# Absolute screw ups!



## Scott K (Oct 12, 2008)

I"m curious if you can relate stories of ABSOLUTE SCREW UP'S you or others you know of or have heard of, have made in their line of duty as Plumbers (or perhaps other tradesmen you know of). These screw ups may have inflicted property damage, or monetary damage (or both more than likely). What happened? What's the worst screw up you or someone you know did that seems to always pop up when the topic of royal screw ups comes around?


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

I did some plumbing work in our Church Basement. I tried a old-school way of hooking up the supply lines. One popped off and flooded the basement. Thank God(literally) that there was a Friday night study that caught it, and cleaned it up. 

Someone video taped it and put it on facebook. I found out about it days later, cause the pastor and friends cleaned it up. They laughed, it was not the first time someone had flooded the basement. The pastor himself had done it a few years earlier during some remodel work.


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## ap plumbing (Nov 9, 2010)

screw ups..... u tell me yours and i'll tell you mine:laughing:


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

Have you seen "The adventures of Bill"? :laughing: One of my employees.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

*Some lessons come with a price tag $$$.*

Screw ups, who hasn't made them, off hand I remember busting a CI tub out with a sledge hammer, it glanced off the tub and wiped the front off of the commode ,,oopsssssss,,,. Other time I carried in a 800.00 commode, set it down kinda hard, actually the base front was longer than I realized and chipped the front corner off bout the size of a dime.  Lucked out on that one though, the company i worked for had to eat it, so they put it in use at the shop but in a few weeks realized the bowl had a pinhole in it. Factory flaw.:thumbup:


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I worked with a "technician" who was trying to removed a caulked-in kitchen sink from a granite counter top. While grunting and heaving it to get it out he cracked the granite in front of the sink. You know when you're standing at sink, the thin strip of granite between your belly and the sink. The company who employed him at the time had to eat that one. They replaced all granite in kitchen because of course it all had to match. 

When he was relating the tale to me, he said, "Imagine if I was doing that job on the side?"


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## OleTom (Jun 17, 2008)

I got One for you I was on a job and there was a lot of screw pipe One Saturday the electricians used our threading machine and changed the dies to the kind they use to thread conduit 

Well come Monday the plumbers came in and started threading pipe and installing it nobody thought to check the dies they didn't change it 

Guess what it looked like when the joints were soaped It looked link the Laurence Welks Show


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

OleTom said:


> I got One for you I was on a job and there was a lot of screw pipe One Saturday the electricians used our threading machine and changed the dies to the kind they use to thread conduit
> 
> Well come Monday the plumbers came in and started threading pipe and installing it nobody thought to check the dies they didn't change it
> 
> Guess what it looked like when the joints were soaped It looked link the Laurence Welks Show


 

Sheesh, couldn't those plumbers see that their pipe threads didn't have any taper?


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## stillaround (Mar 11, 2009)

When I was young and an apprentice I hooked up a high rise lobby baseboard heating loop with soft copper and regular solder....didnt know about the pressure being 125 and over the weekend......................................................................................................................
Fortunately the insurance of the building paid for a remodeled lobby, and for some reason I didnt get into trouble...........only job the boss said nice job.................................strange.

Once I was about to change an 1 1/2" valve in the basement parking garage of a 38 story building *on the fly*........boss walked in right before I did it and said there was probably more pressure on it than I could handle....we will never know...I think I could have done it.

Also as an apprentice on a side job I lit some insulation on fire in a 2nd story kneewall area and barely got it out...at one point I was scoping out my escape route..but a little more flailing and it was out.

As an apprentice also, working in a ceiling my foot went through and broke a fancy vase.

Once before I was an apprentice I thought I could change a gas valve on the fly....but it wasnt outside. I was spared the disgrace because someone stopped me....but they made me recite out loud I will never ever try to change gas on the fly indoors.

*Fearless and gung ho......*


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Not doing enough preparation for the new business venture, and charging to little. 

This has been an ongoing problem. I am in correction mode, and will not make the mistake again. Makes me wonder what else I have done. 


To anyone else considering making the leap, do your research know your costs, and what you should charge.


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## 1703 (Jul 21, 2009)

I may have told this one before-

Changing a soldered sillcock- heating it up to pull it off- pulled my torch down while I wiggled the sillcock- lit customer's row of business suits on fire. Luckily, he was retired and was getting ready to danate them to goodwill.

I felt horrible. I didn't have any money, but managed to scrape up enough money for a gift card to a mens clothing store. 

I still work for the guy and he still laughs and teases the hell outta me.

In fact I was there not too long ago. I rang the bell and he opens the door with a big grin on his face, wearing a sport coat with a big hole burnt in the front. I went straight to the kitchen and sat down at his table.

He looks at me like "wth are you doing?"

I said, I'm gonna sit right here and let you get the teasin' ou of your system, then I'll go to work."


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## Ishmael (Dec 9, 2009)

#1) I blame this one on the architect and builder: I was plumbing a big vacation home, and the plans showed a game room with a pool table in the basement. On one wall, the plans indicated what (to me) looked like a small wet bar. I confirmed this with the builder. Didn't find out until it was time to set finished plumbing that the architect had just arbitrarily drawn a desk with a table lamp on it - NOT a wet bar (although he used the same symbol for the "lamp" that he did for some of the lavs). :no::whistling2:

#2) This one was all me: Another large vacation home. I was installing a Waterworks "Cambridge" cast iron tub (with jets). Shortly before I was ready to set it in the built-in deck, everyone else took off for lunch. I was pressed for time, so I figured I can get it in myself . I managed to lift one end up and get the bottom rested against the end of the deck; I levered it over the deck and started to walk it into the hole. I got it to a point where one end was in place, and the other end was resting on a 2x4 over the hole. I lifted it off the 2x4, and kicked the 2x4 out of the way and started to lower it in. I quickly realized I had too much weight coming down on my out-stretched arms, and I had to drop it with about 12" to go. A bunch of the enamel shattered off the rim. I had to order a new tub - $5,500 out of pocket. The broken one is still in my storage unit 3 years later. It'll be fine in an undermount setting where it's overlaid by marble or granite or something, but I haven't had too many requests for a broken, overpriced 6' cast iron tub...(sigh, yeah). If I wasn't the boss, I'd have to fire me.


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## greenscoutII (Aug 27, 2008)

When I was a green apprentice, I was sent out with a journeyman to work on a school. Well, he determined that we needed to change the main shutoff in the basement. So, he tells me to go grab the curb-key and shut it off at the street.

Well, I managed to get the key on the 30 year old stop and waste and started GENTLY turning it off. I heard something pop and the next thing I know water is SHOOTING out of the cast iron stop box which was buried no less than five feet underground. It looked like a damn geyser at Yellowstone.

I'll never forget the look on the journeyman's face when he saw this and said "What'd you DO???"

I swear I didn't horse that valve, but I still ended up on base crew (running a shovel) for the next 10 months......

I'm still scared of those things to this day.


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## LEAD INGOT (Jul 15, 2009)

The two that stand out for me were, installing a roman tub faucet on a big corner Jacuzzi and I got her a lil hot and bubbled up the fiberglass, oops. And the other, I was cutting out a cast stack, I checked the other side of the wall, for pictures, knick knacks etc. All looked good so I started cutting, and them BANG! A small homemade clock that was up high on the bulkhead, that I missed on my inspection for breakables, went crashing through the solid surface cook top. That one hurt.


