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I really hate shoddy contractors

Had to replace the faucets in the laundry, no sweat right? Turns out the new construction slob who did the initial installation slid a threaded male faucet over a copper elbow and soldered the kluge together. I had to cut the pipe and install not only a new faucet but a new elbow, thanks to the Shark fitting I didn't have to solder. Two trips to the hardware store, an extra $15 and an extra hour to do a ten minute job!
 
I don't understand how people can do half-a** work like that and sleep at night. Wonder if he would do an install at his own house that way?
 
lowest bid is not the best.i do love the PEX system though.

Rockin' the PEX here as of last remodel. They replaced galvanized. There was no where to go but up. Very easy to work with and holds up well. One problem, though. They react badly to certain types of spray foam insulation which is essential on outside walls in my climate to prevent freezing. Very pliable, making it easy to reroute and run into the interior. At about -10 F I had a few problems, but all solved now. This old house...
 
We had a bathroom remodel done a few years ago by so called professionals. Last year I noticed that there was a wet spot in the ceiling under the bathroom that had been done. I thought it was the roof leaking and after inspection I found it was the fitting that the contractor had installed. He used a adjustable band clamp for the pex. It corroded and broke. A hole had to be cut in the adjoining bathroom to fix it.
I turned the claim into my insurance and three months later they cancelled me. I had 2 other claims in a 3 year period and that prompted the termination.

A lesson learned was don't turn anything in that is under 2000.00 ..
 
An all too common occurrence. The main issue is a lack of qualified tradesmen. If you are really good at mechanical trades you are probably working commercial/industrial since that's where the real money is. It is not to say there is no qualified residential labour available but they are in such demand they tend to be selective about the jobs they take. And leave the rest of it to whoever will answer the phone. A sad situation but common. Residential trade work is very cutthroat and competitive in pricing. This leads to multiple issues but you posters are ample proof of where it winds up. I hope to qualify for company retirement in a little over three years and I constantly get suggestions to go to work part time for a residential contractor afterward. To them I say, no. Actually, I say a lot more. Usually containing some expletives not fit for B&B.
 
I don't understand how people can do half-a** work like that and sleep at night. Wonder if he would do an install at his own house that way?

Yep - people just don't care anymore. Once they got your money they don't want to know you.
 
An all too common occurrence. The main issue is a lack of qualified tradesmen. If you are really good at mechanical trades you are probably working commercial/industrial since that's where the real money is. It is not to say there is no qualified residential labour available but they are in such demand they tend to be selective about the jobs they take. And leave the rest of it to whoever will answer the phone. A sad situation but common. Residential trade work is very cutthroat and competitive in pricing. This leads to multiple issues but you posters are ample proof of where it winds up. I hope to qualify for company retirement in a little over three years and I constantly get suggestions to go to work part time for a residential contractor afterward. To them I say, no. Actually, I say a lot more. Usually containing some expletives not fit for B&B.

I assume the meathead did this about 35 years ago when the house was built, with the blessing of the site boss. I could be wrong but the plumbing looks original not altered. I also found a toilet flange down in the lowest level that had been broken and some clown just put the wax ring on the cement slab and screwed down the toilet! That was a bit more challenging to correct.

None of what I found here compares with what I found in our old farmhouse, a second home of sorts that started as someone's 1942 cabin and gradually grew over the years to about double the original floor plan. The lumber used goes from the old true dimension stuff to our modern planed down junk and every juncture of the different dimension lumber is cleverly hidden, until a repair is needed then it becomes a nightmare. Plumbing was a mix of galvanized, copper and supplying the kitchen sink was soft copper 3/8" gas line tubing complete with gas line fittings on both ends. I don't want to think about the probable hodge-podge electrical wiring in that old house!
 
Had to replace the faucets in the laundry, no sweat right? Turns out the new construction slob who did the initial installation slid a threaded male faucet over a copper elbow and soldered the kluge together. I had to cut the pipe and install not only a new faucet but a new elbow, thanks to the Shark fitting I didn't have to solder. Two trips to the hardware store, an extra $15 and an extra hour to do a ten minute job!
Not to be a contrarian, but 35 years ago your older plumbers would never trust a threaded or mechanical fitting that was installed in an inaccessible wall, the professional plumber soldered all his joints. At least those that knew copper was superior to galvanized pipe. Having to cut the pipe to make a future repair really wasn't a concern because that was just how plumbing was. Even if he'd have threaded on the fitting then soldered it, you were still going to cut the pipe to unscrew it. Now if this was an old Price Pfister that had the easy connect union for the water supplies and he chose to bypass those and direct solder, I'd be mad too, but some of the old timers just didn't trust them. There is a better than 50% percent chance though, that your guy was just a bum that didn't have the correct fitting on his truck and made do with what he had, such is the plumbing trade I'm afraid.
 
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