# hack job



## 422 plumber

*Some of my less pleasant surprises*

I found this at a nat'l franchise seafood joint.


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## 422 plumber

*Horror house in Bolingbrook*

This was the what I walked into. The water wasn't shut off, just too white trashish to flush.


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## Plumberman

That pump is fried! Old pee is always fun to smell:laughing:


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## gear junkie

Forget the pee. I'm laughing about the Foreman grill next to the tub. Relax for a hot soak and cook some steak at the same time. If they had a refrigerato and a tv in there, there would be no reason to leave the bathroom.


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## Plumberman

I personally like the Lysol aersoal can and the cleaner, neither of which has been used in quite sometime.


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## 422 plumber

*Habitat for Humanity*

I did this house for the local chapter. Never again. They hadn't been there a week when the satelite dish got installed. Hell, I can't afford a satelite.


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## 422 plumber

*Telling on myself.*

One of my first partners told me, " kid, ya do great work. Not much of it, but what's there is beautiful." That bathroom was disturbing, because there was the man pleasing scent of grilled meat, but with the rank underlay of fetid slothfulness, plus the piss. I didn't know if was hungry or wanted to puke.


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## I'mYourTourGuide

You guys can Telescope Main VTRs jjbex?


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## Plumberman

jjbex said:


> One of my first partners told me, " kid, ya do great work. Not much of it, but what's there is beautiful." That bathroom was disturbing, because there was the man pleasing scent of grilled meat, but with the rank underlay of fetid slothfulness, plus the piss. I didn't know if was hungry or wanted to puke.


:laughing: I feel your pain bro. Try crawling through rotten food and sewer, dodging roaches as big as flip flops and wearing a respirator cause the smell would take your breath away.... ahh good times:thumbup:


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## 422 plumber

*plumbing tems*

What does telescope mean? Has anybody ever been "shotgunned?" That means being laid off over the phone.


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## Plumberman

jjbex said:


> What does telescope mean? Has anybody ever been "shotgunned?" That means being laid off over the phone.


I was am confused too


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## 422 plumber

*More scary stuff*

This was a crawl space.


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## Plumberman

Whats up with the mound of spray foam? And the screw pipe into a tap tee?


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## 422 plumber

I think the foam was an unlicensed hacker's attempt to fix a leaking drum trap.


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## Plumberman

Ahh... Looks horrible:laughing:


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## uaplumber

Man I hate crawspaces! At least it pays well :whistling2:


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## Plumberman

uaplumber said:


> Man I hate crawspaces! At least it pays well :whistling2:


We sucked 300 gallons of water and rotten food out of a cs week before last. The whole time I was saying I dont make enough money to do this type of s but when Thursday rolled around I was all smiles:thumbup:


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## uaplumber

If it looks like a really nasty job I charge more and pass the extra to the guys doing the job. They still gripe about it but I will never send anywhere that I woudn't go myself.


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## Plumberman

uaplumber said:


> If it looks like a really nasty job I charge more and pass the extra to the guys doing the job. They still gripe about it but I will never send anywhere that I woudn't go myself.


Same here, we had a new hire complaining about how nasty it was. I was neck deep in it as well. After we finished I told him that I would not tell him to jump in it if I never had.


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## gear junkie

Wish I had you 2 as bosses. I've had a lot of bosses that left work as clean as they came to work.


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## Plumberman

Im dirty by 10:00 am most days. I LOVE IT!


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## 422 plumber

*telescope*

TourGuide,
got the pm. I will answer here. In Illinois, we have to run a fullsize VTR. There is a 3" main stack that increases to 4" and a 2" stack that increases to 3." However the Illinois code doesn't mandate an increase below the roof. That is just custom. In most cases, their full size vent is big enough for the fixture units it carries. Until recently, inspectors misread the code and made you put the increaser on.


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## user4

jjbex said:


> TourGuide,
> got the pm. I will answer here. In Illinois, we have to run a fullsize VTR. There is a 3" main stack that increases to 4" and a 2" stack that increases to 3." However the Illinois code doesn't mandate an increase below the roof. That is just custom. In most cases, their full size vent is big enough for the fixture units it carries. Until recently, inspectors misread the code and made you put the increaser on.


That is not true for all of Illinois, most of Cook County will still make you install an increaser, with a minimum of 4" on a roof penetration.


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## 22rifle

Killertoiletspider said:


> That is not true for all of Illinois, most of Cook County will still make you install an increaser, with a minimum of 4" on a roof penetration.


Frost or snow closure issues?


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## user4

22rifle said:


> Frost or snow closure issues?


Correct.


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## uaplumber

I go a foot through the roof. We get quite a bit of snow here, but if you plan your vent location, you can hope to have it on the windy side so that the drifts do not cover it totally.


