Okay....so maybe I AM anal.....

[TexasRedneck]

Had a sprinkler system installed last year. Killer deal - but as it turns out, the guy was a scammer. I got lucky - I was one of the first he installed, so he *generally* did mine right. The timer initially was wrong (not enough stations on it - my yard takes 11 stations), so he came back in a couple of weeks w/a replacement, installed it (I was out of town) and left. I finally noticed that several stations were running simultaneously, opened the box, and found that he'd "piggybacked" some of 'em because he didn't get the extra modules needed!

I found a source for the modules online, installed 'em and got it going....but when he ran the cabling they'd not left 'em long enough, so he angled the conduit up and into the workshop, then slapped the conduit inside the shop at an angle. It worked, but stuff like that irks me....and this weekend, I finally said "enough!" Spent the day yankin' the wiring out of the shop, pulling the old conduit, diggin the hole so it'd run vertical and enlarging the hole so that the LB would actually fit flush (he'd run it w/PVC conduit to a 90 deg elbow, and stuck it up against the Hardyplank siding an' called it "good enough"). Anchored it all to the wall, caulked it, then ran the wiring back inside. Went to the inside, added additional wire to each of the 11 leads an' 2 neutrals (soldered an' shrink wrapped). Reran THAT conduit back up w/a couple of 45's so that it lays in nicely and looks decent, then had to redo the connections, since it was just as fast to ID the different leads again as it was to try to tag 'em and make sure the tag didn't fall off during all the pulling, etc.

So, it's done - what stinks is that unless you KNOW what was done, you don't know what had to be done to do it right. Had they done it right the FIRST time, it would've taken maybe an additional 30 minutes to have pulled more slack into the shop - but as it was, I spent the better part of 5 freakin' hours doing it all...

I HATE JACK-LEGS!!!

 

[dobarker]

I fully agree with you. I spent last weekend re-doing plumbing at my brother in laws river house. The folks that build the house decided it would be a great idea to run a toilet drainage through a 2" pipe... They must have not had enough fiber in their diets to know what a dumb idea that was.
The house was build bit by bit in a secluded area, so needless to say, there's a lot of short cuts to be found. Next work will be re-doing the household plumbing. The water is from a private well that pumps and ends at an outdoor water faucet, and of course, the original owners figured, hell, we have the water right there, lets run a garden hose to the house and be done with indoor plumbing.
Shorting on quality makes for a painstaking process in rebuilding.

 

[Waterguy]

I see this exact thing all the time. Being in the well and septic business, we get calls all the time to help fix what the last guy screwed up.
There are so many of these rip-off guys out there, that it puts a bad taste in peoples mouths, that we all look like bad guys.
We have been in business for over 55 years and have seen some of the shabbiest jobs. Most don't get caught for several years because people don't call in on them.

If the is someone installing a well, septic, sprinkler system, or anything that involves the movement of water, they MUST have a license from the state of Texas.
That is where the customer has some kind of a leg to stand on.
They can go to the state or the BBB and file complaints. Sometimes it helps, sometimes not.
At least the state and the county know there is someone out there doing illegal stuff and it will catch up to them.

Most ppl don't ask if a contractor has a license or even care if they have one.
That is were allot of the shady ones get away with doing bad work. They just don't get a license.

We had a guy that was going around doing just flat bad work, or not coming back(after getting paid) to finish the job.
He had changed his name 4 times and kept going.
He has sense moved on to some other part of the state. (so goes the rumors)

Then there are the ones that get cought.
There is now a guy that is up to almost $100,000.oo in state fines.


The really sad part is when the job is done according to plan, and is (legal), but still looks like crap.
That is where pride and workmanship come in to play.

The word "Craftsmanship" is almost a thing of the past.


Travis

 

[TexasRedneck]

Hey - tell me about it - I do water treatment/purification, and some of the biggest "names" in the business have some of the worst jobsites I've ever been on!