Im a plumber looking to retired soon in DR

[Cdn_Gringo]

In NYC I have seen Dominican homes piping natural gas through copper pipe!

I'm a licensed gas fitter among other things at home. In mi casa, garden hose is used to connect two stoves to the gas supply held in place with a screw clamp. More garden hose connecting the tank to the piping that runs through the walls. I have no idea what is used in the walls, I shudder to think. Never intended for the conveyance of gas under pressure, these hoses are old and brittle. Needless to say, the tank is turned off when we are not actually cooking something. I am trying to find some NA regulation flex hose in the DR but haven't found the right place yet. If I can't find it, I'll ship some in. This is a hazardous situation that is easily fixed and should never have been allowed in the first place.

There are problems with the electrical wiring in this place as well. Phantom power everywhere and without a ground installed, I get a shock every time I touch the metal hinge on the freezer door. Building a house here is a full-time job. You have to approve every single item being used and ensure it is all installed correctly. Take a break for lunch and you'll come back to a joist secured with duct tape guaranteed.

 

[LTSteve]

With plumbing skills and if you are PROMPT you could make some money. Ease into it, word of mouth and pick up some cash.

 

[beachcomber]

Im a plumber looking to retired soon in DR

Welcome…. I had a plumbing and heating business in the uk moved to Spain for 10 years a lot of pool work…in the DR now for 10 year plus and counting, I now just work for friends or friends of friends manly fixing screw ups….when I have time….my Neighbour was starting to lay cement on top of pvc pipe work pluming Inc builders estimate for new home…I said have they presser tested No the plumber said it ok…wait hang on I get my (presser tester box) 15 leaks 2 on new fittings hair line cracks the work was not bad but pvc cannot stand block drop on it and getting knock about …if we had not tested he would have been living in an aquarium….in 10 years I’ve never seen the local guys presser test their work they uses the trust in god system …and its more work for them smashing up the floor to fix leaks later ….a friend of mine said it probably was not the best move for me a heating engineer coming to the Caribe ….but I diversified and spend my time fixing up a place in the campo…and work in pop when I need $ for bits…and I still like it here, and the people in the country I find very genuine .PM me when you get here and maybe I can pass on some useful info if you like. beachcomber

 

[Criss Colon]

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[beachcomber]

I asked a plumber to do a pressure test on a job he did at my house, and he looked at me like I was nuts. We hooked up the compressor, took it up to 100 lbs. and watched the pressure gauge drop as soon as the compressor shut off.

He said that happened because it was air, not water.

We filled the lines with water, did it again, and he finally agreed when he saw the water spraying, but first insisted it was because 100 lbs was too much and his work was only for 40 lbs or less.

We fixed all the leaks, it held 100 lb all night, and he agreed he learned something.

On gas work in the UK we used a u gage for testing??..and in London I had to run an AIR test on the soil stacks 4 floors up waste system multiple bathrooms with the same equipment to get a pass certificate ?.that was fun ??then the inspectors said under floor 4?? had to be in cast iron because the rats had started to eat the plastic? that problem was solved by mixing poison with plastic when they made the pipe and the rats left it alone?..it may be basic here in the DR but I sleep better without the problems of the grey rainy land I left behind ?.. so I exchanged big $$ for palm trees and I don?t regret it ?.

 

[lplumberman]

im going to need your services soon...i got a solar hot water project on the fire...

never did solar sorry

 

[lplumberman]

Im a plumber looking to retired soon in DR

Welcome?. I had a plumbing and heating business in the uk moved to Spain for 10 years a lot of pool work?in the DR now for 10 year plus and counting, I now just work for friends or friends of friends manly fixing screw ups?.when I have time?.my Neighbour was starting to lay cement on top of pvc pipe work pluming Inc builders estimate for new home?I said have they presser tested No the plumber said it ok?wait hang on I get my (presser tester box) 15 leaks 2 on new fittings hair line cracks the work was not bad but pvc cannot stand block drop on it and getting knock about ?if we had not tested he would have been living in an aquarium?.in 10 years I?ve never seen the local guys presser test their work they uses the trust in god system ?and its more work for them smashing up the floor to fix leaks later ?.a friend of mine said it probably was not the best move for me a heating engineer coming to the Caribe ?.but I diversified and spend my time fixing up a place in the campo?and work in pop when I need $ for bits?and I still like it here, and the people in the country I find very genuine .PM me when you get here and maybe I can pass on some useful info if you like. beachcomber

it would be cool to meet up ill buy you a few beers ! ill be up there in Dec 26 for about 2 - 3 weeks inbox me with your number thx lorenzo

 

[csteinwand]

I am in need of a good plumber to come fix the water in my house.

I bought a diaphragm (I think this is what it's called, blue tank that is supposed to keep constant pressure), and from my limited googling on how to install it, looks like they installed it on the wrong side of the water storage tank.

I need someone that knows what they are doing to check it out and fix it if anyone has any recommendations.

