Copied and pasted from a post I made in another thread.
But that's OK. If y'all want the plumbing section here to basically be a DIY section for other trades then who am I to argue. I thought it was something different and was sorely disappointed. But some of you seem to think that is how it should be.
I respect the other trades enough to not go ask them how to do DIY stuff on here. I don't see Ron the Plumber over in the electrical forum asking how to run a circuit for the disposer he just installed. Come to think of it, I don't see the electricians asking DIY stuff over here either. Maybe that's because they understand the concept of mutual respect between trades.
Incidently, I am currently wiring my own small shop. (Legal where I live.) I am doing a very good job of it but I had one question. I thought about the fact that according to how a lot of you see it, I could go on the electrical forum and ask my question. But I rejected that and found my information elsewhere. I would even like to post a picture of my subpanel in their forum. I think I did a nice job and I would like for them to see it. But just because it might be perceived as a taunt (see, a non-electricain can do good work too so what's with you guys?) I will not be doing that.
Some are more interested in protecting their jobs. I understand that to some point but I also disagree with it to some extent.
My bigest thing besides the legal issues and the respect issues is the questioner's best interest. Many of these questions are proof enough that the person is in over their head. Let me digress a bit to provide some background.
I hear and see the attitude that there isn't all that much to plumbing. I know there is and the lack of respect for my chosen trade does bother me. But that is really a minor issue. Who cares? Life doesn't revolve around plumbers or me.
But there is a much bigger issue. I get sick and tired of seeing people screw themselves or others with hack jobs or even jobs that endanger health and life. Some of the stuff we professional plumbers see literally makes us shudder at times. I don't know how many times I have said "Wow, they are lucky they are alive." Plumbing is not something you mess with. It only LOOKS simple.
In real life I will (at my own cost and time) spend time to make sure a DIYer does it right to protect themselves and others. In fact, tonight I have an appointment with a friend who is determined to do the plumbing in his new addition. He can't afford me and is doing it himself. (10 kids in a 3 bedrrom, 1 bath house, one income, and all that) I said, "look, at least let me tell you how to do it so you don't do something that will hurt you or your family". Am I crazy? Yeah. But I care more about it being done right (read safely!) than about another job. And this is not a rare example. I need to quit it but I can't help it. I care too much about it being done right and safely.
When it comes to the DIY posts on here, if it isn't ilegal, or if the person isn't coming acorss as a bit shifty (illegal), or if they aren't coming in with a whole pile of lip, then they are likely over their heads with the whole thing and have no business doing the project. In those cases anything less than "Your plumber will know" is a disservice to them. If I could walk onto the job site I could help them. But over the internet it's a completely different ball game.
Take for example the guy with the water hammer problem. Besides the point that he is almost assuredly illegally doing plumbing and/or lying to us, there is no way to know that your advice is correct with what he provided. It's the internet man. The only way you can make an accurate diagnosis is to be on the job site itself and look at the big picture. What if there is a very real safety issue on that job that is actually causing his problem? Adding another shock arrestor isn't going to fix that. No plumber who truly understands what is at stake will answer his questions. But to some of you, it just looks like we are only being evasive because we want more work created for us. (Again, all this is assuming he was not doing work illegally and not lying to us. Assumptions only a fool would make under the circumstances. But I used those assumptions for the sake of illustating my point.)
Do you know how many times I have heard "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to do this plumbing (or heating) job. Then later be called in to fix a royal screwup at massive cost to the customer? And in a case or two, I was blamed for the mess even though the guy did not follow a single one of my diagrams or written instructions.
I may come across as crusty, arrogant, and grumpy on here. I really ain't that kind of guy when you take out the factors I am talking about above. I just get tired of the BS and then when a site I recently found and was excited over has the plumbing section flooded with more of the same BS, I tend to get grumpy.
But hey, who cares? I was fast getting disillusioned with this place and about to just sorta ease on out of here again when an alternative opened up. So all the wannabes and remodelers can be the pros on here and answer all the plumbing questions from now on. Not that I am disillusioned about my importance, but speaking overall, the flood of DIY crap in the plumbing forum created a situation that resulted in a loss to this forum. Your loss. I won't be shedding any tears over it.
