Big Box Store OVERreaction to an Issue - my rant..

[ri702bill 8,316]

A disclaimer up front... this is an observation, NOT a political statement - let's keep it that way....

 

I recently went to my local "Blue Store of Home Improvement" to see what they had for 1/4" pipe plugs. The Lowe's Associate told me if there were any left, that's all they will have.

I was confused - I asked why there would be no more coming. He said it has to do with the chain no longer selling indoor gas appliances - no more gas stoves, water heaters, or furnaces. The kicker - NO MORE black iron pipe, fittings, flex connectors, 37 degree fittings, gas shut off valves. Nuke it all. Seems their upper folks no longer want to be possibly involved with a product and related items that could possibly have legal ramifications.

 

Here in southern New England, the vast majority of residences are heated with natural gas (aka "City" gas - not propane), oil, and in a distant third - electric.

I for one have EIGHT gas appliances here in my 2 family home - 2 furnaces, 3 water heaters, 2 stoves, and a clothes dryer. AND CO monitors on first floor, second floor, and basement. Been that way for 45 years - when we lose the electric for days at a clip - no issue. Furnaces have a manual over ride (circulator does not function, but hot water rises, pushing the cold water back down - works well) water heaters work unaffected, stovetop burners can be lit with a match, no oven function, no dryer. All told, about 80% functionability. If I had all electric - zip, nothing.

I have probably bruised or killed off more of my brain cells over the years with beer than cooking a turkey in the oven... 

 

I realize that shelf space in a retail store is precious - you only want to sell what moves out in a timely manner, not gathering dust. Iron pipe and fittings are NOT exclusive to gas piping - I do not see or agree with their logic.

 

Their competitor - "the Orange Store" will, for the time being, still ORDER you a gas water heater - may take two weeks or so ...... That is too long for me to listen to the complaints of relatives taking cold showers....

 

OK - I'm done... feel somewhat better (not bitter) now... keep the comments UNpolitical......

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by ri702bill

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,297]

I will have to check the blue box store near me.  Been busy buying paint etc. Haven't noticed the pipe aisle in a while. The one near me doesn't hire the sharpest knives in the drawer so I never believe anything they say.

[ri702bill 8,316]

I installed a second water heater as a tempering tank to preheat the cold incoming water in the winter - we had a walk-in tub installed in 2016 - uses 90 gallons of water. My 40 gallon worked OK in the summer to keep up, not so in the other months.

 

So, I get all the piping done, except for cutting into the existing 1" iron gas pipe to add a Tee to feed the gas to the new heater. I feel your pain on the lack of sharpness there. I inquired if they used the now covered up pipe threading machine. Depends - what do you need?? I need 2 sections of pipe, x inches long and a tee  exactly centered +/- 18" at x inches from the left end. Assembled length must also be x +/- 1/8". They told me they could NOT do ANY of that, but Fred could. OK, let me talk to Fred.... sorry, he works now at another HD store, 12 miles north. I did not want to cut into the existing pipe, just replace it...

So I call Fred - he is a retired Master Plumber.. I go see Fred at the other store, he pegs it on the first shot.... He walks up to the register with me, tells them NOT to charge me for the cutting and threading, just the pipes & fittings. Fred's a keeper in my book... the other clowns can stock shelves...

 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by ri702bill

[squonk 41,092]

The Blue Box of Wonder has done stupid stuff for years. And they exaggerate like there is no tomorrow. They gave you a load of BS. I have seen empty shelves in my store and they say they aren't going to carry it anymore. 6 months later the stuff is back in another isle. They just hired a new district manager and he/ she wanted it moved. They all do it. Dumber than a box of rocks. My wife works in a thrift store. They just hired a new area manager who worked for Macy's. She wants the thrift store to look like a Macy's. My wife comes home with these unbelievable stories of what she wants done. I told her to call me when she's there and I'll come down and straighten the whole ball of wax out! 

