I brought a plumber few months ago to do some work in my newly built house and while he was doing the bathroom he miscalculated the required measurements in several spots in the bathroom and the pipes of the heater system. Now I don't have any other option but call another plumber to fix what he did
@@DarthVader-ou2vv Sounds like there should be some sort of legal process to protect you, and either make him fix it properly, or pay the difference to the person that did it properly.
Um... not quite on the 'roots in your pipes', Mr. Wakefield. I actually did see one of my relatives have roots in their pipes from a tree in their yard. The first plumber told them that and they though "Nah, he's lying!" but when the second came out AND showed them pictures of the roots in their pipes they said "Yep, he's telling the truth!" and when they dug up the pipes, he actually documented with photographs the root in the pipe.
My plumber was called for a leaking galvanized pipe.. what he fixed instead was a huge cast iron pipe and sent a bill for 575 dollars when I was quoted 275 on the one I showed him leaking. Guess what? Still leaks. Crappy water pressure.. theres a big hole in the cieling of my downstairs closet.. hole in the upstairs kitchen wall and damage to my bathroom floor he never patched. I fell on that and busted every rib.. yes he was licensed insured and bonded. Now what??
@@grettagrids Did you pay him for repairing the wrong pipe? I'm not sure if you can do anything about the damage to the house, but I'm not a lawyer in your area either. I would consider calling a lawyer or going to the city/county building where building codes/permits are filed, and ask to speak to someone in that department and see what they recommend.
so fucking true. As a customer just as a rule of thumb, i'll only call companies that are older. Preferably the company is named after the owner and i can look up the owner. Because I just found the older plumbers or older tradesmen in general still see themselves bound by let's call it a "code of honor". They won't rip you off and they know what they talk about. At least far less likely. You're not in business for forty years if you do shoddy work. I've seen a massive exception to this when the owner of a company retired, but once the owner heard how some of his guys build a new heater (yes these morons build a heater from scratch and it was an explosive design. Their building plan for that little thing got me and two other guys uneasy .i`m a chemist. I see a magnesium rod through water, I'll get uneasy. I see electricity going through that rod I'm terrified, Another guy was an electrician. We just looked at the plans and were making bets whether this thing blows up before it short-circuits or short circuits first. The last guy the home owner as a smelter knows a bout a about metal chemistry and electrics just didn't want to take the bet and kicked the guys out) heads went flying. I think the only guy who wasn't fired was the apprentice.
Unfortunately there are bad seeds in every garden. Kinda related stoey: I worked at a pharmacy & had a boss (the pharmacist, this was a mom & pop shop) who always goes above & beyond but he'll do everything to make sure he's doing it the right way at every step. I was complaining about some of the regulations I had to read up on that we had to follow at the pharmacy to a girl who worked at another pharmacy across town thinking she'd understand. Had no clue about it & I asked what her boss (her pharmacist) did about it and she had no clue. It had something to do with being more careful with patient information that is disposed of. I was shocked. Pretty important stuff. Some people live to cut corners while others live to be the best they can be.
I'm not a plumber but years ago i worked for a good contracting company. The hack jobs we got called into fix were ridiculous. Most of the time they used decent materials but took one or 2 "short cuts" in the work that eventually ruined the entire job. When that happens you cant always salvage materials to fix it and end up throwing materials the customer paid good money for. I remember getting a call for a brand new leaking roof. We go in the attic to tracks the leak and find in not a leak or 2 or 3 but the whole roof because the guys before us didn't put down plywood. The entire roof was put on felt that was laid right over the slats that had 1/2" gaps between them. The entire roof got thrown away.
Its the same for every type of skill. Im a graphic designer and profesional photographer (got a masters degree for both) Yet the new kid with pirated photoshop that makes a logo with $5 is the better one because is cheaper. Not alot of people care for quality alot of them care only for cheap prices
It takes so long to know all their is to know about plumbing. Many people that are eager to work. Can't get jobs in the industry. Plumbers need to build an app that can calculate people's potential problems professionally and do it themselves. If only old people know it. Society is going backwards when they pass.
"I can fix it much cheaper" I went to repair a leak in an apartment coming threw the ceiling over the bath tub. Tenant said it only leaked when the people upstairs used the shower or drained their tub. There was a 2'x2' piece of dry wall screwed in to the ceiling where a "plumber" had already came to "fix" the problem. When i unscrewed the dry wall piece, it weighed about 50 lbs. As i slowly lowered it, to my amazement there was a very large, roughly 5 gallon, cooking pot on it full of water, and the drain pipe it sat below had electrical tape wrapped around it.
However bizarre this story is, I believe it's true. That's how some people conduct business. It's a nice idea - slow down the leak, provide some surface for the water to evaporate. Unfortunately there was too little surface and no good ventilation. He should have cut a hole in a nearby A/C duct. The guy must have had prior experience with fridges.
I'm not sure how I got recommended to your channel, but it's so refreshing to see people working in fields like your's on youtube! Everything I see is usually in the medical field or entertainment.
There's lots of history and fashion too. I recommend Ann Reardon she's a food scientist on UA-cam who does tutorials and debunking/reacting to cooking hack videos
The company i work for used to give us flat rates but now its 2 years later without it make us more affordable. Each $100 equals 1 hr of pay for most companies that pay flat rates. Some was mad but really it was the best thing they did. Now we have set prices and no way we can not go over those prices unless it something thats going to be more labor and when that happens, we better talk to our bosses
I worked for a company who was doing the same thing, up selling parts not needed and selling parts not even used, they was going to charge an old couple 16k to replace main drain line that wasn’t defective in anyway just a clogged drain from wipes, i stepped up and told the old couple, i got fired, so i took the company to court and to trading standards, the company ended up getting closed down, but guess what, they opened again under a new name, some people have no shame 😪
"Home Inspectors" are not by default plumbers, electricians, or carpenters. You're almost always better off paying those three tradesmen for an hour or two each instead of hiring a "Home Inspector". I can't tell you how many plumbing issues I've found that the "Home Inspector" said was fine or missed, including active leaks.
I've been an apprentice plumber for almost three years, this is a great video. I'm glad to work for a company that values quality work and honest pricing.
@@mikehomesley2016 I have it now, I didn't have the required hours to qualify for the exam at the time I made this comment. My state requires 6,000 job hours and at least three years. It usually takes closer to four years to get that many hours unless you work way more than 40 a week.
Here in New Jersey there are multiple huge companies that are commission-based so if they can sell it they will. Plus their prices are astronomical compared to most of plumbing companies. Now my company is not the cheapest, but we are definitely not the most expensive. I try to tell the customers upfront so that they will know. Plus I also hand out a survey that lets them know what these costs are going towards. Overhead, Insurance, tools continuing education Etc. The more upfront and honest you can be with a customer the more likely you will be able to develop a relationship, and keep future business. This day in age advertising cost huge amounts of money so we want to keep repeat customers. Word of mouth is very strong and can also make or break a business...
Bad words pass through many mouths, a good word stays with someone forever. I always keep in mindset that even if only one person spreads the word about my work its better then 5 people saying I cant be trusted.
the "i can do it a lot cheaper" thing happened for me. i had a plumber come out and pretty much he didnt want to do the job. dish drawer quoted at over 1k to hook it up. 80 bucks in parts and and hour or two. also 9k for a tankless water heater and install. another quote was 1/4th that. talk to his boss the owner of the company and he was shocked and appalled.
@@djLagwayEnjoyer our was a dish drawer. once we booted the dude from our place i spent a weekend and did it my self. just have to paint or stain the cabinets and you will never know. it is directly under the sink. its perfect for our little place. very easy install
@@murkyturkey5238 i go back and forth if i want a tankless or note. i like the idea of having more room but know how much gas or electric they suck. honestly it would of been on an outside wall. direct vent. about 5 foot run for both hot and cold line. about 8 foot of gas line off a 1 inch main line tee. since then i have done so much here and would not hesitate to do it my self. especially with propress fittings and such
I wish more plumbers or people in general for that matter would be humble or more honest about what they know. I keep both code books with me ( mainly because I work in Austin and depending on where you’re at you might be under either one). Guys I work with will not pull them out. They may ask the boss or figure it out. Not everyone will know every single code. I think being willing to admit that and pull out the code book or look up instructions on a fixture shows you want to get it right.
1 there are roots in your sewer line 2 this water heater can't be fixed 3 license are not required 4 I can give you an estimate without seeing the job 5 I can do this job much cheaper 6 you need to pay for everything up front 7 this is a 3 man job 8 this will work just as good 9 permits are not required 10 the sewer camera can find leaks
I had a plumbing company come out with an auger and said there were roots in the line. They were right. They pulled two shopping bags full of roots out.
