# home improvement store and gastite



## SPENCE (Sep 12, 2008)

I went in to lowes today and was walking up the plumbing isle and saw the one plumbing guy with boxes all over the floor so i said to him " looks like you can stretch this out all day". He said yeah i'm making room for that flexible gas line stuff. i'm blown away, "you mean appliance hook up kits" he says no the gas line for houses. so i give him some names of companies and he thought it was gastite that was coming. WTF, soon you will be able to buy your master lic. there too. I hope he was wrong anyone hear anything?


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

*menards*

in kokomo, indiana the menards store has sold csst flex for a few years. don't ask i'm to old to remember. it's pro-flex by tru-flex if i remember correctly. also if i remember correctly there were some posts on here or ridgid about people that sued because suppliers refused to sell to them. plantiffs won. connecticut i think. breid...................:rockon:


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## affordabledrain (Nov 24, 2009)

The Menards in Mishawaka, In has been saling that stuff since like 2005 or earlier. Indiana is a strange state. It is against the law to do any plumbing repair with out a license. But yet the stores sale crap like that.


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Homeowners can do whatever they want, if they can get the material...That includes blowing themselves to smithereens...:blink:

A couple weeks ago I went to this couples house to redo the gas to their cooktop. The husband had attempted his first flare joint and managed to flare about a 1/16th of the tube:blink:...The wife was glad to pay me, and apparently I won a new flaring tool to go along with my fee....:laughing:


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## rex (Jun 13, 2008)

menards in lansing,mi sells pro-flex its actully cheaper there than the supply house

hd and lowes dosent sell it


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## SPENCE (Sep 12, 2008)

I had know idea. no test, no knowladge of how to use it, hook it up and pray. thanks for the feed back.


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## Plumber Jim (Jun 19, 2008)

This world is going crazy. People better look alot closer at any used home they buy. The place can be a death trap from all the DIY.


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

Well, that means one thing, more emergency calls for gas leaks.

I am okay with that.


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## njoy plumbing (May 19, 2009)

Just wait......................................you can hear it coming. Law suits up the ying yang when some a-hole blows his house and 1/2 the neighborhood up. The only way to fight those douch bags is to stop selling and installing their product. Brag up the guys with a conscience and push thier product.:yes:


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Does seem that there is an epidemic going on with that stuff. How can you blame the manufacturer, they are just making a buck. I say instead of boycotting the manufacturer per say. Lets try to get as many people as possible to stop shopping at big box stores. Because I know if everyone was truthful, we have all spent our money in them, some more than others.


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## njoy plumbing (May 19, 2009)

Easier in our trade to boycott the product at the wholesaler level. Also start asking to see homeowner permitts for thier use of it. Up here a homeowner can't buy it first of all, and second would have to pull a permitt and have thier work inspected.


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## plumbrob (Mar 21, 2010)

Is anyone really surprised by this? I Can remember when my wholesaler wouldn't sell anything to a HO, now im usually stuck behind one for half an hour as the counter man explains to him how to install a water heater. Then he sells him a Brad White for the same price I would pay :furious:. Thank you Ferguson.


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

plumbrob said:


> Is anyone really surprised by this? I Can remember when my wholesaler wouldn't sell anything to a HO, now im usually stuck behind one for half an hour as the counter man explains to him how to install a water heater. Then he sells him a Brad White for the same price I would pay :furious:. Thank you Ferguson.


It's close to 50/50 in my local Fergy's as well...


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## njoy plumbing (May 19, 2009)

Maybe its time the industry takes its own advice, that is to think outside the box. How about them running specials that would help entice our customers to purchase from us. 
We will always see the DIY'S but they need to help nip the newbies to this practice in the bud.
Has anyone out there had discussions at a larger level than one on one, regarding this in the industry?


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Indie said:


> Does seem that there is an epidemic going on with that stuff. How can you blame the manufacturer, they are just making a buck. I say instead of boycotting the manufacturer per say. Lets try to get as many people as possible to stop shopping at big box stores. Because I know if everyone was truthful, we have all spent our money in them, some more than others.


