# bad advice. but fun!



## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

i was wearing my plumbing shirt, waiting for my wife. when a man walks up and ask me for advice on a water heater. that he is installing for his home. (so he says) he tells me that he put a 40 gal. in from h.d. and that it's the second one from there, that he put in today. then he says i turn the breaker on and the water is not hot, when i turn the faucet on. what should do. my answer was, your doing everything right take it back and get another. sometimes you have to go though 4 or 5 before you find a good one:laughing:. figurre that would keep him busy for a while. so cause i am in unifom . should give away free advice?


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## SewerRat (Feb 26, 2011)

No but you should hope he doesn't remember what your uniform said on it.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

I would have offered him one of my business cards. Even if he just wanted advice, I'm available for consulting. $ X.XX per hour, 1-hour minimum. 

It's human nature to help others out when they ask for driving directions, ask for advice, etc. But I refrain from giving out free advice about plumbing anymore. Giving free advice is called 'un-paid consulting.' Or we can think of it as 'talking yourself out of work.'


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## damnplumber (Jan 22, 2012)

*That was funny*

I catch myself giving advise sometimes but I know I shouldn't. Give him a card and offer to pick up where he left off and make things all better.​


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

XX.xx to come out, survey the water heater and begin a diagnostic.

I gave up a long time ago trying to impress strangers with the ability to give machine gun answers when they're not going to spend any money with me anyway.


Funny how folks think customer service is telling them how to do it themselves. This ain't AutoZone, giving advice to sell parts.

Too many times I've heard "Thanks and if there ever comes something I can't handle, I'll call you." Heck, you couldn't handle this thing and called for free advice, I don't want to set up habit of you going out on a limb and wanting me to talk you down.


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## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

I bet he dry fired it. 8)


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

Unfortunately people can usually rig something to work. Just because something is working doesn't mean its working properly.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

It was wrong, but I must admit, it made me smile. :yes:

When you have more time than you do money, that is what happens to customers who are in over their head.


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## JDGA80 (Dec 9, 2012)

I need to start doing that. Haha. Good stuff. This should be its own thread. " The Stupid Tax"


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## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

i figure, this has proably happen to all of pz members. i did give him a card. he just gave it a quick glance and put it in his pocket.maybe i should have mention that. then went right into the questions. that immediately botherd me. (took me out of my zen) i think i could have handled it better. but didn't. i must admit though. the answers to this thread made me feel better. you guys always make me laugh! btw i couldn't help to think . while he was asking qustions. wtf. all the knowlage plumbers have to know, from the math, to customers service. and eveything in between. a list to long to mention. so rethinking it, no free how toos..


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## JoshJ (May 10, 2012)

A few months back I was putting a boiler system into a hardware store. Guy comes up to me while I'm soldering, opens up a box, pulls a lav drain out, and starts to tell me how he already tried installing one, and it leaked, so he's buying a second one, and can I tell him how to make it not leak. 

No "Hi, can I ask you a question" or any other sort of acknowledgement of me being busy working.

I looked up at him, kept soldering as I said, "You should probably try calling a plumber." He just stood there for a good minute looking dumb, before he finally said "thanks for all your help" and walked away.:jester:


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

At least he thanked you!


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## dclarke (Dec 22, 2012)

My girlfriend works at ACE. Nobody knows a thing about plumbing there. She wants me to teach her what parts are so she can be helpful. Its so tempting to screw with her. To bad if I screw with her I won't be screwing her. I did tell her she can say "my boyfriends a plumber, you can call the company he works for and they can take care of you"


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## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

JoshJ said:


> A few months back I was putting a boiler system into a hardware store. Guy comes up to me while I'm soldering, opens up a box, pulls a lav drain out, and starts to tell me how he already tried installing one, and it leaked, so he's buying a second one, and can I tell him how to make it not leak.
> 
> No "Hi, can I ask you a question" or any other sort of acknowledgement of me being busy working.
> 
> I looked up at him, kept soldering as I said, "You should probably try calling a plumber." He just stood there for a good minute looking dumb, before he finally said "thanks for all your help" and walked away.:jester:


 lol. funny you say that. if you don't say a porper introduction when we frist meet..i think thats just rude. no way i'm helping now. i can see you working. thinking get the f$$$ away from me. you know, i have a touch in my hand!!


