The Sunday afternoon repair call

The Sunday afternoon repair call

Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes

Today I get a call about water in the utility room of one of my houses . So I run over to check it out . And yes there is some water , but not much . I check the water heater and its fine , dont see any leaks , But the well pump is cycling and no one is using water . So I go outside and I see a sink hole about 3 ft from the house . I start shoveling and its now all mud . So here it is a Sunday , afternoon , and no one is going to be able to come out , so I roll up my sleeves and keep digging . About 1 hour later I find the problem . The plastic barbed ell that screws into the pitless adaptor has cracked at the threads .  Not good . So I cut the pipe and try to remove the fitting . So of course it breaks off leaving 1/2 the fitting in the pitless adaptor . So now I have to break out the torch and heat up the fitting to soften the plastic to remove it . It comes out but some melts to the metal threads . Now I have to run out to get parts and I pick up a 1 in male nipple so I can clean the threads by running it in and out a couple times . So in about another hour I have it all back together and the water back on .  So 2 hours of time and $14 of supplies .   

How much did I save by doing it myself ? 

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Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 876 votes
6y

I'm with you @Matthew Paul. I often count the times I've saved hundreds with a few minutes of work. And that's not even getting into whether the "pro" would properly diagnose the problem. 

A few years back I was visiting friends in the Catskills and when I got there he apologized for breakfast taking so long because there was virtually no water in the faucet. He explained he had had 3 different professionals there, one of whom told him his well needed fracking and charged him thousands without solving the problem. I said " is the pressure in the bathroom (on the other side of the wall) OK?" Yes, he said. I walked over, disassembled and cleaned the screen on the faucet's pullout hose, and it was done. His jaw dropped. He's a lawyer and a smart guy, but he got taken by some incompetent and/or dishonest contractors. 

I'm a "mom & pop" landlord, not an empire builder. I have 13 units that I maintain, and if I wasn't doing it I wouldn't be hustling my next deal or something else high paying, I'd just be paying someone else to do what I can do, often better.

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  • Investor · NJ · Member since 2018 · 869 posts · 921 votes
    6y

    by doing it yourself you saved whatever whatevet a company would've charged minus what you think several hours of your time is worth. 

  • Specialist · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 870 posts · 345 votes
    6y

    IMO, you saved nothing.  I rather spend time with my family or taking a nap. Let the rental be self-sufficient as much as you can.

  • Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    6y

    @Frank S. Well Frank , I do like the tenants to have water . Problem was caught and  repaired before it caused major problems .

  • Andy WebbPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Carrollton, TX · Member since 2013 · 750 posts · 538 votes
    6y

    I agree with @Frank S. - tell them how to shut the water off so they aren't just flooding the yard and running up the bill, and get a plumber out there first thing on Monday.

  • Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Andy Webb:

    I agree with @Frank S. - tell them how to shut the water off so they aren't just flooding the yard and running up the bill, and get a plumber out there first thing on Monday.

    Well Andy , there is no water bill , its a well . And the break was 3 ft from the house so it would flood the basement since it was already making a wet spot .  Now this is a Class B property , great tenants . If I would have waited till Monday to call a plumber it could have been another day , 2 or 3 . Plus a charge of around $ 900 to fix a water main . I would have had to make a return trip to meet the plumber , using another hour of my time .  Now I am of the mindset that a penny saved is a penny earned .  2 hours of my time playing in the mud to get the water leak solved was actually both a time and money saver 

  • Andy WebbPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Carrollton, TX · Member since 2013 · 750 posts · 538 votes
    6y

    Ah - gotcha, that is a handy savings.  And I just realized this is in the DIY forum!  So well done, no pun intended.  I am guilty of jumping in and doing this stuff myself as well...but am working to cut it out to afford myself more time with family and traveling.  It is a balancing act for sure...

    Severna Park - we have relatives there...and I recall they have a basement as well...nothing like that to worry about here in TX fortunately!

  • Investor · Northeast, NE · Member since 2015 · 258 posts · 83 votes
    6y

    You did exactly what was needed and saved several hundred too.

