On Tuesday, June 17, 2014 6:06:19 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Mon, 16 Jun 2014 13:00:36 -0700 (PDT), "

wrote:



On Monday, June 16, 2014 2:27:21 PM UTC-4, rangerssuck wrote:











Suggest in the future that you buy plumbing supplies from a real plumbing supply store even if they are slightly more expensive as you will be supporting a local business who probably gives superior advice and service.







Show me a plumbing supplier who's open on Sunday (or even Saturday afternoon), and I'll be glad to go there.



A while back I made it a point to buy some pluming bit from a real plumbing supply store. I was surprised to find it was over twice as expensive as the same part at Lowes. Since I knew exactly what I wanted, I did not need the superior advice.



Since then I found out that Home Depot and Lowes gives me a 10% discount since I am a veteran.



Dan





Superior advice? I wish!



I have a new washing machine coming from HD. They do not come with

hoses. First "associate" advised me to buy a set of hoses for $23. I

went to look at them when a second "associate" told me not to buy them

as the company will not install them. He advised different hoses and

to buy them singly, $16 per hose. Could not explain why the price

difference (snotty "I only work here" response). Apparently the second

hose is made in Canada (web site says Taiwan but never mind) I had a

careful look at the hoses - no O-rings! This set bells off so I went

to another shop where they sold a different set of hoses, specifically

designed ("required") for HE machines - price a bit less than $30 for

a set. This HE business was not even discussed in HD. At least these

have O-rings. Now I am really twitchy and go to the local specialist

plumber store - they will know! There I was shown a single hose which

they apparently sell to everybody. Any enquiries re-previously

mentioned subjects were met with blank stare. Cost per hose - $16

(with O-rings :-)



Right now I am consulting an Ouija board...



Michael Koblic,

Campbell River, BC

While you're at it, I suggest you consider installing something like this: http://goo.gl/6e6SwY Even the best hoses don't last forever. This thing will shut off the water when the washer is not in use.

And now a big box vs local guy story:

At the end of a kitchen remodel, all that I needed to finish the plumbing was a dishwasher supply hose. I couldn't face yet another trip to Home Depot (a newer store that had an excellent knowledgeable and helpful guy in the plumbing dept), so I went to a local old-time hardware store. These guys had been there for close to a hundred years and had a big store and this was just a simple hose... so I went there armed with the shutoff valve I was connecting to and with the water inlet valve from the dishwasher, just so there'd be no confusion in terminology.

First the two guys there told me they didn't have anything like that. Then I looked at the shelf that had such things, and they did have something pretty close, but a bit short. Then they said they maybe had something, but it wouldn't fit the elbow on the inlet valve. I told them I didn't really need the elbow, there's plenty of room in the area and I could attach whatever combination of fittings it would take to make whatever long-enough hose they had. I asked for a couple of wrenches to remove the elbow so we could piece something together to test.

The SOB said, "We don't have any wrenches you can use." Mind you, this was a full-sized hardware store, not a plumbing supplier, and they had dozens of wrenches for sale of every shape and size. And then, believe it or not, the asshole offered to SELL me a wrench. By this time, I was so tired, I just didn't have the strength to grab the nearest hammer and pound him into bloody mush.

Then, one of the guys goes into "the back room" and comes out, a minute or so later, with a blister-packed pegboard-ready card with exactly the hose I needed, and it was clearly labeled, "Dishwasher Inlet Hose."

That was my last trip to that store. Within a year, they were out of business. It's too bad that they let an almost hundred year old shop go all to hell like that, but they most certainly did it to themselves.