Built in 1890, our comfy Herkimer Village home has stood up well. In the 12 years since we bought it for $32k, it’s kept us safe and warm, the rain off our heads and held unpleasant neighbors at bay. And it’s appreciated nicely.
Still, the years are taking their toll, notably in decaying basement water lines. I’ve replaced rows of rotting copper water pipe using PEX tubing and Sharkbite fixtures, saving us a fortune in plumbing repairs. I’ve also learned to know when to call a plumber, rather than flail away myself, weaving an expensive path of destruction.
Last month, a three-inch length of copper pipe sprang a pinhole leak. I could easily have replaced it with PEX had it not been a bridge piece to an ancient galvanized steel pipe. Sharkbite doesn’t do steel. And so neither do I. I asked a plumbing repair AI how to repair it; the answer scared the bejesus out of me: 
sawing, blowtorch, compression fittings. Old enough to know when to fold, I called Drain and Main (D&M), a very reputable local plumbing company. They immediately sent Dan, a newer employee.
Before giving us a repair quote, the affable Dan told us my Sharkbite repairs were “crazy,” briefly deriding Sharkbite. Going to his van, he returned with two quotes: the first was for $1400; the second, which he called “the cheap option,” was for $600. He didn’t go into detail, saying only that the repair involved compression fittings. I asked why he couldn’t just replace the elbow on the left and the small bit of leaking copper pipe going into it. “No,” was all he said.
Chatting when he first arrived, Dan told us he’d last worked for Central Plumbing, whose owner was recently arrested and charged with multiple felonies in numerous jurisdictions. That and the price of his quotes didn’t give me a warm cozy feeling. I said any repair would have to wait until payday.
I filed a claim with our plumbing warranty company, American Water Resources, along with a photo of the problem. They couldn’t find anyone who wanted the job, instead sending me a check for $250, saying if it was more, I could apply for reimbursement.
Turning the water on during the day and off at night as the basement became a humid swamp, I reviewed the AI’s repair description a few times. Maybe it was a complicated repair and worth $600, I thought. Came payday, I called Drain and Main and said we were ready for Dan to make the repair.
[Loren] was done in ten minutes–$350.
They took a moment to check Dan’s quotes, then told me they’d be sending someone else. Loren, a longtime D&M employee with sterling reviews, came out the next morning. Said he used PEX in his work. He was done in ten minutes and charged $350. Tried to save me $19 by paying with a check. I was so relieved I didn’t care.
We’ll be using Drain and Main from now on and asking for Loren.