Why are there no instructions with all the plumbing stuff @ Lowe's, Home Depot, etc?

[KlokWyze]

Strikes me as pretty odd considering the importance of installing this stuff properly. After several hours of bashing my head against the wall, 4 trips to the store, 100 web searches I think I can finally get this installed properly.

Just basic stuff would help, like what's the difference between ABS and PP plastics? Why you can solvent weld one and have to use slip washers on the other. Why you can use this pipe dope on this, but can on that, etc., etc. The real fix was reading up and research on the interest, but the only stopgap in place out there for the layman is what? The HD or Lowe's guy? GTFO.

It's just really fucking irritating, frustrating and downright retarded to assume that even WITH instructions people would install this shit correctly. How are we going to install it properly with ZERO documentation? Who the fuck can I blame for this shit?

God damn it. Was so pissed earlier... still not over it. RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE

 

[Tiamat]

Blame cost cutting profit maximization. Companies don't bother with instructions because they don't want to pay staff to write up what they assume can be found on the internet assuming the customer actually knew what keywords to use. If there are instructions, they are usually so poorly written (chinglish) that they are worthless.

 

[Naer]

Blame cost cutting profit maximization. Companies don't bother with instructions because they don't want to pay staff to write up what they assume can be found on the internet assuming the customer actually knew what keywords to use. If there are instructions, they are usually so poorly written (chinglish) that they are worthless.

This

 

[KK]

always youtube it. I never tackle any unfamiliar job without consulting youtube.

 

[KlokWyze]

Blame cost cutting profit maximization. Companies don't bother with instructions because they don't want to pay staff to write up what they assume can be found on the internet assuming the customer actually knew what keywords to use. If there are instructions, they are usually so poorly written (chinglish) that they are worthless.

Man. Just SOMETHING would have been nice. Chinglish would have been nicer than nothing....

always youtube it. I never tackle any unfamiliar job without consulting youtube.

This was my mistake. That and me being an impatient spaz. I did for the recent counter top demo in my kitchen, but consulted youtube and read up on it first. That shit was easy...

Pipe installation is more mechanical, sometimes harder to wrap your head around the whats and whys. This is actually just for one side of the sink. The other side of the sink has the garbage disposal, but the since the new sink is so much lower, there is no waste line low enough to accomodate it. I cut a 2'x2' square out of the wall behind it. The waste line is HORIZONTAL. We have to demo all the dry wall, cut through every single stud and T into the waste line...... boof.

 

[BoomerD]

Not to mention...the parts you linked can be used in more than one way...


Besides...a MAN doesn't need directions...he just knows.

 

[KlokWyze]

Not to mention...the parts you linked can be used in more than one way...


Besides...a MAN doesn't need directions...he just knows.

lol.

I fucking hate asking people how to do shit... especially an HD employee....

 

[dave_the_nerd]

always youtube it. I never tackle any unfamiliar job without consulting youtube.

This, pretty much.

Also, I'm thinking there are a lot of people who make a lot of money fixing DIY projects gone wrong.

I seem to recall Home Depot used to offer instore workshops and demos. Do they not do that anymore?

 

[zerocool84]

They don't put instructions so you don't have any Joe Blow trying to install something. Professional use only

 

[BoomerD]

lol.

I fucking hate asking people how to do shit... especially an HD employee....

MOST Home Depot/Lowe's employees don't know the first fucking thing about the stuff they sell...beyond whatever quick class they MIGHT take in the store.
Long gone are the days when they actually hired people who knew about the stuff in their departments...they wanted too much money. Now, you get the same kind of retail know-nothings that you find at Sears, Target, or WalMart.

 

[Tiamat]

always youtube it. I never tackle any unfamiliar job without consulting youtube.

Sadly this. And when you hit a snag, YouTube search the item you are working on and the current bs issue you've gotten into due to no instructions, and you find a few videos of other people fucking it up too and giving hints how to salvage the situation

 

[IronWing]

Besides...a MAN doesn't need directions...he just knows.

This. A man is supposed to know how to handle his pipe.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

It doesn't matter where you buy the parts. They don't come with instructions because the manufacturers assume anyone dumb enough to monkey with this stuff will have a clue of what they are doing.