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Went to do some various repairs and change out a Moen cart in an apartment one day. The unemployed guy (idiot) who was there was absolutely sh*t-faced drunk and just a-howling, so I was extremely distracted. Forgot to shut off the water first and the cartridge was very stuck. I *yanked* it out and got the soaking of my life. Didn't know where the water shutoff was and couldn't get any answers out of Mr. Drunky - only gibberish and nonsense (threatening to kill me and such). Took me 5 or 10 minutes to give up on that and just ram the old cartridge back in against the water flow (easier said than done  ). Then mopped up the rather damp bathroom and got the hell out of there.

*EDIT:* Oh hell, I remembered another fun one! I did a renovation on a Vancouver house. Vancouver has sprinkler rules for houses and this house had a 2" water service. It was black poly-e and they wanted it moved to suit the new bathroom. They had enough length, so I moved it over and put the same 2" corporation fitting back on the end (it was in perfect condition). Well... it turns out this fitting was some stupid off brand that didn't have any tooth ring - it was designed to distort the pipe when it clamped down and relied on the stiffness of the plastic to not slip - fine for underground, where the dirt keeps it from slipping. I never thought to brace it to framing (there wasn't any there when I did the job) and the job finished up and I forgot about it... for about six months...

Then I got the dreaded call. The fitting had slipped off the end. Customers had to call the city emergency line and wait for hours for them to come out and shut it off... with a 2" fire hose blasting into their newly renovated basement the whole time. It wrecked gas valves on boiler, HWT and fireplace, a nice pool table, all the new renovation, drywall, flooring, on and on. Needless to say, they hated me, and I didn't blame them a bit. I went back and put on a proper Mueller fitting and braced it well, no charge, and then quietly disappeared. Payed my insurance deductible and let them deal with it. It cost me a lot of money and headaches, but I heard later that they ended up happy - the second renovation was much nicer than the first and they didn't have to pay for it.


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## shakeyglenn68 (Dec 29, 2010)

*done my fair share...*

2nd day on the job. New construction of apartments, was handed a sawzall and was told "saw out the sheetrock where the black circle is, stay on the lines." So here goes greenhorn and sawzall zooming about.. Cut 18, 3&1/2" holes. In the process greenhorn cut: 9 main power feeds, 9 security feeds, knicked 9 main water supply lines, cut 1 main load barring beam.:whistling2: 

