I'm becoming a plumber!!!

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apauling

Senior Member
Re: I'm becoming a plumber!!!

the reason plumbers usually get more per hour is very simple. If a non-trade person gets home and one of the lights doesn't work, they don't call an electrician. When they change the bulb and it still doesn't work, they still don't call an electrician. Maybe if there was smoke, but if the smoke stopped when the switch was turned off, they still would probably wait to call an electrician.

if the same person came home and there was no water pressure, they would call a plumber right away. the same goes for clogged toilets, drips under the sink, and almost any plumbing problem, including no hot water.

I spent a bit 30 years ago as a plumbing repairman in NY, and one thing always sticks in my mind. If I was going to be on my knees in front of a toilet full os **** , I was going to get really paid for it. Since the pay never seemed enough, I never thought it worth the health risks. Friend thought i might make him a few bucks as an electrician, so i started and never regretted it.

paul
 
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allenwayne

Senior Member
Re: I'm becoming a plumber!!!

I have always respected our fellow tradesmen either plumbers/hvac etc. but last week I found a new respect for plumbers and what their job does later on can continue long past a C.O.
I was given a simple warrenty call cap off floor box receptacle.This isn`t a warrenty issue I thought but it was a monday and off I went.Got there and the carpet was in the driveway,huge holes in the slab all over.open areas under the slab 6 maybe 7 ft deep.What had happened was a piece of cpvc had blistered and broke under the master bedroom and washed out the dirt for about 6 months they found it when a retro fitted floor box started bubling water.There were several areas under the house that were washed away.
So the simple hot left right cold and ____ runs down hill isn`t all that simple.A breaker trips from a fault simply find the fault fix and go on.Water pipe leaks and maybe 4 5 6 7 months later the damage is found ;)
 
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jimwalker

Senior Member
Location
TAMPA FLORIDA
Re: I'm becoming a plumber!!!

I have done plumbing and would never handover my klines to be a plumber everyday.Out of all the trades ours is far less work and on average a lot cleaner.
 
brian john

brian john

Senior Member
Location
Leesburg, VA
Re: I'm becoming a plumber!!!

30 years ago I was working in a residential condo, 12 story building. They had a stopped up pipe and it was building up in the units, the plumber had tried everything to clear the clog.

Finally they decided the only way to clear the clog was to remove the clean out on the 1st floor and snake UP, this was a 10 inch pipe. They drew straws and guess what, the apprentice lost. This was in the days before Tyvek suits, rubber gloves and safety shields.

I knew then and actually sometime before then that I made the right choice of trades.

And yes I had assumed your post was posted with tongue in cheek, but it never hurts to remember our brother tradesmen work hard for their money.
 
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69boss302

Senior Member
Re: I'm becoming a plumber!!!

I know guy's on the industrial end that would be quit offended by the terminology of "plumber". It's "pipe fitter", I remember when I first went into the pipe fitters's shop and asked for a plumber, took me 6 month's to get anything done and then almost had to do it myself. They got over it after a bit.
 
brian john

brian john

Senior Member
Location
Leesburg, VA
Re: I'm becoming a plumber!!!

I was told years ago that a plumber is a plumber and a pipe fitter is a pipe fitter and the difference between the two is the plumbers stinks from the elbows down.
 
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mc5w

Senior Member
Re: I'm becoming a plumber!!!

Er, I meant that I had to learn how to do plumbing in order to do electrical conduit.

In January of 2001 I went to work for one of Coca Cola's electrical contractors to run expletiveloads of galvanized rigid conduit. After about 2 days the president of the EC said, "Mike runs pipe really good."

Seriously, I have used my conduit skills for gasfitting. Sometimes the inspector from the gas company scratches his head when he sees gas pipe with 90 degree bends and 2 inch deep offsets, but I just tell him that if it hurt the integrity of the pipe any, I would not be allowed to bend conduit that is explosionproof.

I know now that if I ever get involved in designing a convention center the electrical boxes in the floor will have piped drains in them as well as an easy way to clean out the drain. Mucking out electrical boxes after a home and garden show is a real pain in a certain body part. Sure, I still have to use a wet/dry vacuum on topsoil that gets into the outlet box but at least the outlets will not be swimming.
 
iwire

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Re: I'm becoming a plumber!!!

Originally posted by mc5w:
Seriously, I have used my conduit skills for gasfitting. Sometimes the inspector from the gas company scratches his head when he sees gas pipe with 90 degree bends and 2 inch deep offsets, but I just tell him that if it hurt the integrity of the pipe any, I would not be allowed to bend conduit that is explosionproof.
Click to expand...
Your kidding us know right? :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
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