Plumbers vent

[Brian Runau]

I reached the age where I can't get in and out of the crawl space. I need to replace the frost free sillcocks. Had a guy put in some orange box store brand 2-3 years ago and they are just junk. Leaking at the front stem seal. I got one to seal, but the other one leaks no matter what. I want to have both replaced. I can do the work, I'm just to beat up to torture my body this way any more.

Feel like I am writing a blank check to people. Even handymen want a trip charge to show up and then it is outrageous for labor only. Plumbers the same way, trip charges are now $70 or more just to show up and find out how much they want to hold you up for.

Brian

[Jack Frederick]

Not the cleanest solution, but I have sworn off crawl spaces and attics as well. On my daughters place I cut an 8” sq of siding around the bib and could reach in to turn the old one out. Once done I reinserted the blank, caulked and painted. Not ideal but it worked and her siding worked on that method

[glenn bradley]

I too now pay people to do things I would have done even a few years ago. It can sneak up on ya fast. Like any of the trades, finding someone is no trouble. Finding someone good is the trick. Like your car mechanic in times gone by; once you find a good one you tend to have a long relationship. A local contractor I ran into by chance at a trade show years ago has kept his family fed off of me for the last few years :D

[Tom M King]

I'm not brand loyal to many things, but Woodford is on the list for yard hydrants and freezeproof faucets. I won't use anything else. If it's a Woodford, they're easy to repair from the outside. You need to know the length if the rod needs replacing. You can even get rebuild kits off Amazon. If leaking from the stem, it's an easy fix from the outside by pulling the guts and replacing all the moving parts. The check valve seal is what needs to be replaced for leaking from the stem, but you might as well replace all of it while you have it out.

https://www.amazon.com/Woodford-RK-17MH-Wall-Hydrant-Repair/dp/B01LXT9KUT/ref=sr_1_3?crid=346QA1UYQVOU1&keywords=woodford+wall+hydrant+rebuild+kit&qid=1693489305&sprefix=woodford+wall+hydrant+rebuild+kit%2Caps%2C 100&sr=8-3


You probably don't even need one of these. But if you do, it has to be the correct length. Leaking from the stem is the stuff at the end of this.

https://www.amazon.com/Woodford-35725-Wall-Hydrant-Assembly/dp/B005E0KL9Q/ref=sr_1_22?crid=346QA1UYQVOU1&keywords=woodford+wall+hydrant+rebuild+kit&qid=1693489397&sprefix=woodford+wall+hydrant+rebuild+kit%2Caps%2C 100&sr=8-22


If it's not a Woodford, replace it with one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjx_0PL1gPA&t=60s

[George Yetka]

I agree with Tom. Many of them can be repaired from outside.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I agree with Tom. There are two kinds of freeze proof spigot owners. Those who have Woodfords and those who wish they did.

[Rob Luter]

I'm in the same boat. I just paid a plumber a small fortune to come to the house and snake out the line from the kitchen sink to the main drain trunk. It was cheaper to have all my HVAC dusts cleaned, and by the same company.

[Brian Runau]

I'm not brand loyal to many things, but Woodford is on the list for yard hydrants and freezeproof faucets. I won't use anything else. If it's a Woodford, they're easy to repair from the outside. You need to know the length if the rod needs replacing. You can even get rebuild kits off Amazon. If leaking from the stem, it's an easy fix from the outside by pulling the guts and replacing all the moving parts. The check valve seal is what needs to be replaced for leaking from the stem, but you might as well replace all of it while you have it out.

https://www.amazon.com/Woodford-RK-17MH-Wall-Hydrant-Repair/dp/B01LXT9KUT/ref=sr_1_3?crid=346QA1UYQVOU1&keywords=woodford+wall+hydrant+rebuild+kit&qid=1693489305&sprefix=woodford+wall+hydrant+rebuild+kit%2Caps%2C 100&sr=8-3


You probably don't even need one of these. But if you do, it has to be the correct length. Leaking from the stem is the stuff at the end of this.

https://www.amazon.com/Woodford-35725-Wall-Hydrant-Assembly/dp/B005E0KL9Q/ref=sr_1_22?crid=346QA1UYQVOU1&keywords=woodford+wall+hydrant+rebuild+kit&qid=1693489397&sprefix=woodford+wall+hydrant+rebuild+kit%2Caps%2C 100&sr=8-22


If it's not a Woodford, replace it with one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjx_0PL1gPA&t=60s

I bought Woodford, made here. Brian

[Brian Runau]

I have a brick home, so crawlspace is it. I paid a handyman $50 to show up this morning. He wanted $350 per faucet, told him no i would pay his trip charge. Then he wanted to lower the price to $250 , told him I am not buying a used car. Paid him told him to leave. Found another guy I felt comfortable with and he came out, no trip charge, and reviewed what I needed done. He said, "pretty straight forward, I usually charge $110." Sold American. Think i may have found my guy. Thanks brian

