# Is everything plastic?



## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

Everything is going to plastic in this trade! I stopped at a supply house today to pick up a toilet and needed an extra long toilet supplytube with a BRASS nut. 
"Sorry all we have is plastic" 
"WTF that's what I am going to fix the plastic balcock nut the last guy used is busted. Skip that I found a used one in the brassbucket and I would rather give it away then flood the place."
Ok so toilet, wax ring, seat with stainless hardware 
" you know those cost extra" 
"you realize I own this toilet once I set it and I don't want to go back for a loose seat in a month"
Ok so toilet, wax ring, seat with good hardware and a set of jonni's. (I know wax rings and jonnis should be onthe truck but I haven't got to the shop in a while) 
"Pick it up the order out back".
Ok load toilet, seat, wax ring and WTF are these. 
"those are the new plastic jonni's guys love em" 
"are you serious WTF give me the brass ones"
"that is all we have but you won't strip em the are like 11,000 lbs tensile strength"
"don't let the truth get in the way of a sale, keep em I can get brass at cheapo depot"

Plastic jonni bolts? They had sioux chiefs name on them unbelievable!


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

bout time you got yer head outta the sand

wake up , that stuff been out for years man


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Home Depot and Lowes are *not* supply houses :laughing:


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## Don The Plumber (Feb 14, 2010)

Thats why I over stock my truck. Can't rely on supply houses, to have what you want anymore. Its a joke, to put it lightly.


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

And after all that getting brass and such, did you feel happy inside when you were setting the toilet on a plastic flange that had a seat made of plastic, a ballcock made of plastic and fill valve made of plastic?


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

504Plumber said:


> And after all that getting brass and such, did you feel happy inside when you were setting the toilet on a plastic flange that had a seat made of plastic, a ballcock made of plastic and fill valve made of plastic?


Cast flange at least!


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Plastic distribution pipes, plastic drain pipes, plastic fittings, plastic tubs and showers (acrylic is a form of plastic), plastic flush valves, plastic faucet trim, plastic showerheads, and plastic buckets to carry tools for working on plastic. 

Yep, 2012 is a banner year for plumbing.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

nhmaster3015 said:


> Home Depot and Lowes are *not* supply houses :laughing:


That was a  Ferguson I was at! It was the only place close by I could get a kohler toilet that we needed otherwise I hate  Ferguson!


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

Meh, sounds like the feeling is probably mutual.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

deerslayer said:


> ....I am going to fix the plastic balcock nut the last guy used is busted. Skip that I found a used one in the brassbucket and I would rather give it away then flood the place."....


I am curious. Which nut broke? Was it the shank nut on the ballcock or the nut on the supply tube?


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Ferguson's, Home Depot.......same thing :laughing:


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

I love those plastic johnnie bolts! They don't break as easy as those cheap crap pop metal ones...


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I agree with you Deerslayer, I prefer copper, brass, bronze, etc. over plastic. I've also seen those plastic supply line nuts that connect the supply line to the ballcock split and flood a home.

Ever see brass supply nuts come in a box with a faucet lately? Neither have I. I always buy them to keep as truck stock. The faucet manufacturers are banking on everybody using flex supply lines to install a faucet. Also, if they don't put (2) brass supply nuts in their faucet boxes, they'll save alot of money in a year.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

That is why I buy from Wolverine Brass.


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## deerslayer (Mar 29, 2012)

plbgbiz said:


> I am curious. Which nut broke? Was it the shank nut on the ballcock or the nut on the supply tube?


The nut on the cheap flexible toilet supplies! I will use braided supplies I don't like them as well but I will use them however I will not use the braided toilet supplies with the plastic nut. I won't put them back at a customers either! 
I had 1 very cost conscious customer demand that I reuse his supply when changing his toilet because it was only a week since he bought it at the hardware store. I refused and he refused to pay an additional $7 for a new one and called the shop. They had me give him one at no charge rather than take a chance.


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## plumber666 (Sep 19, 2010)

plbgbiz said:


> Plastic distribution pipes, plastic drain pipes, plastic fittings, plastic tubs and showers (acrylic is a form of plastic), plastic flush valves, plastic faucet trim, plastic showerheads, and plastic buckets to carry tools for working on plastic.
> 
> Yep, 2012 is a banner year for plumbing.


Don't forget your (mostly) plastic van.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

Don't blame the supply houses for what they carry, blame the people who buy there and always want,cheap, cheap, cheap. This is a problem we brought on ourselves by alway beating them up on prices.


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## GREENPLUM (Jul 27, 2008)

I use the nut from the manufacture with pex supply line or SS braided with plastic nut.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

deerslayer said:


> The nut on the cheap flexible toilet supplies!....


What about the nut that over tightened the plastic supply nut. Not all plastic plumbing parts are evil but they are all very different from using brass.

