# Slammed with work



## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Getting slammed with broken pipes from this freeze, which is good, but man I get tired real fast, were back logged, no end in sight yet. Sorry I have not been talking much on here, but been so busy hard to keep.


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## Tankless (Jun 12, 2008)

It almost got down to the low 40's around here. I acutally wore a long sleaved shirt today! I can't imagine fixing cracked pipes in freezing weather is very fun.


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Calling for more snow over the next few days, maybe there we will be snow for x-mas here, I have not seen that here yet.


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## Tankless (Jun 12, 2008)

If I look way up to the hills, I can see some white stuff off in the distance. Beaches are still crowded with surfers. I don't know if I could be crawling around on frozen ground working under a house. I don't have those kind of balls. There are some guys on here that I just shake my head at in the conditions they work in. I think I need to go there and get thoughened up a bit. I hope Mother Nature goes easy on you all up there.. Hay, whad ya think of my little tankless experiment post?


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Got my first set of frozen water line repairs tomorrow morning.


Great thing is...I get to watch someone else get in the crawlspace and do the work, get paid because I'm the director, tool hander to him and material supplier.

It just works this way when you're as wide as the space between the joists and the dirt. Wooooohoooooo! 

I'm proud to be thick!


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

I like your post, I don't do allot of tankless so I don't really know what to think, we use the some code, but we do have amendments to ours.

Yea I'm already tired of the cold weather, one day is fine but when we get two weeks on end, it's gets to me.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

i fixed my first frozen pipe of the year just yesterday. i'm only a few miles up 101 from you tankless. it does get cold here every now and then. not COLD, just cold. i started plumbing in colorado and this is like hawaii in comparison.






paul


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

I used to live in CA as a plumber years ago back in 85 to early 89 and then again from early 90 to 95. Marysville/Yuba City, way up north from where you are located.


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Roast Duck said:


> Got my first set of frozen water line repairs tomorrow morning.
> 
> 
> Great thing is...I get to watch someone else get in the crawlspace and do the work, get paid because I'm the director, tool hander to him and material supplier.
> ...


Funny that you say that, just the other day, there was a WH behind a stacked washer a dryer, the space between the stairway wall the the stacks was too small for me to squeeze between, now I'm not the tall 5'4", so there is the one plumber that is taller them be and he was able to get back there, I feel fat now, I used to where 29 waste paint now I where 36.


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## M5Plumb (Oct 2, 2008)

Ron, I'm with ya brother, I got to hang off of this guys foundation framing 10 feet off the ground, frozen I might add, thawing this guys water service in three different locations...Fun fun fun!!! Got him fixed to go chase another. That poor guys drainage was all exposed under this house which was about 30 - 40 feet up. His Lav's drains were frozen, luckily his kit sink and W/C line still were working...I can't wait for this super cold stuff to go!


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## para1 (Jun 17, 2008)

Good for you RON! Like my grandfather used to tell me " get all the work you can all day, those hunger pains will be there when you get home".:blink:


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## Herk (Jun 12, 2008)

I hate winter. Now that I'm using a trailer for my tools and stock I find that I really hate winter even more. 

I had a frozen trailer the other day. Not too much time underneath except for turning the valve on and off while I made repairs inside. It was an old '79 with galvy pipes underneath and 3/8" copper tubes above the floor. Most of the damage was frozen copper tubes and leaking faucets and toilets. I'd like to get a couple more like that before Xmas.

And I found some neat pants for cold weather - they're made by Wrangler and have a felt liner and ripstop fabric, along with every kind of pocket there is. Only problem is they're heavy. They look a lot like what I usually wear, but have some nifty leather on the main right-hand pocket (right about where I usually clip a tape measure), and some leather on the back pockets.

$45 a pair.

Other than that, I haven't had too many freeze calls. The real cold weather probably won't be here until February, though it's been down around zero at night.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

hell, if it gets around 15 here, Im buying every backflow, prv, hosebib, flex connector, and dresser coupling in town. Wont ever happen though.


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## pzmember (Sep 20, 2008)

its sunday night, a little after 11:00 and just got home from the 3rd freeze up or break. its great, sunday after hours, great money. but ive got a huge case load of decent to big remodels, new construction, and normal service, and a back log of when you get a minute list. and the temp is holding steady between -30 to -10. these freakin freezeups are getting in the way of my project work and its f-n cold. somebody call me a p#@$y and tell me to suck it up and quit *****in.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

I was a f'n p****y tonight as I refused to answer the ringing phone. It was an emergency call and I was out in this cold tonight, 4 degrees. 