The DIY Network is the most dangerous channel on TV...


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## 1703 (Jul 21, 2009)

plumbrob said:


> Is anyone really surprised by this? I Can remember when my wholesaler wouldn't sell anything to a HO, now im usually stuck behind one for half an hour as the counter man explains to him how to install a water heater. Then he sells him a Brad White for the same price I would pay :furious:. Thank you Ferguson.


I had a suit from kohler that kept bugging me a couple years ago. Wanted to show me some new stuff they had and how great it was. 

I finally caved and met him.

He did his shtick and then point blank asked me why I didn't sell much kohler product. I told him its a tough sell when someone can walk in to a box store and buy a kohler product cheaper than I can buy it at a wholesaler.

He then told me that I needed to do a better job of marketing his product.

"So let's get this straight. Its MY job to market YOUR product to compete with YOUR product?"

I can't remember what he said exactly but basically, "yes."

I think I called him an effing idiot and escorted him from my shop, throwing his catalogs in the dumpster on the way. Really pizzed me off.

Plumbers put a lot of these manufacturers and wholesalers on the map back in the day and now we're getting pizzed on by both.


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

Colgar said:


> He then told me that I needed to do a better job of marketing his product.
> 
> "So let's get this straight. Its MY job to market YOUR product to compete with YOUR product?"
> 
> I can't remember what he said exactly but basically, "yes."



Ahh, yeah, nothing like arrogance from someone asking YOU for help for them to be profitable.


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## para1 (Jun 17, 2008)

Airgap said:


> The DIY Network is the most dangerous channel on TV...


 


........*and one of the best free money makers for service plumbers ever.*


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

And that's why I don't shop there 



plumbrob said:


> Is anyone really surprised by this? I Can remember when my wholesaler wouldn't sell anything to a HO, now im usually stuck behind one for half an hour as the counter man explains to him how to install a water heater. Then he sells him a Brad White for the same price I would pay :furious:. Thank you Ferguson.


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## M5Plumb (Oct 2, 2008)

It'll be one thing to sell it, it'll be another for the Blowes and Home Cheapo's to staff a group of attorney's. Once that happens, you can bet that they will quickly remove it from their shelves due to the litigation of them not providing any training for installation.



Airgap said:


> Homeowners can do whatever they want, if they can get the material...That includes blowing themselves to smithereens...:blink:
> 
> A couple weeks ago I went to this couples house to redo the gas to their cooktop. The husband had attempted his first flare joint and managed to flare about a 1/16th of the tube:blink:...The wife was glad to pay me, and apparently I won a new flaring tool to go along with my fee....:laughing:


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## pdxplumber (Nov 21, 2009)

This might be just the thing to get this **** off the market. Between the required protection ( striker plates, floppy conduit etc.) and the grounding/ lightning strike issues, multiplied by the number of handyman hacks who are too lazy to even support a piece of ABS pipe= BOOM!!!!:thumbup: Good times.
I just did a job running Gastight for a 5000 s.f. house, two furnaces, two tankless units , a range and three fireplaces. Next time I'm buying a threader and running black pipe.


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## Everflow (Feb 1, 2010)

If a home owner does work on their water lines and it leaks they can get wet. If a home owner works on their drains things can get wet and smell not so good. If a home owner works on their gas lines they could die.


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

pdxplumber said:


> This might be just the thing to get this **** off the market. Between the required protection ( striker plates, floppy conduit etc.) and the grounding/ lightning strike issues, multiplied by the number of handyman hacks who are too lazy to even support a piece of ABS pipe= BOOM!!!!:thumbup: Good times.
> I just did a job running Gastight for a 5000 s.f. house, two furnaces, two tankless units , a range and three fireplaces. Next time I'm buying a threader and running black pipe.



Amen brother!


