Leave it be or take it out?
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If you say so. I must not be a real tradesman then because sometimes I will leave them behind.
My rule is this: if the crawl is useful for some other purpose, in other words, if it is big enough to where someone could use it for storage or whatever if they chose to, then the pipe comes out and I dispose of it, if the crawl space is simply big enough to crawl through and nothing more, then it gets pushed over out of the way and left because the ho is never going under there anyway.
My rule is this: if the crawl is useful for some other purpose, in other words, if it is big enough to where someone could use it for storage or whatever if they chose to, then the pipe comes out and I dispose of it, if the crawl space is simply big enough to crawl through and nothing more, then it gets pushed over out of the way and left because the ho is never going under there anyway.
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1,948 Posts
I will say this, I don't think I've purchased band iron in about 3 years because virtually every cs I go into will have any portion to an entire roll either hanging from a floor joist or laying on the ground somewhere. Occasionally I will find a roll or partial roll of solder as well. I'm going to start looking a little harder for the solder because I paid $23 for a roll of solder the other day 
, YIKES!!!
, YIKES!!!
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1,589 Posts
This is a funny topic.
On another forum a few months back there was a question of keeping scrap copper.
One guy asserted that the pipe was the homeowners property and taking the copper without asking was stealing.
I asked him if I was stealing when I took the PVC.
I generally take my mess, mainly because these are my customers and I want them happy.
I don't see much harm in leaving it in an unused crawllspace, but I'd rather be sure there isn't something they might complain about when I'm gone.
On another forum a few months back there was a question of keeping scrap copper.
One guy asserted that the pipe was the homeowners property and taking the copper without asking was stealing.
I asked him if I was stealing when I took the PVC.
I generally take my mess, mainly because these are my customers and I want them happy.
I don't see much harm in leaving it in an unused crawllspace, but I'd rather be sure there isn't something they might complain about when I'm gone.
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5,478 Posts
I take it all so it makes the last plumber look bad...real bad.
Taking old water heaters along with the cardboard from an install makes the last guy look like a bloomin fool as well.
For some reason it's dangerous to pull them out, it's staying. I was complimented on my last DWV stack replacement for cleaning the area up from all the years of repairs where the pipe was left.
The disposal fee was charged which justified the move and the customer paid for it without blinking.
I got two guys right now that will follow my lead and literally show up in a truck to take anything as long as it can be scrapped for cash. Got a couple heaters sitting here waiting for them when I get a few more.
People offer to take the garbage from me but I tell them I take it with me "in case" I pitched a tool or part needed that got lost. I learned that lesson a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time ago and asking to come back and dig through the customer's garbage was not only ridiculous, but earned my green status as a plumber back then. Idiot!
Taking old water heaters along with the cardboard from an install makes the last guy look like a bloomin fool as well.
For some reason it's dangerous to pull them out, it's staying. I was complimented on my last DWV stack replacement for cleaning the area up from all the years of repairs where the pipe was left.
The disposal fee was charged which justified the move and the customer paid for it without blinking.
I got two guys right now that will follow my lead and literally show up in a truck to take anything as long as it can be scrapped for cash. Got a couple heaters sitting here waiting for them when I get a few more.
People offer to take the garbage from me but I tell them I take it with me "in case" I pitched a tool or part needed that got lost. I learned that lesson a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time ago and asking to come back and dig through the customer's garbage was not only ridiculous, but earned my green status as a plumber back then. Idiot!
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1,122 Posts
If I can get the pipe out of the space without creating a second project or injuring myself I will pull it. Otherwise it stays. When we repipe water systems, 95% of the time we pipe around the old through the walls and attic and a good portion of the water pipe is abondoned. As for what copper we can cut out. I have found if you tell the owners its value, they still do not want it. They will ask you to get it out of there.
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1,589 Posts
This reminds me of a customer I got once who asked me how much for a 40 gal..I quoted a price after asking the usual questions.
I'd asked if there was a door to the basement, he said yes.
I get there to find I have to drag it up a flight of stairs, through an apartment, then back down two flights in a tight squeeze all the way.
He'd lied to me, then tried to say he thought I meant a door to the basement as opposed to a seperate door.
I had the new heater in the back of my truck, I quoted him extra to remove the old one, he told me to just leave it.
I get down there and find three other old heaters laying on their sides...apparently this was par for the course and it looked like none of the prior plumbers fell for it either.
I'd asked if there was a door to the basement, he said yes.
I get there to find I have to drag it up a flight of stairs, through an apartment, then back down two flights in a tight squeeze all the way.
He'd lied to me, then tried to say he thought I meant a door to the basement as opposed to a seperate door.
I had the new heater in the back of my truck, I quoted him extra to remove the old one, he told me to just leave it.
I get down there and find three other old heaters laying on their sides...apparently this was par for the course and it looked like none of the prior plumbers fell for it either.
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1,122 Posts
LOL, yes is such a general word:yes: I love they leave the small stuff out.
I think it depends upon where you are. Nice house, been taken care of, of course you remove it. With water heaters, I give the option for the HO to haul. I give back a dollar per gallon if they haul it - $50 for a 50-gallon.
Sometimes, the customer simply won't pay for disposal and they have never seen the inside of their crawl spaces anyway, and they never will.
There are crawl spaces and there are what I call 'slither spaces.' A nice clean crawl space with about 4' of room and visqueen on the ground should be kept that way. A 1930s hovel, not so much.
Sometimes, the customer simply won't pay for disposal and they have never seen the inside of their crawl spaces anyway, and they never will.
There are crawl spaces and there are what I call 'slither spaces.' A nice clean crawl space with about 4' of room and visqueen on the ground should be kept that way. A 1930s hovel, not so much.
The pipe always comes out. I hate having to deal with other peoples mess they left behind, and I may well be the next one in their so I take everything out. Steal has decent scrap value now anyway, last time I went it was $0.15/lb. They're making about $1,000 a month on scrapping steal now.
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4,304 Posts
I have left a lot of pipe in crawl spaces. If I am in a nice, clean well lit crawl space, with access from the outside, I remove the junk. ****hole, the **** stays. I have been in many crawl spaces where the access was from a carpeted bedroom. Getting the old cast iron pipe out would take longer than the repair.
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3,951 Posts
Depends on the situation. If I can get it out it comes out. If I am spending too much time on it and its to much of a pain, it stays.
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