Why is it so hard to get anyone to do anything?

[Alan A]

So the A/C went on the fritz.
I’m out of town. Bottom air handler is flooding the basement.
Either the condensate pump is on the fritz or the drain pipe is blocked.

So SWMBO calls the A/C repair guys.
They diagnose a blockage in the drain and take it upon themselves to rejig the drainage.

Fast forward a week. I go downstairs and the basement is wet.

Said A/C guys decide to put a P trap in the drain as part of their ‘improvements’. By heating the schedule 40 and bending it. To the point that they occlude the pipe and it’s been backing up all week.

I went totally radge. Lots of four letter words.
A trip to Home Depot and $15 of materials and it was done properly. Took less than 20 minutes.

Am I being unreasonable when I say I’m paying that bill over my dead body?
Why is it so hard to find someone to do things right?

[Don Ro]

I'd be pissed also.
.
When I considered my service business start up in CA many years ago a very successful lady told me that if I was half way responsible and half way communicative, I'd make a killing.
I did.
She was a real estate tycoon and had many years dealing with flunky businesses.

[masraum]

The surprising thing is that they knew it needed a P-trap at all. I'd had a few folks work on my home AC over the years, and it had never had a P-trap until a clog that I diagnosed and fixed and then put in a P-trap and maintenance (bleach) port. I think I had decent/OK AC techs over the years, but I guess I never had a good one, or certainly not a great one.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

I'd be pissed also.
.
When I considered my service business start up in CA many years ago a very successful lady told me that if I was half way responsible and half way communicative, I'd make a killing.
I did.
She was a real estate tycoon and had many years dealing with flunky businesses.

Funny, my dad and an old timer contractor told me the same thing hen I was about 19 sitting on the roof having lunch over looking the Getty.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Alan A

So the A/C went on the fritz.
I’m out of town. Bottom air handler is flooding the basement.
Either the condensate pump is on the fritz or the drain pipe is blocked.

So SWMBO calls the A/C repair guys.
They diagnose a blockage in the drain and take it upon themselves to rejig the drainage.

Fast forward a week. I go downstairs and the basement is wet.

Said A/C guys decide to put a P trap in the drain as part of their ‘improvements’. By heating the schedule 40 and bending it. To the point that they occlude the pipe and it’s been backing up all week.

I went totally radge. Lots of four letter words.
A trip to Home Depot and $15 of materials and it was done properly. Took less than 20 minutes.

Am I being unreasonable when I say I’m paying that bill over my dead body?
Why is it so hard to find someone to do things right?

I would have gone nuts as soon as I hear heating up the Schedule 40. What's the little 3/4" p trap gonna solve? Fooking handyman delux. Hate those guys but they always make me look like the Calvary when we show up and save the day.

[drkshdw]

But you don't have a license to do AC work. You must use these professionals that have proper credentials, training and insurance or you will be fined by the city code department...

[Alan A]

This was a large and - relatively speaking - reputable firm. My original ac guy retired a couple of years ago. He did things right and didn’t charge through the nose.

Still not paying that damn bill though.

[look 171]

Alan, I know a few large, reputable firms that perform trades type work. Its not the owner, manager, or even some of their tradesmen. Its that one stupid lazy individual that tries to get away with things that ruin it for the homeowners. The management slip up and don't check their work or are too busy and too trusting of their men. I know a lot of sub contractors who used to do excellent work then they hire two or three guys and slip up with getting over to the job site to check on their men and next thing you know, they start to get lazy. I never hire the mid to large size companies as subs due to this reason.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by look 171

I would have gone nuts as soon as I hear heating up the Schedule 40. What's the little 3/4" p trap gonna solve? Fooking handyman delux. Hate those guys but they always make me look like the Calvary when we show up and save the day.

I might get a call from a company or an HOA wanting a service bid. During our first walk-thru I'd ask about their reason for going out for bid.
Often I'd hear about shoddy workmanship and/or poor response time to phone calls, etc. They might show me some sub-optimal work and I'd tell them how that work wasn't consistent with proper procedures, and then the correct way, etc.
Then I'd suggest that perhaps they weren't paying enough and the service provider was hesitant to ask for more.
Maybe if the client would buy more man hours things would improve.
Every time I presented that to a potential client, I got the contract. Well, that and my 7 page performance package.
I had one contract for 15 years and several others for over 10 years. Unheard of my field...when it was common practice to review contracts annually.
.
Midwest upbringing and work ethic was what made my business a success. That and whatever I said I would do, I did.
I'd reply to a client's phone calls the same day, sometimes within an hour. And this long before cell phones.
I never advertised, no company signage on the crew trucks, and I was constantly turning down work.
.
Whenever I would get a call asking for a reference, I would say that that was not my practice.
Why? Because I didn't readily know of any companies that were on top of their game.
.
If a person has their ducks in a row and is honest, there's tons of money waiting to be had in the service industry.