[Ed Kennell 38,162]

    Our Ace Hardware stores carry a good selection of black, galvanized, plastic, and brass pipe and hydraulic fittings.

[ri702bill 8,316]

28 minutes ago, squonk said:

They just hired a new district manager and he/ she wanted it moved

Mike - sad, but true. A local chain grocery store is infamous for shuffling Managers from store to store - 3 in 3 years, and counting. I was talking to the store's assistant manager, a pleasant woman in her mid 30's. They had just moved their manager to another store, awaiting the new guy to show up on Monday.....

I told her about the old business saying - You get a new boss, you get a new job. She snapped at me "And just what does that mean??" I told her it means one of two things - you go on doing exactly what you do now, but under his supervision,,, or, you get a NEW job" She did not like that answer - I told her to remember this conversation - watch out he does not bring in his own staff... Two weeks later she told me "Friday is my last day - I got transferred to another store". He DID bring in his old staff - she caught a lesson on Corporate doings. She then told me she now fully understood the old saying - You get a new boss, you GET a new job.....

Edited March 28, 2023 by ri702bill

[pacer 3,169]

Well, oddly enough I can add a really good (really!!) experience with the Depot one....and like you guys, a visit to these stores can be quite frustrating at times.

 

I have an all electric home - live rural and have never ran gas down my road  - so my 30+ yr old 27" built-in oven gave up on the broiler working. Quickly found it was the circuit board, found a place online that 'guaranteed' to repair it - $150 (new oven was running upwards of 2K)  sent it off and 5 days later got it back, installed ..... promptly threw a code! After 2 days of no contact/comment/suggestion.etc from that mistake, I went back to looking at new one. None of the big boxes carried them in house, you have to let them order or do it yourself, which I chose to do. Settled on a GE from Home Depot at $1600 delivered to my home at no charge! Placed the order and was given a delivery date in 5 days. Next day receive email saying was on the way, next day get one giving more info, this went on til day prior and am told to expect delivery between 2&5PM the next day. Day starts off saying there was 12 stops til mine, round noon get one saying was 4 stops til mine.... bout 5pm get a call from driver confirming address, 15 min later theyre here and quickly put it where I needed it. Next day get email wanting to know was the delivery done properly and was the item OK, etc.

 

What this is leading up to is the fact that I was really (really!) surprised at the way that purchase was handled ... in this day and age you just really dont see a lot of that anymore.

 

My son and I installed it and its broiling again.... yay!!

[squonk 41,092]

I seriously doubt that a big store like Lowes or HD is going to stop carrying stuff that is just being talked awbout being obsolete in a few years

 If they do, it's pretty short sighted and they will lose tons of business. 

[ri702bill 8,316]

1 hour ago, pacer said:

Quickly found it was the circuit board, found a place online that 'guaranteed' to repair it - $150 (new oven was running upwards of 2K)  sent it off and 5 days later got it back, installed ..... promptly

I dodged that bullet years ago with our Frigidaire range - oven was acting like it wanted another ignitor - only good for 5 years or so - until all sorts of codes popped up. The timer was toast - NLA from the manufacturer. There was an online service that would "repair" mine with a 5 day or so turnaround and had an absolutely HORENDOUS pile of reviews from dis-satisfied customers. Nope - bought a new one... Funny story there too - I declined the $75 installation, so noted on the sales agreement. Got home from work, the old stove is gone, new one in place, leveled and hooked up. THREE times my wife told them and showed them the sales agreement declining installation - I know I did not pay them, maybe the salesman did....??  

Edited March 28, 2023 by ri702bill

[squonk 41,092]

I just went to my Lowes. Plenty of gas ranges and water heaters on the floor. lots of  gas shut offs and flex lines too. 1/4" pipe is pretty hard to come by and I don't think my store ever really had much. We have an industrial plumbing supplier in town and they never carried a lot of it either because it really isn't used that often.