The gentleman that handed me the sawzall stood beside me as I got chewed on by the boss, he also stood beside me as we had to run the sewer machines for the next 3 months.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Operating a Case back hoe is easy right??? Ok the biggest thing I operated with wheels is a Caterpiller 992C Tool Carrier. I thought to myself this is going to be easy! (Ok rule 1: never think for yourself, ask someone if you dont know!) I got the hang of the operations, was digging pretty good. The men standing around where laughing cause of the jerky movements. Felt the back lift so I backed the bucket off and pulled it out. Asked them, "What is it?" They got into the ditch and poked around, locating a 4" steel pipe, Nothing was suppose to be there. "Call the boss make certain nothing is here!" I stated (done had enough butt chewings from him once already for doing things without asking first!) Lead Journeyman came looked at it, poked it, beat it with hammer. said, "Its a dead line pull it out." (Rule 2: if it pulled you once its bigger than you!) Hooked it with bucket, pulled...... dug around it 10 feet unbairing it some.... Pulled again.. guys started yelling, "STOP!!!" Rear of back hoe 4' off the ground, I stopped........ Phillips Petroleum showed up just in the knick of time!! 4" steel pipe was a oil pipeline, bent the hell out of it, but didnt snap, or crack it. I didnt get the chewing but you could here the boss outside of the shop in the back parking lot chewing some rear! When it was all over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My flob, all mine! Another case backhoe, steader operation... Flags are out showing where what is underground. A good 7 feet running parallel with the gas line, 8 feet down, feel bucket hang, back it out, have hands check it. Yellow MDPE pipe, running across ditch 4' down. Look around its not marked to be there. Get on the phone call the MAD BUTT CHEWER! "If its not marked! Its not suppose to be there!" Is his statement. "SO.... What do YOU want me to do?" I ask. after a pause he yells "DO your JOB!" Tell my guys step back, if it hisses run like hell! Reached in and pulled it out... sure enough!! Gas spraying out. Call boss again! "I got gas!" "WTF you cant call OKIE and have them come check to see if they missed something NO!!! You have to dig!!" (return to rule 1!) Waited for ONG to fix broke line.... wonder how much butt is going to be missing when I get back to shop.... I was a man took the butt chewing even asked "You want salt and pepper with the lurd your chewing?" Rule 3 Never be a smart ____ when they are almost done chewing your butt! Got a week off! Came in the next week and low and behold posted in big red letters beside time clock! "Call OKIE if YOUR unsure!! Next time YOU pay the bill not ME!!" 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I lucked out was taken off backhoe duty for about a year, 2 months after my sweet adventure, another guy in the same backhoe dug straight through a fiber optics line and OGE power service for the northwest side of the city of Moore, Ok.  No body went back to the shop after the call went across the radio!:whistling2:
~~~~~~~~~~~
New job,Had to turn the main water feed to complex off, being no longer a green horn I called the city to come turn it off, the city calls back that it will be tomorrow, So I Had the adventure of turning off the city main shutoff to apartment complex, Was murder to get it to start turning... Get the line shut off, changed out 28 tub shower stems and seats, went out to turn main back on..... It turned and turned and turned but no water!!! OK 5pm, in july in a prodominate mexican apartment complex w/o water. First question, When is the water going to be back on. "SOON".... 7pm in july Irrate mexicans.... When is the water going to be back on Benda.... "SOON" 10pm in july drunk mexicans ........CENSORED....... "SOON" 3am water finially back on after the city had to replace a 6" water main shutoff, they had to shutdown 2 miles to fix it... Now on when I call the city to come out and turn the water off they dont hesitate!


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## mselkee (Aug 13, 2009)

A crew in Glendale area of LA putting in water services on the 1st phase of huge tract. They were digging with a ditch witch. I get a call (one of the guys was my best friend) "hey we had a bunch of wires and stuff come up about 5' in from the property line...what do you think? From the description it sounded like phone wires. "Hey stop right now and call the phone co." "Nah, I think it's just a line going to the other phases of the tract, It will be a year before they even discover its cut." 

I get a call at home that evening. "I think we might be in some trouble, there's all kinds of phone company cars and trucks driving up and down the street, we buried all the wire scraps but they keep looking at the ditch witch." The line did serve the next phases of the tract.....and half the city of Glendale. Epic A$$ chewing from what I heard. Good thing the other guy on the crew was the owner's son. The ditch witch was sold after that.

I got called in by the boss one Friday and fired for forgetting to rough in the bar sink on all of a certain plan house in a tract we were doing. It was a slab split level with an extremely deep sewer that was 30' from where the bar sink was supposed to be.

"Uhhh......I didn't plumb those units I dug the plumbing ditches boss. I remember because that fixture was a hassle to dig to because the main sewer was so deep and I had nowhere to put the dirt." Poor sucker that plumbed them thought it was a trench for a footing. Talk about jack hammer city.

Another job in Costa Mesa. Foreman calls and sez all the forms are out of square, I talked to the site super and I'm pulling off of the back and right side of each plan. This puts the least stacks out of the wall and the super said no problem he will just have the carpenter furr that wall out, besides he doesn't want to hold the job up. This is for 70 pads post tension slab on grade. Guess who had to go back and fix it? Hint, it wasn't the concrete contractor or the carpenter. 

Had some jackwagon go through a tract and shoot about 50 pressed steel soaking tubs with a pellet gun. Builder said no repairs allowed....that got expensive.

Enough for now....I'm getting depressed.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

I had one a few months into my apprenticeship at a Major brewery. I cut a freon line that was run fastend to a vent line I was instructed to cut. I saw the freon pouring out of what looked like the vent. I asked the boss are vents supposed to smoke from upstairs. I was lucky because freon displaces Oxygen and I could have suffocated. 

The second big one I had was I cut a 1 1/2 med gas line with 160lb test on it with a tubing cutter. It exploded and shot copper shards into both of my arms and face. Good thing I had safety glasses on. That was my fault but in my defense, it was a very complex system at a biomedical research facility. The test was forgotten about and was supposed to be blown down already. I learned one of the most important lessons of plumbing that day. NEVER cut a pipe all the way through without nicking it first to determine pressure is off.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

RW Plumbing said:


> I had one a few months into my apprenticeship at a Major brewery. I cut a freon line that was run fastend to a vent line I was instructed to cut. I saw the freon pouring out of what looked like the vent. I asked the boss are vents supposed to smoke from upstairs. *I was lucky because freon displaces Oxygen and I could have suffocated. *
> 
> The second big one I had was I cut a 1 1/2 med gas line with 160lb test on it with a tubing cutter. It exploded and shot copper shards into both of my arms and face. Good thing I had safety glasses on. That was my fault but in my defense, it was a very complex system at a biomedical research facility. The test was forgotten about and was supposed to be blown down already. I learned one of the most important lessons of plumbing that day. NEVER cut a pipe all the way through without nicking it first to determine pressure is off.


:laughing: *it is also very flamable*


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

OldSchool said:


> :laughing: *it is also very flamable*


Not according to any documentation I can find.



> The Freons are colourless, odourless, nonflammable, noncorrosive gases or liquids of low toxicity that were introduced as refrigerants in the 1930s; they also proved useful as propellants for aerosols and in numerous technical applications. Their low boiling points, low surface tension, and low viscosity make them especially useful refrigerants. They are extremely stable, inert compounds. The Freons neither present a fire hazard nor give off a detectable odour in their circulation through refrigerating and air-conditioning systems. The most important members of the group have been dichlorodifluoromethane (Freon 12), trichlorofluoromethane (Freon 11), chlorodifluoromethane (Freon 22), dichlorotetrafluoroethane (Freon 114), and trichlorotrifluoroethane (Freon 113).


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

RW Plumbing said:


> I had one a few months into my apprenticeship at a Major brewery. I cut a freon line that was run fastend to a vent line I was instructed to cut.


After being told 3 times on a remodel to watch out for the A/C lineset, I watched my service manager drill right into it. :whistling2:


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## CaptainBob (Jan 3, 2011)

I've heard many stories and have had a few screw ups myself. One I remember was told to me by an old timer that I used to work with, rest his soul. Some years ago, the late 70's I believe, he had just finished up water piping a new home and turned the water on at the end of the day on a Friday before a Memorial day weekend. Everything looked good and he packed up the tools and headed home. Sometime that weekend a fitting that he missed soldering blew apart and water ran wide open all weekend until the following Tuesday morning when someone showed up to work there and discovered the house completely flooded. It was a four level style home with a full basement and attached 3rd level that was half way below grade. For some reason the floor drain was plugged so the basement level had filled up completely, and the 3rd level was filled up to the windows where the water was running outside. The house needed quite a bit of rework, and cost $50,000 to repair at that time, which was covered by insurance.
Back when I was a young nubbin’ buck apprentice as my boss called me I accidentally poked a hole through a fiberglass whirlpool tub from underneath with a sawzall. The homeowner seen it before we could get tub repair out there to fix it and they didn’t want a repaired tub. As you could imagine there was lots of  language from my boss as we ended up changing it out. We brought the damaged one to the shop and had it repaired, and installed it elsewhere, but I was sweating it out there for awhile.