Call me after it warms up to 34 degrees and all the lines blow, get a huge water bill and THEN I'll come out and fix yer plumbin' problems! 

I got a frozen line at the shop right now, just need to open that frozen valve at the wall at the right time so when the ice expands it has a place to grow to.


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## pzmember (Sep 20, 2008)

Roast Duck said:


> I was a f'n p****y tonight as I refused to answer the ringing phone. It was an emergency call and I was out in this cold tonight, 4 degrees.
> 
> 
> Call me after it warms up to 34 degrees and all the lines blow, get a huge water bill and THEN I'll come out and fix yer plumbin' problems!
> ...


 4 degrees your havin a heat wave. and i accidently answered the phone, thought it was my wife.


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## Herk (Jun 12, 2008)

No calls today - they must have known I wasn't going anywhere. 

We got slammed and a lot of roads aren't even plowed yet. Out in the country, the roads drift over, sometimes eight or more feet deep because of the open fields. I spent the day trying to keep up with the wind. With luck, we won't get slammed again tonight and I'll be able to get out of the drive without breaking out the snowblower again.

My mailbox was sitting in the middle of the sidewalk - seems those plow guys can't judge distance very well.


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## ILPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Looked at a job converting a grocery store into medical offices yesterday. There hadn't been anyone in the building in 45 days. No heat as the previous owner killed all electrical power. It was 24 degrees in there when I was there with a live wet sprinkler system. 

I called the fire department and shut down the riser. It will be 55 degrees here tomorrow. They started the heat today. I'm sending a couple guys up to start fixing tomorrow.


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## Kyle181 (Sep 5, 2008)

we got slammed today with 6 frozen bursted pipe jobs, almost all of them underneath kitchen sinks, with the pipes in the overhang, im beat


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## muck (Oct 10, 2008)

What do you guys usully charge for burst pipes? I have a guy with 2 burst pipe for tommorow and was looking for ideas to charge him (side job) you could pm if you dont feel right putting your prices on the board


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

muck said:


> What do you guys usully charge for burst pipes? I have a guy with 2 burst pipe for tommorow and was looking for ideas to charge him (side job) you could pm if you dont feel right putting your prices on the board


$5 a piece.:thumbsup:


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## muck (Oct 10, 2008)

service guy said:


> $5 a piece.:thumbsup:


For that price I'll have you come do it :thumbup:


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

At least $495.00 per hr, with a 3 hr minimum. Dont forget the expendable charge of 6.99 either, cause if you do , then you will really be screwing yourself.:lol::lol:


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## service guy (Jun 26, 2008)

ROCKSTARPLUMBER said:


> At least $495.00 per hr, with a 3 hr minimum.


That is what I'll be charging if anyone calls me out on Christmas day.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

I heard that!!! Wal-mart doesn't mind paying a bill like that, had to leave MY july 4th party to shut off a flush valve on a urnial, didn't want me to fix it, just shut it off!!!


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

We still have frozen pipe stragglers calling in, but there not as many as we had a week ago.


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## pzmember (Sep 20, 2008)

its 9:33 pm i just got home, started at 5:30 am all frozen and burst lines. since yesterday ive had 2 hours sleep. im looking at my log and i have 17 invoices w/ the minimum being 300.00$ in the past 48 hours. great money but too tired to be merry. i think i have this 9 to 5 thing all jacked up. happy holidays.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

service guy said:


> That is what I'll be charging if anyone calls me out on Christmas day.


 
man, i wish i had the authority to do that. well, if i still was on comission.  i'll get my peanut no matter what i charge. actually i'll get an extra half peanut on christmas. i miss making money. 




paul


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## ASUPERTECH (Jun 22, 2008)

service guy said:


> $5 a piece.:thumbsup:


 Good sir,
I would like to pay in advance for four leaks, that I may have in the future. I figure if I don't have a leak then you win, other wise we could use it like a retainer leaving you at my beckon call for four leaks. 
I believe the total will be $20.00 since I can pay via the internet no tax. Wow no wonder every one wants to be a plumber. Look at the good money you could make:jester:


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## ASUPERTECH (Jun 22, 2008)

I was back home in NY. My sister in law had a burst pipe. went to HD bought what I needed. found a 1/2" coupling about 24" long.. Have you used these ever? I thought it was pretty slick. was able to fix 2 splits, with 2 cuts and 2 solder joionts. Don't see them down here. Of course I don't really go to the plumbing isle @ the HD either.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

i haven't seen them that long but the local winnelson carried 1/2" and 3/4" couplings in 12" lengths. i used to get them all the time and make couplings for whatever length i needed. they're cool to have on the truck.





paul


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