ISE Hates plumbing

[Freightman]

Well I still hate plumbing, but the job is done no leaks so on to the next project Trim o goodie.

[robg]

worked as a plumbers mate years ago ,still hate plumbing but still do my own but it gets harder the older you get to get in those tight corners etc .i put stop valves on all pipework whenever i do any plumbing now.

[Mal Paso]

worked as a plumbers mate years ago ,still hate plumbing but still do my own but it gets harder the older you get to get in those tight corners etc .i put stop valves on all pipework whenever i do any plumbing now.

A friend of mine from got his journeyman's papers over there. Part of the test was making a P Trap from sheet lead. No one actually used lead P Traps at the time, the test was a holdover from a previous era and thought a waste of time but Hubbs can make a lead P Trap from scratch if needed. Unfortunately no one ever wanted one.

[Idaho45guy]

I bought an old house in Iowa that had radiator heat with a coal-fired boiler in the basement. I wanted to convert it to a modern ducted natural gas system and central AC.

Cost me $24k twenty years ago. No way was I going to try it. HVAC guys know the proper placement of returns, proper size of ducting for efficiency, and a whole lot of other stuff that an uneducated do-it-yourselfer can really screw up. That was on a two-story 3000 sq. ft Victorian home.

Now, I have a 1400 square foot 1.5 story farmhouse that needs a similar system installed. I haven't even bothered to get a bid since I know I can't afford it.

Looks like doing it myself will still require a licensed contractor to run the black pipe and the vent even if I install the furnace and do all of the duct work myself. Hoping to avoid that project for as long as possible.

[Winger Ed.]

Looks like doing it myself will still require a licensed contractor to run the black pipe and the vent even if I install the furnace and do all of the duct work myself. Hoping to avoid that project for as long as possible.

The laws in our state allow you to do building type stuff on your own home without the licenses.
When the building inspector comes-- they'll also have a magnifying glass with them.
But if ya do good work to code, its no big deal.
Without the licenses, you can't work on anyone else's house or building.

As far as putting things off- I've found that the older I get, the easier it is.

[Bmi48219]

We grew up doing construction. Dug basements with a shovel, sifted beach sand for mortar, hot tapped meters into the power grid, wet plastered walls & ceilings, carpenters, wiring, plumbing, pretty much everything & mostly w/o power tools. Did it all but the one thing I really don’t like is finishing drywall.
Thirty five years ago there weren’t any Lowe’s or H-D’s at the corner. Having worked with and been a skilled tradesman most of my life I’ve developed a few theories.
First, stores like Home Depot etc sell stuff that homeowners can install. With the correct tools, research, planning & patience most anyone can pull it off. Not to belittle tradesmen, they don’t call them “skilled” for nothing, but none of them / us are rocket scientists.
Second, if you can’t buy it at Home Depo or Lowe’s the average guy probably shouldn’t try doing it. Especially (don’t ask how I know) garage door springs.

[Winger Ed.]

. Especially (don’t ask how I know) garage door springs.

Those things have killed the unwary.

[Idaho45guy]

The laws in our state allow you to do building type stuff on your own home without the licenses.
When the building inspector comes-- they'll also have a magnifying glass with them.
But if ya do good work to code, its no big deal.
Without the licenses, you can't work on anyone else's house or building.

As far as putting things off- I've found that the older I get, the easier it is.

I bought a barely used natural gas stove off of Craigslist to replace the 70's oil burner in my house a few years ago. It's one of those stoves that looks like a traditional wood stove, but is natural gas, complete with ceramic logs.

I didn't have natural gas to my house, but the utility company said they would run it from the street and set a meter if I had an appliance installed. Gas company said I had to have a licensed contractor do the install.

Well, I set the stove and installed the chimney, then hired a local contractor to run the pipe from the stove to the exterior. He came in, ran 3' of pipe, inspected my chimney, and left a tag on it. $450. The utility company came and ran the line, set the meter, and verified the contractor's info on the tag he left.

[Winger Ed.]

He came in, ran 3' of pipe, inspected my chimney, and left a tag on it. $450. The utility company came and ran the line, set the meter, and verified the contractor's info on the tag he left.

We have a bunch of pioneer days type homestead laws that never got changed.
As a home owner, that actually lives there, we can pull permits and do all the work without any of the usual licenses.
and some people do their all own electrical and plumbing, etc.

I have pulled a few permits and done concrete, plumbing, and electrical work on our home.
When the building inspector comes to do various inspections as the project goes along-
they always look over stuff REAL close, 'green tag' it, or tell ya what you need to fix.

I got the permit and did all the electrical when we built our house, the inspector was cool,
and sort of followed it like we would someone else's special project.
There was even some helpful, "Yeah, that's legal, but here's how I'd do it on my own house"......

[Randy Bohannon]

Wyoming at least in Buffalo, existing residential only needs a permit for a new roof or a deck. Roofers had done so many bad roofing jobs here the City requires a permit even if you do it yourself. We have a very good Building Inspector who applies regulations fairly.
When I lived CA a building permit cost $25-50K for a single family home, sewer taps $10-15K.

[NyFirefighter357]

but will do it before I call a plumber I hooked up a new lavatory and put a new top on the vanity. Plumber wanted to charge $280 just to hook up the lavatory. Crap I bought a Taurus G2C and 500 rds of ammo for that. So I don't hate plumbing that bad.

