# Cleaning up anothers mess!



## PaulW (Jul 31, 2008)

You can't really tell but it's PVC with CPVC glue. Cross connected to galvanized. Well.. it blew out and we were called. The ticket says they performed some other work but no signs of it!


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

PaulW said:


> You can't really tell but it's PVC with CPVC glue. Cross connected to galvanized. Well.. it blew out and we were called. The ticket says they performed some other work but no signs of it!


 The tee in the bottom left of the photo seems to be missing a hose clamp.

Did the meth heads steal it for scrap?


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

A crawl space in central FL, that's a luxury.


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## PaulW (Jul 31, 2008)

Thats gonna be some tired water! :yes:

Paul


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

we call it drunk water, wheres the cleanup pic?


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## PaulW (Jul 31, 2008)

Thats coming it turns out the customer needs a complete re-pipe and drain line re-plumb. It's a real mess!


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## PaulW (Jul 31, 2008)

Discovered while making temporary water repair:


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

PaulW said:


> Discovered while making temporary water repair:


 The Plumber who installed that is either dead or in the late stages of Alzheimer's.

What really sucks about the later lead installations is that we knew it was killing us.

There was about a 7 or 8 year window in the late 60's early 70's where we continued to work with lead -- Knowing full well it was killing us.

Y'all kvetch, piss and moan about the new materials dumped on us almost daily. Yet very few of you lived through the transition from steel and cast Durham fittings to plastics.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Widdershins said:


> The Plumber who installed that is either dead or in the late stages of Alzheimer's.
> 
> What really sucks about the later lead installations is that we knew it was killing us.
> 
> ...


 




When I started plumbing in the early '90s, (I am 43), my journeyman who was 46 at the time told me that when HE started plumbing, PVC was just coming out. 

Widdershins, I can count on two hands the number of lead and oakum joints I've poured. I've done plenty of C.I., (but with no-hub bands.)


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## PaulW (Jul 31, 2008)

My family owned a mechanical shop in Southern Maryland or Wash DC, I have been around plumbing my whole life and in DC have seen some pretty old plumbing. I have worked with lead alot more than I have cared to admitt. Alot of old plumbers are blind or going blind due to their work with lead. 

Paul


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

PaulW said:


> My family owned a mechanical shop in Southern Maryland or Wash DC, I have been around plumbing my whole life and in DC have seen some pretty old plumbing. I have worked with lead alot more than I have cared to admitt. Alot of old plumbers are blind or going blind due to their work with lead.
> 
> Paul


 



You know Paul, years back (about 10 yrs or so) I did a service call for an older gentleman here in FL who was a licensed master plumber from Michigan. He told me then, that he had macular degeneration. It makes me wonder if he was losing his eyesight due to the plumbing trade. He showed me his license, it was from like the 1940's. All I did for him was replace his gate valve with a ball valve on a 3/4" feed coming into the house. Easy for a retired master to do right? But he had to call a service company 'cuz he wasn't able to see all that well.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> You know Paul, years back (about 10 yrs or so) I did a service call for an older gentleman here in FL who was a licensed master plumber from Michigan. He told me then, that he had macular degeneration. It makes me wonder if he was losing his eyesight due the plumbing trade. He showed me his license, it was from like the 1940's. All I did for him was replace his gate valve with a ball on a 3/4" feed coming into the house. Easy for a retired master to do right? But he had to call a service company 'cuz he wasn't able to see all that well.


 I would imagine lead plays a part.

I also suspect there are elements in the flames we use that cause retinal damage.

I traded in my 'B' tank about ten years ago when I connected headaches, neck pain and upper back pain with under slab brazing.

It could have been the hunched over position I was always in because the trenches weren't wide enough to accommodate my bulk.

I dunno. Still, the pain and night blindness I was experiencing went away almost immediately after I stopped brazing.


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## AKdaplumba (Jan 12, 2010)

when it comes to lead its gloves on for me..


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