Plumbers in specific, does anyone give a crap any more in general.....?

[MossRoad]

We've been having some starting issues with our 2014 Impala. Our mechanic trouble shot it and found the stater was shorted out. Changed out the starter and nothing. Found the computer was not sending a signal to the starter relay. Bad computer. Found a used one. Put it in. Found the battery wouldn't hold a charge and was tested bad. New battery. Everything works. About $500. Good to go.

A week later, it would not start again with same symptoms. He came over with his wife to get it, and it started right up. So he took it home and started it 20 times a day for three days. Drove it to his shop daily. No issues. Told me to come get it. 2 minutes later, he called back and said never mind, it finally failed on him. He spent considerable time wiggling wires and inspecting the fuse box. Finally narrowed it down the the starter relay socket in the fuse box had a loose grip on one of the stabs on the relay. Took the fuse box out, adjusted the socket, put it all back together, showed me what he did, and what to check if it happens again. I asked him how much I owed him?

$20 (twenty) bucks.

I'm gonna be sad if he ever moves. He's about 15 years younger than me. Hopefully I outlast him.

 

[dirttoys]

We've been having some starting issues with our 2014 Impala. Our mechanic trouble shot it and found the stater was shorted out. Changed out the starter and nothing. Found the computer was not sending a signal to the starter relay. Bad computer. Found a used one. Put it in. Found the battery wouldn't hold a charge and was tested bad. New battery. Everything works. About $500. Good to go.

A week later, it would not start again with same symptoms. He came over with his wife to get it, and it started right up. So he took it home and started it 20 times a day for three days. Drove it to his shop daily. No issues. Told me to come get it. 2 minutes later, he called back and said never mind, it finally failed on him. He spent considerable time wiggling wires and inspecting the fuse box. Finally narrowed it down the the starter relay socket in the fuse box had a loose grip on one of the stabs on the relay. Took the fuse box out, adjusted the socket, put it all back together, showed me what he did, and what to check if it happens again. I asked him how much I owed him?

$20 (twenty) bucks.

I'm gonna be sad if he ever moves. He's about 15 years younger than me. Hopefully I outlast him.

Man, I guess he cares!! That is a great example of exceeds expectations, but, only a few years ago that wasn't too far from the level of service I expected, and tried to give my customers.

Best, and thanks for the story,

ed

 

[MossRoad]

Yup, the boy is certainly my fault (that he doesn't have much do it yourself in him), so I will putter around with him while I am able, and I enjoy seeing him. Wife's dad is 85, cheating him is a different crime to me.

Best,

ed

I'm pretty handy with demolition and repair. Not so much on finish carpentry. My dad called me the wood butcher.

My current job is light electrical, plumbing, carpentry and HVAC. Troubleshooting, repairs, and preventative maintenance only. No new installations. It's perfect for me. I like that kind of work. I've always done my own home repairs every since we got married back in 85, and my dad always included me and my sisters on home repairs as well. So we learned young.

Tonight, I talked our oldest kid through troubleshooting her toilet in her apartment. Cell phones with pictures and video are so helpful for stuff like that. She now knows how a toilet works. A couple months ago I talked her through lighting her furnace pilot light over the phone. She then did it herself a few times after that. Enough to convince the landlord to replace the furnace.

 

[dirttoys]

I'm pretty handy with demolition and repair. Not so much on finish carpentry. My dad called me the wood butcher.

My current job is light electrical, plumbing, carpentry and HVAC. Troubleshooting, repairs, and preventative maintenance only. No new installations. It's perfect for me. I like that kind of work. I've always done my own home repairs every since we got married back in 85, and my dad always included me and my sisters on home repairs as well. So we learned young.

Tonight, I talked our oldest kid through troubleshooting her toilet in her apartment. Cell phones with pictures and video are so helpful for stuff like that. She now knows how a toilet works. A couple months ago I talked her through lighting her furnace pilot light over the phone. She then did it herself a few times after that. Enough to convince the landlord to replace the furnace.

When my kids were little little they worked with me all the time. I got a job that was very lucrative, but was really 60 hours a week as they were getting to 6 and 9, I stayed in that career 'till long after they left for school. It became almost required for me to pay folks to do things around the house so I could meet my work obligations. I think I inadvertently passed that approach on to the kids. Not sure if I would have done anything differently, but, I wish I could have sent them out with more of a desire to be self sufficient.

To be fair to them, they do watch youtube and try simple stuff, and once I do something with them, they will do it next time, just not much desire to try anything new on their own.


Best,

ed

 

[CalG]

I learned early, from the men in my family (I was still a boy)

There are two kinds of people in the world.

Those who can do for themselves.

And those who can not.


(I'm just starting in a bath redo. ripping out the old walls and floor was the easy part. Calculating floor heights ... that tough. The wife wants a curb-less shower.. fortunately, building up a closet flange is easy ;-.)

 

[MossRoad]

I learned early, from the men in my family (I was still a boy)

There are two kinds of people in the world.

Those who can do for themselves.

And those who can not.


(I'm just starting in a bath redo. ripping out the old walls and floor was the easy part. Calculating floor heights ... that tough. The wife wants a curb-less shower.. fortunately, building up a closet flange is easy ;-.)

Between me, my dad, and my two grandfathers, there are 18 women and no other men. With that said, almost all of the women were self-sufficient and did just fine. My mom taught me how to drive stick shift, row a boat, and set leg-hold traps.

 

[dirttoys]

Between me, my dad, and my two grandfathers, there are 18 women and no other men. With that said, almost all of the women were self-sufficient and did just fine. My mom taught me how to drive stick shift, row a boat, and set leg-hold traps.

I bet you are a good guy. I was an only child, and my wife is still trying to "fix" the way I think. I bet at least twice a week she wishes I would have had a sister. My daughter was more of a dude than me or my son until she got to teenager.

Best,

ed

 

[ponytug]

That stinks, the more I weld the more I think I would like to go back and do a real course. I suppose those are gone too.

best,

ed

Me, too! That said, I think that there are some great YouTube channels; welding tips and tricks, I C weld, and Cutting Edge Engineering Australia (who can weld like it is robotic welding, on old, heavy pieces of machinery) to name a few. I have learned how to weld things that I thought were not weldable.

Practice certainly makes me better; I am blown away at how much more sophisticated welding is that when I first learned.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Menagerie-Manor]

That's high but I found most if not all contractors around here are scams. Incompetent, illegitimate and over priced. Most are just "handymen" with no real business. Even ones that call themselves plumbers or concrete guys

Even servall pest control tried to scam me. I watched my security cameras and caught them charging me for services they never did

An old time real plumber would have just bedded the base of the closet in plaster and let it set, the old way.

 

[dirttoys]

Me, too! That said, I think that there are some great YouTube channels; welding tips and tricks, I C weld, and Cutting Edge Engineering Australia (who can weld like it is robotic welding, on old, heavy pieces of machinery) to name a few. I have learned how to weld things that I thought were not weldable.

Practice certainly makes me better; I am blown away at how much more sophisticated welding is that when I first learned.

All the best,

Peter

You are correct, and I watch them. I do better when I can ask questions or fuss when things aren't working the way I think they should I weld well enough until I can't flip the darn target to get it flat......... then I just become a good grinder.