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## 3KP

*Size out the roof*

Here in Indy there is one company the sticks out 1 1/2 pipe out the roof and studer vent the  out of the house. Example: take laundry out and studer the rest! :blink: :no: I always take 3" out of my custom homes. usually try to stick them out 13" and paint them black so they will not stick out like sore thumb.


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## Plumberman

3Kings Plumbing said:


> Here in Indy there is one company the sticks out 1 1/2 pipe out the roof and studer vent the  out of the house. Example: take laundry out and studer the rest! :blink: :no: I always take 3" out of my custom homes. usually try to stick them out 13" and paint them black so they will not stick out like sore thumb.


Thats just nasty.... Studors are not code down here.


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## Sheppard

Plumberman said:


> Same here, we had a new hire complaining about how nasty it was. I was neck deep in it as well. After we finished I told him that I would not tell him to jump in it if I never had.


That is one way to look at it.Another way to look at it is that it is other peoples filth and while guys that have been plumbing for a while are used to it,others find it disgusting because it is.We shouldnt subject the next 
generation of Plumbers to the things we try to protect our clients from.
There was a time when I would jump into a scat hole knee deep and make
a repair.Never thought twice about it until I was diagnosed with Hep C.
Now i think alot before I ask a 19 or 20 yr old apprentice to jump neck deep into anything to do with bio waste.The fact that they are young
and stupid dictates that guys like you and I take an interest in thier well
being.If they cant roll up an extension cord correctly,what the heck could
they know about personal safety.
Sorry if this post sounds like I am busting balls,but Ido often wonder if my
fellow plumbers realize how much they expose themselves to when they jump down into that fecal pit to make a repair?


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## uaplumber

Calling the health unit tomorrow about Twin-Rix vaccination for my newest guys. Just the right thing to do.


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## I'mYourTourGuide

jjbex said:


> TourGuide,
> got the pm. I will answer here. In Illinois, we have to run a fullsize VTR. There is a 3" main stack that increases to 4" and a 2" stack that increases to 3." However the Illinois code doesn't mandate an increase below the roof. That is just custom. In most cases, their full size vent is big enough for the fixture units it carries. Until recently, inspectors misread the code and made you put the increaser on.


Our VTRs have to equal the area of the building drain. Say for instance you can have a 5" building drain with a 4" VTR and a 3" VTR. 

5x5=25.....take 25x.7854=18.96... this is the area of a 5" pipe

4x4=16.....take 16x.7854=12.5664

3x3=9.......take 9x.7854=7.0686

12.5664
+ 7.0686
=19.635 

19.635 is greater than the area of a 5" diameter pipe therefor you can have a 3" and 4" VTR with a 5" drain leaving the building.

ALL pipes pentrating the roof have to be at least a 3".


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## Plumberman

Sheppard said:


> That is one way to look at it.Another way to look at it is that it is other peoples filth and while guys that have been plumbing for a while are used to it,others find it disgusting because it is.We shouldnt subject the next
> generation of Plumbers to the things we try to protect our clients from.
> There was a time when I would jump into a scat hole knee deep and make
> a repair.Never thought twice about it until I was diagnosed with Hep C.
> Now i think alot before I ask a 19 or 20 yr old apprentice to jump neck deep into anything to do with bio waste.The fact that they are young
> and stupid dictates that guys like you and I take an interest in thier well
> being.If they cant roll up an extension cord correctly,what the heck could
> they know about personal safety.
> Sorry if this post sounds like I am busting balls,but Ido often wonder if my
> fellow plumbers realize how much they expose themselves to when they jump down into that fecal pit to make a repair?


Thats why I have all my shots, Hep and everything else. My company offers all these shots and encourages employees to get them. I wouldnt be jumping neck deep in it if I wasnt


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## MAC

In Ma. you need one vtr same size as building drain plus you can have additional vents at a min. of 2". Say you have your main bathroom group 
and stack on one side of house and a half bath on the other side of house 
you can send a seperate 2"vent through the roof just for that bath.


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## uaplumber

So I call the public health unit today. According to them Plumbers are not at a high risk of contracting diseases!!! They refused to provide vaccinations for my guys!!!:furious::furious::furious::furious::furious:.


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## Plumberman

uaplumber said:


> So I call the public health unit today. According to them Plumbers are not at a high risk of contracting diseases!!! They refused to provide vaccinations for my guys!!!:furious::furious::furious::furious::furious:.


Thats crazy, how do they figure that?


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## uaplumber

I have no idea, I expressed my disbelief at her assertions, but I called her boss and he confirmed it. Now I need to figure out how to change their minds, maybe bring in some sewage for them to rub on their skin. Maybe have them do some tin work just before so that their hands are prepped.:blink:


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## Plumberman

I would take some pictures of the nastiest sewer I could find, I am talking NASTY like turds, roaches, condoms, and throw in a little digested corn and then see what she thinks.:yes:


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## Bill

Nasty indeed. I should start carrying my camera with me. Low income neighborhoods make for good pix!


