# I should've gone to school to be a plumber...



## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

So we've had two major plumbing disasters in the past two days here at Funny River Farm...  

First--yesterday, my husband was changing our water filters and when he started turning the container that holds the filters to unscrew it, the pipe it connects to broke in half...then he couldn't remember which switch in the breaker box turned off the pump so the whole time he was trying to figure it out, water was spraying everywhere! Needless to say, there was quite a mess. We had a plumber come out and replace the bad pieces--$300...not including the parts we bought !!! I wish I made $135 and hour! Anyway, we spent half the day mopping and sucking up water with the shop vac. 

Second--Today, when my husband was getting ready to leave for work, he heard a spraying sound coming from the basement...and there was water at the bottom of the stairs. When he got down there, he discover that the brand new piece of PVC that the plumber just installed yesterday had cracked...and water had been spraying everywhere...probably all night. So we had to call the plumber again...he came out a replaced the pipe again--and thankfully didn't charge us for it. And we spent most of the day cleaning up our flooded basement...it's a 2100 square foot basement...and half of that was covered in an inch or two of water.... :hair: 

I swear if I wake up tomorrow and hear so much as a drip...

How frustrating!!!


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

I hate when stuff like that happens! I feel for you :hug:! " I wish I made $135 and hour!" Don't we all! :roll:


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## creaturesall (Oct 26, 2007)

I can really empathize FunnyRiver. I've got a plumber stopping by on Wednesday to install an 
auto waterer for the horses. I already know, before he even begins to dig, it's gonna cost a minimum of $6500.
Maybe you should try :veryangry: submitting :veryangry: your clean-up bill to the guy :thumb:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

oh man what a fiasco....  ...not fun at all......he doesn't sound like he was a licensed plumber.......I think he probably got his degree from a cracker jack box... :shades: ...I feel sorry for ya.... :hug:


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## deenak (Oct 10, 2007)

Just remember God is in control!!! & He must have quite the sense of humor!!


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## Pam B (Oct 15, 2007)

toth boer goats said:


> oh man what a fiasco....  ...not fun at all......he doesn't sound like he was a licensed plumber.......I think he probably got his degree from a cracker jack box... :shades: ...I feel sorry for ya.... :hug:


Even licensed servicers are human, and can run afoul of faulty materials. So don't dis the plumber, 'kay!?!

My husband has owned his own appliance business for almost 25 years now. He is certified to do repairs on all major brands of appliances. He has to go for training on each brand at least once a year to keep up on new product and he is on-line constantly with tech support and interacting with other servicers to make sure his knowledge of any potential problems and the correct fix is up to date. With all that knowledge and background things still go wrong. The supply house sends out a defective replacement part, there is more than one problem going on with the machine that what is first diagnosable, etc., etc.

As for plumbers, electricians and other service techs getting rich off of their seemingly exhorbitant hourly rate - remember that money doesn't just go into their pockets. Out of that money they have to pay the person who is back at the shop taking phone calls and scheduling appointments and ordering parts; pay for their vehicle and tools; put gas in the vehicle to get to your house; pay the rent or mortgage on their business location along with electricity for lights and whatever fuel source they use for heat in the winter and cooling in the summer; and so on. By the time my husband gets done paying the bills from his hourly rate he comes home with less than minimum wage. And he can't raise the rate he charges because the people in our community couldn't afford it.

So, while there might be some plumbers and other types of service people who are raking in the big bucks, for the most part they are just making a living like everyone else.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Pam B--I get what you're saying...it's still frustrating though...and by the way, the same pipe cracked again today...third time in three days...but luckily not as bad this time. Plumber's coming back tomorrow...  

I know $135 an hour is probably the going rate for most plumbers and I don't think he's wrong for charging that...I don't know what his expenses are but I'm pretty sure $300 for two hours ($135/hr + a service charge) should have covered them. He only lives about 5 miles away. My husband drove him to the hardware store (in our car) to buy all of the parts (with our credit card)...we made him breakfast and gave him some venison and a dozen eggs to take home. I think he knocked a few dollars off the service charge because we were so nice to him...which is good. I'm not saying he shouldn't make whatever he does...I don't know what he makes...it's just hard when you're the one paying for it I guess...you really start to analyze things. 

I don't blame him at all for the pipes breaking because I know they're probably cheap, made in China...all that...


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## Pam B (Oct 15, 2007)

Sounds like the pvc might be deteriorated, or isn't the right size for the job. Do you have to go to Adrian for supplies? I can't think of where there is nearby you that would have pipe. Could be the stuff he's picked up has been sitting in storage for too long or got stressed somehow while it sat in the bin.