 

I stopped by the paint dept. and the girl behind the counter looked like she had seen a ghost. I asked her if she was ok and she said she was ok but a little frazzled after waiting on some guy with red suspenders! 

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,297]

Funny , the lady that helps me is always complaining about some goofy looking ole goat from up north. 

[squonk 41,092]

4 minutes ago, elcamino/wheelhorse said:

Funny , the lady that helps me is always complaining about some goofy looking ole goat from up north. 

I keep returning the black paint because it's too light! 

[Handy Don 12,217]

32 minutes ago, squonk said:

waiting on some guy with red suspenders!

If he’d been wearing one green and one red suspender, she might have fled. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Handy Don

[squonk 41,092]

13 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

If he’d been wearing one green and one red suspender, she might have fled. 

I have a pair of those. I wear them the week of Christmas! 

http://www.redgreenshop.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=S

 

 

[squonk 41,092]

Believe it or not, there is an "art "  to make black paint. I had a customer (a Mennonite ) who ran a body shop. He would by a wrecked car (hit in the front) and another the same model (hit in the back) cut them in 2 (no @Pullstart )  and weld them back together. Paint em black and sell them to his community. He had a special formula he liked after going thru several different ones. For a gallon it called for about 100 grams of white mixer, a splash of yellow oxide, a few hundred grams of basecoat drier and the rest was black mixer.

 

I have a funny story for any big show goers this year about the different shades of white paint that I don't dare put here but will tell in June if interested.

[mrc 812]

i heard somewhere that NYC was not allowing any more natural gas hookups.   IMO this is because the govt wants us to be all electric.  odd thing though they let the utility companies burn lots of gas to make electricity.

 

[Handy Don 12,217]

11 minutes ago, mrc said:

i heard somewhere that NYC was not allowing any more natural gas hookups.   IMO this is because the govt wants us to be all electric.  odd thing though they let the utility companies burn lots of gas to make electricity.

 

No more hookups for multi-family apartment buildings and certain commercial buildings (exceptions and waivers remain possible).

The logic has to do with indoor air pollution (reduced) and to eliminate one set of infrastructure (gas piping) needed in the building.

So far the plumber’s union hasn’t been too vocal about this, but just wait...

[wh500special 2,173]

8 hours ago, ri702bill said:

… The Lowe's Associate told me if..

 

. Seems their upper folks no longer want to be possibly involved with a product and related items that could possibly have legal ramifications.

…

 

 

While there is a chance he knows what he is talking about, I think it’s unlikely that a floor employee in the plumbing department of a particular New England store really knows much more about Lowe’s corporate decisions than you or I do.  Lowes has 300000 employees and the odds are long that this one is seriously clued in to corporate policy and legal strategy.  
 

Not impossible of course, so I may be eating crow if this comes to pass. 
 

I’d bet he’s conflating stories, repeating a rumor, or just making stuff up as he goes. If Lowes really wanted to play Pontius Pilate and wash their hands of all things that could get them in legal trouble they’d quit selling paint, solvents, chainsaws, and  anything remotely related to electricity. 
 

Specious facts I’ll bet. 
 

Steve

[953 nut 55,210]

I grew up in a house with lead pipes for plumbing, lead paint on chewable surfaces, a Wood/Coal cook stove in the kitchen and a big potbelly coal stove in the living room. Now our bureaucrats tell me that a gas stove is bad for me!                 Next thing you know they will tell me it isn't safe to ride in the back of a pick-up truck.  

Any time I want 1/4" black iron anything from the blue big box I just go to their website, order it and pick it up at the store a couple days later. They don't stock any 1/4" and ACE only has 1/4" brass which is a bit pricy. 

[ri702bill 8,316]

13 hours ago, squonk said:

Believe it or not, there is an "art "  to make black paint. I had a customer (a Mennonite ) who ran a body shop. He would by a wrecked car (hit in the front) and another the same model (hit in the back) cut them in 2 (no @Pullstart )  and weld them back together.