Mr. Wakefield I wanted to say I admire your work ethic and honesty. A man of character and integrity. I do not know the first thing about plumbing but I do try to exercise your level of honesty in my own trade. I wanted to thank you for your great content and words of wisdom.
I worked for a a company here in Tucson AZ for almost 2 weeks, and when the owner told me “ if you think or feel that you are stealing from the customer”! Do it! And to be honest J threw his van keys on his desk and walked away, because he told me to charge a customer a retired marine to charge him $700 plus just to replace his toilet and install an ADA, though I felt soooo guilty and ever since I became solo doing what I like new construction plumbing and service plumbing. God Bless you all!
Plumbers in Denver are this highest paid trade. I’ve been screwed twice by guys who say they’re licensed show up in the nice truck sound good and do extremely poor work. One plumber not even licensed is trying to get $100 an hour LMAO
When ever you mention free or over-the-phone estimates. I constantly remember I see a plumber van around me now and then with "ABSOLUTELY NO FREE ESTIMATES" in big bold letters on the back of the fan. Makes me wonder how many times they had been asked that.
Drives me crazy when I get this call, and I get this call at least once a month. Customer: I replaced the tub spout and shower head myself, but it's still leaking. " Me: Sounds like the shower valve needs to be rebuilt." Customer: "but its coming out of the spout, the valve doesn't leak." Me: (to myself) are you kidding me, where do you think the water comes from. Me:(out loud) well, I give free estimates, I'd be more than happy to come look at it. (To myself) so I can explain to you that when you want water to come out, you turn that little nobby thingy, and when you want it to stop, you turn it off. Now what happens when it's not shutting off..palm to forehead. Ahhh life is good.
You’re protecting customers AND yourself, which is smart. I can only imagine how many customers try to weasel their way out of paying by claiming you didn’t work on their house when you actually did, because there’s no hard proof without video.
Its really annoying when they want to fix all sorts of issues. But they still haven't even paid for what you did on the first day. Then complain about the price.
Had a plumber check out a house I was about to buy in Joshua Tree, Ca. A plumber who came recommended by a TON of people. He told me I had roots, well they had roots as I had not purchased the home yet. He quoted the job as $10k to replace sewer line. He said he sent the camera down and saw it, but said he didn’t save the video file. I dig up the line and it had been replaced recently as it was ABS and the home was built in 1955. And the sewer line was only 11 feet long and the toilet was at the outside wall so I only had to dig under the house 2 feet. Not a 10k job. The septic tank was 8 feet from the house. The reason for the backup was a wad of blue shop towels. And this guy was highly recommended by so many.
Hella true I’m a residential service plumber and more than half the techs do this at my company I feel bad but it’s not me doing this I just install what you sign for it’s fucked up, but I have to work!
I'll always offer to replace the flush valve. But in our book its $95 more to replace the toilet. It's all about giving options and letting the owner decide
I love the look of experience on your face. you talk straight and work like you've done everything properly a million times before. i enjoy the hell out of your videos
A guy charged me ten grand to fix a clogged pipe. He tunneled under the house. Nine months later, I had the same problem; nothing on that side of the house would drain. He wanted fifteen grand more to dig the first hole again and dig thirty feet more. I didn't know anything, but I've been learning from your videos, and I thank you. I feel like he should have checked the whole line in the first place.
I've teamed up with a bunch of plumbers & contractors (I'm a bathroom store) and when customers ask me "what are their prices?" I ALWAYS say I don't know their prices because every job is different and I'm not going to quote something without them seeing the job themselves.
Even though im in the HVAC trade, i love these tips you give on how to be a respectable and knowledgeable technician. Great videos! keep up the good work.
About the roots one, I remember getting that lie and thinking it was very odd so I asked the guy if he could pull a clump of root up and show me And he actually did!
I am a flipper, and I have all of my subs licensed and insured. I understand the value in having a quality repair done, as well as the value in having not only piece of mind for me, but the same piece of mind for the new owner. I always show the permits that were pulled, as well as any inspection or reinspection report, plus the Cert of O. My name and reputation is going on these houses, and it it a major investment for both us and the new owner, plus my livelihood, and most importantly, the homeowners lives that are more important than a few extra dollars in profit. I also make sure that I am present when the video inspection is performed. Not that I don't trust the plumber, because I only use one of two companies, but so that I know what needs to be done and the cost involved. I can agree that finding a plumber/plumbing company (or any trade company) that is reputable and reasonable, is extremely important. You'd be surprised at the issues we come across that were done when we are performing our initial inspection. The repairs that were performed by the home owner is kind of understandable, they want to save money, and think they know what they are doing, or only want it to work. But the horrible repairs that were supposed to be performed properly by so-called professionals is uncalled for. I thank you for being honorable in your profession.
Glad I'm part of a small and upcoming company in Northern KY that I can say does not do this nor wants to be apart of a common plumbing culture that does
The things that really bugs me about the current licensing system is a general contractor (B license) can permit 3 related phases under his number.I have a license In good standing since 1988.The general these days always wants to pull the permit so he can pay out the monies as he sees fit.Most General contractors want to be the Bank now.I contract with only the Owner, been ripped off more by "Con" tractors than by "home owners".
So true, my company worked with this GC in northern nj for months and my boss had to fight with him every step of the way to get paid what he was promised because this guy would pick up people at the local home depot the day of to install cabinets, vanities ect, then when we went to do the plumbing and install the sinks the GC would blame us for scratching the cabinets, vanities, counter tops ect. It got so bad that we had to start taking pictures of any scratches before we did the installs, they absouletly suck plus they act like a god around job sites
Thank you a professional of integrity it would be so nice if more were like you. I’ve been taken advantage of because I don’t know about these things so listening to you is very helpful to me.
I’m an Indiana plumber, I use to work for a chain and one of there branches is in Houston. We use to think it was weird to have a a tunnel crew. We just cut the slab and dig.
Thanks for informing the public of the truths of sad to say unfortunately plumbing. I'm going through my apprenticeship and have noticed a lot of dishonesty and it's heart breaking. And it stop their
Its so good to see a plumber being honest and giving people the information they need to know to avoid the cowboys and scammers and others in the industry.
I was so happy to hear your #2. We just bought an older house in Fort Worth. Drove all the way from Washington. Got there late at night so we just slept, and in the morning I saw that there was no hot water. It's a gas unit. Control box had an "Overtemp" indicator light. House had sat unoccupied for an extended period of time. I called a local plumber, and without even coming to my house, they told me they cant fix it, it has to be replaced, they dont work on home depot units, you cant buy the parts, and it's 11 years old. They then sent me to another company, who told me the same thing. So great, I just bought a house, drove halfway across the country, and I need a new hot water heater. I called their bluff, and got on youtube, found an obscure old video that showed me how to reset the code. BAM, hot water works great. One of the plumbers called me back, I told the lady that she probably could have made $100 for turning a knob if they had bothered to even come out. Really makes you wonder how many perfectly good hot water tanks end up in landfills.
I worked at Home Depot in the plumbing department for about three years. As an associate and later supervisor. And we had plumbers and contractors come and ask us all the time how to lay pipe, and install the plumbing in bathrooms and kitchens. Because they had no idea how and they where charging the customer like if they where certified plumbers. Some would even work gas without knowing how to. I would tell them you had to be certified to work with gas lines. But they did not care.
We are contracted by home depot. We are licensed and in KY where you have to pretty much get inspected on anything over 10ft and water heaters. Some states though licensing is easy and any plumber can work under 1 masters
My father is a Master plumber, journeyman electrician, and residential HVAC service technician. He is licensed and insured, but he often times can come in at half the price of a big company, because he has far less overhead. He works for himself, by himself, and runs just one truck. But I’ve seen him get turned away on jobs because he was too cheap. I’ve also seen him tell people “no, you need to get that big company back out here. I can’t match that price.” Because it was a really big job, and he’s just the one guy.
One time the contracting company I worked for put a bid in for a kitchen renovation. We got heavily under bid and didn't get the job. No big deal right? Happens. 5 or so months later we get a call from the customer saying the other guy came in did the work looked fine paid them they left. But now a few months later all the tiles are cracking and popping off the floor. Other guys won't answer the phone and that's why they're calling us again. We come in to see what we can do to fix the problem. Turns out the other guys nailed down the durarock instead of using cement board screws. Over time from the owners walking on the floor the nails started backing out and the heads were popping the tile. We had to completely rip out the floor and couldn't save barely any of the tile. Insult to injury the customer had to pay for a dump fee so we could throw away all their brand new cracked tile. I hate having to come in after low bidders to tear apart hack jobs.
Thank you for talking about #4. I'm in competition with companies that estimate without seeing, probably using flat rate pricing. Inevitably, the price they give is not the same as the price when they are done, and it aint smaller.