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## MDPlumber1977 (Mar 4, 2013)

Fullmetal Frank said:


> I bet he dry fired it. 8)


Absolutely!! Seen it on more then one occasion. Harry Homeowner is very proud of the water heater he put in all by himself." Look @ all the $$$ I just saved. Sally Homeowner is going to be so impressed i might even get lucky tonight. Wait a minute... Why is my water still cold?? Damn, I got a bad heater. There goes the rest of my Saturday, Guess I'll have to drain it and take it back for a good one." Sorry pal, when the wifey cant take a hot shower later feel free to give me a call!!!!:jester:


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## victoryplbaz (May 19, 2012)

I love it when they ask me if im a plumber after I get out of the van. I have started to say nope!!! saw it idling and decided to take it for a spin. 

But I would not tell them how to fix it either. If I do I leave out some information. I have been to too many estimates and I tell them what we will do. To not get the job and find out they di it themselves. So I figure if I leave out some information or just be general they cant really do it.


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

victoryplbaz said:


> I love it when they ask me if im a plumber after I get out of the van. I have started to say nope!!! saw it idling and decided to take it for a spin.
> 
> But I would not tell them how to fix it either. If I do I leave out some information. I have been to too many estimates and I tell them what we will do. To not get the job and find out they di it themselves. So I figure if I leave out some information or just be general they cant really do it.


I think plumbers should give DIY advice the way a woman shares a favorite recipe. :yes: It never turns out like theirs, NEVER! Vague, just a pinch, a little of this and a little of that. They will swear they haven't left anything out. :no:


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## ChrisConnor (Dec 31, 2009)

dclarke said:


> My girlfriend works at ACE. Nobody knows a thing about plumbing there.


I went to an ACE many years ago, needing some 1 1/4" pvc on a Sunday, they only had 1 1/2". They guy tried to use a bench grinder to make the pipe smaller. I just walked out while he was grinding away.

In all fairness, he was doing his best to be helpful.


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## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

i think he dryed fired it too. or he filled it and expected to be hot right away. you know 30 seconds after he turned it on.. i didn't help either way...btw. funny thing about what josh said. it seems when you have your hands full or your doing something that needs your full attention. thats when people what to ask you questions or what to stop you to look at something else.


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## MTDUNN (Oct 9, 2011)

I wonder how many dry fired water heaters are sitting in the back of these box stores.


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## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

MTDUNN said:


> I wonder how many dry fired water heaters are sitting in the back of these box stores.


 i'd guess 1000's. :laughing: like the service call you get. for the heater dosen't heat like it use to. then the ho saids, i read online about flushing the heater was good for it. and it hasn't worked right since.


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## kilobravo (Apr 14, 2013)

*Flushing out the gas line*

This made me remember something that happened when I was working in a plumbing supply house before I got into the trade.

A DIY-er phoned up and told me he'd connected the whole gas line up and was about to connect the gas flex to the water heater.

Then he asked me: "Should I turn on the gas and let it run for a few minutes to flush it out?"

:bangin:

Being the honest and helpful guy I am, of course I said "No no no!" but we had a good laugh about that one!

"Yeah, and light up a cigarette while you're waiting for it to flush out the pipes!"

:laughing:


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

kilobravo said:


> This made me remember something that happened when I was working in a plumbing supply house before I got into the trade.
> 
> A DIY-er phoned up and told me he'd connected the whole gas line up and was about to connect the gas flex to the water heater.
> 
> ...


Can't bite this guy as he posted a proper intro... bravo for that!


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

kilobravo said:


> This made me remember something that happened when I was working in a plumbing supply house before I got into the trade.
> 
> A DIY-er phoned up and told me he'd connected the whole gas line up and was about to connect the gas flex to the water heater.
> 
> ...




