# Why do Home Builders hate service plumbers??



## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

After replacing a fire place valve in the wall I went to relight the water heaters and it took me 30 minutes to find the second one. This is why:






























This was in a small closet attached to a small bathroom on the 2nd floor of a very nice custom house. 10' ceiling. 

The real shocker came when I got a closer look and saw that it was a 75gal behemoth!! The cubby hole was only 24"X24". 

The other odd part is that the serial # indicated that the heater was from '07 when the house was built but it had the old style burner and pilot that I had to manually light. I thought the code had changed prior to that year to require a fully enclosed burner. But it was labeled as a commercial water heater so maybe the code didn't apply at that time. Or maybe that was the last of what they had. Either way the home builder or GC who decided this was an OK location for WH ought to have to come replace it themselves. And get punched in the gut. 

The code in Texas finally wrote into itself a requirement for all attic located WHs to have a proper stair access with min 24" opening and a capacity of 350lbs. This house was in the county so no one legitimate inspected it. Beautiful home. Easily a half million in value. 

The under counter mounted copper kitchen sink has fallen out due to improper securing. There was no caulking on the entire front lip of the sink. I just shake my head in disgust at the lack of pride.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

Here's the sink. The editing was done to brighten it up.


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## stecar (Mar 18, 2012)

Ao Smith 75's are still open chambers.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

stecar said:


> Ao Smith 75's are still open chambers.


OK. I didn't know that. Didn't A.O. Smith merge with State? Are they just as good?


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## PlungerJockey (Feb 19, 2010)

When that 75 in the attic fails, I would cut it up and take it out in pieces. Then I would install a tankless in that closet.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

PlungerJockey said:


> When that 75 in the attic fails, I would cut it up and take it out in pieces. Then I would install a tankless in that closet.


My thoughts exactly. I wouldn't be the one to actually remove it but the only thing I would go back with would be a Tankless.


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

PlungerJockey said:


> When that 75 in the attic fails, I would cut it up and take it out in pieces. Then I would install a tankless in that closet.


That's exactly what I did a few months ago


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

MTDUNN said:


> That's exactly what I did a few months ago


Did you find the builder and gut punch them for installing a 75gal in an attic?


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> Did you find the builder and gut punch them for installing a 75gal in an attic?


No but they have been replacing cheap siding on most of the houses they built in the 00's.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

I've forgot to mention that the builder went bankrupt before finishing the house.


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## incarnatopnh (Feb 1, 2011)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> OK. I didn't know that. Didn't A.O. Smith merge with State? Are they just as good?


Yes State is made by A. O. Smith. I switched to them from Bradford White. No complaints.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I think the title of this thread is backwards...


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## love2surf927 (Dec 22, 2011)

Redwood said:


> I think the title of this thread is backwards...


Haha exactly!!


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## plungerboy (Oct 17, 2013)

incarnatopnh said:


> Yes State is made by A. O. Smith. I switched to them from Bradford White. No complaints.


Were you having problems with BW tanks? Or was it a BW shipping issue?


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

Redwood said:


> I think the title of this thread is backwards...


Haha. Maybe so. Its a mutual hatred, I'm sure. But yes, Redwood, though I make a ton of money off of the hack new construction contractors here in Houston, they sure make my job harder than it needs to be at times. I guess I am torn on hating them or loving them.

I like to think there is a special place in hell for Houston area home builders where they have to replace all of their attic water heaters by crawling over 2 -A/C units and having no decking. 

New construction in Montana was of a much higher quality. Those guys took pride in their work from the plumbers to the electricians and from the carpenters to the sheetrock guys. It was night and day from Houston for residential. The problem was that I didn't have nearly the amount of work there like I do here in Houston. So it is a trade off.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

MTDUNN said:


> No but they have been replacing cheap siding on most of the houses they built in the 00's.


So is the residential new construction in Oregon consistently sub par like it is here?


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

I looked up the appraisal value of the house for 2012: $978K. All Danze faucets. Imported Spanish tile throughout the the house. Huge copper tub in the master.


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

The federal law exempts 75 gallon and larger water heaters from having the sealed combustion chamber. There is more to the requirement, just don't have it in front of me right now.


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

SewerRatz said:


> The federal law exempts 75 gallon and larger water heaters from having the sealed combustion chamber. There is more to the requirement, just don't have it in front of me right now.


Hmm. I didn't know that. I learn something new everyday here on this site.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> Hmm. I didn't know that. I learn something new everyday here on this site.


 IT wasn't the 75 gals that didn't almost killed the lawyer while cleaning his bike parts with gasoline in basement.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Redwood said:


> I think the title of this thread is backwards...


 Personally, I love home builders. They daily work very hard to guarantee future income for service providers in all the trades...especially plumbing. 

Builders do hate service plumbers because they have no control over us. :laughing:


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

plbgbiz said:


> Personally, I love home builders. They daily work very hard to guarantee future income for service providers in all the trades...especially plumbing.
> 
> Builders do hate service plumbers because they have no control over us. :laughing:


As always, Biz, you make a poignant observation.
Edit: But they also make our job harder at times. Either way, job security.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Best Darn Sewer said:


> As always, Biz, you make a poignant observation. Edit: But they also make our job harder at times. Either way, job security.


Agreed.


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## PlungerJockey (Feb 19, 2010)

Home builders hate everyone...Most have self-esteem issues.


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## PLUMB TIME (Feb 2, 2009)

They may hate us, but, a plumber had to do the install.
It's shameful that a professional could do that and sleep at night. I've given away plenty of jobs because of chit like that.


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## incarnatopnh (Feb 1, 2011)

plungerboy said:


> Were you having problems with BW tanks? Or was it a BW shipping issue?


I switched for a few reasons.

I had a bad run with gas valves on their power vents.

The supply house I deal with for boilers, furnaces, and tankless units carries State. It made it easier to get everything from one place.
My sales rep for the supply house live around the corner from me so he can drop stuff off to me on his way home plus I get 5 day a week deliveries in the mornings.
The supplier also will open up on the weekends for emergencies so I dont have to carry as much inventory.
And last is pricing.


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## Master Mark (Aug 14, 2009)

I was wondering abou tthat 75 gallon heater up in that closet.... i would run away from that nightmare

Did you notice if it was installed in any kind of pan with a drain??? 
or is it just gonna take out the whole house when it finally fails??:laughing::laughing:


I keep those *zircon* water alarms in my truck and would probably installed one of them by that heater cause I could not even bear seeing that thing flood out my worst enemy




the clock is ticking


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## Best Darn Sewer (Dec 23, 2012)

Probably not a bad idea, Mark. And it did have a pan under it. And it was a properly sized one, too. What you don't see is the bathroom and sharp turns just to get into that closet. Just plain stupid, if you ask me.


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## PathMaker (May 10, 2013)

plbgbiz said:


> Personally, I love home builders. They daily work very hard to guarantee future income for service providers in all the trades...especially plumbing.
> 
> Builders do hate service plumbers because they have no control over us. :laughing:


Well said mate! 

The chain of command starts and stops right here.

Soldier on :tank:


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## karr (Dec 8, 2008)

Home builder, hate all enginering sistem. Maybe if house dont have heat, water, drain, HVAC, builder and architect, make wery good home.
In Russia arhitector every time forgot abuot pipe and plumber have many trubles.


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