I was able to do my own plumbing with converting copper to pex on a serious leak we had when we first moved in (no thanks to the inspector who apparently never checked to see how bad things were before we bought it). Thanks to your videos, I did an incredible job converting and now I have a whole new system in place. Your amazing, thank you for doin what you do. Shoutout to my hometown D-town!
I've been told a few of these things by two different plumbers coming to my rent house. This helps prove to me that only the third plumber was an honest one.
I had a guy call me once in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to look at some plumbing PROBLEMS as he put it. When I got there this skinny live in unemployed boyfriend decided to cut the cast out and replace with plastic. He went and rented a cast snapper at the tool rental place and set about snapping the cast stack in a couple places. Nothing happened so he took a sledgehammer to the pipe and it all came down from the roof, second floor stool,sink and tub and main bath and part of kitchen drain. Cant remember all the particulars but what really made this funny was he wanted it done by like 5:30 that afternoon before his love kitten got home to her house.
Is there a good reason to remove the cast iron pipe and replace it with PVC (provided there are no leaks or other issues)?. I'm not a plumber--i ask out of curiousity
@@BY-bj6ic Absolutely no good reason to remove the old cast iron plumbing other than he thought it would look better and in his mind work better.What a disaster. He did not think this one out at all.
Why is it that on bathtubs the overflow drain pies in the was behind the overflow plate always have flexible accordion style pipes? How is that allowed by code?
Not always in my experience. I've usually seen a waste & overflow kit for them with ABS plastic parts. The only times I've seen the PVC accordion type is on higher end jacuzzi tubs or corner sits type.
I have a water heater of 15 years old. Working fine. Some plumbers suggested to replace it. But no one told me about anode rods, and about right maintenance.
I love how the last track wasn't audio balanced correctly before post and it made it hard to listen to you. And by love I mean I've done that before and only noticed after I published, and therefore I understand that pain lol.
I hope they get all they asked for that means I can ask for more. One time I called my mentor and I said I'm going to make some money on this one Tommy! And he said how do you know that ! My bid is $4,485 , I'm $27 under X y z pl co.! Everything's on the truck already.Stock ! I'll be through in 4 hours ! He said "Sweet" 🙂
@Josh Lee actually just went to work for a flat rate company. Came from a time and material company. The flat rate makes less money on service calls then the time plus material company did.
We have an old house with no clean out in the yard. The sonar indicated an obstruction where the line runs under the storm drain. Just got permission to dig on neighbor's yard. Watching this to make sure nothing crazy goes down.
Thanks for this, we had someone come out and snake a line and did a camera afterwards and showed me roots in the line. We got a second opinion and when we asked for a copy of where the break is over the phone, they NEVER contacted us back. And that’s from a large corporate plumbing company here in DFW. After he told me where it was in distance (75ft), I measured it out myself and I can’t come up with the extra 20 feet he came up with.
Hi Roger, I am thinking bout learning to become a plumber, but I really don't want to work for scumbags. Good to know these tips. Thanks for all the videos you make!
Service plumber drain pro here. Called out to 1960's with main line backing up. I got the cold shoulder treatment by the owner's family. I had to stop the call and ask what happened before I came. They told me another company had come before me. Without using any cable or snake or camera scope this fella before me bid a 18k new main line. This guy did nothing but come out look at the situation mainline being backed up and bid 18k. Very Crooked, the mainline clean out was brass into a cast iron san t since 1963 and it had never been removed. Criminal to treat the older gen this way.
I've worked for companies that really stress upselling: installing a dishwasher, faucet, or toilet=need new shutoff valves. That sort of thing. I always hated trying to sell the customer on something that may not be needed. I also tend to over explain what I'm doing by launching into the theory and physics behind why the plumbing works the way it does. It takes up time for me and the customer. I'm trying to break myself of that habit.
Lars Blitzer, don't feel like the lone Ranger. I also have that habit of launching into some long explanation of how every little part And device works and functions, when bottom line most customers don't care they just want it fixed!
In Indiana we don’t get an actual license to carry anymore. I have to tell people to go online to the state licensing agency to check my license which is ridiculous. I always check water heater’s to see if they are under warranty
Man I hate it when professionals try to get more money or do unnecessary stuff only because someone does not know properly about the stuff. You have to know about everything or you'll get pulled over...
I personally am more into repair and not replace. As a service tech I value the ability to service fixtures, typically if a tank isn’t leaking from the bottom, I’ll alway recommend a repair unless the customer wants a replacement. Thankfully I’m hourly so I’m never out to scam someone for a paycheck, no matter how big or small the job is I still get paid the same so honesty and affordability is one of my big things to follow. Couple weeks ago I had a 4 year old tank leaking from above the upper thermostat (no water on top of the tank) and it shorted out the thermostat and caught on fire. Went through the hassle with the warranty for the customer just to help them out as much as I can and leave them with a smile.
I'm having a struggle with my parents up to the past few years to call professionals to do jobs to fix things. Dad's worked in construction & electric but plumbing is the 1 thing we all throw our hands up & call a pro at the 1st sign that plumbing is the problem. My family has been a FIYS family because of lack of funds as I was growing up & since dad had paying knowledge to fix things but plumbing has always been the untouchable chore. Anything past putting in a dishwasher or ice maker, call our guy.
Oh man it's not just bad plumbers, we have scummy contractors too in construction. I used to do remodeling and I caught my boss buying extra materials on the client's card and then going back around with the receipt to return for cash. It blows my mind that some of the "pros" get paid bookoos already and still need to take that extra $100 where they can sneak it. I got out of there, not gonna be a part of that stuff, and let's say word got around to his influential clients. I'm in Texas as well and this guy never showed me any licenses, but I really needed the cash unfortunately, and saw some horrible practices. His truck got repo'd and he was run out of the town essentially. NEVER screw over your clients, you will destroy your own business. Thanks for being so up front and honest about your profession, Roger!
This guy is so fucking awesome, such integrity. Not to mention in the Green Gobbler vid he read instructions. Always read the instructions. No "derp guys don't read instructions derp"
I know the video is 2 years old but i recently started plumbing and got put into a truck to run the more simple calls for drains such as cabling, my mentors taught me how to survive questions from homeowners and i inform them that i will NEVER tell them that they HAVE to do something because they dont, all i can do is recommend, while i was starting off plumbing my shower valve broke in my bathroom and i didnt know how to fix it, i shut the water off to the home cause the shower wouldnt turn off and my mom called another company out, we have galvanized water pipes still and i know we will need to do a repipe eventually but the technician came out and didnt even bother to try and fix it or diagnose it, he just saw the galvi pipe and told us we need to repipe for 20k. We told them to leave, and my boss sent me with a technican to my own house to fix it so i can be shown how to. It was simply the cartridge, and after that other company came out, it really left a bad feeling in my gut and i never want to be that person with no integrity selling people things they dont need, as much as i would like to have the nice bigger checks, i also would like to sleep better at night and know i make my money honestly.
I trained as an apprentice for 2 years, and I can vouch, - the scope and the knowledge involved surpasses most professions.The tools are specialized , expensive, and MANY;the parts are practically endless.If you find someone with the problem solving ability to work efficiently and cleanly, - PAY THEM. The skills I did learn back then have come in handy many, many times.
with regards to Lie #2: To make it easier on the homeowner I would take a sharpie and write "installed 00/00/000" followed by my initials next to the company sticker. but then again I am not ashamed of my work
I asked a 7-year old girl if she could bring me a piece of 3/4 type-L copper, while I was under raised foundation house, she said sure. So there I was under a raised foundation house, muddy/wet, dirty was understatement. Anyhow she arrives with a section Type-L copper, she says it has blue coloring on it. Helper that's stellar, due to I didn't have to crawl in and out retrieving fittings/pipe for example. I paid her, also she asked me if I would paint her bedroom in lavender color. My two days off, lavender was all I saw, lol. Moral of story she's only 7-years old, better helper than some I've actually had in there 20's. Doesn't know much, being so young, but effort, also potential obliviously is there. She helps on weekends, secondary learning for her, school is primary for kids her age. She even washes the truck by herself, cleans inside, vacuums, cleans the windows also. All without asking, self starter kid, just looks and next thing you know, soap, vacuum, windex triangle is in process. Really helpful, plumbers know all the misc need to be done tasks, are difficult, due to high fatigue just to solve the actual calls. Being said it's really cool to have real helper that helps much.
My name is Chris meadows I own Meadows Plumbing of Liberty Hill my motto is there is always time to do it right the 1st time the biggest problem with our serviceman that I had to correct over the years is that do not ever let your schedule or your dispatcher compromise your craftsmanship
Hi I’m a handyman & know a lot about a lot of different trades. Some with years of experience. Yet I do walk into stuff that I have referred to a license business knowing that the customer is much better served. I would rather not make any $$ from a customer knowing they will have a job well done.