Another time when I was a nubbin’ I was told to hook up an icemaker line to a refrigerator. Some of the fridges at the time had short pieces of ¼” OD copper sticking out of them where we would couple the line onto for the icemaker. This particular one had a stub sticking out of the back but it was crimped over, so thinking that this was the spot I cut it off with a pipe cutter only to have “air” come out as I cut it. I asked the boss, “is air supposed to come out of that line when I cut it?” “You  idiot”, by boss said, “That was the air coming out of your  head!!” It turned out I had cut a Freon line for the fridge and let out all the Freon. Removing a panel off the back revealed the actual icemaker connection. The builder we were plumbing this house for laughed and took care of getting the fridge fixed, without any charge to us, but again I was sweating it for awhile.
I know many more, I will have to remember all the details and post them here when I get time--TheCaptain


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## Kentheplumber (Aug 18, 2010)

Yestarday I was working on a sink line that i was having a hard time getting open after cabling for some time. after talking it over with the customer we decided to go ahead and jet it from the stack cleanout in the basement. I warned him of the possible mess that may come with jetting a line that is full but i would try to keep it under control as the basement was finished. The steel cleanout cap was frozen in to the cast stack clean out recessed in a finished wall. Had to break it out. Thought most of the water had drained down. My mistake. 
After a couple wacks with the chisel I took about a 60 secound shower in some of the thickest, blackest drain sludge I have encountered so far. it sprayed all over me, the wall, floor and some furniture right there in front of the customer. I was pretty sure I had just lost my job. I proceeded with jetting the line clear with even more of the black stuff pouring out of the drain before I got it open. I spent quite a while cleaning up afterward cause that stuff just smears everywhere. 
After all of that the customer was really happy. I charged them 475.00 and they payed without a complaint and thanked me for my sticking to it until the job was done despite the mess or being completely coated in filth. They even said they were going to call the office and give a report of how good of a job I did. I keep thinking I am gonna get called into the office and get fired. I will never do that again. From now on they will just have to wait until it is completely drained or have it pumped out.


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## bartnc37 (Feb 24, 2009)

Not a big screw up on my part but greatly entertaining. I was working as summer help in high school and was helping bust crete and dig trenches in this large remodel of an old frat house into apartments. 
My boss walks in and starts biotching about how he would have had this done already and the whole nine yards. He basically runs me over and is like I'll show you how this is done. He grabs a big chunk of crete and chucks it at a wheelbarrow about 15' away. 
What he failed to notice was the stack of 8' bay windows leaned up against the wall behind said wheelbarrow under a large tarp. This was probably a 30 pound chunk of rock and he really put the mustard to it. He got through all of them.:thumbup: I just stood there slightly dumbfounded until the other M.P. who worked for the company runs in after hearing the crash , see's what happened and looks straight at the boss/owner and says something to the effect of," You rammy SOB this is why we cant have nice things" The boss was absolutely speechless, he just hung his head and walked out, I mean I guess at that point what is there to say but DOOH!


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## Ishmael (Dec 9, 2009)

Kentheplumber said:


> Yestarday I was working on a sink line that i was having a hard time getting open after cabling for some time. after talking it over with the customer we decided to go ahead and jet it from the stack cleanout in the basement. I warned him of the possible mess that may come with jetting a line that is full but i would try to keep it under control as the basement was finished. The steel cleanout cap was frozen in to the cast stack clean out recessed in a finished wall. Had to break it out. Thought most of the water had drained down. My mistake.
> After a couple wacks with the chisel I took about a 60 secound shower in some of the thickest, blackest drain sludge I have encountered so far. it sprayed all over me, the wall, floor and some furniture right there in front of the customer. I was pretty sure I had just lost my job. I proceeded with jetting the line clear with even more of the black stuff pouring out of the drain before I got it open. I spent quite a while cleaning up afterward cause that stuff just smears everywhere.
> After all of that the customer was really happy. I charged them 475.00 and they payed without a complaint and thanked me for my sticking to it until the job was done despite the mess or being completely coated in filth. They even said they were going to call the office and give a report of how good of a job I did. I keep thinking I am gonna get called into the office and get fired. I will never do that again. From now on they will just have to wait until it is completely drained or have it pumped out.


Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.

My old boss once set an apprentice to removing all the cast iron in a demo/remodel job. The house was originally plumbed in the days when every house was fitted with a 4" cast iron running trap just before heading out to the town sewer. The boss and the one other licensed guy were grinning, watching and whispering as the poor guy started pounding on that trap with his 3lb sledge hammer until it finally exploded all over him. Ahhhhh...good times.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Not as nasty but much colder. Was very cold morning first thing out me and helper went to pressurize a fire line we had just ran evening before. I was inside at bolted flange near window, sent helper out to monitor the fireline as I commenced pressurizing with nitrogen. The line held water all night just fine but when I pressured up to bout 75 psi he turned to jump out of ditch really panicked looking as the 4" fireline blew apart and seriously drenched him. My concrete thrust blocks did not hold the stress. Poor guy was frozen. I sent him in truck to get some hub locks and to warm up. We still laugh of that to today.


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Had a helper till 2 mondays ago. He was found passed out in front of the house, rushed to the ER. 

It was a good deed to employ a son of one of my investors, but losing a $58 garden hose along with my customer as a result of someone's ignorance was grounds for termination, especially when they called it "no big deal" being passed out for 2.5 hours in a car with it running. 

Sleep is for beds, dumbass!


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## bartnc37 (Feb 24, 2009)

You fired him for going into diabetic shock? Or was this a different helper?


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

bartnc37 said:


> You fired him for going into diabetic shock? Or was this a different helper?


 
He was using a unprescribed medication that was directly related to him going into diabetic shock, as his follow up with the doctor revealed normal blood sugar levels the next day. 

He was acting high strung that day leading up to that event. 

If his vehicle would of been sitting in that driveway we worked at, and he died? 

My company would not only be held liable, but could of opened up disaster for me in a bad way, even though it wasn't my fault. 

Being that is was on a public street, and he wasn't working for me at the time, he was not employed by me at the time of the incident. 

He was a good worker, was getting the routine down good without me having to lead him to every step. 

But his actions were permanent, ending ones as it broke a veil of security with my customer, as she now thinks I had america's most wanted in her basement. :no:

Every one of my customers got along with this fellow too. No complaints, he was good with the knowledge he had as a helper. Cheap too.


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

DUNBAR PLUMBING said:


> He was using a unprescribed medication that was directly related to him going into diabetic shock, as his follow up with the doctor revealed normal blood sugar levels the next day.
> 
> He was acting high strung that day leading up to that event.
> 
> ...


Dammit.............


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Titan Plumbing said:


> Dammit.............


 
I had 3 unemployed plumbers call me monday looking for a job... all of them when I asked for wage requirements,

"Well, I can't work for no less than $18/hour." 


Really? How comfortable is that chair you're sitting in right now?


Get used to it. 


Something's wrong if you're a "good" plumber and haven't worked in months, son.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Something's wrong if you're a "good" plumber and haven't worked in months, son.[/QUOTE]
Good plumbers, not to mention licensed are all but impossible to find here. Those that have both quality's are already employed.


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## OleTom (Jun 17, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> Sheesh, couldn't those plumbers see that their pipe threads didn't have any taper?


Seems like they would I was running Victaulic and copper so I was in a scissors lift every day and missing the fun on the ground :thumbup: 


I cut a short piece of scaffold board for a bench and a piece of ply wood 4'X4' for my work bench and have my helpers handing up my pipe do my own drilling and stay in it all day in my own little world


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## DIZ (Nov 17, 2010)

Allow me to preface this by saying I was young and dumb.....Was cutting up some sub floor with a skill saw. I had the depth set to be about 1/2" below. I nicked a 1/2'' cu water line which was tight to the underside of the sub floor, and then the fun started. I looked everywhere for the shut off, called anyone that I had contact for. No luck. 10 minutes has elapsed by now! Main at street buried in snow (kamloops in winter) One room in house remaining, must be in there......door is locked! It happens that it was an outward opening door and the hinges were exposed. Open the door to a storage room floor to ceiling full of stuff. I start hauling this crap out into the kids play room whcih is starting to look like a swamp. With little regard for his stuff, I plow forward and eventually find the elusive shut off. 30 minutes of water pouring down everywhere. To make matters worse, it turns out the HO is in Hawaii. I arranged a restoration company to suck out the water and put fans on everything. GC had bailed on the job so I was a bit alone in it all. HO put everything through on his insurance, and felt bad about locking the storage room door. 

