Thread: Plumber's

OK, Let me tell you what happend to me. As many of you know, I'm in a back brace for at least four months, from spinal surgery. I think I'm now more metal than human. Maybe I really am turning into my Terminatior Avatar....Uh OH...be caeful everyone....

Friday at 5pm of course, here in soggy wet Florida, I went to get my mail, It was 5pm, and not really raining at this point. We have cluster boxes on the street, so you have to walk to the nearest one, no biggie, although I do miss having my own personal mail box, that I could fashion into something more personal, Hmmmm?

Anyway, as I walked passed the front yard, I couldn't help but notice my water meter was gone, and replaced by a bubbling spring. In horror, I ran back to the house to try the water. Of course, I had no pressure. A pipe had broke....I'm no stranger to fixing PVC, I'm 47, owned 2 homes. I'm sure many of you guys can relate to doing any type of project around your house, and winding up on the couch that night in searing back, knee or some type of pain. Newer Younger or first time home owners, wait, just wait..

I knew I couldn't fix it due to my injury, and would be forced to commit the ultimate male castration. I had to call a plumber....I made sure when he showed up, I had my brace on, and was using my cane...(oh yeah, I tore my left knee while my back was screwed up, now I'm really ****ed....) So, when he showed up, I was like, Oh yeah, I coulda knocked this out, I have a bunch of CPVC, and some Sch 40 right over there, but I can't really move...Like he cared...He probaby thought I fished all those prosthetics out of the closet somewhere to make it look good....

He went to work, and knocked it out in 15mins give or take. It killed me.
They get $147.00 just for coming out, and that includes 1 hour of labor, parts extra. Total cost to me $197.00 Thanks House.....?
Oh yeah, the whole time he worked, it poured out...Thanks God.....

Rich

I hear you Rich!

My soon-to-be fiancee flushed something down the garbage disposal two weeks ago and when she turned it on the plastic casing exploded all over the inside of the cabinet. Chewed up food and grime everywhere.

"Honey... the garbage disposal broke, can you fix it?"



Home ownership is a bitch, but it's better than renting!

By the way, I just ripped out two rooms' worth of carpet, sanded the floors, and stained / poly'd them four weekends in a row.

I've been a homeowner for 4 years. My house is over 50 years old. I know allllll about it.

G

Hello, everyone:

I hear your voices. Fortunately in my little kingdom my wife is the plumber and the fixer of things. Yes, sir. She really knows what she is doing. I am about as useful fixing things as I am with computers thingies.

Dearly beloved, however, looks at the problem and goes to work. Some years ago her father asked her what she wanted for Christmas. "A sander," she said. What do I know? I just work here.

Of course, when she can't fix it, we call the repairman, who costs a fortune. I think we're all in the wrong business. I know I am for sure.

My dear Zib, I hope your back improves.

Regards,

Obie

Ah, but you helped feed that plumbers family! That's a good thing. In fact, that is exactly how redistribution of wealth is supposed to work.

Don't start with me with plumbers. $197? you got away very cheap. I'm at a point at age 62 with a very bad neck there is little plumbing I can do anymore. Most stuff now I have to call them and very few calls cost less than $300 no matter how small the job is. Do I think they're a bunch of crooks? Har Har

Originally Posted by zib

OK, Let me tell you what happend to me. As many of you know, I'm in a back brace for at least four months, from spinal surgery. I think I'm now more metal than human. Maybe I really am turning into my Terminatior Avatar....Uh OH...be caeful everyone....

Friday at 5pm of course, here in soggy wet Florida, I went to get my mail, It was 5pm, and not really raining at this point. We have cluster boxes on the street, so you have to walk to the nearest one, no biggie, although I do miss having my own personal mail box, that I could fashion into something more personal, Hmmmm?

Anyway, as I walked passed the front yard, I couldn't help but notice my water meter was gone, and replaced by a bubbling spring. In horror, I ran back to the house to try the water. Of course, I had no pressure. A pipe had broke....I'm no stranger to fixing PVC, I'm 47, owned 2 homes. I'm sure many of you guys can relate to doing any type of project around your house, and winding up on the couch that night in searing back, knee or some type of pain. Newer Younger or first time home owners, wait, just wait..