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## john_mccormack (Feb 27, 2010)

A few years back I met a number of fellow local plumbers at a scheduled State Plumbing Board meeting (very informative going to these, by the way). One plumber asked the board: if we are not allowed to use, for example, ProVents in Massachusetts, why do the big-box stores not get slapped for selling them to the public? Response: Although the Board has jurisdiction over what gets installed in Taxachusetts, it does not have jurisdiction over what gets sold in the same.

The same response I've seen from many other posts about following people home and busting them for installing this crap is found here: not enough people to enforce the laws.

Lately, the State Plumbing Board has been granted more power over enforcement of not only licensed plumbers, but of non-licensed work, as well. Local inspectors can ticket someone to appear before the Board at a hearing and the Board can fine that person. I'm seeing fines of $1,500.00 to $5,000.00 for non-licensed, non-permitted work! That's great! It's a matter of the state legislator and the governor's office backing the trades industries against UN DOCUMENTED workers, and the like.


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## M5Plumb (Oct 2, 2008)

Interestingly enough and though the state can fine people for unlicensed / non-permitted work, when the homeowner brings all the materials he/she just picked up the at the blue/orange store, based on the advice of the sales person working in the plumbing dept. Would it not be right to go and fine the person for making the recommendation of "how to" install a series of fittings / fixtures even though they may be illegal??? :thumbsup:

Lately, the State Plumbing Board has been granted more power over enforcement of not only licensed plumbers, but of non-licensed work, as well. *Local inspectors can ticket someone to appear before the Board at a hearing and the Board can fine that person. I'm seeing fines of $1,500.00 to $5,000.00 for non-licensed, non-permitted work! That's great! It's a matter of the state legislator and the governor's office backing the trades industries against UN DOCUMENTED workers, and the like.*[/quote]


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

My next door neighbor work at home depot. He tells me that they are strictly prohibited from giving any advice on codes or construction. In other words, he is allowed to ask "what are you trying to do?". He then tells them what they need and shows them where it is in the store. The big box stores are on to this. They know people are breaking the law and producing unsafe installations and are making every attempt to "duck the system".



M5Plumb said:


> Interestingly enough and though the state can fine people for unlicensed / non-permitted work, when the homeowner brings all the materials he/she just picked up the at the blue/orange store, based on the advice of the sales person working in the plumbing dept. Would it not be right to go and fine the person for making the recommendation of "how to" install a series of fittings / fixtures even though they may be illegal??? :thumbsup:
> 
> Lately, the State Plumbing Board has been granted more power over enforcement of not only licensed plumbers, but of non-licensed work, as well. *Local inspectors can ticket someone to appear before the Board at a hearing and the Board can fine that person. I'm seeing fines of $1,500.00 to $5,000.00 for non-licensed, non-permitted work! That's great! It's a matter of the state legislator and the governor's office backing the trades industries against UN DOCUMENTED workers, and the like.*


[/quote]


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Nobody cares about unlicensed work.....its the fines they are after. Local goverments are broke and they need to generate revenue. I bet they write plenty of tickets but I bet only a handful gets paid by the offender. Code enforcement is strictly about revenue and thats why its geared toward the people who CAN pay...like us plumbers and not the handyhack.


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## njoy plumbing (May 19, 2009)

Just like the drug companies, there will eventually be the big law suits, only plumbing manufactures don't have as deep of pockets. Unfortunatly some people are gonna git blowed up.:yawn::whistling2:


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## M5Plumb (Oct 2, 2008)

I can see the lawsuits rackin up otherwise. On another note, when you hear the HO discuss the repair when they tried to repair it themselves, we end up telling them, "You would have been better off getting a licensed plumber in here to begin with" The HO always tries to make it sound like it was the last plumber here that did it and caused this problem, I see the BS flag waving in the breeze:whistling2:



Protech said:


> My next door neighbor work at home depot. He tells me that they are strictly prohibited from giving any advice on codes or construction. In other words, he is allowed to ask "what are you trying to do?". He then tells them what they need and shows them where it is in the store. The big box stores are on to this. *They know people are breaking the law and producing unsafe installations and are making every attempt to "duck the system".*


[/quote]


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## breid1903 (Feb 8, 2009)

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