Every job I go to now, I always know where the main shut off is.


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## CaptainBob (Jan 3, 2011)

Another screw up for your entertainment-

This was just a couple of years ago when I am supposed to be old and wise and know better...

For the shop I work for now I do a lot of managing of jobs from initial bid to final bill...On a townhome 8 plex we do for a builder, we normally plumb the building drains in 3", only 2 baths. One we had been sent plans that had 3 baths, so those of you that know your code would know then we need 4"...Well, I forgot to tell the crews that were going out there to do the groundworks, so they roughed every thing in in 3"...The builder's job supe noticed that and called us, had to send the guys back out there to change it to 4", the boss wasn't very happy, don't think I got a bonus check that year...:blink:


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## greenscoutII (Aug 27, 2008)

CaptainBob said:


> Another screw up for your entertainment-
> 
> This was just a couple of years ago when I am supposed to be old and wise and know better...
> 
> For the shop I work for now I do a lot of managing of jobs from initial bid to final bill...On a townhome 8 plex we do for a builder, we normally plumb the building drains in 3", only 2 baths. One we had been sent plans that had 3 baths, so those of you that know your code would know then we need 4"...Well, I forgot to tell the crews that were going out there to do the groundworks, so they roughed every thing in in 3"...The builder's job supe noticed that and called us, had to send the guys back out there to change it to 4", the boss wasn't very happy, don't think I got a bonus check that year...:blink:


Hmmm. How many toilets are you guys allowed to put on a 3" line where you live? In Colorado, you can have a max of three toilets on a 3" line. You would have been OK...


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## CaptainBob (Jan 3, 2011)

Here in Minnesota, only 2 water closets allowed on 3". You can have up to 6 on a vertical stack, but as soon as you go horizontal you need to switch to 4".
We cranked out so many of those townhouse units we could darn near do 'em in our sleep. The guys knew the measurements of everything on the ground floor, didn't really even need the prints, just forgot to tell 'em 4"...:whistling2:


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## greenscoutII (Aug 27, 2008)

Yeah, I plumbed about a bajillion Pulte townhomes. It got to the point that we started to know what length of pipe we were going to need without even having to measure.

I miss new construction.....


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## mselkee (Aug 13, 2009)

A few more that come to mind:

Got a call from a customer that our plumbing leak ruined the interior of her new Benz. Sure enough, go to her condo, enter the garage and there sits a brand new 450 SL open top filled with drywall and water from the garage ceiling. Go upstairs (the washer was right above the ceiling collapse) and look at her brand new washer that the appliance guy installed the day before and neglected to check the packing nuts on the bib. Sorrrrrrrry call the appliance guy. She was not happy.

Got a call to a three story subterranean condo project that was finished but unoccupied, for a leak. Start in the garage work my way up to the third floor carpet, drywall all trashed. The leak was spraying from a hole in a party wall with no plumbing in it. Huh....go next door and find a nail hole spraying across the other condo that drilled a hole through a 2 hour drywall party wall and managed to completely destroy two units.....at least the garage drains worked!

Working as a field super for a friends fire protection company (he was Iranian and used Iranian fitters-that's another page of fun stories) A TI job they did above a FM radio station flooded and destroyed the radio station. That put an end to the fitters telling me they didn't need to use sprinkler head wrenches a pipe wrench would work just as good. It was all over when the insurance CO found pipe wrench marks on the heads. 

Same company, (my last week there) I did a layout for a Sears in a mall which included getting the layout approved by the fire inspector and putting in about a million threaded anchor inserts in the deck before the next floor was poured. Same Iranian crew told the owner I screwed the layout up and the proceeded to move the whole system over 3 feet and drilling an ungodly amount of new anchor inserts (we're talking 400-500) for the change. Talked to the owner about a 6 months later and he apologized to me, "I thought you were a real ###$# when my guys told me you screwed the layout up, than I tried to get it inspected and the inspector made me move it back to your original approved layout- about 80K square feet of sprinkler coverage to install twice. The funny thing was, I got a bunch of concessions from the inspector to make the job super easy to begin with! 

Same company again "forgot" to install a thrust blocking on a 6" ductile iron main feeding a 3 story subterranean in South Beverly Hills. Blew out a few months later in the middle of the night. Naturally the subterranean parking area was filled with Jags, Benzes, Porsches, etc. The seat pads from the stored pool furniture clogged the drains for an added bonus of 4 foot deep water for them to marinate in............I think I only hung around that place to see what would happen next.


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

greenscoutII said:


> Hmmm. How many toilets are you guys allowed to put on a 3" line where you live? In Colorado, you can have a max of three toilets on a 3" line. You would have been OK...


Ontario says drain size must be increased to 4" at or before the connection of the third toilet.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

I have been working on a good screw up. One of our area hospitals has been open for 14 mo. The kitchen started backing up. I have been out with the camera for 2 days, trying to locate the problem and give the Mech. contractor a solution. The more line I camera the worse the situation grew. All of the GW and W lines in the building maintained some water, some places total "bellies". I got off the camera and on the sight level, started doing the math and shooting grade. The system has 0% fall, from the kitchen 167' inside the bldg., to the flow line in the man hole 190' from the bldg. Flat as a pancake, except for the low spots. That translates that no repairs are possible without starting over. This building will need preventive jetting monthly, to keep this system free of blockages. The plumber that supervised the construction resigned today.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

slickrick said:


> I have been working on a good screw up. One of our area hospitals has been open for 14 mo. The kitchen started backing up. I have been out with the camera for 2 days, trying to locate the problem and give the Mech. contractor a solution. The more line I camera the worse the situation grew. All of the GW and W lines in the building maintained some water, some places total "bellies". I got off the camera and on the sight level, started doing the math and shooting grade. The system has 0% fall, from the kitchen 167' inside the bldg., to the flow line in the man hole 190' from the bldg. Flat as a pancake, except for the low spots. That translates that no repairs are possible without starting over. This building will need preventive jetting monthly, to keep this system free of blockages. The plumber that supervised the construction resigned today.


turn it into a forced main and your problems are over......

Have the kitchen have a catch basin and pump and pump it down that drain... unless there other stuff tied into further down the line


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

OldSchool said:


> turn it into a forced main and your problems are over......
> 
> Have the kitchen have a catch basin and pump and pump it down that drain... unless there other stuff tied into further down the line


I'll have to put the lift station inside the kitchen. There's no room.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

slickrick said:


> I'll have to put the lift station inside the kitchen.


or under the floor in the drop ceiling below.... thats if there is a ceiling below


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Ground level on grade. And I take it back, I would have to put it in surgery to catch both lines.

And break out the entire kitchen to get fall on the remaining lines.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

slickrick said:


> Ground level on grade. And I take it back, I would have to put it in surgery to catch both lines.


tell them you got to do what you got to do and the problem goes away...

You will look like a hero .... the only guy that has a viable solution.... they sell small catch basins to go under kitchen sinks....


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

OldSchool said:


> tell them you got to do what you got to do and the problem goes away...
> 
> You will look like a hero .... the only guy that has a viable solution.... they sell small catch basins to go under kitchen sinks....


Jetting maint. is the best solution in this case. This one is what it is.


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

Buying a new jetter, are you? :whistling2:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

That has yet to be discussed. I have a meeting on Monday with a senior executive from the mech.contractor. They are a heavy hitting company that I was a supt. at for a few yrs. If they will give me a contract,yes. That is the only way.


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

slickrick said:


> That has yet to be discussed. I have a meeting on Monday with a senior executive from the mech.contractor. They are a heavy hitting company that I was a supt. at for a few yrs. If they will give me a contract,yes. That is the only way.


 
Hmmm ... thinking about your customer or yourself :laughing:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

OldSchool said:


> Hmmm ... thinking about your customer or yourself :laughing:


They know I am a professional, that's why they call me in these situations. I have looked at every detail, and lay out the documentation. Perry Mason couldn't find a hole in my report.


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## bartnc37 (Feb 24, 2009)

