Fun with the plumbers

[Prushka]

We took pocession of a new house 2 weeks ago. A 1928 2 story red brick with 1st and 2nd floor porches. Amazing how many things the inspector misses and you find in need of repair once you're over the chaos of moving.
Last night the garage disposal without assistance decided it would rather lay on the cabinet floor then attached to the sink. Under a policy we paid for, the plumbers came to fix it and the 2nd floor bath tub drainage/water pressure issue for an extra $100.00 per issue.
They 1st replaced the disposal, rather then remounting the origanel...(no extra charge this is good). Then what may be the 1928 pipes at the back access panel of the tub. The waste pipe lead cap had to be beaten into submission, which disturbed the co-existance of the thin-skinned water intake pipes, tempermental with age I suppose.
I hear,"Turn the water off!", and after several minutes, "I need to run to the store. I'll be back." I could hear the boss still cursing a block away.
Time to check the damage report in the kitchen below. I see we now have several leaks coming from very large bubbles held in place by very elastic gloss latex paint and begin searching for pots.
Looking up, I now notice what looks like mold from hell spattered in all directions across the ceiling, soffits, cabinets, etc. WTF. Then I see the major leak is directly above a paddled ceiling fan winging the gunk off the top of the blades and look for the remote...only the remote rarely works even when charged, but eventually the fan comes to a halt.
Hmmm, are these guys going to cut their losses...the boss had blood shot eyes and a stagger, which explained his lengthy visits to the van.
But they did return...did a temperary fix with expoxy resin and gave us a very good deal to replace the corroded pipes, faucet, spicket, etc. and says he will return on Monday. For some reason, I wasn't upset and understood his delemma (been there under different circumstances), although relieved when they had returned. I didn't care for the black muck clean-up either...it went everywhere.
Don't know enough about antique plumbing, but I suspect this could escalate.
We shall see. If approved the home policy writer will pay the plumbers up to a limit.
Time to catch up

[ukulele]

So, other then that, how was your day. :D

[Someone Stupid]

Always have several inspectors inspect an old house - and make sure one of them at the least isn't on the seller's "approved" I'm sorry, bought, list. My aunt learned that one the hard way - the the inspector and seller (a company which I won't name) learned it even harder. After the court settlement was over, she was moved out (free - professional company of her choice), repaid +50-75% or so along with another hefty amount in punitive damages (to cover lost property - 6 inches of water downstairs shooting out the ceiling tends to destroy nearly everything). The inspector lost is license after it was inspected by a couple of independant inspectors and a different state one. Buyer beware indeed.

Good luck, I hope this is the end of your troubles.

[j.m@talk]

Whats a "Garage Disposal Unit" ?

One of those whizzer thingis that ya put under the sink to chew up vege peeling & that ? :confused:

1928 .......... Will be lead piping city then :(
bummer

I've re done houses completely from the street in ........ Get a mole ;) Digging trenches is hard work.

Over here most if not all "Home Loan/Morgage" companies insist on a minimum grade survey..... These inspectors have to have liability insurance to cover these :rolleyes: Unfortunate incidences :D

[leprechaun_40]

Thinks its time to burn it down and start over;)

[ukulele]

Originally posted by j.m@talk
Whats a "Garage Disposal Unit" ?

One of those whizzer thingis that ya put under the sink to chew up vege peeling & that ? :confused:

1928 .......... Will be lead piping city then :(
bummer

I've re done houses completely from the street in ........ Get a mole ;) Digging trenches is hard work.

Over here most if not all "Home Loan/Morgage" companies insist on a minimum grade survey..... These inspectors have to have liability insurance to cover these :rolleyes: Unfortunate incidences :D

Over here we have minimum sue inspectors. You have to sue them for every little thing.

