# I got the job instead of it going to a unlicensed person!



## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

It feels good to be hired to do a job instead of it going to a hack. A guy just moved in a condo on the second floor and wanted someone to install his shower column. I asked him pictures to provide an estimate. I called him back and I heard him gulp at the price range. I quickly told him to look at my website and reviews. I told him to be careful who he hired to make sure they were licenced.

He called me back and I didn’t want to lose my chance so I told him I could do it tomorrow on saturday.

It turns out the faucet store recommended him a plumber from their province without any licensing, insurance and probably not even a plumber. He also called someone else who also was a under the table guy without licences. I don’t get it why a store who sells only faucets recommending hacks to do plumbing, don’t they care getting sued or having a bad reputation??


He told me their price and it was ridiculously low. That would of ended to be a botched job, also not to code. He was glad to pay more for a proper job and my reviews sealed the deal. Finally I got myself a paycheck this week. :smile:

@Master Mark : I'm a good student so I put stickers in the access panel and one on his tankless water heater! :vs_bananasplit:


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## chonkie (Jul 31, 2014)

I've never installed one of those. How difficult are they? Was it pretty heavy?


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

The first one you'll do will be a pain in the a$$ because all the ones I installed either inexpensive or expensive look like they all came from the same Chinese factory.

The instructions, you can toss them because they don't give you a height to start off, its always at the discretion of the plumber so you have to ask the home owners their family height and start doing some math. You don't want the spray in your face. Then the bracket locations never match the ones in the instructions, you have to measure everything because if you follow the instructions the bottom bracket will not be where its supposed to be and to top it off the column will end up 6" too high or too low.

Then more math as the water supplies has to come out in a good spot so you can tie in with the flex hoses in the back. You have to hold the column in one hand and try to connect it with the other unless you put your own flex to put the column on the ground while hooking it up. They are not heavy and for it to stay in place silicone the sides.

This one was a little more complicated as the supplies had to come out from the previous valve.

There are no parts for these. I've had one woman who had to shut the water main because the water was stuck open. The only solution is to put a new column in.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

PM sent Chonkie

There are also 2 types. One where you can retrofit with the existing shower valve. I have many issues with this one because people buy this type because its cheaper but they don't realize you will be looking at your old crappy faucet and the column on top. They figure out that's not what they wanted and you wasted your time going to the customer's house to explain that. My peeve is that they expect a 10 minute job for 30$. When I see what they bought I'm prepared and expect cheap and difficult customers.

The one I installed you have to remove the old faucet and do some piping. The mixer is in the column. This setup cost several hundreds more and usually people don't go for that. It's always low cost with ads everywhere saying that over and over where you "save here, best prices here and so on" It's ingrained in them to go for cheap.


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

The cheap ones are junk. We no longer install them.


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

dhal22 said:


> The cheap ones are junk. We no longer install them.


Yep, I installed one for a sheriff about 6 years ago. He got it from Costco or amazon. He had a few beers in him when I showed him the finished install. He was standing outside the shower testing it out and turning dials to see all the functions, when he activated the handheld sprayer it was pointed right at him soaking him. His instinct was to grab the wand, that broke off and water was shooting out of the hose hitting the ceiling. Good times.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Debo22 said:


> Yep, I installed one for a sheriff about 6 years ago. He got it from Costco or amazon. He had a few beers in him when I showed him the finished install. He was standing outside the shower testing it out and turning dials to see all the functions, when he activated the handheld sprayer it was pointed right at him soaking him. His instinct was to grab the wand, that broke off and water was shooting out of the hose hitting the ceiling. Good times.



Hahaha!!:vs_laugh:

I made a mistake with that install because the customer asked if it was good quality and without thinking I said whether you paid a lot for it or not they are practically the same.

Not to hurt him and make him feel better at the end I told him the wand had a little brass and was better quality. Although the rest of it was like all the others.


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## GAN (Jul 10, 2012)

Looks great

Just an FYI, Some of the overseas suppliers may very well get through the cracks.

Remember about "certified" Lead Free at least in the U.S. anyway. May come back and bite you.


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## Mikeob1998 (Apr 22, 2018)

Tango said:


> The first one you'll do will be a pain in the a$$ because all the ones I installed either inexpensive or expensive look like they all came from the same Chinese factory.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Funny you say that. I just started a master bath rough in today where I will be putting in my first shower panel. Super cheap and supplied by the customer. Gotta love it! Stay tuned!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Alan (Jun 18, 2008)

I don't like putting them in either. If I get busy enough and someone asks me to do one, i'll throw a number at them for a real shower system instead of that crap.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

On another occasion a woman couldn't close the water on the shower column and the water kept on spraying from the body jet so they had to shut the main. You guessed it she had to buy another column because there aren't any parts for those cheap things. I had to go to lunch and wait for her to buy a new cheap crappy one and install it in the afternoon...


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

I don’t install them. 

I’ve taken some out, due to leaks and the fact that for the most part they are disposable. 
Had one in a condo, where a factory hose sprung a leak, it sprayed right into the 4” x 4” hole in the tile. Nobody knew about the leak until water got under all the hardwood flooring, wicked up the drywall and did major damage to the unit below.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

Logtec said:


> I don’t install them.
> 
> I’ve taken some out, due to leaks and the fact that for the most part they are disposable.
> Had one in a condo, where a factory hose sprung a leak, it sprayed right into the 4” x 4” hole in the tile. Nobody knew about the leak until water got under all the hardwood flooring, wicked up the drywall and did major damage to the unit below.


It's something to think about with those cheap things. I bet they have fake approved logos. The one here I put plastic sheet to cover the large holes behind the column.


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