I purchased my home and wanted to replace the hot water heater. We knew we would be here for the long run and between the tax credits, utility rebate and amount of time we expect to live here tankless made sense. Being new to the area I tried getting estimates from the big box stores and was upfront that I wanted tankless. Both showed up for estimates and had no good reason not to do tankless and pushed alternatives even though I was upfront wanting tankless and had ideal scenario 3/4 natural gas right there and exterior wall for direct venting. Best was the one recommended indirect off of my boiler that is 30 years old and kept pushing for it even when I expressed my concern of stressing out an older unit
Most plumbers won’t tell you that your water heater is under warranty? Are you kidding me dude? Maybe that’s how the plumbers in Texas roll but I’ve never once heard of a plumber not telling somebody about their heater being under warranty why would you even do that it saves you from having to buy a new heater you still get the labor and parts money for the new parts you have to use. A plumber can be unlicensed and still insured they just can’t carry a bond. Also I would be very very careful telling people they should pull permits for every little thing because of course the inspectors are gonna want everything permitted including a garbage disposal install... you don’t need a permit for every little thing and honestly be sure when you invite that inspector into your home that there is absolutely no other work going on that hasn’t been inspected including little fixes you are doing yourself. Inspectors work for the city/county/state they do not work for you. I’ve seen situations where customers call in an inspector for things that did not need inspected and wound up opening up a huge cab of worms and financial burden that the customer had no idea they were even getting themselves into. Just because they work for the government does not mean they are there for your best interest.
TBH the amount of time you spend watching Roger's vids and replying comes off a little desperate. Just FYI. Maybe get a throwaway account or something.
Ive commented only a couple times in the last year. I think its lame when somebody tries to make other people look bad lol Making a statement "most plumbers wont tell you your heater is under warranty" thats complete bullshit and like my comment said that may be how plumbers work in Texas but in my experience being in or around plumbing my entire life Ive never seen a plumber not tell somebody the heater is under warranty never even heard of that happening. I think having a plumbing channel on youtube is great, educating the public on our trade is awesome! I was originally a fan of Roger until I noticed on multiple occasions him doing this slandering the trade while sticking his nose in the air acting like hes better which is hilarious when you actually see the work he puts out(reference his recent slab leak video). Furthermore I feel like my comment is very informative and sheds light on a situation from a neutral perspective as a home owner I can tell you right now that you are opening pandoras box pulling permits for every little thing that is fucking terrible advice and if you disagree go ahead and start pulling permits on every repair you do and then come back and tell me I was wrong. As a creator on youtube you have a certain responsibility to your audience and I think its very important when somebody comes on youtube calling themselves a 'Master Plumber' they dont throw around a bunch of opinions as facts. This can be very misleading and EXTREMELY costly for homeowners. Which i guess to each their own its just the opposite of what im about so Im gonna post my opinions when I see fit.
Hey Roger I am a plumber from Alabama. Recently I had to fix a leak in a commercial strip mall. We opened the wall and found, after originally being plumbed with brittle grey Poly propylene with plastic fittings, it was shark bite adapted to cpvc in some places and pex in others. Of course it was a shark bite fitting right at the slab that was leaking. Killed the floor run and ran it overhead. They didn't wanna pay to fix all the other shark bites. It's a shame. I have a picture if you are interested. Thanks for the great videos! I send them to my father who is a master plumber of 30 years.
I had a water filter on a shower head. It started leaking really bad. Turns out the cartridge was way past the change date. The cartridge was 50% the price of the brand new filter, so I just replaced the entire filter. Cost me $20 to do it myself.
Number 10 was my introduction to plumbing when I bought my house in 04'. Yard was dug up, agent said the main sewer line was replaced. Cool. Not. It was not replaced. I had tree roots infesting the line so bad some had grown to almost an inch thick. I dealt with the problem for few years until I had the 13K to replace it.
Man. This guy is just hitting it out of the park with his videos. I'm not a plumber but, I have been a service technician most of my life. I've met a lot of people. In my experience, most people are good but those few who aren't do seem to hang on a lot of the same tricks. Trying to sell new hardware to customers when repairs would be much better is the most common one I keep seeing. Especially with computers.
Hey roger, love your videos. I am a service plumber who hates my job and I’ve come to realize it’s partly a lack of knowledge/experience and also just general incompetence. I know very little about general construction, and I am generally a bad craftsman and worker. How can I get better? Plumbing is the only option I have to support myself even though it doesn’t fit my natural strengths.
Nick dude I feel ya. Same boat. I started at a company as a helper, exceeded every expectation they had and was in my own truck in 6months. I’ve been there a 8 months now and it’s slowly getting easier. But I feel like I’m drowning every day.
When I got my Master's license I was no better than I was the day before ! Know your limitations! Have two ways out ! You're either going to have to fix it again or call a plumber ! Sounds like to me you haven't been taught by real plumbers !
The only thing is Here in Indiana where allot of the Exterior piping is Clay and Maple trees are Everywhere we DO get Lots of Roots growing thru the connections and causing problems and clogs in Main Sewer Drains. So a good 30-40% of my Plumbing Contracting Business is in Cleaning our Drains with all kinds of blades on Ridgid, General Machines.
Main reason people come into the store to replace a water heater is a leak in the heater. My question is there any reasons for a water heater leak besides a cracked tank or loose supply?
I red tagged and caped off a W/H gas line last week and told a contractor they had no choice except to replace the unit. The gas valve was melted, burn marks on the jacket, unit was 25 years old, vent hood damaged and improperly installed. The contractor was flipping the home and told me they were not going to replace the W/H even after I expressed my concerns. They decided to replace the W/H after I told them I caped the line. The home has been unoccupied and the W/H was not in service at the time. I quoted a very responsible $1350 to replace. Was this an appropriate action? Would you have done this in my situation?
Capping off the line didn't make them do it. They knew they couldn't bullshit anymore. It cost money to buy houses if they don't have the money to buy a house tell him to get out of the business
Have you ever heard any of these lies? Do you think you'll be able to protect yourself??
I brought a plumber few months ago to do some work in my newly built house and while he was doing the bathroom he miscalculated the required measurements in several spots in the bathroom and the pipes of the heater system. Now I don't have any other option but call another plumber to fix what he did
@@DarthVader-ou2vv Sounds like there should be some sort of legal process to protect you, and either make him fix it properly, or pay the difference to the person that did it properly.
Um... not quite on the 'roots in your pipes', Mr. Wakefield. I actually did see one of my relatives have roots in their pipes from a tree in their yard. The first plumber told them that and they though "Nah, he's lying!" but when the second came out AND showed them pictures of the roots in their pipes they said "Yep, he's telling the truth!" and when they dug up the pipes, he actually documented with photographs the root in the pipe.
My plumber was called for a leaking galvanized pipe.. what he fixed instead was a huge cast iron pipe and sent a bill for 575 dollars when I was quoted 275 on the one I showed him leaking. Guess what? Still leaks. Crappy water pressure.. theres a big hole in the cieling of my downstairs closet.. hole in the upstairs kitchen wall and damage to my bathroom floor he never patched. I fell on that and busted every rib.. yes he was licensed insured and bonded. Now what??
@@grettagrids Did you pay him for repairing the wrong pipe? I'm not sure if you can do anything about the damage to the house, but I'm not a lawyer in your area either. I would consider calling a lawyer or going to the city/county building where building codes/permits are filed, and ask to speak to someone in that department and see what they recommend.
As a licensed plumber since 1988, lately I am appalled by the total disregard toward professionalism
And honesty in our trade!
so fucking true. As a customer just as a rule of thumb, i'll only call companies that are older. Preferably the company is named after the owner and i can look up the owner. Because I just found the older plumbers or older tradesmen in general still see themselves bound by let's call it a "code of honor". They won't rip you off and they know what they talk about. At least far less likely. You're not in business for forty years if you do shoddy work.
I've seen a massive exception to this when the owner of a company retired, but once the owner heard how some of his guys build a new heater (yes these morons build a heater from scratch and it was an explosive design. Their building plan for that little thing got me and two other guys uneasy .i`m a chemist. I see a magnesium rod through water, I'll get uneasy. I see electricity going through that rod I'm terrified, Another guy was an electrician. We just looked at the plans and were making bets whether this thing blows up before it short-circuits or short circuits first. The last guy the home owner as a smelter knows a bout a about metal chemistry and electrics just didn't want to take the bet and kicked the guys out) heads went flying. I think the only guy who wasn't fired was the apprentice.
Unfortunately there are bad seeds in every garden.
