The ammount of plumbers who don't know basics!

[Chalked]

There seems to be a lot of plumbers around who can install to a good standard. But struggle with anything else!
lets be honest, we don't know everthing. But if you have the basics and then can read instructions, you can do most things.
take yesterday. I was talking to a respected boiler guy in a merchant. He was asking me about a problem with a Vaillant boiler. Amongst other things I said check the expansion vessel charge.
He said I pressed the valve and air came out, so that's ok!! Basics, basics!:speechless:

 

[SimonG]

Got to agree. Number of times I've done an oil boiler service and customer asks why I'm taking the baffles out as nobody has ever done it before.

I think they can be easily categorised.

Useless
Lazy
Crooks.

 

[joni os]

He said I pressed the valve and air came out, so that's ok!! Basics, basics!:speechless:[/QUOTE]
Must be the contractor sent to DanniiHell's boiler

 

[townfanjon]

Lol , yep its the fire service when you start pulling the fire out and the customer says what are you doing

 

[woodsy]

Or the landlord check and somebody asks why you're taking the case off and why you are gonna be longer than ten mins doing the 3 appliances like the last guy.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

The chap who works in the local plumber shop told me he was a plumber.

Every time I go in there, which isn't much anymore, he ask how would I do this or that.

He hasn't got much of a clue but tries to talk a good game.

 

[lame plumber]

I always wanted to be a gigolo, but I never got enough practice......

 

[Subby]

Bathroom fitters / builders are the worst for shoddy Plumbing but it's a catch 22 as a decent plumber hasn't got time to.be doing bathrooms so it's left to the cowboys

 

[Riley]

It's true and what chance do we have when we're constantly being undercut by the plastic fantastic crew

 

[Dotty]

I always wanted to be a gigolo, but I never got enough practice......

I wanted to be a gynaecologist but I found it's a game you need to keep your hand in.........

 

[Chalked]

I wanted to be a gynaecologist but I found it's a game you need to keep your hand in.........

I wanted to be a pathologist, but it's a dying trade!
Tried a job making blunt needles, but there was no point.

 

[tomplumb83]

I was only thinking the same yesterday - only this job was far simpler than some of yours.

I repaired leaks on 3 sets of taps in one house.
2 pairs didn't even have back nut rubber washers on the taps to help prevent movement.

I'm sure 2 taps didn't even have the rubber o ring on the new hepworth style plastic tap connector. Ptfe instead

Oh and a nut was split on one tap. Funny because he's fitted a top hats, as if he was struggling to get them secure.....

All taps have been silicone into their hole. Again, like he was struggling to get the taps secure!

The leak from the tap upstairs caused a big patch on the ceiling downstairs

Thing is, their bathroom looks good and he's done a lovely job of tiling.

Ive no idea what he was thinking. At some point he's decided to throw all the new washers in the bin because he doesn't need them and make life twice as hard for himself!

In fact, i get these sorts of jobs all the time. Half of my work is putting right the most basic plumbing. It's baffling!

 

[tomplumb83]

I went to a job this afternoon. New house less than 2 years old.
Kitchen sink waste was leaking and they couldn't tighten it . The waste would spin but the screw wouldn't turn
I swear, no lie, who ever fitted it, had cross threaded the screw into the waste.

The mind boggles......

Kitchen wastes are always a good one. They spend a fortune on a nice new kitchen but the fitter still manages to make a pigs ear of the plumbing

 

[Best]

I often go to service oil boilers for new customers and they are surprised when I bring a hoover in to clean the boiler, as their last service guy never used one!
Fairly normal to find the customer impressed when I use an analyser. " What's that for?" they ask. (Usually either no test point on their old oil boiler or flue, or it is seized as never been used anyway.)
Expansion vessels never seem to be serviced.

As to plumbing, here are some of my hates - Basin and bath taps just spinning and often no sealant to prevent water getting past them. Flexis with flat washers joined to isolating valves, Flexis bent more than 90 degrees or twisted. Ptfe tape on threads that are not for sealing.
Overflows from cwts with the tank fitting not tightened or sealed and the pipes not supported.
Bath overflows not sealed where they join to bath.
No means to remove air from heating pipework or boilers.
Gatevalves fitted on the feed pipe from f&e tanks.
Discharge pipes on unvented cylinders too small or discharging at a height.

 

[Last Plumber]

I went to a job this afternoon. New house less than 2 years old.
Kitchen sink waste was leaking and they couldn't tighten it . The waste would spin but the screw wouldn't turn
I swear, no lie, who ever fitted it, had cross threaded the screw into the waste.

The mind boggles......

Kitchen wastes are always a good one. They spend a fortune on a nice new kitchen but the fitter still manages to make a pigs ear of the plumbing

Ah the old pigs ear !!

Did you mean to use that as a pun?

Apparently, they don't do that anymore either

 

[chris watkins]

Got to agree. Number of times I've done an oil boiler service and customer asks why I'm taking the baffles out as nobody has ever done it before.

I think they can be easily categorised.

Useless
Lazy
Crooks.

As it is the charitable time of the year Simon can I add.

Never been or had proper training.

 

[tomplumb83]

It's me that puts flexis onto isolation valves

 

[Best]

It's me that puts flexis onto isolation valves

Naughty! There's plenty of others doing the same as you, so just this once I will let you live. :grin:

 

[tomplumb83]

I never used to. Im sure I fitted a shower for a pair of bathroom fitters who I murdered for fixing them to iso valves. Next thing I'm doing it myself, 10 years later....

Wasn't that long ago the we weren't allowed to fit them at all on new builds - old boy who thought they were evil!

 

[Scott_D]

File a flat face if fitting them straight to an isolation valve

 

[Chalked]

Or use the adaptors.

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

Bathroom fitters / builders are the worst for shoddy Plumbing but it's a catch 22 as a decent plumber hasn't got time to.be doing bathrooms so it's left to the cowboys

that's a bit harsh mate. I do alot of bathrooms and also a lot of general plumbing. I'm certainly not a cowboy

 

[townfanjon]

Or use the adaptors.


View attachment 28424

Use them everytime

 

[julesverne]

Lol , yep its the fire service when you start pulling the fire out and the customer says what are you doing

If i got a pound for every time customer said thats not been done before, i could pay for christmas twice over.

 

[Geyser]

Or use the adaptors.


View attachment 28424

Rad tails work well. Usually got leftovers in van from trv changes.