    The main thing missed in discussion so far is the root cause of it going South.  That plastic connection fitting underground.  My experience those fittings are junk and failure prone.  I ONLY use brass fittings with TWO hose clamps.  Makes for less second round do overs. And less spade wear on both ends of same.

  • Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Don Meinke:

    You did exactly what was needed and saved several hundred too.

    The main thing missed in discussion so far is the root cause of it going South.  That plastic connection fitting underground.  My experience those fittings are junk and failure prone.  I ONLY use brass fittings with TWO hose clamps.  Makes for less second round do overs. And less spade wear on both ends of same.

    Yes they are junk , but it did last at least 34 years 

  • Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Andy Webb:

    Ah - gotcha, that is a handy savings.  And I just realized this is in the DIY forum!  So well done, no pun intended.  I am guilty of jumping in and doing this stuff myself as well...but am working to cut it out to afford myself more time with family and traveling.  It is a balancing act for sure...

    Severna Park - we have relatives there...and I recall they have a basement as well...nothing like that to worry about here in TX fortunately!

     Just about everything around Severna Park has basements unless you are waterfront without much elevation . And there are 2 types of basements , those that have flooded and those that havent flooded yet . 

  • Real Estate Investor · Springfield, MO · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    6y

    I think many of us tried to save pennies when we first started out.  Today, I hire stuff done.  Time with family & friends is one thing I never get more of.  The irony is I've scaled to larger than I ever would have been able to on my own, and my net income and net worth have both increased dramatically as a result.

    How much did you save?  Not sure, but my guess is a licensed plumber could have probably done a weekend call and charged you $300.  They're usually faster and have equipment that makes the job take less time than a DIY person, plus if their fix fails for whatever reason tomorrow they should come back and fix it on their dime.

    But is saving money on DIY repairs the optimal way to increase net income?  I assume you're interested in doing that rather than simply the academics behind how much it would have cost to hire someone out of curiosity.

  • Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    6y

    @Erik W. Where I am in Maryland , things arent cheap . Plumber would have been about $900 on this one .  Now I am also a contractor . The only equip needed was a shovel and some hand tools , the area was too tight for a backhoe ( which I have ) . It was easier just to fix it than call my plumber ( who is always busy ) . It was 2 hours , I would have spent the same amount of time calling , scheduling and meeting the plumber . Plus it kept the tenants happy .

  • Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 876 votes
    6y

    I'm with you @Matthew Paul. I often count the times I've saved hundreds with a few minutes of work. And that's not even getting into whether the "pro" would properly diagnose the problem. 

    A few years back I was visiting friends in the Catskills and when I got there he apologized for breakfast taking so long because there was virtually no water in the faucet. He explained he had had 3 different professionals there, one of whom told him his well needed fracking and charged him thousands without solving the problem. I said " is the pressure in the bathroom (on the other side of the wall) OK?" Yes, he said. I walked over, disassembled and cleaned the screen on the faucet's pullout hose, and it was done. His jaw dropped. He's a lawyer and a smart guy, but he got taken by some incompetent and/or dishonest contractors. 

    I'm a "mom & pop" landlord, not an empire builder. I have 13 units that I maintain, and if I wasn't doing it I wouldn't be hustling my next deal or something else high paying, I'd just be paying someone else to do what I can do, often better.

  • Specialist · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 870 posts · 345 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Andy Webb:

    I agree with @Frank S. - tell them how to shut the water off so they aren't just flooding the yard and running up the bill, and get a plumber out there first thing on Monday.

     A happy tenant is very valuable, true. 

    Once I got a call of water coming through light fixtures while having dinner with friends.  Fortunately,  I have some sewer repair people that do minor plumbing too.  So, I excused myself and spend 15 minutes on the phone. Sure, I paid $600 for the trick, but it was well worth it. It was repaired within a day.

    It's hard to find honest and reliable people, but if you find them, pay them well and respect them.  They may gauge your eye$ once in a while, but so it goes...

    These repairs can wear you down.  We are here for the long haul.

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