I'd say $135 for a Sunday call is probably pretty "normal". Hopefully he's not charging you for all these call-backs, since it's dealing with the same problem.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

My husband drove the plumber to the hardware store (Do-it-Best Hardware, I think) and they picked up the parts together...the parts were "new" off the shelf...but who knows what that means...lol...maybe they just got a bad batch or something. 

And, no, thankfully, he didn't charge us for any of the back calls. He's a really nice guy...and a certified master plumber...so I never doubted him...I just don't want to spend anymore money!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Even licensed servicers are human, and can run afoul of faulty materials. So don't dis the plumber, 'kay!?!


 wow.....  ..please read it again.......you will find it says ........he sounded like an unlicensed plumber and he must of got it from a cracker jack box....Your husband is a LICENSED CONTRACTOR ,so he has experience .........and I agree ........that things can go wrong with anyone....I was very sympathetic with you........... and do not know why .......or what I said to offend you? :?



> oh man what a fiasco....  ...not fun at all......he doesn't sound like he was a licensed plumber.......I think he probably got his degree from a cracker jack box... :shades: ...I feel sorry for ya.... :hug:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> I was very sympathetic with you


correction.....I was very sympathetic with FunnyRiverFarm

I cannot find an edit button so I did it this way.....


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## Candy (May 14, 2008)

Please be nice to each other :grouphug: We can all feel the 'penny' crunch. :sigh: Guess I would feel pretty frustrated with the situation---not the plumber (since he did come back and get it fixed)
Candy :sun:


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Thanks, toth and Candy...The plumber came and fixed the problem for the third time today. He hooked things up a bit differently this time...he thought maybe the way things were configured it was putting too much stress on the pipes...hopefully nothing else happens because I'm really tired of cleaning up water...


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Thanks, toth and Candy...The plumber came and fixed the problem for the third time today. He hooked things up a bit differently this time...he thought maybe the way things were configured it was putting too much stress on the pipes...hopefully nothing else happens because I'm really tired of cleaning up water...


 you are welcome....I am so sorry you are still having problems ...FunnyRiverFarm.......   ray:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

O my...FRF, What a fiasco! My DH went to school as a plumbers apprentice...never did finish to get licensed but he is handy! He really hates working with pvc for the exact reason you are having the issue with....he's "old school" and does any side jobs in copper! More expensive but it lasts forever. He had told me at one time that when doing water lines with pvc, he and the company he was with had to go back and re-do an entire water system in a new house because the pvc had" linear fractures".....they couldn't see these lines but they were there and when the water authority turned the water on, they had chaos....it was a good thing that the drywall and carpets had yet to be installed!

Your plumber getting his supplies from the hardware store has no idea how the pvc was stored or even handled...if a bundle of pipe is dropped i can cause th fractures, as well as if it had been stored in the sun, most "indoor" pvc is not uv resistant, so the sun can cause damage to the plastic as well. As far as the hourly rate goes, I wish I made that much an hour! But then again, having the "headaches" that go with the business is not something I would care to have :ROFL: 

Toth...when things like this happen..it really does make you wonder about the "cracker jack box" :slapfloor: Mt DH said the same thing! But truly in defense of the plumber in question as my DH is not licensed, even he says it is more the fault of the product being used than it is the work of the craftsman....

Funny River, I hope you can get that pipe fixed as well as all that clean up done, I sure hope the third times the charm :wink:


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Toth...when things like this happen..it really does make you wonder about the "cracker jack box" :slapfloor: Mt DH said the same thing! But truly in defense of the plumber in question as my DH is not licensed, even he says it is more the fault of the product being used than it is the work of the craftsman....


 thanks Liz.......... the cracker jack box ...can be in any profession LOL :ROFL: 
I'm glad you and your DH ....have a sense of humor ......


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## Pam B (Oct 15, 2007)

FunnyRiverFarm said:


> ...hopefully nothing else happens because I'm really tired of cleaning up water...


I'll bet the floor is really clean after all that mopping!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> I'll bet the floor is really clean after all that mopping!


 good one ...PamB..... :thumbup: .. I bet it is to .....  LOL

Hows it going for you.......FunnyRiverFarm..? I hope all is better now....:hug:


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

No new leaks! Thank heavens...though it may be to soon to tell, we have not had any more trouble. And, yes, the floor is very clean...lol...


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

FunnyRiverFarm,,,....so glad things are turning around for you....  ......Pam B and I just knew the floor was cleaner than clean....LOL


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