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## Plumberman

My digital camera rides with me at all times, you never know when you might need it, especially in the service business


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## Herk

Speaking of digital cameras, I managed to pick up an interesting shot today. Hard to believe people who aren't doing poorly doing their own hack work like this:


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## uaplumber

I had a customer who had a set up alot like that. He had a hose connected with a ball valve on the end run to his floor drain. His thought was to be able to test his T&P once a year. Shame the valve was left shut. I took the hose off and installed a copper blow down for him.


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## Plumberman

Guess he forgot to read the labeling on the heater


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## Proud Plumber

I have one thing to say Mythbusters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmJoyuUJj2Q

the shack was built to code. I guess that settles the relief valve arguement. LOL


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## Plumberman

Proud Plumber said:


> I have one thing to say Mythbusters
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmJoyuUJj2Q
> 
> the shack was built to code. I guess that settles the relief valve arguement. LOL


I saw that episode.... I recommend watching to anyone who tampers with their heater


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## Proud Plumber

Or at least have the guy put a vaccum breaker on the hosebibb before it fails inspection. God forbid we hook up to an illegal hose bibb.


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## Plumberman

Kind of like this...


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## Redwood

Well that Mythbusters video was cool and I've linked it in a few forums...

But what the heck...
We've got better ones to show...
Why not the handyman tries to fix the water heater in a house that he rents out... He actually gets the tennant to help him work on it!:thumbup:

story and video
http://www.kpho.com/news/17189420/detail.html

slideshow
http://www.kpho.com/slideshow/news/17191195/detail.html

Additional story detailing DIYers at work
http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2008/08/14/20080814kpnx-waterheater-CP.html

Ain't nobody living in that house anymore.
Time to find a new shack!


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## Ron

Here another good one.


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## uaplumber

Ok, now that I see Randal Hilton has done it, temptation is there......
'course I better let air traffic control know before..........
and the fire department..........
and the police..............
and the newspaper.............
and the inspector................
pull a permit................
fight with the apprentices because it's not their job...............
order the tank from the supplier................
"borrow" a field................
get an electrician involved.............
get electric inspection..................
pull electric permit......................
ah hell, forget it, click and play all the way


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## Herk

I had told the customer about the Phoenix blast. I watched a lot of video reports on that one, and the thing that stood out was that it seemed that none of the reporters could get the story straight. They started saying that it was a gas explosion, and eventually changed it to an electric water heater. But they kept saying things like, "A valve was stuck on the heater . . ." and so on that made me realize just how little the average person knows about water heater safety.


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## That One Guy

I seen that last vid at Rheem in Birmingham Alabama last year. They had some good one's.


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## plumbingpaul

Telescoping is where above your 3x2 san-t you used a 3x4 bell reducer to go out 4". Out west where I am from the wont let you do that your whole vertical pipe would have to be 4" which means using a 4x2 san-t instead and 4" pipe.


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## plumbingpaul

Wow how codes are diffrent going through studs like that we have to put on stud shoes if we take that much out of the wood and how tall was that standpipe on your washing machine box? Clean work though bro you obviously take pride in your work all your glue joints were wiped clean its nice to see some people still take pride in thier work.


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## HonestPlumb

gear junkie- sounds like you have worked with Pri Madona's for bosses !
Or owners kid's that don't think they have to get in the sh*! .
Same as the others, I would never ask anyone of my guys to do anything I wouldn't do. Usually if only one can fit, it's usually me going in.


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## HonestPlumb

Someone please reinforce why we do what we do again ?


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## plumberN8

Herk said:


> Speaking of digital cameras, I managed to pick up an interesting shot today. Hard to believe people who aren't doing poorly doing their own hack work like this:


Got called for a leaking T&P today, I liked your idea!


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## rjbphd

plumberN8 said:


> Got called for a leaking T&P today, I liked your idea!


At least he know that gravity circ work best without the checkvalve!!


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## plumberkc

Bumped a 7yr old thread huh...


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## plumberN8

Sorry, I'll shut up, I don't know anything about computers, technology or your online etiquette, I became a plumber cause I like to talk ****. The reason I was reading a 7 year old thread is cause it was replied to yesterday, I'm sorry I offended you, I'll only read new material from now on


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## Redwood

plumberN8 said:


> I became a plumber cause I like to talk ****. The reason I was reading a 7 year old thread is cause it was replied to yesterday, I'm sorry I offended you, I'll only read new material from now on


Do That! :laughing:

BTW Welcome to PZ...:thumbup:

Liking to talk shiot, you'll fit right in...:thumbup::laughing:


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