They sell books at stores. Too hard?

Make sure to post your leaking whatever thread for the lulz.

 

[noobsrevenge]

its just a few pieces of pvc you noob

 

[KlokWyze]

its just a few pieces of pvc you noob

bwahaha

No it's not you twat. Look closer.

 

[Jeff7]

My guess: Liability.

Blame cost cutting profit maximization. Companies don't bother with instructions because they don't want to pay staff to write up what they assume can be found on the internet assuming the customer actually knew what keywords to use. If there are instructions, they are usually so poorly written (chinglish) that they are worthless.

And this.


It's not just consumer-level products either. At work, we just got a $100k piece of machinery. The manual is like something that Google Translate would have barfed up after the server was force-fed the Oxford dictionary and a gallon of Drano.

 

[BUTCH1]

bwahaha

No it's not you twat. Look closer.

I'll give you a free tip, silicon caulk the crap out of everything, those plastic washers don't seal worth a fuck, use caulk-a-plenty during assembly and let it set up for a day before using it and you will have no problems..

 

[feralkid]

I'll give you a free tip, silicon caulk the crap out of everything, those plastic washers don't seal worth a fuck, use caulk-a-plenty during assembly and let it set up for a day before using it and you will have no problems..

Never do this.

Ever.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm laughing with you, not at you... Ok, it's about 20:80, but I feel your pain :^D

Those things are a PITA if you're working with non-standard infrastructure. It took me about an hour to do my kitchen sink, and I had to mix/match, and modify existing/new pieces to get everything in. I really need to just do the whole mess over, and do it right so I can use something normal, but I'm hoping It's fixed for a decade or two now.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Hahaha installed a new laundry tub a while back, I feel your pain. Guess this stuff is usually done by people who already know what they're doing. I got lucky though as I was able to reuse the ABS to copper converter so at least I did not have to worry about that part.

I had trouble figuring out how to go from the bottom of the sink to the P trap part, ended up finding the proper threaded adapter and got it working but it took some research and messing around.

Also I find instructions don't help much for this kind of stuff, there are usually specific names for the pieces and if you don't know those specific names the instructions may as well be written in Russian.

 

[Raduque]

There are no instructions, because if you need instructions the job is not for you.

 

[Muse]

Dude, or dudess... It's on you to know. The complexity and potential problems of them having to guide you in your purchases in the very complex realm of plumbing is absolutely prohibitive. That's life, deal with it. There are books (they sell some at HD), there's the internet. Ace Hardware used to have (maybe still do ) a ton of free handouts about DIY projects. The big box DIY outlets, I wouldn't think so. And I wouldn't get mad. You can ask questions, but don't expect expert advice. If you get it, consider yourself lucky. What would a plumbing expert be doing working at HD when they could be earning far more working as a plumber?

 

[DrPizza]

Sort of like Muse said - they can't possibly cover every possible situation, and if Joe Blow has some sort of situation not covered by the instructions, attempts installation, and floods his house, they have potential liability problems.

You'll note a lot of other products that don't come with instructions: a lot of other electrical and plumbing products. If you don't know what you're doing, don't do it. A mere set of instructions to someone who doesn't know what they're doing is often not sufficient to instruct them.

 

[Muse]

Sort of like Muse said - they can't possibly cover every possible situation, and if Joe Blow has some sort of situation not covered by the instructions, attempts installation, and floods his house, they have potential liability problems.

You'll note a lot of other products that don't come with instructions: a lot of other electrical and plumbing products. If you don't know what you're doing, don't do it. A mere set of instructions to someone who doesn't know what they're doing is often not sufficient to instruct them.

I learned this one in high school:

"A little learning is a dangerous thing. Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring" - Alexander Pope

 

[CoachB]

I applaud your willingness to attempt this! Most folks these days wouldn't even make an effort or know where to begin. However, a big part of DYI is understanding one's limits and having a feel for the project. Sometimes you need to admit that you don't have the skills or info to tackle a problem and defer someone else (a plumber in this case).
As a few people have already pointed out, drain lines/systems can be diabolical yet look so simple especially when mixing materials or retrofitting new stuff. I NEVER start a plumbing project unless I have a whole day AND the stores are open just in case something doesn't work.