Kinda related stoey: I worked at a pharmacy & had a boss (the pharmacist, this was a mom & pop shop) who always goes above & beyond but he'll do everything to make sure he's doing it the right way at every step. I was complaining about some of the regulations I had to read up on that we had to follow at the pharmacy to a girl who worked at another pharmacy across town thinking she'd understand. Had no clue about it & I asked what her boss (her pharmacist) did about it and she had no clue. It had something to do with being more careful with patient information that is disposed of. I was shocked. Pretty important stuff. Some people live to cut corners while others live to be the best they can be.
I'm not a plumber but years ago i worked for a good contracting company. The hack jobs we got called into fix were ridiculous. Most of the time they used decent materials but took one or 2 "short cuts" in the work that eventually ruined the entire job. When that happens you cant always salvage materials to fix it and end up throwing materials the customer paid good money for. I remember getting a call for a brand new leaking roof. We go in the attic to tracks the leak and find in not a leak or 2 or 3 but the whole roof because the guys before us didn't put down plywood. The entire roof was put on felt that was laid right over the slats that had 1/2" gaps between them.
The entire roof got thrown away.
Its the same for every type of skill. Im a graphic designer and profesional photographer (got a masters degree for both) Yet the new kid with pirated photoshop that makes a logo with $5 is the better one because is cheaper. Not alot of people care for quality alot of them care only for cheap prices
It takes so long to know all their is to know about plumbing. Many people that are eager to work. Can't get jobs in the industry. Plumbers need to build an app that can calculate people's potential problems professionally and do it themselves. If only old people know it. Society is going backwards when they pass.
"I can fix it much cheaper"
I went to repair a leak in an apartment coming threw the ceiling over the bath tub. Tenant said it only leaked when the people upstairs used the shower or drained their tub. There was a 2'x2' piece of dry wall screwed in to the ceiling where a "plumber" had already came to "fix" the problem. When i unscrewed the dry wall piece, it weighed about 50 lbs. As i slowly lowered it, to my amazement there was a very large, roughly 5 gallon, cooking pot on it full of water, and the drain pipe it sat below had electrical tape wrapped around it.
wow
However bizarre this story is, I believe it's true. That's how some people conduct business. It's a nice idea - slow down the leak, provide some surface for the water to evaporate. Unfortunately there was too little surface and no good ventilation. He should have cut a hole in a nearby A/C duct. The guy must have had prior experience with fridges.
Tubshoe waste and overflow
XD wtfff
@@weekendwarrior3420 wtf are you saying? You fix the leak or don’t take the job
i lived in an old house, that had roots in the line, we knew because they were coming out the toilet lol
I believe that is a minor issue
@@randomfastreader Facts lol
Copper sulfide is supposed to help with that.
@Toxic Frost Honestly I don't know what the Parental Units tried, I was just a kid at the time
It seems you had a toiletree.
I'm not sure how I got recommended to your channel, but it's so refreshing to see people working in fields like your's on youtube! Everything I see is usually in the medical field or entertainment.
There's lots of history and fashion too. I recommend Ann Reardon she's a food scientist on UA-cam who does tutorials and debunking/reacting to cooking hack videos
@@stinkusthedingus9219 ty for the recommend!
There are plenty of people working the trades on YT though? Now, I agree that Roger is one of the best channels, but he's not alone.
Unfortunately some plumbing companies pay bonuses for up selling so their plumbers lie so they can make more money.
And some companies don’t pay commission. We don’t but we give options so people can make the best decision for them.
The company i work for used to give us flat rates but now its 2 years later without it make us more affordable. Each $100 equals 1 hr of pay for most companies that pay flat rates. Some was mad but really it was the best thing they did. Now we have set prices and no way we can not go over those prices unless it something thats going to be more labor and when that happens, we better talk to our bosses
@@RogerWakefield thanks for sharing your wisdom
Just like lawyers
@Michael Taylor amen, don't let scab plumbing companies to do it by the hour put you down.
I was a plumber for a long time. One organization I worked for wanted me to upsell stuff the customer didn't need. Wouldn't do it.
Did the organization offered bonuses as incentive to the plumbers for them to upsell?
I worked for a company who was doing the same thing, up selling parts not needed and selling parts not even used, they was going to charge an old couple 16k to replace main drain line that wasn’t defective in anyway just a clogged drain from wipes, i stepped up and told the old couple, i got fired, so i took the company to court and to trading standards, the company ended up getting closed down, but guess what, they opened again under a new name, some people have no shame 😪
@@kanehood3478 they should be in jail for fraud
"Home Inspectors" are not by default plumbers, electricians, or carpenters. You're almost always better off paying those three tradesmen for an hour or two each instead of hiring a "Home Inspector". I can't tell you how many plumbing issues I've found that the "Home Inspector" said was fine or missed, including active leaks.
very true
Very very true. Unless the inspector was in the field for a long time
Absolutely
Amen! A $600 internet class does not make you a plumber, electrician etc.
I've been an apprentice plumber for almost three years, this is a great video. I'm glad to work for a company that values quality work and honest pricing.
What's stopping you from your license?
@@mikehomesley2016 I have it now, I didn't have the required hours to qualify for the exam at the time I made this comment. My state requires 6,000 job hours and at least three years. It usually takes closer to four years to get that many hours unless you work way more than 40 a week.
Ask to see the permit you paid for, if cannot produce the permit, think about that plumber.
Here in New Jersey there are multiple huge companies that are commission-based so if they can sell it they will. Plus their prices are astronomical compared to most of plumbing companies. Now my company is not the cheapest, but we are definitely not the most expensive. I try to tell the customers upfront so that they will know. Plus I also hand out a survey that lets them know what these costs are going towards. Overhead, Insurance, tools continuing education Etc. The more upfront and honest you can be with a customer the more likely you will be able to develop a relationship, and keep future business. This day in age advertising cost huge amounts of money so we want to keep repeat customers. Word of mouth is very strong and can also make or break a business...
Great was to address it. We aren’t the cheapest or most expensive either.
That's my line.
Bad words pass through many mouths, a good word stays with someone forever. I always keep in mindset that even if only one person spreads the word about my work its better then 5 people saying I cant be trusted.
the "i can do it a lot cheaper" thing happened for me. i had a plumber come out and pretty much he didnt want to do the job. dish drawer quoted at over 1k to hook it up. 80 bucks in parts and and hour or two. also 9k for a tankless water heater and install. another quote was 1/4th that. talk to his boss the owner of the company and he was shocked and appalled.
Tf is a dish drawer? You mean a dish washer?
@@Gh0zT-777 could be one of those dishwashers that are also like the cabinet like a drawer they’re pretty sweet
9k for a tankless water heater, Seems high but they are kinda special. I have never installed one but they’re more work then a tank
@@djLagwayEnjoyer our was a dish drawer. once we booted the dude from our place i spent a weekend and did it my self. just have to paint or stain the cabinets and you will never know. it is directly under the sink. its perfect for our little place. very easy install
@@murkyturkey5238 i go back and forth if i want a tankless or note. i like the idea of having more room but know how much gas or electric they suck. honestly it would of been on an outside wall. direct vent. about 5 foot run for both hot and cold line. about 8 foot of gas line off a 1 inch main line tee. since then i have done so much here and would not hesitate to do it my self. especially with propress fittings and such
I wish more plumbers or people in general for that matter would be humble or more honest about what they know. I keep both code books with me ( mainly because I work in Austin and depending on where you’re at you might be under either one). Guys I work with will not pull them out. They may ask the boss or figure it out. Not everyone will know every single code. I think being willing to admit that and pull out the code book or look up instructions on a fixture shows you want to get it right.
Music is usually distracting but you somehow got the right balance! Came here from Coffeezilla and subscribed!
All that tells me is that the editor has good music taste
You could still tone it down a lot more. Had to work to tune out the music so I could hear what he was saying. Would be better without music
1 there are roots in your sewer line
2 this water heater can't be fixed
3 license are not required
4 I can give you an estimate without seeing the job
5 I can do this job much cheaper
6 you need to pay for everything up front
7 this is a 3 man job
8 this will work just as good
9 permits are not required
10 the sewer camera can find leaks
I had a plumbing company come out with an auger and said there were roots in the line. They were right. They pulled two shopping bags full of roots out.
Mr. Wakefield I wanted to say I admire your work ethic and honesty. A man of character and integrity. I do not know the first thing about plumbing but I do try to exercise your level of honesty in my own trade. I wanted to thank you for your great content and words of wisdom.
The best thing u said was call a plumber out for home inspection
I worked for a a company here in Tucson AZ for almost 2 weeks, and when the owner told me “ if you think or feel that you are stealing from the customer”! Do it! And to be honest J threw his van keys on his desk and walked away, because he told me to charge a customer a retired marine to charge him $700 plus just to replace his toilet and install an ADA, though I felt soooo guilty and ever since I became solo doing what I like new construction plumbing and service plumbing. God Bless you all!
