On Fri, 17 Feb 2017 11:33:51 -0500, Poco Deplorevole
wrote:

On Fri, 17 Feb 2017 11:02:10 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 17 Feb 2017 10:17:25 -0500, Poco Deplorevole
wrote:

On Fri, 17 Feb 2017 09:26:31 -0500, wrote:

On Fri, 17 Feb 2017 08:36:14 -0500, Poco Deplorevole
wrote:

On Fri, 17 Feb 2017 07:57:16 -0500 (EST), justan wrote:

Poco Deplorevole Wrote in message:
...when you're waiting for the plumber to show up. Hopefully getting one from Angie's List will be a
good thing and not a huge ripoff. Plumbers are right up there with YKW when it comes to people I
don't trust.


They have to live too. Your poop is their bread and butter.

I wouldn't mind them, if I trusted them. I had one tell me I needed a new water main, $10000 worth.
Thinking the water leak (coming under the foundation into the sump and overflowing into the
basement) might have been from the county line, I called them. They came out, tested the lines, and
told me there was no leak. Turned out my sump pump had plugged up. I put in a new sump pump and no
more problem.

Sneaky devils. I later found that the folks from this firm worked on a commission basis. Maybe they
all do now.

===

In my opinion you're almost always better off hiring people from a
small mom and pop business than from a larger company. Small
operations tend to have less overhead and rely more on word of mouth
recommendations.

The hard part is finding them. This time I used Angie's List. We'll see how it goes.

I don't suppose it would be shocking to know I have never hired a
plumber. What kind of problem do you have?

An old (over 25 years) Moen shower valve is leaking. I bravely bought a new cartridge and a
cartridge puller. Then I tried to unscrew the handle. The screw broke off. Now I have no way to
attach the cartridge puller. I've been dousing the screw with PB Blaster for the past five days.

Propitiously, Angies List had a 'Plumber for 2 hours for $119' ad hit my email shortly after
breaking off the screw. I paid the bucks and will let the plumber do it. About 1 cm of screw is
sticking out of the cartridge, and a careful application of vice-grips may get it out. If I were a
shady plumber, I'd probably just go ahead and break it off to add some more labor time.

This is the second time in 25 years I've had a plumber do a job in the house, so I don't feel too
badly.

I agree you can probably get it out with vice grips. I have pulled
Moens without the tool. Be sure you get that big clip out then try to
twist it a bit. (pliers on that white "H/C" plastic piece) If no joy,
vice grips on the stem and pry against the body with a big screwdriver
or something. Don't just yank on the valve, you may break something
behind the wall. You might be able to use the base of the tool and the
vice grips, depending on the tool you have.
When you go back together, use anti seize on the threaded parts and
valve lube on the valve. (Dow 111 or similar). It will come apart a
whole lot easier next time.