[Prushka]

I thought I would once again be needing a garage disposal unit and a basement disposal unit as well, but she has surprised me and everything is in moderately good order...guess that was to be garbage disposal.
The day before was fly day and I mean over a hundred in the livingroom. Hmmm, did something die. The shop vac already sitting in the livingroom looked very promising and sucked the little buggers up handfuls at time. Guess I shoulda capped the hose cause they all escaped and this time I let my cohort have the fun which she found most entertaining and found some wire netting...duck tape for me.
I caught our feral tiger cat trying to smuggle in chipmunk for lunch, which I winged into the under growth. I haven't yet found what drew the flies, but did find a dead baby rabbit behind the TV console when packing to leave and the smell of which was blamed on my cigarette smoking. Most of the screens have been re-screened now and I won't tell her I emptied the sugar in the bottom of the box outside the livingroom window.
My live in plumber, she wasn't available at the time, tells me that the plumber needed to use a propane tank to soften (not melt) the lead threading and it would twist free with a wrench and it appears she's right.
No burn down...this house does have many good features and the problems we're able to fix...just need a lot of time, which is becoming scarce. And I'm actually starting to like it...that is if we ever have time to kick back on the porch or have people over.

Not sure what recourse we have with inspector and previous owner's disclosure (he hide a lot of glitches). I only looked through the house with the assumption we would NOT be buying it.

Digging trenches...none for me thanks

...(to cover lost property - 6 inches of water downstairs shooting out the ceiling tends to destroy nearly everything).
That would be the pits

Maybe I can actually catch up on some posts now

[j.m@talk]

JM is available for on site household re-ferk-ups etc ..................

On a serious note ..........

I can plumb, electrify, secure, chippy(wood work) for cheap wages :p ........ Just a 3 month trip for me ..... "Just to see what yas country is all about" would be good for me...... I'd call it a vacation :)

"Stress Free"

Think about it :t


On site licence my back passage .......... Pay me meat head ;)

[Prushka]

JM see PM

Things are moving along

[Billforce]

You have to realize that there are only four requirements for a plumbers license...
1...smoke goes up
2...cr@p goes down
3...don't chew your fingernails
4...friday afternoon is PAYDAY

:D

[mireland]

Originally posted by Billforce
You have to realize that there are only four requirements for a plumbers license...
1...smoke goes up
2...cr@p goes down
3...don't chew your fingernails
4...friday afternoon is PAYDAY

:D

and don't you have to have a "plumbers crack" ??:D

[Prushka]

and don't you have to have a "plumbers crack" ??

Wise cracker

Bill...I'll pass that along:D

Guess the plumber had a long weekend, says he'll be here tomorrow, Tuesday. Should I tell him I'll post his results.

Did I mention that I screwed up my shoulder badly and when he saw me in pain, opened his shirt and showed me a 2 inch scare from a dislocated shoulder. He said they gave him Demerall for the pain and loved it so much that he would intentionally and repeatedly dislocate his shoulder to get more Demerall.

He also mentioned he'd like to be our plumber for life. His 20's assistant did nice work on the garbage disposal, which is why I'm allowing them back...we shall see

[werz]

Well if he will take half cash and half Demerall, you could get a reasonably affordable plumber.

[daverme]

II fully concur about choosing your own inspector rather than one recommended by the realtor. We took the realtor's suggestion back in 1996 and got royally screwed; he missed a ton of stuff when we bought, which was caught when we sold 20 months later.

Dave

[j.m@talk]

Originally posted by Prushka

He also mentioned he'd like to be our plumber for life.

Get him to do loads O work then & shoot him before he makes the bill out :D

[Prushka]

Originally posted by j.m@talk
Get him to do loads O work then & shoot him before he makes the bill out :D

:D Don't think he had that in mind, but that would qualify

I know you were waiting for a calamity of errors, but it turns out he has integrity. Put in 10 hrs. completing what he proposed and paided for parts, neither of which were approved by the home policy company, so they won't reimburse him.

I feel compelled to give him some kind of compensation, either cash or trade labor, in addition to the 2nd $100.00
He's actually a nice guy and everything looks good

[j.m@talk]

Is he friendly wiv the Mrs ? :eek:


;)