Plumbers in Denver are this highest paid trade. I’ve been screwed twice by guys who say they’re licensed show up in the nice truck sound good and do extremely poor work. One plumber not even licensed is trying to get $100 an hour LMAO
That's cheap
cotton1983 maybe to you but most plumbers here make $35-$45 an hour
@@SeanPGribbons if he was working by himself, as in his own "company", 100 an hour is cheap.
When ever you mention free or over-the-phone estimates. I constantly remember I see a plumber van around me now and then with "ABSOLUTELY NO FREE ESTIMATES" in big bold letters on the back of the fan. Makes me wonder how many times they had been asked that.
Drives me crazy when I get this call, and I get this call at least once a month. Customer: I replaced the tub spout and shower head myself, but it's still leaking. " Me: Sounds like the shower valve needs to be rebuilt." Customer: "but its coming out of the spout, the valve doesn't leak." Me: (to myself) are you kidding me, where do you think the water comes from. Me:(out loud) well, I give free estimates, I'd be more than happy to come look at it. (To myself) so I can explain to you that when you want water to come out, you turn that little nobby thingy, and when you want it to stop, you turn it off. Now what happens when it's not shutting off..palm to forehead. Ahhh life is good.
You’re protecting customers AND yourself, which is smart. I can only imagine how many customers try to weasel their way out of paying by claiming you didn’t work on their house when you actually did, because there’s no hard proof without video.
Its really annoying when they want to fix all sorts of issues. But they still haven't even paid for what you did on the first day. Then complain about the price.
Had a plumber check out a house I was about to buy in Joshua Tree, Ca. A plumber who came recommended by a TON of people.
He told me I had roots, well they had roots as I had not purchased the home yet.
He quoted the job as $10k to replace sewer line.
He said he sent the camera down and saw it, but said he didn’t save the video file.
I dig up the line and it had been replaced recently as it was ABS and the home was built in 1955.
And the sewer line was only 11 feet long and the toilet was at the outside wall so I only had to dig under the house 2 feet. Not a 10k job. The septic tank was 8 feet from the house.
The reason for the backup was a wad of blue shop towels.
And this guy was highly recommended by so many.
Cleaned over 40,000 drains.. went on to fix 4,000 plumbing problems never once felt I got over on anybody.
One of them is that they're too lazy to replace s flush valve so they tell you that you need a new toilet. Same goes for tank bolts.
Hella true I’m a residential service plumber and more than half the techs do this at my company I feel bad but it’s not me doing this I just install what you sign for it’s fucked up, but I have to work!
They make more selling you anew toilet
I'll always offer to replace the flush valve. But in our book its $95 more to replace the toilet. It's all about giving options and letting the owner decide
That's so true.
Someone is smoking weed..😜
I love the look of experience on your face. you talk straight and work like you've done everything properly a million times before. i enjoy the hell out of your videos
A guy charged me ten grand to fix a clogged pipe. He tunneled under the house. Nine months later, I had the same problem; nothing on that side of the house would drain. He wanted fifteen grand more to dig the first hole again and dig thirty feet more. I didn't know anything, but I've been learning from your videos, and I thank you. I feel like he should have checked the whole line in the first place.
I've teamed up with a bunch of plumbers & contractors (I'm a bathroom store) and when customers ask me "what are their prices?" I ALWAYS say I don't know their prices because every job is different and I'm not going to quote something without them seeing the job themselves.
Even though im in the HVAC trade, i love these tips you give on how to be a respectable and knowledgeable technician. Great videos! keep up the good work.
I’ve literally pulled out roots from peoples sewer lines. I’ve even seen roots coming out of their toilet flange.
About the roots one, I remember getting that lie and thinking it was very odd so I asked the guy if he could pull a clump of root up and show me
And he actually did!
I am a flipper, and I have all of my subs licensed and insured. I understand the value in having a quality repair done, as well as the value in having not only piece of mind for me, but the same piece of mind for the new owner. I always show the permits that were pulled, as well as any inspection or reinspection report, plus the Cert of O. My name and reputation is going on these houses, and it it a major investment for both us and the new owner, plus my livelihood, and most importantly, the homeowners lives that are more important than a few extra dollars in profit. I also make sure that I am present when the video inspection is performed. Not that I don't trust the plumber, because I only use one of two companies, but so that I know what needs to be done and the cost involved.
I can agree that finding a plumber/plumbing company (or any trade company) that is reputable and reasonable, is extremely important.
You'd be surprised at the issues we come across that were done when we are performing our initial inspection. The repairs that were performed by the home owner is kind of understandable, they want to save money, and think they know what they are doing, or only want it to work. But the horrible repairs that were supposed to be performed properly by so-called professionals is uncalled for.
I thank you for being honorable in your profession.
I come for the cool plumbing stories. I stay for the cool accent.
Glad I'm part of a small and upcoming company in Northern KY that I can say does not do this nor wants to be apart of a common plumbing culture that does
The things that really bugs me about the current licensing system is a general contractor (B license) can permit 3 related phases under his number.I have a license In good standing since 1988.The general these days always wants to pull the permit so he can pay out the monies as he sees fit.Most
General contractors want to be the
Bank now.I contract with only the
Owner, been ripped off more by
"Con" tractors than by "home owners".
@Sean unfortunately sad but true!
So true, my company worked with this GC in northern nj for months and my boss had to fight with him every step of the way to get paid what he was promised because this guy would pick up people at the local home depot the day of to install cabinets, vanities ect, then when we went to do the plumbing and install the sinks the GC would blame us for scratching the cabinets, vanities, counter tops ect. It got so bad that we had to start taking pictures of any scratches before we did the installs, they absouletly suck plus they act like a god around job sites
Thank you a professional of integrity it would be so nice if more were like you. I’ve been taken advantage of because I don’t know about these things so listening to you is very helpful to me.
I've also seen cheap work done on commercial buildings. It's sad.
I’m an Indiana plumber, I use to work for a chain and one of there branches is in Houston. We use to think it was weird to have a a tunnel crew. We just cut the slab and dig.
Thanks for informing the public of the truths of sad to say unfortunately plumbing. I'm going through my apprenticeship and have noticed a lot of dishonesty and it's heart breaking. And it stop their
Hmmm so where are you working now for your apprentice?
Thumbs up for integrity. It is hard to trust people these days and you going above and beyond to show honesty is priceless! 👏🏽
Roger Wakefield has never in his life time installed a heater without a permit :P
Its so good to see a plumber being honest and giving people the information they need to know to avoid the cowboys and scammers and others in the industry.
I was so happy to hear your #2. We just bought an older house in Fort Worth. Drove all the way from Washington. Got there late at night so we just slept, and in the morning I saw that there was no hot water. It's a gas unit. Control box had an "Overtemp" indicator light. House had sat unoccupied for an extended period of time. I called a local plumber, and without even coming to my house, they told me they cant fix it, it has to be replaced, they dont work on home depot units, you cant buy the parts, and it's 11 years old. They then sent me to another company, who told me the same thing. So great, I just bought a house, drove halfway across the country, and I need a new hot water heater. I called their bluff, and got on youtube, found an obscure old video that showed me how to reset the code. BAM, hot water works great. One of the plumbers called me back, I told the lady that she probably could have made $100 for turning a knob if they had bothered to even come out. Really makes you wonder how many perfectly good hot water tanks end up in landfills.
I worked at Home Depot in the plumbing department for about three years. As an associate and later supervisor. And we had plumbers and contractors come and ask us all the time how to lay pipe, and install the plumbing in bathrooms and kitchens. Because they had no idea how and they where charging the customer like if they where certified plumbers. Some would even work gas without knowing how to. I would tell them you had to be certified to work with gas lines. But they did not care.
Dang, that's concerning!
That's just horrifying. Because it's more expensive to cut corners and needed to be fixed by a professional
We are contracted by home depot. We are licensed and in KY where you have to pretty much get inspected on anything over 10ft and water heaters. Some states though licensing is easy and any plumber can work under 1 masters
We’ve been through two of these so called handymen and we had to take both to small claims court.