I knew I couldn't fix it due to my injury, and would be forced to commit the ultimate male castration. I had to call a plumber....I made sure when he showed up, I had my brace on, and was using my cane...(oh yeah, I tore my left knee while my back was screwed up, now I'm really ****ed....) So, when he showed up, I was like, Oh yeah, I coulda knocked this out, I have a bunch of CPVC, and some Sch 40 right over there, but I can't really move...Like he cared...He probaby thought I fished all those prosthetics out of the closet somewhere to make it look good....

He went to work, and knocked it out in 15mins give or take. It killed me.
They get $147.00 just for coming out, and that includes 1 hour of labor, parts extra. Total cost to me $197.00 Thanks House.....?
Oh yeah, the whole time he worked, it poured out...Thanks God.....

Rich

Did I miss something? The guy came out after 5pm on a Friday.....and you found joy in the fact that he had to work in the rain? You are out $200 and he is up $200.What makes you think God was on YOUR side? No, I'm not a plumber,I am an electrician.

Oh, I was kidding about the working in the rain....The actual bill was $247.00. The service call is 147.00, weekends and after hours...The other 100.00 was parts, which was a 2ft piece of pvc, a t and some primer and glue...Here's the kicker. He charged 1 1/2 hours of labor. He got to my house at 6pm, and was sitting in the truck at 615pm waiting for the glue to dry. When he got done, and packed down the dirt, the pipe was not supported underneath. He broke it, Again....The nice guy he was, he decided to charge me for his mistake and extra labor...I called the company, and they were nice enough to fix the bill. 1 hour minimum labor....I guess it's better than 247.00.

I did offer the guy a warm towel and a cold Killians....I'm not heartless after all....
I too was an Electrician btw...

Originally Posted by zib

Oh, I was kidding about the working in the rain....The actual bill was $247.00. The service call is 147.00, weekends and after hours...The other 100.00 was parts, which was a 2ft piece of pvc, a t and some primer and glue...Here's the kicker. He charged 1 1/2 hours of labor. He got to my house at 6pm, and was sitting in the truck at 615pm waiting for the glue to dry. When he got done, and packed down the dirt, the pipe was not supported underneath. He broke it, Again....The nice guy he was, he decided to charge me for his mistake and extra labor...I called the company, and they were nice enough to fix the bill. 1 hour minimum labor....I guess it's better than 247.00.

I did offer the guy a warm towel and a cold Killians....I'm not heartless after all....
I too was an Electrician btw...

Well there ya go!! You left out all the facts. You were NICER than I would have been. "Bet you wish you'd brought your rain gear." From your first post,it sounded like the guy did a fast,efficient job after hours and you were just being mean.. Thank you for clearing that up. He did shoddy work and padded the bill. He is what gives contractors a shady reputation, and makes it rough on craftsmen. Kudos to his company for doing right by you. I knew you were an electrician from a thread I read awhile ago. That made it easier to bust your chops.

i'm a carpenter by trade, with that said i think this goes to all trades people that work on peoples homes.....the house is your best investment of you life and people in general want to nickel and dime trades people to death, yet a car which is the worst investment in your life, people don't think twice about paying $100 or more an hour to fix.
i do understand that you want and deserve to get a good job done at a fair price with what ever you are getting fixed. and by no means am i saying that what you paid is a fair price or isn't, just food for thought

Silly question perhaps, but did you mean to say that the water company delivers water to your house in PVC piping? Why on earth not copper or metal coated duraflex piping? The only thing we are allowed to use PVC for is waste water because PVC is one of the worst things to tansport pressurized water in. It degrades, and if it cracks it really crumbles.

Btw I understand your predicament. I usually do everything around the house. There are only a couple of exceptions where I defer to people with the right tools and knowledge. These include maintenance of the gas piping and central heating system, and the cricuit breaker board.

Not because I couldn't do them if I really wanted, but for gas I lack the tools and knowledge, and if you do things yourself you have to have your installation recertified.