# H/o trying to save money



## budders (May 19, 2013)

Bid this rhinni install at 2300 soup to nuts. This is what i get via text 2 days later

So I tried firing off my hot water yesterday and it won't stay lit. Then I ****ed w dip switches. I sure wish I knew. Think it's either vent issue or gas pressure issue. And now pretty sure I ****ed up dip switches. What you know bout that ? 

My response
Lol did u happen to write down the original positions of the dipswiches or take a pic before messing with them? 

Him
Lol! I thought I could remember. I'm awesome! I was looking at a manual on line and it just confused me more. I'll try taking vent off later. Good idea (

It goes back and forth for a wile. Then he finally has me come over. I fix the switchs and have him stay by the unit while i go turn on a hot and he yells its working then i shut off the hot amd he yells nvm it stopped. So i turn it on again and he yells wait its back on. I do that 9 times before it dawns on him it only fires when waters moving. Glad he isnt a plumber


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## vinpadalino (Aug 27, 2010)

That's funny


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## Plumb26 (May 18, 2013)

Hope you charged an idiot tax. I wouldn't have wasted my time. He installed it, let him deal with it. And low ball $2300? way too cheap! Unless you are using a V-series.


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## Plumbergeek (Aug 16, 2010)

WAAAAY to cheap! I get a grand more on the Rinnai R98i and even more $$ on the Navien 240a


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## budders (May 19, 2013)

I charged him for me coming out and "trouble shooting" the unit. gave him that price because the gas was litterly right there and venting was as easy as it gets. I don't think he will call me again because he was already *****ing about haveing to pay me for coming out and making him look dumb.


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## vinpadalino (Aug 27, 2010)

What a prick.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

budders said:


> I charged him for me coming out and "trouble shooting" the unit. gave him that price because the gas was litterly right there and venting was as easy as it gets. I don't think he will call me again because he was already *****ing about haveing to pay me for coming out and making him look dumb.


No good deed goes unpunished.

Assuming you gave him a 'free' estimate, I would not have bailed him out.


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

budders said:


> I charged him for me coming out and "trouble shooting" the unit. gave him that price because the gas was litterly right there and venting was as easy as it gets. I don't think he will call me again because he was already *****ing about haveing to pay me for coming out and making him look dumb.


Rule of thumb is if they're annoying on the phone/text/email, they'll be doubly so in person.

Bet he leaves a bad review :laughing:


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## sierra2000 (Sep 19, 2011)

Once I get wind that they may attempt or have attempted to do it themselves I don't think they are a customer for me. With my prices I'd be walking right into a bad review. 
One time a guy said he rented a mainline machine and couldn't clear the line so he wanted me to come out and clear it with my machine but couldn't understand why I wanted to charge more than it cost him to rent the snake. I don't need those types.


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## Unclog1776 (Feb 5, 2013)

sierra2000 said:


> Once I get wind that they may attempt or have attempted to do it themselves I don't think they are a customer for me. With my prices I'd be walking right into a bad review. One time a guy said he rented a mainline machine and couldn't clear the line so he wanted me to come out and clear it with my machine but couldn't understand why I wanted to charge more than it cost him to rent the snake. I don't need those types.


I've had that exact conversation before. I said I charge $***.xx to clear a main. He goes well that seems high since I can rent one for 40 bucks


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

sierra2000 said:


> Once I get wind that they may attempt or have attempted to do it themselves I don't think they are a customer for me. With my prices I'd be walking right into a bad review.
> One time a guy said he rented a mainline machine and couldn't clear the line so he wanted me to come out and clear it with my machine but couldn't understand why I wanted to charge more than it cost him to rent the snake. I don't need those types.



Yes your price was a way too high I mean afterall he already had a rented
cable machine for you to use ha ha


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## victoryplbaz (May 19, 2012)

I had a guy that wanted to rent my machine. Said sure...I need 4200.00 deposit. He went to Home Depot..LOL


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## Unclog1776 (Feb 5, 2013)

victoryplbaz said:


> I had a guy that wanted to rent my machine. Said sure...I need 4200.00 deposit. He went to Home Depot..LOL


That's good. Have you ever been called rental machine stuck in the line?


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## TheDrainGuy (Jan 1, 2014)

Unclog1776 said:


> That's good. Have you ever been called rental machine stuck in the line?


Hahaha.. I have. Hilarious..
Guy rented a general drum machine with a 1/2" cable. Snaked his main thru an outside clean out 4" on the side of the house. At about 15' or so he ran into the blockage, kept leaning on it and flipped the cable without knowing it. Continued feeding the cable into the line until it torqued up and bit his hand. He tried getting it out for a while with his wife yelling at him telling him to call someone that knows what they are doing.lol


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## Unclog1776 (Feb 5, 2013)

That's awesome. The one I did was a slab house. I had worked there about four years prior and new there was a 6" clean out about 2" below the sod. Homeowner wasn't the same guy as before and didn't know about the clean out. He had pulled his stool (only one in the house" and got stuck there. Wife called us early monday morning while he was at work. 

Showed up, took about 5 mins to find the clean out and showed her his cable all knotted up in the bottom of it. Was able to get ahold of it with a big long hook pole we use on manholes. Then used my machine and cleaned the line up to near perfect condition. Placed the rental auger in the driveway for him to see when he got home.


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## plumber joe (Oct 17, 2008)

Yea, I had a guy the other day, he had rented the machine and wanted us to clear his line. Told him we could not do that, we would be happy to clear it with ours but never heard back from him.


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## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

I always tell those people to keep my number handy for when they screw it up. I don't waste any more time than that. I've converted many of those type people to be decent customers.


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