My father is a Master plumber, journeyman electrician, and residential HVAC service technician. He is licensed and insured, but he often times can come in at half the price of a big company, because he has far less overhead. He works for himself, by himself, and runs just one truck. But I’ve seen him get turned away on jobs because he was too cheap. I’ve also seen him tell people “no, you need to get that big company back out here. I can’t match that price.” Because it was a really big job, and he’s just the one guy.
it's alwasy refreshing to see honest tradesmen out there. it's becoming a rarity now
One time the contracting company I worked for put a bid in for a kitchen renovation. We got heavily under bid and didn't get the job. No big deal right? Happens. 5 or so months later we get a call from the customer saying the other guy came in did the work looked fine paid them they left. But now a few months later all the tiles are cracking and popping off the floor. Other guys won't answer the phone and that's why they're calling us again. We come in to see what we can do to fix the problem. Turns out the other guys nailed down the durarock instead of using cement board screws. Over time from the owners walking on the floor the nails started backing out and the heads were popping the tile. We had to completely rip out the floor and couldn't save barely any of the tile. Insult to injury the customer had to pay for a dump fee so we could throw away all their brand new cracked tile. I hate having to come in after low bidders to tear apart hack jobs.
Thank you for talking about #4. I'm in competition with companies that estimate without seeing, probably using flat rate pricing.
Inevitably, the price they give is not the same as the price when they are done, and it aint smaller.
I was able to do my own plumbing with converting copper to pex on a serious leak we had when we first moved in (no thanks to the inspector who apparently never checked to see how bad things were before we bought it). Thanks to your videos, I did an incredible job converting and now I have a whole new system in place. Your amazing, thank you for doin what you do. Shoutout to my hometown D-town!
I've been told a few of these things by two different plumbers coming to my rent house. This helps prove to me that only the third plumber was an honest one.
I had a guy call me once in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to look at some plumbing PROBLEMS as he put it. When I got there this skinny live in unemployed boyfriend decided to cut the cast out and replace with plastic. He went and rented a cast snapper at the tool rental place and set about snapping the cast stack in a couple places. Nothing happened so he took a sledgehammer to the pipe and it all came down from the roof, second floor stool,sink and tub and main bath and part of kitchen drain. Cant remember all the particulars but what really made this funny was he wanted it done by like 5:30 that afternoon before his love kitten got home to her house.
Is there a good reason to remove the cast iron pipe and replace it with PVC (provided there are no leaks or other issues)?. I'm not a plumber--i ask out of curiousity
@@BY-bj6ic Absolutely no good reason to remove the old cast iron plumbing other than he thought it would look better and in his mind work better.What a disaster. He did not think this one out at all.
@@juiceybananas5489 great band
Why is it that on bathtubs the overflow drain pies in the was behind the overflow plate always have flexible accordion style pipes? How is that allowed by code?
Not always in my experience. I've usually seen a waste & overflow kit for them with ABS plastic parts. The only times I've seen the PVC accordion type is on higher end jacuzzi tubs or corner sits type.
I have a water heater of 15 years old. Working fine. Some plumbers suggested to replace it. But no one told me about anode rods, and about right maintenance.
I love how the last track wasn't audio balanced correctly before post and it made it hard to listen to you. And by love I mean I've done that before and only noticed after I published, and therefore I understand that pain lol.
It can't be repaired. They learnt from the best fruit company!
Oh, man. The "3 man job." I didn't get a written estimate and paid full freight for a plumbing helper in addition to the plumber for line repair.
Great Job, honesty is so true. If you are not true to your clients, bad news travels faster than good!
Roto rooter always scams people more than anybody
Applewood is worse
Over head
I hope they get all they asked for that means I can ask for more. One time I called my mentor and I said I'm going to make some money on this one Tommy! And he said how do you know that ! My bid is $4,485 , I'm $27 under X y z pl co.! Everything's on the truck already.Stock ! I'll be through in 4 hours ! He said "Sweet" 🙂
@Josh Lee actually just went to work for a flat rate company. Came from a time and material company. The flat rate makes less money on service calls then the time plus material company did.
We have an old house with no clean out in the yard. The sonar indicated an obstruction where the line runs under the storm drain. Just got permission to dig on neighbor's yard. Watching this to make sure nothing crazy goes down.
Thanks for answering my question, really appreciate it 💩😝.
Thanks for this, we had someone come out and snake a line and did a camera afterwards and showed me roots in the line. We got a second opinion and when we asked for a copy of where the break is over the phone, they NEVER contacted us back. And that’s from a large corporate plumbing company here in DFW. After he told me where it was in distance (75ft), I measured it out myself and I can’t come up with the extra 20 feet he came up with.
Hi Roger, I am thinking bout learning to become a plumber, but I really don't want to work for scumbags. Good to know these tips. Thanks for all the videos you make!
Service plumber drain pro here. Called out to 1960's with main line backing up. I got the cold shoulder treatment by the owner's family. I had to stop the call and ask what happened before I came. They told me another company had come before me. Without using any cable or snake or camera scope this fella before me bid a 18k new main line. This guy did nothing but come out look at the situation mainline being backed up and bid 18k.
Very Crooked, the mainline clean out was brass into a cast iron san t since 1963 and it had never been removed. Criminal to treat the older gen this way.
J W I hear about that crap all the time. Thanks for being honest and true to the profession.
State licensing for plumbers isn't required in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania and Wyoming.
I've worked for companies that really stress upselling: installing a dishwasher, faucet, or toilet=need new shutoff valves. That sort of thing. I always hated trying to sell the customer on something that may not be needed. I also tend to over explain what I'm doing by launching into the theory and physics behind why the plumbing works the way it does. It takes up time for me and the customer. I'm trying to break myself of that habit.
Lars Blitzer, don't feel like the lone
Ranger. I also have that habit of launching into some long explanation of how every little part
And device works and functions, when bottom line most customers don't care they just want it fixed!
In Indiana we don’t get an actual license to carry anymore. I have to tell people to go online to the state licensing agency to check my license which is ridiculous. I always check water heater’s to see if they are under warranty
Roger I am not going to lie. I am a 34 year old man and I wish that you were my dad. You’re such a genuinely nice guy. All these videos are great.
Man I hate it when professionals try to get more money or do unnecessary stuff only because someone does not know properly about the stuff. You have to know about everything or you'll get pulled over...
I personally am more into repair and not replace. As a service tech I value the ability to service fixtures, typically if a tank isn’t leaking from the bottom, I’ll alway recommend a repair unless the customer wants a replacement. Thankfully I’m hourly so I’m never out to scam someone for a paycheck, no matter how big or small the job is I still get paid the same so honesty and affordability is one of my big things to follow. Couple weeks ago I had a 4 year old tank leaking from above the upper thermostat (no water on top of the tank) and it shorted out the thermostat and caught on fire. Went through the hassle with the warranty for the customer just to help them out as much as I can and leave them with a smile.
I'm having a struggle with my parents up to the past few years to call professionals to do jobs to fix things. Dad's worked in construction & electric but plumbing is the 1 thing we all throw our hands up & call a pro at the 1st sign that plumbing is the problem. My family has been a FIYS family because of lack of funds as I was growing up & since dad had paying knowledge to fix things but plumbing has always been the untouchable chore. Anything past putting in a dishwasher or ice maker, call our guy.
Oh man it's not just bad plumbers, we have scummy contractors too in construction. I used to do remodeling and I caught my boss buying extra materials on the client's card and then going back around with the receipt to return for cash. It blows my mind that some of the "pros" get paid bookoos already and still need to take that extra $100 where they can sneak it. I got out of there, not gonna be a part of that stuff, and let's say word got around to his influential clients. I'm in Texas as well and this guy never showed me any licenses, but I really needed the cash unfortunately, and saw some horrible practices. His truck got repo'd and he was run out of the town essentially. NEVER screw over your clients, you will destroy your own business. Thanks for being so up front and honest about your profession, Roger!
Rodger, knowing your on duty makes me able to sleep at night!
Thats a way too exagerated statement!
This guy is so fucking awesome, such integrity. Not to mention in the Green Gobbler vid he read instructions. Always read the instructions. No "derp guys don't read instructions derp"
we had to get rid of a 25 year old water tank...thing must've weighed 350lbs+ ....fun day.
I know the video is 2 years old but i recently started plumbing and got put into a truck to run the more simple calls for drains such as cabling, my mentors taught me how to survive questions from homeowners and i inform them that i will NEVER tell them that they HAVE to do something because they dont, all i can do is recommend, while i was starting off plumbing my shower valve broke in my bathroom and i didnt know how to fix it, i shut the water off to the home cause the shower wouldnt turn off and my mom called another company out, we have galvanized water pipes still and i know we will need to do a repipe eventually but the technician came out and didnt even bother to try and fix it or diagnose it, he just saw the galvi pipe and told us we need to repipe for 20k. We told them to leave, and my boss sent me with a technican to my own house to fix it so i can be shown how to. It was simply the cartridge, and after that other company came out, it really left a bad feeling in my gut and i never want to be that person with no integrity selling people things they dont need, as much as i would like to have the nice bigger checks, i also would like to sleep better at night and know i make my money honestly.