ACTUALLY I used to do just that bleed out the gas before connecting the wtr/htr flex if I had gas off to whole house and then turned back on
much easier to light pilot then,
trying to bleed off though the pilot orifice


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

Im the first guy to tell you I hate the homedepot. A few weekends ago I had an emergency call needed a few fittings I didn't have at my shop or in the truck. So I bit the bullet and went to homedepot. When I get to the plumbing isle who do I see there? One of the contractors I usually do work for with one of his guys and a cart full of PVC fittings, pex, sharkbites, and ferncos. Soon as he saw me he starts making up excuses to me as to why he is there buying plumbing material " im working on my father in laws house". Sure im thinking to myself. Because I always bring my hired help with me to work on families houses. So i know he is B.S.ing me and he is doing plumbing on a customer's house that he didn't want to pay me for. He starts asking me questions about how to re rough a bathroom and " what would I use here and what would i do there". So i start looking in his cart he has vent 90's, all t-wyes not one Wye, no 45's or street's, Pressure90's, non coated Greenfield hangers, all kinds of stuff I know is wrong to use and against code. I just told him what he had looked great. And I couldn't tell him how to lay it out unless I was there to see what he had, and im way too busy to come look for him today. Not that I would have anyway unless he was paying me a lot to tell him what to do. Just kinda pissed me off that he would even ask me how to teach him anything and help to put myself out of work. I dont ask my accountant how to do my taxes. Same thing.


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## theplumbinator (Sep 6, 2012)

JERRYMAC said:


> ACTUALLY I used to do just that bleed out the gas before connecting the wtr/htr flex if I had gas off to whole house and then turned back on
> much easier to light pilot then,
> trying to bleed off though the pilot orifice


I still do that from the drip leg usually, I dont have all day to wait for the entire gas line for the house to purge out through the pilot tube.


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## MACPLUMB777 (Jun 18, 2008)

piper1 said:


> i think he dryed fired it too. or he filled it and expected to be hot right away. you know 30 seconds after he turned it on.. i didn't help either way...btw. funny thing about what josh said. it seems when you have your hands full or your doing something that needs your full attention. that's when people want to ask you questions or want to stop you to look at something else.



*As a water heater MFG's service agent I used to see that quite often where they fill the wtr/htr 
but forget to bleed off the air
before turning the power back on, 
Also seen that happen with some plumbers :no: *


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## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

well i did it again. at h/d wearing my plumbing shirt. when a man walks up, and interrupts me and my wife in mid converstion. and saids, buddy your a plumber, right. my response. was not a good one. what do you want. i got no hot water in my guest bathroom, so im going to put a bigger w/h in. you think that will work. yea thats your answer. here's a card,( i told you i'm not a good plumber)


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## Phat Cat (Apr 1, 2009)

If you want to keep doing it, I suggest getting a hold of a competitor's shirt to wear.


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## piper1 (Dec 16, 2011)

Phat Cat said:


> If you want to keep doing it, I suggest getting a hold of a competitor's shirt to wear.


lol that's a great idea... but i don't know whats wrong with me. i was pissed, that he thought, i would just give him info because i got a shirt on. i was in the blind section with my wife. i know how much work it takes to be a plumber. and i think thats what bothers me most. and i'm not even good..


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## suzie (Sep 1, 2010)

I don't give advice anymore to the Home Desperate clientele. Last week I was in there and a gent and his wife were talking to the plumbing rep. The customer wanted to know which type of copper to buy to run a line for his new grill. The rep knows I am a plumbing contractor and says Suzie...I say nothing all I could think of was I'm sure glad he wasn't my neighbor.


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## cincy plumber (Jun 14, 2009)

A long while back at blowes I was picking up a fixture for a client and this
guy comes up to me with a ptrap and ask me how to " put it in" and I said 
" read the directions "


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## smartbrad (Apr 22, 2013)

I've heard of guys getting their worst competitions name and numbers out to undesirable clients. Like the customers that don't want to pay the dispatch for ya to come out and give an estimate. "Just call Mr.Rooter" I always say "they'll be glad to come out and take a look at it, no dispatch. I'm sure you'll be happy with their work." I don't see why I shouldn't do that to joe homeowner at H.D.


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