Shouldn't there be a whole bunch of guys resigning? I realize in a situation like this the man with the final say takes the fall but I doubt he was the only one in this project that knew there was no pitch on the drain piping. How the heck did it get past inspections?


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

bartnc37 said:


> Shouldn't there be a whole bunch of guys resigning? I realize in a situation like this the man with the final say takes the fall but I doubt he was the only one in this project that knew there was no pitch on the drain piping. How the heck did it get past inspections?


This is a good company. The supt. that is working with me on the problem was ragging on the guy to the area supt. His response was " He is part of this team, we will find a solution". I have been having to ask a lot of questions about what I am finding, and it is coming out that the supt. was the only one that new about the elevation problems that they found when they started the project. Instead of stopping and contacting the engineers about the problem, he thought he would be a hero and push the job through on schedule, telling the plumbers doing the installing that it was only waste water and would work fine being flat. Did I mention that he was a gas fitter and not a plumber? He also omitted 80% of the floor and wall C/O's that are desperately needed. As a supt. no one is checking you, It's your project, only bean counters above that level. As far as inspections, this is a rural area. Commercial projects intimidate small town inspectors.


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

My next question on this project is going to be how far this problem goes. Should the engineer share the responsibility? Are the man hole elevations installed to elevations established by the engineer? I never trust engineers to be " gods". I verify that I can get from point a to point b properly. if the line requires 1% grade and there is only 1/2% available, the engineer will have to sign off before I proceed. I wonder how many are out there that assume that because of the title "Engineer" that they are rocket scientist. Did the plumber and the utility contractor ( now bankrupt) run blindly to these established elevations? The sewer main is prolly well over a 1000' of gravity line. Is the sewer a time bomb also? The city is complaining about the solids stopping up their lift station at least @ 1/2 mi. away from the hospital property. Is the gravity line backing up, then letting surges of solids hit the lift station all at one time when it clears itself? Inquiring minds want to know. Another co. that the hospital uses has been clearing the blockages, but when I ask them where they are hitting the blockages and what is occurring, they just know that they ran the jetter and got it moving. I am one that has to know where and why it is occurring. Apparently some people do not think that way.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

slickrick said:


> ...I never trust engineers to be " gods"...


"ENGINEER" - a french word that is literally translated _"one who possesses the qualifications of a snobbish home inspector"_ :laughing:

Although in this case it appears the plumbers weren't any better.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Who ever it is that actually wrote the checks to the GC for this project should be being advised to consult an attorney. Bankruptcy might not protect the parties involved if they knowingly and willfully contradicted and violated code laws that resulted in endangering health and/or property. Based on what little you've shared, I see a lawsuit for the cost to re-plumb the hospital. Could be 100's of thousands in awarded damages if not millions depending on how bad the system is and how big the facility is.

This might get really ugly and I doubt that people with enough resources and money to build a hospital will let this go away as a maintenance issue. :no:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

You can see from the number of locations the power they will have.

http://www.etmc.org/locations.htm


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

slickrick said:


> You can see from the number of locations the power they will have.
> 
> http://www.etmc.org/locations.htm


Just as I suspected. :detective:

Buying you a jetter is the least of they're worries. :yes:


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

It will be interesting to see how far the mech contractor lets me go before they pull my plug. The hospital staff has been present during my findings. The mech. contractor brought me in as a third party for a non-biased assessment, and that says a lot for them. They are not trying to hide anything at this time. We may have to contact Mark (ToUtahNow) If it gets too deep.


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

One of the apprenti received these isolators at my job the other day and he didn't know what they were or where they were suppose to go. He looked at the tag on one of the twelve and it said "location - RF". He assumed they were for the cooling towers on the "RooF", and had them sent up with the tower crane. Since then they have dismantled the crane and I discovered the isolators up there. In fact, they are for the chillers in the basement and the one he looked at was labeled "RF" for "right front". Six story building with 20' ceilings and he called in sick the day after he had to carry them down one by one at about 90 lbs each. Not a monumental error, but he'll take mat handling a little more seriously from now on I'm sure!


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## greenscoutII (Aug 27, 2008)

U.A.til.I.die said:


> One of the apprenti received these isolators at my job the other day and he didn't know what they were or where they were suppose to go. He looked at the tag on one of the twelve and it said "location - RF". He assumed they were for the cooling towers on the "RooF", and had them sent up with the tower crane. Since then they have dismantled the crane and I discovered the isolators up there. In fact, they are for the chillers in the basement and the one he looked at was labeled "RF" for "right front". Six story building with 20' ceilings and he called in sick the day after he had to carry them down one by one at about 90 lbs each. Not a monumental error, but he'll take mat handling a little more seriously from now on I'm sure!


Little twerp should get shovel duty for a month!:laughing:


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I made a wrong turn while driving to a job once..

The GPS said to turn right...
But the house I was going to was actually a left turn...

Now I check the numbers on the houses before believing that stupid thing...:laughing:


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

greenscoutII said:


> Little twerp should get shovel duty for a month!:laughing:


Underground is long over on this job, but I think we have found our new core driller... Btw, this is the same kid that cored right through a plastic primer line and didn't tell anyone. The GC found the core laying around and brought it to my GF's attention. Good help is hard to find!


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

I worked at a 54 story hotel in Niagara falls, Ontario for almost 2 years. The building had a partial occupancy permit so the building was almost in full swing. The maint dept decided to take it upon themselves to add a laundry tub in the mech room while there were still 25 plumbers on site. Needless to say, he was fired. He also tied the water lines into the domestic at the prv station with black nipples.


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

If he would have jumped up on the pad at the corner then he would have had fall to the floor drain.......big dummy.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

U.A.til.I.die said:


> I worked at a 54 story hotel in Niagara falls, Ontario for almost 2 years. The building had a partial occupancy permit so the building was almost in full swing. The maint dept decided to take it upon themselves to add a laundry tub in the mech room while there were still 25 plumbers on site. Needless to say, he was fired. He also tied the water lines into the domestic at the prv station with black nipples.


 At least his solder joints look good..... I've seen much much worse from a maintence man. That would be radiator hose directly connected to the sink drain. It would also be garden hose adapted to the faucet from a boiler drain somewhere.


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## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

The linked article has a back story. The $hitbirds changing the water heater obviously didn't understand the possible consequences of an open gas line. During the legal shuffle after the incident, Mr. Mudgett, who was the occupant of the building, was found to have the most lucrative insurance policy and thus got stuck paying for the injuries of Mr. Clark. Plumbers screw up, employer's insurance is inadequate, no problem. The chump who just wanted hot water to wash his hands will cover it.
I know this to be true because I heard it from Mr. Mudgett. 
http://mytown.mercurynews.com/archives/lgwt/20050112/lgcover.shtml


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

*Skid loader*

Was at brothers yesterday, helping him take his cattle guard out to clean out from under it and reinstall. It was loaded with dirt so he was lifting and dropping to dislodge the dirt. He was using my 1845C uniloader. He was lifting an end at a time bout 8ft. in the air and dropping. He had trouble at one point getting it to dislodge from the bucket and when it did the loss of weight and the built up torck flung him backwards. The machine rared back on its back end to darn near 90 degrees standing on end looking at the sky. I think he bout filled his britches, I know I bout did! I really really thought he was going to go on over.


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## apollo (Jan 10, 2011)

When I was an apprentice I was doing finish work in a 9 story, and I was carrying my box with glue, primer and related items. I had to walk from one side of the building to go up the other side because the side I was working on was closed. Upon arrival of the other side I smelt the primer and when I looked back there was wa perfect line of purple on the newly installed VCT flooring. Did you ever see what primer does to VCT? I did not like working for that company anyway...hahaha


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## smudge (Jan 19, 2010)

Twice I have found piercing valves that supply ice makers connected to hydronic heating pipes


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## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

smudge said:


> Twice I have found piercing valves that supply ice makers connected to hydronic heating pipes


I've always wondered what glycol ice cubes looked like? Bet they taste good, too.


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## greenscoutII (Aug 27, 2008)