I trained as an apprentice for 2 years, and I can vouch, - the scope and the knowledge involved surpasses most professions.The tools are specialized , expensive, and MANY;the parts are practically endless.If you find someone with the problem solving ability to work efficiently and cleanly, - PAY THEM.
The skills I did learn back then have come in handy many, many times.
Sir Good info and you're the first foreign plumber that I got on UA-cam 😄
with regards to Lie #2: To make it easier on the homeowner I would take a sharpie and write "installed 00/00/000" followed by my initials next to the company sticker. but then again I am not ashamed of my work
I asked a 7-year old girl if she could bring me a piece of 3/4 type-L copper, while I was under raised foundation house, she said sure. So there I was under a raised foundation house, muddy/wet, dirty was understatement. Anyhow she arrives with a section Type-L copper, she says it has blue coloring on it. Helper that's stellar, due to I didn't have to crawl in and out retrieving fittings/pipe for example. I paid her, also she asked me if I would paint her bedroom in lavender color. My two days off, lavender was all I saw, lol. Moral of story she's only 7-years old, better helper than some I've actually had in there 20's. Doesn't know much, being so young, but effort, also potential obliviously is there. She helps on weekends, secondary learning for her, school is primary for kids her age. She even washes the truck by herself, cleans inside, vacuums, cleans the windows also. All without asking, self starter kid, just looks and next thing you know, soap, vacuum, windex triangle is in process. Really helpful, plumbers know all the misc need to be done tasks, are difficult, due to high fatigue just to solve the actual calls. Being said it's really cool to have real helper that helps much.
My name is Chris meadows I own Meadows Plumbing of Liberty Hill my motto is there is always time to do it right the 1st time the biggest problem with our serviceman that I had to correct over the years is that do not ever let your schedule or your dispatcher compromise your craftsmanship
thank you for traching me how to lie and steal from my customers. i never would have thought of this !
As an older woman we get ripped off by all service businesses. Thank you Roger 😊
Hi I’m a handyman & know a lot about a lot of different trades.
Some with years of experience.
Yet I do walk into stuff that I have referred to a license business knowing that the customer is much better served. I would rather not make any $$ from a customer knowing they will have a job well done.
Same here.
I purchased my home and wanted to replace the hot water heater. We knew we would be here for the long run and between the tax credits, utility rebate and amount of time we expect to live here tankless made sense. Being new to the area I tried getting estimates from the big box stores and was upfront that I wanted tankless. Both showed up for estimates and had no good reason not to do tankless and pushed alternatives even though I was upfront wanting tankless and had ideal scenario 3/4 natural gas right there and exterior wall for direct venting. Best was the one recommended indirect off of my boiler that is 30 years old and kept pushing for it even when I expressed my concern of stressing out an older unit
Most plumbers won’t tell you that your water heater is under warranty? Are you kidding me dude? Maybe that’s how the plumbers in Texas roll but I’ve never once heard of a plumber not telling somebody about their heater being under warranty why would you even do that it saves you from having to buy a new heater you still get the labor and parts money for the new parts you have to use. A plumber can be unlicensed and still insured they just can’t carry a bond. Also I would be very very careful telling people they should pull permits for every little thing because of course the inspectors are gonna want everything permitted including a garbage disposal install... you don’t need a permit for every little thing and honestly be sure when you invite that inspector into your home that there is absolutely no other work going on that hasn’t been inspected including little fixes you are doing yourself. Inspectors work for the city/county/state they do not work for you. I’ve seen situations where customers call in an inspector for things that did not need inspected and wound up opening up a huge cab of worms and financial burden that the customer had no idea they were even getting themselves into. Just because they work for the government does not mean they are there for your best interest.
TBH the amount of time you spend watching Roger's vids and replying comes off a little desperate. Just FYI. Maybe get a throwaway account or something.
Ive commented only a couple times in the last year. I think its lame when somebody tries to make other people look bad lol Making a statement "most plumbers wont tell you your heater is under warranty" thats complete bullshit and like my comment said that may be how plumbers work in Texas but in my experience being in or around plumbing my entire life Ive never seen a plumber not tell somebody the heater is under warranty never even heard of that happening. I think having a plumbing channel on youtube is great, educating the public on our trade is awesome! I was originally a fan of Roger until I noticed on multiple occasions him doing this slandering the trade while sticking his nose in the air acting like hes better which is hilarious when you actually see the work he puts out(reference his recent slab leak video). Furthermore I feel like my comment is very informative and sheds light on a situation from a neutral perspective as a home owner I can tell you right now that you are opening pandoras box pulling permits for every little thing that is fucking terrible advice and if you disagree go ahead and start pulling permits on every repair you do and then come back and tell me I was wrong. As a creator on youtube you have a certain responsibility to your audience and I think its very important when somebody comes on youtube calling themselves a 'Master Plumber' they dont throw around a bunch of opinions as facts. This can be very misleading and EXTREMELY costly for homeowners. Which i guess to each their own its just the opposite of what im about so Im gonna post my opinions when I see fit.
Hey Roger I am a plumber from Alabama. Recently I had to fix a leak in a commercial strip mall. We opened the wall and found, after originally being plumbed with brittle grey Poly propylene with plastic fittings, it was shark bite adapted to cpvc in some places and pex in others. Of course it was a shark bite fitting right at the slab that was leaking. Killed the floor run and ran it overhead. They didn't wanna pay to fix all the other shark bites. It's a shame. I have a picture if you are interested. Thanks for the great videos! I send them to my father who is a master plumber of 30 years.
I had a water filter on a shower head. It started leaking really bad. Turns out the cartridge was way past the change date. The cartridge was 50% the price of the brand new filter, so I just replaced the entire filter. Cost me $20 to do it myself.
Number 10 was my introduction to plumbing when I bought my house in 04'. Yard was dug up, agent said the main sewer line was replaced. Cool. Not. It was not replaced. I had tree roots infesting the line so bad some had grown to almost an inch thick. I dealt with the problem for few years until I had the 13K to replace it.
Man. This guy is just hitting it out of the park with his videos. I'm not a plumber but, I have been a service technician most of my life. I've met a lot of people. In my experience, most people are good but those few who aren't do seem to hang on a lot of the same tricks. Trying to sell new hardware to customers when repairs would be much better is the most common one I keep seeing. Especially with computers.
Hey roger, love your videos. I am a service plumber who hates my job and I’ve come to realize it’s partly a lack of knowledge/experience and also just general incompetence. I know very little about general construction, and I am generally a bad craftsman and worker. How can I get better? Plumbing is the only option I have to support myself even though it doesn’t fit my natural strengths.
Nick You’re a journeyman plumber?
Nick dude I feel ya. Same boat. I started at a company as a helper, exceeded every expectation they had and was in my own truck in 6months. I’ve been there a 8 months now and it’s slowly getting easier. But I feel like I’m drowning every day.
When I got my Master's license I was no better than I was the day before ! Know your limitations! Have two ways out ! You're either going to have to fix it again or call a plumber ! Sounds like to me you haven't been taught by real plumbers !
@@dustinbell5851 i felt that way for a long time. Still feel overwhelmed when I start using a new piece of equipment or a new type of test software
The only thing is Here in Indiana where allot of the Exterior piping is Clay and Maple trees are Everywhere we DO get Lots of Roots growing thru the connections and causing problems and clogs in Main Sewer Drains. So a good 30-40% of my Plumbing Contracting Business is in Cleaning our Drains with all kinds of blades on Ridgid, General Machines.
Main reason people come into the store to replace a water heater is a leak in the heater.
My question is there any reasons for a water heater leak besides a cracked tank or loose supply?
Here in Michigan you can be fined or actually do jail time for claiming your company is a plumbing company without a master plumber being employed.
Hey can you do a video of top 5 or 10 things to know when your a young buck just getting into the career field.
Tunneling under a slab to repair a slab leak is a scam in itself.
One time a plumber told me that my garbage disposal was "just for looks".
I want to do plumbing building on building I own. I want it permitted and inspected. This should not be illegal.
I red tagged and caped off a W/H gas line last week and told a contractor they had no choice except to replace the unit. The gas valve was melted, burn marks on the jacket, unit was 25 years old, vent hood damaged and improperly installed. The contractor was flipping the home and told me they were not going to replace the W/H even after I expressed my concerns. They decided to replace the W/H after I told them I caped the line. The home has been unoccupied and the W/H was not in service at the time. I quoted a very responsible $1350 to replace. Was this an appropriate action? Would you have done this in my situation?
Capping off the line didn't make them do it. They knew they couldn't bullshit anymore. It cost money to buy houses if they don't have the money to buy a house tell him to get out of the business
Great videos I’m gonna keep looking at all your vids do you have one on how to find a good plumber I want to Redo all the plumbing in my house