The Christmas Sump
My kingdom for a plumber. Ever since my flood, I have been waiting for this plumber to come by and fix/replace my sump pump. In the absence of it, I have put in a pump with a garden hose that takes the water to the other sump. The only problem is that this second pump cannot run continuously, so I have to go down every hour to turn it on to drain the well (which has pipes feeding into it). This means getting up every hour at night.
Yesterday the plumber said he now could not get there until Thursday. So I took matters into my own hands and replaced my pump with a 1/2 horsepower model (Zoeller), and so far so good.
There is a pleasure in knowing how these things work, or don't work. The bad news is that before I was happy in my complacency. Now I know I need several backups, and that these things can fail any time.
I still don't understand why we don't have national chains of plumbers, electricians, etc. -- where you called an 800 number and someone did come. We have some local places that will do it for a small fortune, but no national brands. Wonder why.
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Comments :
Oct '10
Re: The Christmas Sump
Since most trades like plumbing and electrical are covered by multitudinous local political jurisdictions with mucho locally produced licensing and compliance requirements, the nearest you could get would be a national registry of trade specialists with some degree of promised "oversight", like Angies List. Or Google gives lots of listings. But the closest you get to anything that can be called a registry is your own list of friends, particularly if they themselves work in a related field. Air conditioning guys generally would know which plumbers they would trust, as they would also have the same views on electricians. They work with these related trades all the time. That is the network that you would do best to connect to.
Oct '10
Re: The Christmas Sump
Doesn't Roto-Rooter fit the bill as a national plumbing chain?
http://www.rotorooter.com/residential/sump_pump.php
Nov '10
Re: The Christmas Sump
Your struggle puts me in mind of Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs"/Ford commercial fame. I went to see him speak about a year ago at an arena filled with an odd mix of senior citizens, skilled laborer-types, and lustful young women. Rowe, it turns out, is a very intelligent and philosophical man who stands in awe of people like his grandfather, who was a certified master of several trades.
Between irritating requests from girls to have their picture taken with him on stage, he managed to make an interesting assertion. He said our country, with Hollywood as lead culprit, has denigrated the skilled trades to the point that young intelligent people won't even consider them as a career path. This has lead to a dearth of qualified plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc.. He said (and I thought this to be a rather courageous statement, since he was speaking on a college campus) young people are brainwashed into thinking the only way to achieve personal satisfaction in life is with a college education.
I'm curious what others think of this idea.
May '10
Re: The Christmas Sump
The best thing you cxan have is a very flexible handyman-type who can tackle most anything. Fortunately, I married into a brother-in-law situation that comes in very handy.
It is too bad that Scott (Reusser; our local remodeling guru) has been goofing off, though. Ohio to NJ isn't that bad a trip, and he could have done it last week.....
Oct '10
Re: The Christmas Sump
I'll wager that in the next decade as college credentialed folk living in their parents' basements come to terms with their career prospects, “remedial vocational education” will enter the vocabulary. Just about any “knowledge worker” task can be outsourced over the Internet, but when it comes to the leaky pipe, dead furnace burner, or sparking electrical outlet, you need somebody on-site right now who knows what they're doing. These people earn a good living almost everywhere. In Switzerland we have an apprentice path for folks to learn these trades. I fear that has been lost in the U.S., or at least devalued in favour of bogus diplomas which prospective employers have learned to ignore as qualifications.
Edited on Dec 14, 2010 at 4:28pmSep '10
Re: The Christmas Sump
J. C. Casteel: Your struggle puts me in mind of Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs"/Ford commercial fame. I went to see him speak about a year ago at an arena filled with an odd mix of senior citizens, skilled laborer-types, and lustful young women.
I'm curious what others think of this idea. · Dec 14 at 1:17pm
He's got a point and the book Shopcraft as Soulcraft echoes the theme. But I've seen what skilled trades have to put up with in construction, for example, and I think some of us cause less harm to others behind a desk.
Trades have definitely been denigrated and I think its a shame.
Re: The Christmas Sump
Sorry. Have been checking my basement floor every hour or so. So far so good.
All interesting points.The Roto-Rooter example is a good one. I have a nearby brother-in-law, but alas with handyman ratings of Peter Robinson.
And I agree with Mike Rowe. We've denigrated trades. Ironically, with decline of big factory jobs, the middle class hopes for a lot of people will be as individual tradesmen. Plainly there is a shortgage. And they can make a good living, esp if they live in an area like mine. How many suburban conversations begin with how impossible it is to get a plumber or electrician when you need one?