Plumbus said:


> I've always wondered what glycol ice cubes looked like? Bet they taste good, too.


Or black boiler water cubes..... Ick....


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## yodathlete (Jan 10, 2011)

I am a student at a vocational school and while "installing" a gas water heater I forgot to solder 1 side of a 90 that was running off the cold water line and o put the water on to test and the 90 flew off and the water missed my teacher by about a foot


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

yodathlete said:


> I am a student at a vocational school and while "installing" a gas water heater I forgot to solder 1 side of a 90 that was running off the cold water line and o put the water on to test and the 90 flew off and the water missed my teacher by about a foot


 *Hello! Introduction Requested* 
An intro is requested from all new members. In case you missed it, here is the link. http://www.plumbingzone.com/f3/.

The PZ is for Plumbing Professionals ( those engaged in the plumbing profession)

Post an intro and tell our members where you are from, yrs in the trade, and your area(s) of expertise in the plumbing field.

This info helps members who are waiting to welcome you to the best plumbing site there is.

We look forward to your valuable input.


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## Airgap (Dec 18, 2008)

Plumbus said:


> I've always wondered what glycol ice cubes looked like? Bet they taste good, too.


Those would be some dang cold ice cubes....:blink:


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

A buddy of mine asked me to replace his water heater. He lives on 2nd floor in a condo. W/H is under air handler. While soldering new connections I turned off air handler but left old, dry, dusty filter in place while I soldered. I have done that before and never burned the A/C filter, so I left it in place, about 8 inches above the copper pipe. Big mistake. That damn filter caught fire and smoked liked an Indy car spinning its tires out of a pitstop! My friend (let's call him Matt-:whistling2 ran to open the windows then we got the hell out of there. The smoke was coming out of the windows. He had to go rent a motel room that night, get his clothes all professionally dry cleaned and clean soot. He took it well and said to me, "At least you weren't at one of your customer's homes."

Now I always remove the air filters when the A/C unit is above the heater.:yes:


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

futz said:


> Not according to any documentation I can find.


Once it has been in a AC or fridge system it sure is...... The oil from the compressor makes it flamable.... try it.... Take an AC system and open it up and put a flame to it and it will burn like crazy.


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## kiddplum (Feb 7, 2010)

*absolute screw ups*

been doing only new construction plumbing for about 6 years work dropped off was layed off and found a job with a service company
working on a 3 story house old boiler cast iron radiators lots of big pipe
had to drain the system down for some repair went to refill the system
no auto fill got tired of running up and down the stairs to bleed the radiator and fill the system thought i will open the fill valve slightly go upstairs and bleed the highest radiator key vent would not open i decided to unscrew it from thr radiator it broke i carry a pencil and a razor knife in my pocket at all times now


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## jeffreyplumber (Dec 7, 2009)

doing tract homes. we used to try to tell the builder not to lath w paper for stucco until the copper was done. well one time I caught some paper on fire, started kind of slow tried to put it out but no worry its under control well It takes about 15 seconds to go from no problem to pure panic well I put it out had to take my shirt off and beat it down. No real damage probebly an hours work for the lather. Got a reaming for no fire ext. . It also kept the lather from going ahead of us...


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## Fast fry (May 19, 2012)

greenscoutII said:


> Yeah, I plumbed about a bajillion Pulte townhomes. It got to the point that we started to know what length of pipe we were going to need without even having to measure.
> 
> I miss new construction.....


I have been at the point where it is so bad I don t even need the tape measure anymore either


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

2 story house, changed the water heater in the garage. Water heater is out and I'm bringing in the new one. Come inside and the garage has water everywhere on the floor. Turned out on of the kids tried taking a shower upstairs and broke the vacuum lock. H/O were very nice in helping clean it up..no permanent damage caused but it could've been much worse.


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## Plumberman911 (Dec 23, 2012)

gear junkie said:


> 2 story house, changed the water heater in the garage. Water heater is out and I'm bringing in the new one. Come inside and the garage has water everywhere on the floor. Turned out on of the kids tried taking a shower upstairs and broke the vacuum lock. H/O were very nice in helping clean it up..no permanent damage caused but it could've been much worse.


I have a good story of one I did a oops myself. Felt stupid

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


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## JoshJ (May 10, 2012)

As a second year apprentice, I was connecting steam generators in a condo unit. They were to be installed in the closet behind the shower. I had done two or three, when the next one was in a closet that I could barely fit in. The solder had just started flowing, when the heat in the closet became high enough to cause the sprinkler head above me to go off. The only dry spot on me was my left armpit!:laughing: Fortunately, the sprinkler system was under test, not yet hooked up, so it stopped flowing about the same time I found some five gallon pails. The site supervisor was good guy. Cranked up the radiant floor heat for the weekend and said don't worry about it. :thumbsup:


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## JWBII (Dec 23, 2012)

When you install an emergency eyewash valve it's a good idea to have someone watching the valve while you turn on the main. If they are upside down it may be on instead of off lol.

3rd year apprentice when I learned that.

It's amazing I never got hurt the times I forgot there was a 100lbs test on a copper system when I put heat to a fitting to fix a leak. All the times it happened it always blew off up so no one ever got hurt. It's safe to say I was very lucky as well as others...... Yea I don't do that anymore lol.

I don't stick **** in trap primer lines to straitened them out anymore either. Had the bright idea once to take a 1/4 extension to straighten the pipe coming outta the ground. It slipped and fell down the pipe. Fourtunately it stopped above the concrete so all I had to do was cut the pipe low. That could have been a doozy.

Not screw ups but funny ****.....

I soldered my 1/2 copper riser up with a short branch coming off. All well and goof except I used my ladder as a stand. That was fine too until I tried to take it out of the ladder lol.

Had an apprentice on my job run a trapeze right thru his ladder then couldn't get the ladder down.

Same apprentice soaped a whole chase down looking for a leak with no air in the line. He didn't even air the line up in the first place! Even told me he looked all over for the the leak then proceeded to tell me he hadn't filled that line up yet. That is a story I still laugh about 7 to 8 years later rofl.....


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

:laughing:


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

I always hear a story of a guy from our company well before I started in 03. He did an entire crawlspace drain and came back to the shop and said everything was fitted someone just has to glue it all up.....he forgot his glue so instead of getting glue thats what was done.


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## Plumberman911 (Dec 23, 2012)

dclarke said:


> I always hear a story of a guy from our company well before I started in 03. He did an entire crawlspace drain and came back to the shop and said everything was fitted someone just has to glue it all up.....he forgot his glue so instead of getting glue thats what was done.


Sounds like my son

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


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## Qball415 (Nov 20, 2010)

My EGO is beyond bruised right now I feel like I'm reduced down to a "handy-hack". Replaced a in wall shower valve few weeks ago with a remodel plate kit and everything was fine then. I get a call today from owner stating he cut out drywall because he saw mold, low and behold the brass on the valve I sweated was leaking on the back and damaged a few feet of the cedar flooring and 5'x3' of the drywall in the closet.
Apart from that the reason we didn't install valve from that closet was because they had a closet shelf kit built in that now needs to be replaced. Should I claim this on my insurance policy or just pay out of pocket? My drywall guy owes me a favor, the h/o is in the flooring business and I would need to replace the shelving.
I know stuff happens, but not to "me" right? I feel incredibly bad ill try not to sweat it. If Plumbing was easy my sister would be doing it.


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

Qball415 said:


> My EGO is beyond bruised right now I feel like I'm reduced down to a "handy-hack". Replaced a in wall shower valve few weeks ago with a remodel plate kit and everything was fine then. I get a call today from owner stating he cut out drywall because he saw mold, low and behold the brass on the valve I sweated was leaking on the back and damaged a few feet of the cedar flooring and 5'x3' of the drywall in the closet.
> Apart from that the reason we didn't install valve from that closet was because they had a closet shelf kit built in that now needs to be replaced. Should I claim this on my insurance policy or just pay out of pocket? My drywall guy owes me a favor, the h/o is in the flooring business and I would need to replace the shelving.
> I know stuff happens, but not to "me" right? I feel incredibly bad ill try not to sweat it. If Plumbing was easy my sister would be doing it.


Happens to the best of us, try not to sweat it and feel the guy out. Hopefully he lets you use your guys and you come out of pocket less than your deductible.


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## revenge (Jun 30, 2011)

