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#1
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Lousy Chinese plumbing components
I've just gotten to the point where I won't buy plumbing parts if
they're made in China. I do a lot of my shopping for home repair items at Menard's, and it's pretty rare anymore to find anything American-made (or at least decent) in their plumbing department -- especially for the pipe & fittings. The last straw was a few pieces I bought since I was there anyhow -- just a 3/4" tee and a 90. Assembling it, the 90 threaded in very easily (too easily) with no progressive increase in force required, and then tightened abruptly. I used tape, but when things don't feel right, you just know there's going to be rework & cursing. With properly made fittings, this job would have been no challenge at all. Sure enough, it leaked just enough to **** me off. One droplet every 45 seconds, maybe. No amount of torque & teflon tape would keep it water-tight. Rework with US-made items, and everything's fine. I had to replace some ball valves a while back, and I had already had bad experiences with Menards' "LDF" brand of garbage valves. I went to an Ace Hardware instead and paid through the snout for some Italian made ball valves. It was worth it, because the job had to be done only once, and they've held up just fine since. (I'd still prefer American...). I've seen these LDF pieces of crap crumble upon installation. They can't even take the force of normal tightening with a wrench. I've seen one with a pinhole leak at the body of the valve! Nowhere near a moving part. That's how thin the material was. Damn! What are they using for quality control? What these retailers probably don't understand is that for plumbing (and probably many other areas of home maintenance), labor is the deciding factor. If I buy the Menards Chinese crap, it's almost 100% certain that I'll be doing the job twice. Therefore, I'll shop elsewhere, and I'll buy whatever else I need at the same place. So Menards loses the whole purchase, not just the plumbing. But as for Chinese plumbing parts -- man, I've had it. No more. |
#2
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Robert Barr wrote:
I've just gotten to the point where I won't buy plumbing parts if they're made in China. I do a lot of my shopping for home repair items at Menard's, and it's pretty rare anymore to find anything American-made (or at least decent) in their plumbing department -- especially for the pipe & fittings. The last straw was a few pieces I bought since I was there anyhow -- just a 3/4" tee and a 90. Assembling it, the 90 threaded in very easily (too easily) with no progressive increase in force required, and then tightened abruptly. I used tape, but when things don't feel right, you just know there's going to be rework & cursing. With properly made fittings, this job would have been no challenge at all. Sure enough, it leaked just enough to **** me off. One droplet every 45 seconds, maybe. No amount of torque & teflon tape would keep it water-tight. Rework with US-made items, and everything's fine. I had to replace some ball valves a while back, and I had already had bad experiences with Menards' "LDF" brand of garbage valves. I went to an Ace Hardware instead and paid through the snout for some Italian made ball valves. It was worth it, because the job had to be done only once, and they've held up just fine since. (I'd still prefer American...). I've seen these LDF pieces of crap crumble upon installation. They can't even take the force of normal tightening with a wrench. I've seen one with a pinhole leak at the body of the valve! Nowhere near a moving part. That's how thin the material was. Damn! What are they using for quality control? What these retailers probably don't understand is that for plumbing (and probably many other areas of home maintenance), labor is the deciding factor. If I buy the Menards Chinese crap, it's almost 100% certain that I'll be doing the job twice. Therefore, I'll shop elsewhere, and I'll buy whatever else I need at the same place. So Menards loses the whole purchase, not just the plumbing. But as for Chinese plumbing parts -- man, I've had it. No more. Are there not Minimum standards required for electrical and plumbing supplies? |
#3
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In article Am_Md.1397$L_3.259@clgrps13, Martik wrote:
Robert Barr wrote: But as for Chinese plumbing parts -- man, I've had it. No more. Are there not Minimum standards required for electrical and plumbing supplies? Of course there are. Now you go to China and enforce them. Lotsa luck! The Chinese have been caught hundreds of times forging UL, CSA, and European approval seals on the garbage they produce. You want to put a stop to it? Write your Congressman and Senator, and demand that the U.S. revoke China's "most favored nation" trading status until such time as it can be proven that the forgeries have stopped. |
#4
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Robert Barr wrote:
I've just gotten to the point where I won't buy plumbing parts if they're made in China. I don't blame you. Back when I used to shop at Lowes I bought a couple of galvanized pipe nipples for use outside. They didn't leak, but within two months they were covered solid with rust. Galvanized? I don't think so.... |
#5
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"Ron Silverman" wrote in message
