Some mistakes are bigger than others
BY DAVE YATES IF I HAD A DOLLAR for every blunder I've made during my past 35 years in the plumbing trade, I could retire a wealthy man right now. However,...
The Long Hydronics Learning Curve
DURING MY visit in March to ISH in Germany as part of the National Association of Oil Heating Service Managers group, I had a number of intriguing opportunities...
Home Inspections Can Lead to Legal Tangles
THE CALL WAS routine enough, a requested estimate to repair a cracked sewer line in a recently purchased home. Upon arrival, this newly ensconced homeowner...
The Lost Art of Making Lead Joints
BOOM! I STOOD transfixed as it dawned on me that no molten lead remained in the pot. Instead, thousands of steaming dots of lead were strewn about over...
Water Closet Mysteries Revealed
WHILE ON MY way to check an antique shower valve, the homeowner remarked, Hang on a minute, the first floor toilet is running again. The exasperation...
Children, Toys, Toilets and a Christmas Past
CHRISTMAS EVE AND its the answering service paging me to report a regular customer has called with a clogged toilet the only one in the house. Snow crunched...
We need accurate data on water heaters
THIS INDUSTRY NEEDS a standard by which all water heaters are judged. My frustration began more than a decade ago when manufacturers turned down the storage...
CO detection protects your customers
NOW THAT SUMMER is over and a slight chill is in the air, estimates for new heating systems are once again on the front burner. During the course of each...
New housing market squeezes our profits
I SPENT SOME time with a fellow phc contractor whose firm has been doing new home construction for three generations. He's ready to toss in the towel...
Tapping into the political process
IF YOU ENJOY watching paint dry, you have a future in local politics! The battle of our local York, Pa.city-licensed plumbing contractors vs. oppressive...
The Battle of the Joints
WIPE JOINTS, lead and oakum joints, black and galvanized threaded iron joints, brass threaded joints and copper joints were all prevalent in 1954. A service...
Roots, Roots, and More Roots
YOUVE AUGERED the main line with both a retriever and root-cutting head; removed a bundle of tree roots; and youve convinced the owner to pay for a video...
Cameras Prove Themselves for Root Removal
LINE BREAKS AND roots have been a recurring problem when it comes to cleaning sewer lines. Over the years, weve used mechanical equipment designed to...
Plumbers Battle City Hall Over New Fees
MY HOMETOWN OF York, Pa., is short on cash, but its getting long on weird ways in which to stave off bankruptcy. Some of the ideas are creative and just...
Roots Prove Difficult to Eliminate
IMAGINE YOURE walking along a street filled with pastry shops, bakeries and restaurants. Delightfully tantalizing odors fill the air as you stroll along...
Records Can Save You From a Frivolous Lawsuit
THE DELIVERED NOTICE that we were being sued was devastating. The fact that other firms were also named did not ease our concerns. It would be necessary...
Booster Pump Keeps the Love Flowing
IM HAVING PROBLEMS with my water pressure. Its so bad, my girlfriend wont stay with me because she cant get the shampoo out of her hair. To make matters...
The Gift of Christmas Past
BILL APPROACHED marriage the way he dealt with life head on. His sweetheart had a son (7 years old at the time) and Bill pondered how to get the little...
Congratulations, Your Water Heater Had Twins!
HERES A QUESTION to ponder: Which is the best method for piping two water heaters together parallel or series? In a number of homes, weve had to correct...
Dead (shower) Pan Expression
A CONCERNED homeowner wrote: My husband and I had our house built eight years ago. We developed a leak in our shower stall and the plumber that we had...
House Traps Solve Septic Odor Problems
Dave, I live in the Atlanta area and operate a plumbing business there. A lot of the houses that I plumb are on septic tanks and occasionally we are having...
Gas Pipe Sizing Takes Planning
HOW MUCH WILL you charge me to install a gas log set? Dont you just love conversations that start off like that? Theres only one easy answer: It depends....
Reader Comments