[Bruce Wrenn]

Similar thing at our church. Dielectric unions at water heater in kitchen are leaking, and have been for some time. Two different plumbing companies came out, and said "They wouldn't touch them." Instead they want to sell us a new WH for the tune of twelve thousand plus dollars. That means installation charges, including permit is around 5K for four hours work. FYI, WH is a 100 gallon, 199,000 BTU, propane fueled WH. WH alone will cost me thru one of my working years vendor, around $7200, less 30%. Tankless, with same capacity per hour will cost around $2200. Last night, another member and I looked carefully at what needed to be done to replace just the unions. Total materials around $50. Will take longer to drain and refill WH than to replace unions. FYI, in working years, I held a P-1 plumbing licensee, which means I know what I'm doing. Care to guess which route we are planning on taking.

[Brian Runau]

Similar thing at our church. Dielectric unions at water heater in kitchen are leaking, and have been for some time. Two different plumbing companies came out, and said "They wouldn't touch them." Instead they want to sell us a new WH for the tune of twelve thousand plus dollars. That means installation charges, including permit is around 5K for four hours work. FYI, WH is a 100 gallon, 199,000 BTU, propane fueled WH. WH alone will cost me thru one of my working years vendor, around $7200, less 30%. Tankless, with same capacity per hour will cost around $2200. Last night, another member and I looked carefully at what needed to be done to replace just the unions. Total materials around $50. Will take longer to drain and refill WH than to replace unions. FYI, in working years, I held a P-1 plumbing licensee, which means I know what I'm doing. Care to guess which route we are planning on taking.

That's funny. Think of the folks that don't know how. Grateful I do. Brian

[Brian Elfert]

I'm not brand loyal to many things, but Woodford is on the list for yard hydrants and freezeproof faucets. I won't use anything else. If it's a Woodford, they're easy to repair from the outside. You need to know the length if the rod needs replacing. You can even get rebuild kits off Amazon. If leaking from the stem, it's an easy fix from the outside by pulling the guts and replacing all the moving parts. The check valve seal is what needs to be replaced for leaking from the stem, but you might as well replace all of it while you have it out.


I have a nine year Woodford that had to be turned off really tight starting about year six. It had been turned on maybe a hundred times before it developed issues. It was installed by a plumber when the house had major plumbing work done. I installed a rebuild kit from Menards this year, but it still seems to need a decent amount of force to turn off. Not quite as much as before. I am considering replacing it at some point. It might be another Woodford, or maybe not. Maybe I just got a dud and the seat is bad or somethning.

[Tom M King]

The seat might be scarred. Do you know the length of it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMxtoQLl9lM

I would replace the whole thing if it's easy to get to, but I have smoothed seats with this type tool before on old bathtub faucets.

[Mel Fulks]

Brian , Thanks for a good story ! I’m guessing the guy just got his figures from a
fast talking ‘Reach For The Stars’ business speaker . There are a LOT of them !

[George Yetka]

I always go for the smaller companies that are hard to get on the phone. The one where the guy who answers is the guy who owns and works. I dont know if its worse because we are in NJ but many companies will scam you here. My favorite exampl of this is My grandmother, whose husband started our Mechanical contracting business 50+ years ago got an add for a free boiler inspection. I dont know why she did it but she made the call. Her house has a 500,000 btu 85% boiler in it. This company shoes up and the first guy walks in and without her there opens the relief valve and comes upstairs to tell her its damaged to start and that he has to get his manager out. The manager shows up and tells her the boiler is shot that it needs to be replaced at the tune of $25,000. She called us at that point. within 10 minutes I had a quote on the boiler for $6500 but before ordering it I went to look at the boiler. I replaced the $30 relief valve and its been running for 10 years since with 0 maintenance.

This is something they should teach in HS. Before calling an expert in do a limited bit of research to find out costs and common issues. Even if you dont do the work its good to know before you get taken for a ride.

[Bill George]

I am glad I was raised as a farm kid and learned early on with no money you need to learn how to fix things. I made a very good living as a electrician and then as a union HVAC/R guy doing commercial work. Both my boys learned the same.

[Tom M King]

I made a good living by not getting anyone else to come do anything. I like having stuff done right, and know one sure way to get that done.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I made a good living by not getting anyone else to come do anything. I like having stuff done right, and know one sure way to get that done.My feelings exactly, plus I made a good living doing these things for others. Corrected a lot of others mistakes. In working years, I never printed a business card. All my work was from referrals. Right now am waiting for something to fail that I told owners it was going to happen. Another tradesman came along and said it didn't need to be done, but it will, most likely sooner than later. Then I get to say "I told you so!"

[Bill George]

Funny I have a friend who was raised on a farm, and with zero money. He hires most all of his house and acreage work done as he does not have the tools? He will replace light bulbs and build a fence maybe but tools cost money! If he does buy something its the cheapest he can find. Strange and he has lots of money now and retired.