Looking to have it fixed in the next few weeks

 

[Dolores]

Let me know if you are still looking.

 

[Brendan Hubley]

Just my dos pesos, but I would think expats would appreciate an English speaking plumber. I had a hot water system put in and it had to be reworked a few times due to fairly obvious issues, Ie. Heat expands pipe so having metal fittings attached to plastic tubing is problematic. I had a hard time explaining that to my plumber with my horse and buggy Spanish. Eventually it got sorted out though.

 

[chico bill]

My Spanish suck ! for $ 2.50 ill sit on the beach and have a beer ! lol i would do higher end stuff , just to keep my mind busy , having a helper is a good idea , for waste pipe they use ABS or Cast ? How about water ? thxs for the info !!

They use PVC for everything. Copper is rare for water. And many of the fittings you readily find in the states are not available. Galvanized pipe is such low quality it rusts as soon as exposed to water
Also they often put waste pipe together with silicone caulking - you would be appalled at the quality of Chinese material you have to work with here. To get good fixtures they must be imported - a cheap Chinese bath faucet for 2800 pesos ( about $48) wears out in 1-year, if that long.
A nice Delta off Amazon for about $65 including shipping lasts 5 years - you do the math

 

[chico bill]

Im a plumber looking to retired soon in DR

Welcome…. I had a plumbing and heating business in the uk moved to Spain for 10 years a lot of pool work…in the DR now for 10 year plus and counting, I now just work for friends or friends of friends manly fixing screw ups….when I have time….my Neighbour was starting to lay cement on top of pvc pipe work pluming Inc builders estimate for new home…I said have they presser tested No the plumber said it ok…wait hang on I get my (presser tester box) 15 leaks 2 on new fittings hair line cracks the work was not bad but pvc cannot stand block drop on it and getting knock about …if we had not tested he would have been living in an aquarium….in 10 years I’ve never seen the local guys presser test their work they uses the trust in god system …and its more work for them smashing up the floor to fix leaks later ….a friend of mine said it probably was not the best move for me a heating engineer coming to the Caribe ….but I diversified and spend my time fixing up a place in the campo…and work in pop when I need $ for bits…and I still like it here, and the people in the country I find very genuine .PM me when you get here and maybe I can pass on some useful info if you like. beachcomber

Presser Test ? You mean pressure test of course.
I am unfamiliar with a 'presser test'. Unless that is something a dry cleaning applicant must pass ?

 

[El Rey de Mangu]

Presser Test ? You mean pressure test of course.
I am unfamiliar with a 'presser test'. Unless that is something a dry cleaning applicant must pass ?

I have under presser myself at various times, CB

 

[bob saunders]

Presser Test ? You mean pressure test of course.
I am unfamiliar with a 'presser test'. Unless that is something a dry cleaning applicant must pass ?

You don't have to be a good speller to be a good plumber.

 

[chico bill]

You don't have to be a good speller to be a good plumber.

Yes all you must remember is sh*t flows downhill and wash your hands before lunch

 

[monfongo]

Go take the plumbers exam in Massachusetts and tell me how easy it is ? Three yrs. of night school, 4 yr. apprenticeship and then you get to take the exam. witch is plumbing and gas, practical and then written.Mass plumbers are charging anywhere from $ 100.00 to 200.00 and up an hour. roto rooter deals with sh1t, only small jobbing outfits deal with crap.

 

[bob saunders]

Go take the plumbers exam in Massachusetts and tell me how easy it is ? Three yrs. of night school, 4 yr. apprenticeship and then you get to take the exam. witch is plumbing and gas, practical and then written.Mass plumbers are charging anywhere from $ 100.00 to 200.00 and up an hour. roto rooter deals with sh1t, only small jobbing outfits deal with crap.

Even here in the DR plumbers make a healthy living if they are any good.

 

[bob saunders]

Even here in the DR plumbers make a healthy living if they are any GOOD. My oldest son is a plumber gas-fitter, heavy machine operator, and carpenter. He is never out of work.

 

[NanSanPedro]

Where did he go to school?

 

[JD Jones]

Just my dos pesos, but I would think expats would appreciate an English speaking plumber. I had a hot water system put in and it had to be reworked a few times due to fairly obvious issues, Ie. Heat expands pipe so having metal fittings attached to plastic tubing is problematic. I had a hard time explaining that to my plumber with my horse and buggy Spanish. Eventually it got sorted out though.

There are many types of PVC pipe, including one that is designed to be used with hot water.

Even here in the DR plumbers make a healthy living if they are any good.

Not just plumbers. Good tradesmen in construction here make excellent money and really aren't available to do small jobs for anyone.

The big contractors doing mega projects here have them all on lockdown.

I've seen woodworking shops in 40-50k sq. ft. buildings turning out all kinds of exotic mahogany woodwork for high-end projects.

I knew a guy who specializes in wood ceilings for million-dollar villas and has a crew of about 20 guys.