It doesn't seem fair to blame a product for what appears to be an installation error. Plastic fittings will almost always fail when tightened with the torque we used to use on brass nuts and shanks. That is why even though everything associated with the fill valves in Kohler toilets (Fluid Master) is plastic, they also come with a very clear warning to not retighten the plastic shank nut. 

Don't get me wrong. I am not a fan of ALL transitions to plastic materials. I still use 5/16" WB closet bolts, tank bolts, and brass angle stops.

On the other hand, I give a lifetime labor and material on every Delta tub or shower faucet I provide and install. That would never happen with all brass parts.


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## grandpa (Jul 13, 2008)

Back to the original question.....the answer is YES


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

grandpa said:


> Back to the original question.....the answer is YES


I forgot the original question. :laughing:


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## Craig (Nov 1, 2010)

It's funny that by going with plastic bolts that everyone thinks its because it's "cheap cheap cheap" do you not think about how badly brass corrodes over time when it comes in contact with piss? I would have more trust in going with a high quality plastic bolt(not a cheap recycled plastic from overseas) over a brass bolt that GUARANTEED will fall apart over time of being in contact with piss... and on top of that the install is much easier for you...


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Even women .... never mind.....


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## Miguel (Aug 10, 2009)

Tommy plumber said:


> I agree with you Deerslayer, I prefer copper, brass, bronze, etc. over plastic. I've also seen those plastic supply line nuts that connect the supply line to the ballcock split and flood a home.
> 
> Ever see brass supply nuts come in a box with a faucet lately? Neither have I. I always buy them to keep as truck stock. The faucet manufacturers are banking on everybody using flex supply lines to install a faucet. Also, if they don't put (2) brass supply nuts in their faucet boxes, they'll save alot of money in a year.


I like that, Tommy! 'cept I hate to see brass threads on plastic. If I'm going to plastic threads then I submit and go with a plastic nut. Same thing if I see an old Wolverine or Chicago Brass ballcock I'll scrounge thru my stuff to find a brass WC supply nut. I consider them "dissimilar". 

My beef is the chrome supply tubes seem to shed the chrome whether I use my high-end benders or the spring bender. WTF!


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## RealCraftsMan (Dec 27, 2011)

Bought a Liberty Pump today from Furgs and it had a nice cast housing on it but the guide float on the pump was plastic. We went to drop it in and the alarm float pushed up on it and it popped off and dropped 15' never to be seen from again. 


I said pushed, not pried or tugged just an easy push and it popped out....sad. They sell a alot of junk. But hey... I bought it.


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## Miguel (Aug 10, 2009)

RealCraftsMan said:


> Bought a Liberty Pump today from Furgs and it had a nice cast housing on it but the guide float on the pump was plastic. We went to drop it in and the alarm float pushed up on it and it popped off and dropped 15' never to be seen from again.
> 
> 
> I said pushed, not pried or tugged just an easy push and it popped out....sad. They sell a alot of junk. But hey... I bought it.


Are you sure they didn't switch it out for a ProFlo? I wouldn't put it past them.


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

Craig said:


> It's funny that by going with plastic bolts that everyone thinks its because it's "cheap cheap cheap" do you not think about how badly brass corrodes over time when it comes in contact with piss? I would have more trust in going with a high quality plastic bolt(not a cheap recycled plastic from overseas) over a brass bolt that GUARANTEED will fall apart over time of being in contact with piss... and on top of that the install is much easier for you...


Plastic jonni bolts are junk, good quality brass ones are better.


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## Mr Plumber (Oct 20, 2011)

Even Moen trim plates in brushed nickel are plastic now 
I about S***t my pants when the home owner handed me the box and inside it was a plastic trim plate. 
I have now lost all respect for Moen parts.


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## 504Plumber (Jan 26, 2011)

Mr Plumber said:


> Even Moen trim plates in brushed nickel are plastic now
> I about S***t my pants when the home owner handed me the box and inside it was a plastic trim plate.
> I have now lost all respect for Moen parts.


Just trimmed out a kohler shower valve in oil rubbed bronze last week. The plate and handle were both plastic and came from a supply house. The two way diverter trim was all brass though.


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## Craig (Nov 1, 2010)

easttexasplumb said:


> Plastic jonni bolts are junk, good quality brass ones are better.


What makes them junk?


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

stantonplumbing said:


> So yes, you did read this correctly, Barclaycard are tackling issue of contactless payments with sticky-back plastic!


Okay

This is not a real plumber

There has not be one post of his that make any sense


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## easttexasplumb (Oct 13, 2010)

Craig said:


> What makes them junk?


I have had several Souix Chief brand ones break while tightening them, dont know if it was just a bad run or what. That was enough to make me stay with solid brass bolts.


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## Craig (Nov 1, 2010)

easttexasplumb said:


> I have had several Souix Chief brand ones break while tightening them, dont know if it was just a bad run or what. That was enough to make me stay with solid brass bolts.


Good to know, thanks man.


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