were running a repipe on a old house i was a helper, my plumber was in the attic water lines and i was doing the drops in wall it was friday well he said start picking up i picked up all his tools my tools ladders, cleaned up sheet rock organize pipe and made a list whats needed well saturday we both get a call house is burning wtf after they ivestigated they found out that two halogen lights were left on in the attic. that guy tried to blame me the boss asked what i did before i left i told him picked up his tools my tools cleaned the floor loaded tools and ladders organized pipe and made a material list when the boss asked what he did he said start the van lol


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## revenge (Jun 30, 2011)

i accidently left the co. van in drive turned it off pulled out the keys got off and watched as the van rolled 1/2 block and plowed a stop sign


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## johnlewismcleod (Apr 6, 2012)

I was running 24" solvent weld S40 pipe for drainage using grey glue. It was sweltering hot so we had to move extra fast making up the joints even with grey glue. The sun was straight overhead and I had been slopping around in pea gravel for hours and was getting light-headed. 

I had just finished rolling the glue on to the spigot end and spun around to guide the hub on when I lost my balance and sat flat arse down on the fresh grey glue I had just rolled out.

It took about a minute for me to realize the glue had went through my britches and under-drawers...you talk about getting lit up


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

johnlewismcleod said:


> I was running 24" solvent weld S40 pipe for drainage using grey glue. It was sweltering hot so we had to move extra fast making up the joints even with grey glue. The sun was straight overhead and I had been slopping around in pea gravel for hours and was getting light-headed.
> 
> I had just finished rolling the glue on to the spigot end and spun around to guide the hub on when I lost my balance and sat flat arse down on the fresh grey glue I had just rolled out.
> 
> It took about a minute for me to realize the glue had went through my britches and under-drawers...you talk about getting lit up


:lol:


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## JoshJ (May 10, 2012)

johnlewismcleod said:


> i was running 24" solvent weld s40 pipe for drainage using grey glue. It was sweltering hot so we had to move extra fast making up the joints even with grey glue. The sun was straight overhead and i had been slopping around in pea gravel for hours and was getting light-headed.
> 
> I had just finished rolling the glue on to the spigot end and spun around to guide the hub on when i lost my balance and sat flat arse down on the fresh grey glue i had just rolled out.
> 
> It took about a minute for me to realize the glue had went through my britches and under-drawers...you talk about getting lit up


lol!


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## Plumberman911 (Dec 23, 2012)

Ok. I have two stories. First. When I changed hwt's I would always killed the water meter. Didn't know any different. Then one day I learned you could just kill the ball valve at the hwt and change it. So I had one thank god in the garage I turned the ball valve off and asked the homeowner to open the kitchen faucet to bleed off So i could solder. What I didn't know was a single handle faucet would cross waters and shoot out the hot side he goes in opens faucet and walks off. Water is shooting up against the ceiling I'm trying to cover it with hands it spraying every where. I'm hollering shut it off shut it off. He did and walked out there water is dripping off his ceiling. I'm soaked and water all over garage floor. Felt kinda dumb.


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## Plumberman911 (Dec 23, 2012)

My other one ill tell involves a hwt too. It was electric. Heating element was bad. Way out in the country, Mobil home on well water. It was a favor for my neighbors brother. So we get to the house no ones home. House locked. Way to far to leave and not fix it. I said no worries I can do this with the water on you just have to change it quick it will gulp and form a vacuum. It's. fine. Thank god the hwt was facing outside. It was kinda cold out. I loosen the element no big deal till I hit the last thread. Water shot out. Blasted me square in the face. It's coming out like 4/5 ft worth. I tried to rethread it in but I couldn't the water was so cold I couldn't breath. I was tryin to gasp for air. I finally got out the words to my son and neighbor help shut off the water. They were on the ground rolling laughing their heads off. Owner comes home I'm still fighting it all she sees from the drive is water shooting out of her house. She runs around and starts laughing. Oh my god I tell you that water was cold she killed the well breaker and I finished. KEY here is: you can change a element without draining a tank but you MUST turn off the water. Lol


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

one time i was doing new construction sewer and water. the lot was marked out but the gas company lost the gas line so it said hand dig within 20 foot of the marks. gas marks were on the left side of the house we were digging on the right side. no worries right ? needless to say we hit a 2" gas main. and guy operating the machine hit the meter pit at the same time so we had a flood and gas and it was middle of winter. we did get a verbal thank you from the gas company because now they know where their line is.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

dclarke said:


> ...we did get a verbal thank you from the gas company because now they know where their line is.


Did they get anything "verbal" from you? :laughing:

Glad everyone is still alive and able to make a joke of it.


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

i kinda think i went and napped in the truck. either way i got paid to do pretty much nothing that day. this was a corner lot house. the gas company said the print showed the line coming to the corner "made a little squiggle" and crossed the street. the little squiggle was probably 60 feet.


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## Relic (Sep 30, 2012)

I once flooded Snowden river Pkwy in Columbia MD to the point they had to shut it down lol. I was doing a strip center and was tieing in the water main 6" to the city tap. The city added an 10" feed for this complex and well I F'ed up bigtime. I had everything ready for the connection and it was just a perfect day weather wise. What I didn't know was, of all the counties in Maryland at the time this county was the only one who used reverse main shut off valves. Meaning to close you turn left instead of right. So I got my curb key and "shut" the valve like always right...

I grabbed my chop saw and fired her up and started cutting the ductile. You'll always get little water left in the pipe right...so I kept cutting. until I had a 20ft geyser out of the trench lol. I run back to the curbbox and double check the valve and it's TIGHT! I was in full panic mode at this point, since the trench fed right into one of the buildings where the rpz is. I quickly jump on the backhoe and backfill that trench to protect the build and buy time so I can fix this chaos.

After the backfilling I run back to the valve with a 24" pipe wrench in hand with cheater bar, thinking the valve is frozen open. No luck...I turn the curbkey the opposite way to check if its moving and it is but the geyser just got higher and higher. So I was just mad at this point. I called the city because the street is now in full flood mode lol. This is a three lane road btw. The storm drain just couldn't handle that amount of water. After about 40 minutes a city pubic works guy comes and informs me the shutoff valves are reversed in this county. I was red and at my wits end by this time. So I go over and turn opposite and she closes. 

The city guy tells me it happens all the time, but we'll be charged for the storm clearing. All in all, I got off pretty easy. No damage to buildings and only a small charge for clearing the storm system.


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

Relic said:


> I once flooded Snowden river Pkwy in Columbia MD to the point they had to shut it down lol. I was doing a strip center and was tieing in the water main 6" to the city tap. The city added an 10" feed for this complex and well I F'ed up big time. I had everything ready for the connection and it was just a perfect day weather wise. What I didn't know was, of all the counties in Maryland at the time this county was the only one who used reverse main shut off valves. Meaning to close you turn left instead of right. So I got my curb key and "shut" the valve like always right...
> 
> I grabbed my chop saw and fired her up and started cutting the ductile. You'll always get little water left in the pipe right...so I kept cutting. until I had a 20ft geyser out of the trench lol. I run back to the curbbox and double check the valve and it's TIGHT! I was in full panic mode at this point, since the trench fed right into one of the buildings where the rpz is. I quickly jump on the backhoe and backfill that trench to protect the build and buy time so I can fix this chaos.
> 
> ...


RULE #1 ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE WATER IS ALL THE WAY OFF BEFORE CUTTING INTO PIPES :thumbup:


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

Installing reverse turn shutoffs is asking for trouble. Whoever had that idea was an *******.


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## Qball415 (Nov 20, 2010)

Qball415 said:


> My EGO is beyond bruised right now I feel like I'm reduced down to a "handy-hack". Replaced a in wall shower valve few weeks ago with a remodel plate kit and everything was fine then. I get a call today from owner stating he cut out drywall because he saw mold, low and behold the brass on the valve I sweated was leaking on the back and damaged a few feet of the cedar flooring and 5'x3' of the drywall in the closet.
> Apart from that the reason we didn't install valve from that closet was because they had a closet shelf kit built in that now needs to be replaced. Should I claim this on my insurance policy or just pay out of pocket? My drywall guy owes me a favor, the h/o is in the flooring business and I would need to replace the shelving.
> I know stuff happens, but not to "me" right? I feel incredibly bad ill try not to sweat it. If Plumbing was easy my sister would be doing it.


Update on my mistake.

My drywall guy came out patched, taped and floated the wall. We then painted it and installed the feet of cedar flooring I ruined. I repiped his kitchen sink with new waste, angle stops, supply's and ran my drain machine down a few clean outs at no cost.
H/O will cover the costs of the closet shelving. I feel so much better and a great way to end the year with another happy client under the belt.


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

Glad it all worked out for you.


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