... On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 03:39:59 +0000, Robert Barr wrote: I've just gotten to the point where I won't buy plumbing parts if they're made in China. In the last 12-18 months, I've gone from 1 or 2% defect rates in material and supplies to about 10%. This is across all categories. On inexpensive small parts, I frequently buy multiple items now in case the first one fails. If the first part does not fail, I've got a spare in the tool box for the next job. Surely there is some organization that can get the ball rolling on this. Writing letters to politicians is a waste of time -- maybe someone that can line the politician's pockets with money will get something done.... when unethical and/or criminal politicians in a country different than yours colloborate with unethical and/or criminal politicians in your country, you will get defective manufactured goods imported to you if the politicians in your country care about you they will demand higher quality manufactured goods be imported into your country lining your politicians' pockets with money will only make them even more corrupt than they already are your politicians will let more defective goods into your country if they are getting benefits from doing so, whether or not you know about those benefits many cannot fathom their own politicians doing this to them, and until they can and do, and do something about it, it will continue |
#6
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Martik wrote:
Robert Barr wrote: I've just gotten to the point where I won't buy plumbing parts if they're made in China. I do a lot of my shopping for home repair items at Menard's, and it's pretty rare anymore to find anything American-made (or at least decent) in their plumbing department -- especially for the pipe & fittings. The last straw was a few pieces I bought since I was there anyhow -- just a 3/4" tee and a 90. Assembling it, the 90 threaded in very easily (too easily) with no progressive increase in force required, and then tightened abruptly. I used tape, but when things don't feel right, you just know there's going to be rework & cursing. With properly made fittings, this job would have been no challenge at all. Sure enough, it leaked just enough to **** me off. One droplet every 45 seconds, maybe. No amount of torque & teflon tape would keep it water-tight. Rework with US-made items, and everything's fine. I had to replace some ball valves a while back, and I had already had bad experiences with Menards' "LDF" brand of garbage valves. I went to an Ace Hardware instead and paid through the snout for some Italian made ball valves. It was worth it, because the job had to be done only once, and they've held up just fine since. (I'd still prefer American...). I've seen these LDF pieces of crap crumble upon installation. They can't even take the force of normal tightening with a wrench. I've seen one with a pinhole leak at the body of the valve! Nowhere near a moving part. That's how thin the material was. Damn! What are they using for quality control? What these retailers probably don't understand is that for plumbing (and probably many other areas of home maintenance), labor is the deciding factor. If I buy the Menards Chinese crap, it's almost 100% certain that I'll be doing the job twice. Therefore, I'll shop elsewhere, and I'll buy whatever else I need at the same place. So Menards loses the whole purchase, not just the plumbing. But as for Chinese plumbing parts -- man, I've had it. No more. Are there not Minimum standards required for electrical and plumbing supplies? The answer to that question varies by locality. In Maryland, USA for example it is unlawful to offer electrical supplies for sale that are not listed by an electrical testing laboratory. -- Tom H |
#7
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"Travis Jordan" wrote in message ... Robert Barr wrote: I've just gotten to the point where I won't buy plumbing parts if they're made in China. I don't blame you. Back when I used to shop at Lowes I bought a couple of galvanized pipe nipples for use outside. They didn't leak, but within two months they were covered solid with rust. Galvanized? I don't think so.... This is not an all one way problem though! Although it may support the low wage = low quality argument? Over the period 1995-2005 we have (and continue to) have owned three 'Japanese' all of the same type/brand very similar pickups. 1) The first one was well used; made in Japan. We were 4th owners and were so impressed we bought #2. 2) The second slightly used made in the US. 3) The third brand, new, also made in the US. Certain differences in quality and the parts that actually broke and/or corroded and had to be replaced certainly favour the Japanese truck! Replacement parts for the three came, ostensibly from North America; although it's hard to tell nowadays where the parts are actually made. Mexico to Korea! It is interesting that some of the best products come from countries which are 'very expensive'. For example, countries in Scandinavia, European Community, Canada. In many of these salaries are high (higher than in the US) gasoline and heating costs are high, income and local taxes tend to be much higher because of the cost of social programmes for income support and pensions. But we are told US productivity is high and US industry efficient (Well forget Enron!). The US model seems to be to tariff imports and heavily subsidize in order to protect 'local' industries? Whether that works and/or results in lower cost for US consumers seems to be unclear? All very puzzling! |
#8
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Travis Jordan wrote: Back when I used to shop at Lowes I bought a couple of galvanized pipe nipples for use outside. They didn't leak, but within two months they were covered solid with rust. Galvanized? I don't think so.... The "galvanized" fittings I saw at Lowe's were unusually bright, as if they had been coated with aluminumized paint rather than galvanized, and the shine came off when I scraped one. |
#9
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Italy has actually been producing some high quality ball valves, Nibco for
instance is made there. As far as fitting go, would not use any more chinese stuff, as a matter of fact, inspectors here in NYC are known to have plumbers re-do work where they find chinse fittings. good luck |
#10
