Recent comments in /f/boston

BackItUpWithLinks t1_j7q3u69 wrote

Reply to comment by unclepeteusa in How badly am I getting screwed by my plumber? by BostonBopper

I’ve heard that over and over for years so I looked into it when I was looking at faucets and toilets for redoing my kitchen and bathroom.

I was told for years the “Home Depot version” is inferior, and that’s (mostly) wrong. Home Depot does have cheap(er) Koehler products but they have different part/product numbers. If the part/product numbers are the same, it’s the same product. So if you call a supply house and get a number then go online and find the same number, it’s the exact same product.

So when the plumber tried to tell me the $580 K-22973-VS faucet I found at Home Depot was lesser quality than the $820 K-22973-VS he was going to get from the supply house, I asked him for the product number and he balked. I told him I talked to Koehler and all the sudden he lowered his prices to Home Depot/Lowe’s prices. That’s when I told him to fuck off and I’d supply all the hardware and just pay him hourly.

I don’t know about rinnai specifically, but now I assume any reference to “the supply house” is a way to pad the bill for extra profit.

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unclepeteusa t1_j7py8ce wrote

Reply to How badly am I getting screwed by my plumber? by BostonBopper

The Home Depot product lines are reverse engineered with price point in mind. They are generally not the same quality as what you would get from a better or more reputable “supply house”. Product should last longer than Home Cheapo quality. Still sucks this happened, sorry.

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benck202 t1_j7pw4a1 wrote

Reply to comment by nattarbox in How badly am I getting screwed by my plumber? by BostonBopper

I recently had to call our hvac/plumber because the furnace wouldn’t cycle on. Turns out one of my kids had accidentally flipped a kill switch in the basement I didn’t even know existed. $300 for him to show up and turn a light switch. Did I feel stupid? Yes, but that’s what you get for eating up an hour of an expert’s time (including travel time) for a small problem.

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benck202 t1_j7pvm82 wrote

Reply to comment by capta2k in How badly am I getting screwed by my plumber? by BostonBopper

True for things like kitchen appliances as well. You’ll notice The model you get from a supply house or a dedicated appliance store will be called the same thing as at Home Depot but have model numbers that are slightly different. The Home Depot version will be cheaper in price but slightly different (for instance, certain parts are stainless steel in one but plastic in another). My appliance guy says the savings you get for the Home Depot model are never worth it in long run.

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Mission-Meaning377 t1_j7pubh2 wrote

Reply to How badly am I getting screwed by my plumber? by BostonBopper

It's a fair price. Anyone who has ever ran a service based business knows that the hourly rate includes much more than what goes in his pocket. (Labor Overhead - all insurances (auto, GL, WC, etc.), payroll taxes, health insurance, field overhead - truck, tools, fuel etc; home office overhead - training, licensure, certifications, phone, computer, carrying costs) just to name a few

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elfofdoriath9 t1_j7pt70j wrote

Reply to comment by hemingwai in How badly am I getting screwed by my plumber? by BostonBopper

> You are also not factoring in any stock besides the water heater. Youre probably talking an additional $300-$500 in piping, valves, a new PVC vent, possibly a new wall to hang it on.

Exactly. We had a tankless water heater replaced last year, they had to put up an entirely new pipe wall, it looked like a lot of new hardware.

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