[Don Ro]

"then they hire two or three guys and slip up with getting over to the job site to check on their men and next thing you know, they start to get lazy."
~~~~~~~~~~~
It's almost a miracle if you can find someone who will recreate your intentions in the field.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

"then they hire two or three guys and slip up with getting over to the job site to check on their men and next thing you know, they start to get lazy."
~~~~~~~~~~~
It's almost a miracle if you can find someone who will recreate your intentions in the field.

I run a very small crew and those guys I personally train from a very young age and has been with me for 15 years. Its unheard of today. Good people are still out there, but many companies don't pay enough or use them up and don't give a siht about their good men. I really need to hire one more guy as we are stupid busy and are backed up for about a little more then a year.

I am like you but without the mid western upbringing. Just old fashion honest communication and do what I promise. Yep, I thought I was the only idiot that return phone calls the same or next day. This is when I was in my mid 20s and before cell phones. I learned this long ago that I am pretty dumb, so I can't compete with the smartest and the brightest, so I channel that focus and compete with the dummies and slackers. I beat them hands down without trying, all day long. Now we have cell phones. I always call 15 min before my meeting time if I am running late. This happened this past Monday. I had to run out to the Encino to see this guy. He's a big Hollywood sound guy that has endless awards hanging in his home office. When he open the door, first thing he said was, "My friend is right about you, its impressive that you called telling us that you are going to 10 min. late." He's willing to wait one year for us to tear apart his whole house that he's retiring in.

[onewhippedpuppy]

I’d be pissed about the heated up Schedule 40, that’s super amateur work.

I always tell my kids and their friends that college isn’t the only answer for a career. My father in law is like the guys on this thread, he does quality work, is honest, and professional to deal with. He lives in sparsely populated central KS and typically has over one year of backlog for remodeling and home construction. He also shows up on the job, as opposed to just sending out a team unchecked. He’s done quite well for himself over the years and has never advertised, all word of mouth.

[cabmandone]

Hopefully you have pictures of the fabricated P trap. I'd contact the company and tell them that the trap they installed caused and issue that I had to repair. I'd deduct from their original bill for my time (billed at their labor rate) in fixing their work plus materials at a modest markup. Keep in mind they did fix the original blockage and while they might not have done it right they were actually making an improvement to the system with the P trap.

[fastfredracing]

You can heat, and bend schedule 40?

[Alan A]

Originally Posted by cabmando

Hopefully you have pictures of the fabricated P trap. I'd contact the company and tell them that the trap they installed caused and issue that I had to repair. I'd deduct from their original bill for my time (billed at their labor rate) in fixing their work plus materials at a modest markup. Keep in mind they did fix the original blockage and while they might not have done it right they were actually making an improvement to the system with the P trap.

I’m differing on the definition of the word improvement.

Occluding a drainage pipe is not - imo - an improvement.
Breaking a system that was working is not an improvement.
Unless you are developing software of course.

But this is hvac, not linux so the expectation is for it to work once the technician has completed the work.

[RANDY P]

People think like children these days; the believe they can get an "A" just for effort- it's the mentality these days.

Tell that guy to GFY. No done right= no pay, why would you pay to fix their work? If he wants praise tell him to go back to grade school. Make them earn their pay.

[Alan A]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

You can heat, and bend schedule 40?

I’m assuming hot air gun.
I wasn’t there or he’d have exited stage left post haste.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

You can heat, and bend schedule 40?

Yes, but you need a form or mandrel and the pipe needs to be slightly pressurized with air so it doesn't collapse or kink. It can be done but it's not real easy, especially out in the field.

I think there's also a trick where you fill the pipe with sand but it's gonna take longer with the heat and you run the risk of burning the pipe. You really need an oven.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

You can heat, and bend schedule 40?

It's done all the time in swimming pool renovations...return lines to be curved.
Propane.
No air, no sand.
.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by Alan A

So the A/C went on the fritz.
I’m out of town. Bottom air handler is flooding the basement.
Either the condensate pump is on the fritz or the drain pipe is blocked.

So SWMBO calls the A/C repair guys.
They diagnose a blockage in the drain and take it upon themselves to rejig the drainage.

Fast forward a week. I go downstairs and the basement is wet.

Said A/C guys decide to put a P trap in the drain as part of their ‘improvements’. By heating the schedule 40 and bending it. To the point that they occlude the pipe and it’s been backing up all week.

I went totally radge. Lots of four letter words.
A trip to Home Depot and $15 of materials and it was done properly. Took less than 20 minutes.

Am I being unreasonable when I say I’m paying that bill over my dead body?
Why is it so hard to find someone to do things right?

Sorry to bother but could someone translate this for me? Pretty much everything other than "basement" and "A/C."

What are:

"Schedule 40?"
"P-trap?"
Occlude the pipe?"

Thanks as always. Drawings would be helpful.