Here you need to file for permits & a licensed plumber needs to do the work. Oh well, not happening! Can't do any plumbing, electric or most construction without permits including a shed bigger than 8'x8'. If the shed is bigger than 200sqft it's considered a garage and needs a set of architect stamped plans.

[Idaho45guy]

Here you need to file for permits & a licensed plumber needs to do the work. Oh well, not happening! Can't do any plumbing, electric or most construction without permits including a shed bigger than 8'x8'. If the shed is bigger than 200sqft it's considered a garage and needs a set of architect stamped plans.

Gross.

I've built a bunch of sheds and remodeled many homes over the years, put up fences and built decks and never got a single permit. I'm an outlaw, I guess.

[Petrol & Powder]

Lots of jurisdictions require permits but that doesn't mean people obtain permits.

Nor does a permit, licensed professionals and inspection guarantee correct work.

The primary function of a building permit is to notify the locality of the improvement so that the real estate tax can be adjusted to reflect that improvement.

[Finster101]

Lots of jurisdictions require permits but that doesn't mean people obtain permits.

Nor does a permit, licensed professionals and inspection guarantee correct work.

The primary function of a building permit is to notify the locality of the improvement so that the real estate tax can be adjusted to reflect that improvement.

It can also become an issue when a home inspection reveals a modification and no permit was pulled when trying to sell the property.

[Petrol & Powder]

It can also become an issue when a home inspection reveals a modification and no permit was pulled when trying to sell the property.

I've sold properties "as is" and I've purchased properties "as is".

I lived in a farm house that was built in the 1840's - it wasn't exactly "up to code"
I also lived in a house built in the 1920's that had been repaired, updated and expanded over the years - None of it to anything that even resembled a building code. When the time came - those houses sold just fine.

I submitted to a pre-sale inspection one time and got a list of minor issues to repair. I repaired them and the buyer submitted a new list. I said, "there it is, buy it or don't". They purchased it.
I will NEVER sell a house again in anything other than "as is" condition. We can negotiate on price if the buyer doesn't like something but I'll never repair a home again to attempt to satisfy a potential buyer.

[Petrol & Powder]

Gross.

I've built a bunch of sheds and remodeled many homes over the years, put up fences and built decks and never got a single permit. I'm an outlaw, I guess.

Outlaw ? - No
Self-sufficient ? - Yes
Intelligent ? - Yes
Independent ? - Yes
Fiscally responsible ? - Yes

[Mr_Sheesh]

One resort in this area that I know a bunch about, had built some temporary structures (moveable sheds on skids etc.) - About 2 weeks later, the local inspector showed up, wanting to see these permanent structures. (This led to some confusion, I'm told, as the person they asked knew they were temporary.) The inspector had satellite imagery and showed them where the structures in question were, they showed them those, and all was well. So apparently some county inspection folks are "upping their game" technology wise.

(So our wise mouth folks suggested, "If you build something new, build it under the tree canopy!" lol)

[MrWolf]

I bought an old house in Iowa that had radiator heat with a coal-fired boiler in the basement. I wanted to convert it to a modern ducted natural gas system and central AC.

Cost me $24k twenty years ago. No way was I going to try it. HVAC guys know the proper placement of returns, proper size of ducting for efficiency, and a whole lot of other stuff that an uneducated do-it-yourselfer can really screw up. That was on a two-story 3000 sq. ft Victorian home.

Now, I have a 1400 square foot 1.5 story farmhouse that needs a similar system installed. I haven't even bothered to get a bid since I know I can't afford it.

Looks like doing it myself will still require a licensed contractor to run the black pipe and the vent even if I install the furnace and do all of the duct work myself. Hoping to avoid that project for as long as possible.

Have you looked into those mini split systems? Can heat and cool and very easy to install. I've put in four so far and were easy to do. I've sold both places that had them so no idea how they are still doing but for what they cost and what I got, I was satisfied. They come precharged.

[Idaho45guy]

Have you looked into those mini split systems? Can heat and cool and very easy to install. I've put in four so far and were easy to do. I've sold both places that had them so no idea how they are still doing but for what they cost and what I got, I was satisfied. They come precharged.

Never heard of them, but sound interesting.

I will likely replace the $300 Craigslist stove with a nicer and larger one with a thermostat and blower. My house is really efficient, so that little stove heats the place reasonably well. My monthly electric/gas bill is $122 on level pay. It was $84, until the utility company installed a "smart meter" and costs went up for everyone.

[Ed K]

Have you looked into those mini split systems? Can heat and cool and very easy to install. I've put in four so far and were easy to do. I've sold both places that had them so no idea how they are still doing but for what they cost and what I got, I was satisfied. They come precharged.

Truth is everything costs a lot of money nowadays. It doesn't matter what you consider, when it is DIY vs. a Pro the difference can be huge. This thread has been largely considering plumbing thus far and I agree with the tone. Now, for a bit of thread drift I was considering a mini-split. Got a quote from a local HVAC company for a simple system single outdoor compressor/condenser and an indoor air-handling unit with less than 10 apart. They would be in and out in a day for $9650. The unit can be purchased online and DIY for $3200!

Just spent an afternoon with my friend and neighbor taking down two trees for which a service quoted $2700!

Last month I emailed a draft letter to my attorney to which a dose of legalese was added and relayed to another party later the same day. The bill: $4500!

So I'm not saying any of these guys are bad guys - generally speaking we need them. Just that you have to watch out for yourself and maybe save a buck or two here and there when you are able or there will be no $$$ left for #1.