mess, that guy had purple everywhere.

 

[ILPlumber]

We had a traveller from Florida at one shop I worked at that would dump a gallon of purple primer in a bucket and throw the whole fitting in the bucket and fish it back. What mess, that guy had purple everywhere.

Wow. Hopefully the key word in your paragraph was "HAD". It would be kinda funny to see the looks on faces when this happened the first and hopefully only time.

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

In my state, you pay a fee to get registered as a home remodeler and you're a "GC".
To be a plumber you do a five year apprenticeship and pass a 4 hour test...same with electrical.


The guy that pays the "contractor" fee then bids jobs at a price he seems to think is a good price based on his "proven" track record of experience.
Harry the happy homeowner likes the really low price, because he knows for a fact that all trades are rip-offs and take your money for little work.

Harry's a shrewd & wise consumer.

The "contractor" then has 500 plumbers & electricians bid the job till he gets the "right" price.

Sounds like a good system to me, you guys?

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

We had a traveller from Florida at one shop I worked at that would dump a gallon of purple primer in a bucket and throw the whole fitting in the bucket and fish it back. What mess, that guy had purple everywhere.

:laughing::laughing:

Dontcha wish ya didn't have to use that crap?

 

[service guy]

In my state, you pay a fee to get registered as a home remodeler and you're a "GC".
To be a plumber you do a five year apprenticeship and pass a 4 hour test...same with electrical.


The guy that pays the "contractor" fee then bids jobs at a price he seems to think is a good price based on his "proven" track record of experience.
Harry the happy homeowner likes the really low price, because he knows for a fact that all trades are rip-offs and take your money for little work.

Harry's a shrewd & wise consumer.

The "contractor" then has 500 plumbers & electricians bid the job till he gets the "right" price.

Sounds like a good system to me, you guys?

You just described perfectly why I have NEVER worked for a GC EVER. Thats a big reason why I decided to focus on the service end of the business long ago.

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

You just described perfectly why I have NEVER worked for a GC EVER. Thats a big reason why I decided to focus on the service end of the business long ago.

I won't go as far as to say all GC's are inadequate, but Holmes definitely has some great points when he talks about them.

I have worked for some VERY high end GC's working for older established shops, but these guys take years to meet & establish good working relationships with.

In time I have found two that are ok.

One guy that is older and semi-retired. who could teach me things about my trade ..I keep trying to get him to bid jobs, but he's too booked with his own stuff and he has cut down his hours, prefers to stick with small odd jobs now in his twilight...:furious:

Another guy that is at least honest with me when he doesn't know something, though aggravating at times when he can't figure out certain things without 15 calls in a day, I at least respect the fact that he's is honest and doesn't powertrip.

Lightbulb moment...I should introduce the two....

 

[user4]

:laughing::laughing:

Dontcha wish ya didn't have to use that crap?

I don't really mind using purple primer, but we also rarely do a job where we can use PVC. I'm doing one now, sorta, it's a job that we have been doing off and on for three years now.

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

I don't really mind using purple primer, but we also rarely do a job where we can use PVC. I'm doing one now, sorta, it's a job that we have been doing off and on for three years now.

Speaking of which....we're still waiting on the pics.
Should be very interesting to see how it goes in lieu of your usual work.

Funny note, on the transition from commercial to residential I found it odd how a mistake in PVC can't be redone like CI where you can just loosen the clamps and undo or rotate the fitting.

 

[user4]

Speaking of which....we're still waiting on the pics.
Should be very interesting to see how it goes in lieu of your usual work.

Funny note, on the transition from commercial to residential I found it odd how a mistake in PVC can't be redone like CI where you can just loosen the clamps and undo or rotate the fitting.

If I make a mistake on CI I have to get the torch and the T-6 tip to melt the lead, we don't do No Hub.

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

If I make a mistake on CI I have to get the torch and the T-6 tip to melt the lead, we don't do No Hub.

Aaaahhh...we do above ground here with clamps, but lead/oakum is an option.

Either way, PVC or CI, your screwed.