 

That was a very common practice here in RI - not anymore. We too have a great Body Shop that did that with wrecked Hondas and Toyotas. Cut them apart at the factory seams, jig them up on a frame table and weld the halves up - excellent results, door gaps, hood and trunk as good as new. Trouble was ther were some backyard hacks doing the same, but turning out rolling deathtraps. There are now only four licensed rebuilders left in the state - the problem comes in with the title on the pieced back together car.... now a salvage title. One local large Ford Dealer has a huge banner in the service area stating that if your vehicle has a Salvage Title to remove it off their premises immediately. They will not honor warranty or recall work, not even do an oil change...

[squonk 41,092]

54 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

 

That was a very common practice here in RI - not anymore. We too have a great Body Shop that did that with wrecked Hondas and Toyotas. Cut them apart at the factory seams, jig them up on a frame table and weld the halves up - excellent results, door gaps, hood and trunk as good as new. Trouble was ther were some backyard hacks doing the same, but turning out rolling deathtraps. There are now only four licensed rebuilders left in the state - the problem comes in with the title on the pieced back together car.... now a salvage title. One local large Ford Dealer has a huge banner in the service area stating that if your vehicle has a Salvage Title to remove it off their premises immediately. They will not honor warranty or recall work, not even do an oil change...

This guy has his own shop and his son has another. They have plenty of customers. They buy low mileage wrecks, have them inspected at a special state facility and probably sell a couple hundred cars a year between them. They steer towards Ford Suv's  and mini vans

[ri702bill 8,316]

2 minutes ago, squonk said:

have them inspected at a special state facility

Ha - we have that too - but.... if you do a backyard resectioning, you need to get a certificate from one of those 4 licensed rebuilders before going to the State facility..... it's easier to get into Harvard than get the certificate, Their sandbox, their rules. Happened to an acquaintance that took 2 body-on-frame Buicks for his son's first car and made one - all he did was replace body panels - salvage title on the one he built - the shop had the car for about 2 months - no certificate - said the car needed about $5K of "miscelanious" work.... that offered to do at that price.

Told him he should have built the other one with the clean title.......

[Ed Kennell 38,162]

3 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

easier to get into Harvard than get the certificate

Same problem to get any trailer titled here in Pa.    It has to be hauled to one of the "special inspection stations " .  If it passes, then with this documentation you can apply for a title.

After the title is granted, then you can apply for a license.  Then with a title and license it can be inspected at any vehicle inspection station. 

   Easy Peasy   and $500 to put that  $200 4X8  Wheel Horse hauler on the road.

BTW, it must be easier in @ebinmaine country.     All commercial trailers here in Pa. have a Maine tag.   

[squonk 41,092]

Guy made a good living at it. He may be retired now for all I know (he's in his late 70's -early 80's  now) But his son is still doing it. Buy a couple of wrecks for 5 grand, put 5 grand in and sell them for $20-30,000.

 

They were a hoot. I used to do all of the AC work for them about 20 years ago.

[rmaynard 15,444]

So, I'm scratching my head.  I went to my local Lowe's store to buy a couple pieces of black iron pipe to make a pitless adaptor puller for my well. The supply was low, and prices were astronomical. The clerk that was working the department said that they had been having trouble keeping black iron in stock. Well that tells me that a lot of it is being sold. But the fact that the price was more than triple what it was just two years ago doesn't make sense other than the fact that they must have been told that gas was going to be phased out. But they are still selling gas appliances and water heaters, and lord knows how many gas grills are lined up in front of the store. 

 

 Fast-forward to two weeks ago. A surveyor was painting marks in the road and on the shoulders in front of my house. When asked what he was doing he said....wait for it...

"the utility company is extending their natural gas lines" . Hmm, I guess the utility companies haven't gotten the word that Lowe's doesn't have any black iron to hook up to it.