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little voices in my head make me talk in incomplete sentences with
little to no punctuation copper pipe is bad. satan uses copper pipe to attract his minions so they will do his bidding sometimes I can feel the evil leaking through the can lights in my basement - I ignore the evil but cannot ignore the requests of the can lights I do as they bid me to do cancer lives in the attic and sometimes in the floor. congressmen know this but wont help. asking for help causes them to put your name on a list of bad citizens to monitor when the sunnybrook farm takes away my computer and takes me to the voltage lab it doesnt matter because I can still post through my decoder ring |
#11
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Cheap consumer prods from china are rapidly filling our landfills and
emptying our bank accounts. Always, always always return the defective crap. "larry moe 'n curly" wrote in message oups.com... Travis Jordan wrote: Back when I used to shop at Lowes I bought a couple of galvanized pipe nipples for use outside. They didn't leak, but within two months they were covered solid with rust. Galvanized? I don't think so.... The "galvanized" fittings I saw at Lowe's were unusually bright, as if they had been coated with aluminumized paint rather than galvanized, and the shine came off when I scraped one. |
#12
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Terry wrote:
"Travis Jordan" wrote in message .. . Robert Barr wrote: I've just gotten to the point where I won't buy plumbing parts if they're made in China. This is not an all one way problem though! Although it may support the low wage = low quality argument? Over the period 1995-2005 we have (and continue to) have owned three 'Japanese' all of the same type/brand very similar pickups. 1) The first one was well used; made in Japan. We were 4th owners and were so impressed we bought #2. 2) The second slightly used made in the US. 3) The third brand, new, also made in the US. Certain differences in quality and the parts that actually broke and/or corroded and had to be replaced certainly favour the Japanese truck! Even in the 1980s, Japanese steel for cars was better than American steel, and Japan produced nickel-zinc plated steel before other countries did. Replacement parts for the three came, ostensibly from North America; It is interesting that some of the best products come from countries which are 'very expensive'. For example, countries in Scandinavia, European Community, Canada. In many of these salaries are high (higher than in the US) Labor is one thing where you do tend to get what you pay for. Honda, for example, expects its Chinese parts factories will save only 30% in costs, despite the labor there being essentially free compared to that in high-wage countries, where it makes up most of the costs. In other words Chinese labor is only half as productive, and currently it costs at least $1500 more to produce a car in China than in North America. |
#13
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"Usmiech" wrote in message
news:1107657498.8d3b0860ad151cc0c48c475a60b0d184@b ubbanews... The Chinese don't have toilets. How can the produce any products for plumbing? Toilets are common only in their best hotels in the big cities. Anywhere else a hole in the floor is a high class establishment. And don't forget a clothes pin for your nose. |
#14
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"Matt" wrote in message
oups.com... little voices in my head make me talk in incomplete sentences with little to no punctuation copper pipe is bad. satan uses copper pipe to attract his minions so they will do his bidding sometimes I can feel the evil leaking through the can lights in my basement - I ignore the evil but cannot ignore the requests of the can lights I do as they bid me to do cancer lives in the attic and sometimes in the floor. congressmen know this but wont help. asking for help causes them to put your name on a list of bad citizens to monitor when the sunnybrook farm takes away my computer and takes me to the voltage lab it doesnt matter because I can still post through my decoder ring Funny stuff - too bad Effi can't see it and laugh along with us. |
#15
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Lousy Chinese plumbing components - your politicians are to blame
Matt wrote:
little voices in my head make me talk in incomplete sentences with little to no punctuation copper pipe is bad. satan uses copper pipe to attract his minions so they will do his bidding sometimes I can feel the evil leaking through the can lights in my basement - I ignore the evil but cannot ignore the requests of the can lights I do as they bid me to do cancer lives in the attic and sometimes in the floor. congressmen know this but wont help. asking for help causes them to put your name on a list of bad citizens to monitor when the sunnybrook farm takes away my computer and takes me to the voltage lab it doesnt matter because I can still post through my decoder ring My dear Matt- From reading your post, it is quite obvious that you are utilizing an inferior, Chinese manufactured tinfoil hat from Harbor Freight. Please obtain a high-quality, domestic tinfoil hat he http://www.ericisgreat.com/tinfoilhats/ I used to spent all my time killing "their" agents and burying them under my porch. Now that I have a proper tinfoil hat, I realize that the *real* danger is that the Bush Administration will find out about the case of 10W-40 in my garage and decide to "liberate" my little 40' x 120' piece of heaven. Please note that "effi" hasn't mentioned the real threat to our health, namely the hydrogen and oxygen found in our water supply. "effi" is obviously another hypnoslave. Beware! -- PB "Fresh windows units enter the internet backwards, bent over & naked, screaming “Don’t infect me! It will take me more than 12 minutes to download the security packs!”-anonamin |
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