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We just ordered a new Bosch dishwasher from Home Depot, including third-party installation. The installer they sent looked under the sink and said that because our stop valve is too old, that he could not do the installation "through the company". I said that I could hop over to the hardware store to get a new valve, but he would not allow me to do that. He said that he could do it off the books if I gave him $100.

Instead of accepting this offer, I rescheduled the installation for next week-- I will buy the $10 valve and put it on myself. However, I don't see what the problem is with the valve that we have (visible in the center of the picture). Is the type of valve that we have simply not used any more? If there is an issue, I'd like to fix it correctly before another installer comes.

Under the sink

Machavity
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homejoker
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    maybe the tech wanted to make some extra cash .... i see no reason why the service would not be available "on the books" ... the only problem with those valves is that the rubber washer disintegrates after some years and pieces of rubber end up downstream ... get a 1/4 turn ball valve – jsotola Nov 27 '21 at 02:12
  • I think your "extra cash" idea has merit. HD has some pretty "limited" installers. Our dishwasher plumbing is identical to the photo and nothing was said about the valve. – fred_dot_u Nov 27 '21 at 02:22
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    On top of rescheduling, report the tech to HD. – r13 Nov 27 '21 at 02:59
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    Not valve related, but: the tech sent to install my new washing machine refused to do so because of an existing (~1 year old) water hose, then tried to sell me a replacement hose for ~100€ (5x retail price). I sent them home and did the installation myself, but I suppose not everyone is willing/able to do that. – Ruther Rendommeleigh Nov 27 '21 at 17:32
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    Thanks to everyone for the replies. I got a new 1/4 turn ball valve for $12 and I will put it on. – homejoker Nov 27 '21 at 18:09
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    Did the installer attempt to turn off the valve and have the valve fail to actually turn off the water? Or, did they just *look at it* and say "no, can't do it"? If it's the former, then that valve does need to be replaced, which could easily be a larger job than what the installer is contracted for by Home Depot. If it's the latter (look, but no test), then you need to find out what's imposing that requirement. Is it Home Depot and the contract with the installer? Is it a code requirement in your area? Is it just the installer wanting some extra cash? – Makyen Nov 27 '21 at 21:12
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    He just looked. I assume it was contractual. The old valve did have a little bit of corrosion on it (which I was unable to see until it was removed). – homejoker Nov 27 '21 at 22:15
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    "I can do it off the books for $100" is a clear red flag for fraud. – TylerH Nov 29 '21 at 14:48
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    @TylerH - I expect it to be a contractual issue rather than a fraud issue. He's a third-party contracted by Home Depot to do straight dishwasher installations. In order to keep costs down, it's likely that Home Depot has limited the scope of his work (and any associated warranties and insurance) to simply "install the dishwasher". He's probably also not allowed to take on work from HD customers without going through them. So installing as a cash job is about the only way he can do it. $100 seems steep for a $12 part, but it probably covers time to go pick up the part, the part and install. – DWGKNZ Nov 29 '21 at 15:16
  • @DWGKNZ Then the installer shouldn't refer to it as an "off the books" job but as a separate job independent of the Home Depot installation (and thus not covered by any HD warranty). "Off the books" has one meaning: tax fraud. – TylerH Nov 29 '21 at 15:18
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    Definitely, I would generally expect that to be the case (along with terms such as cash, under the table, and perk job) but in this case, it may be for a different reason, ie. keeping the job out of Home Depot's sight as they may have an open book clause within the contract. Either way, it's the contractor's responsibility to report his income for tax purposes. – DWGKNZ Nov 29 '21 at 15:34

4 Answers4

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Capsule summary of the comments:

  • Your old valve should probably be replaced with a new quarter turn ball valve version. Those old valves wear out and break your heart when it really matters.
  • Report the installer to Home Depot. There's a strange, outside chance that they are limited in what they are allowed to do, but I sincerely doubt it.
TylerH
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Aloysius Defenestrate
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    "quarter turn" = ball valve. And yes, ball valves are better. – Steve Wellens Nov 27 '21 at 05:45
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    Disagree. I think "including installation" does not include updating your plumbing. In fact, you're lucky if the gorillas they send out would know how to update your plumbing. I think OP is lucky the installer recognized the need and offered to do it and didn't just install the thing poorly in order to check the box and go home. – jay613 Nov 27 '21 at 15:08
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    Disagree with point 2. This is perfectly par for the course for Home Depot, they paid enough claims and lawsuits over water leaks. Another known example is Home Depot will not install any washing machine without brand new flex hoses. – user71659 Nov 27 '21 at 22:17
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    @user71659 What about "he could do it off the books if I gave him $100"? Is that worth reporting to HD? – nanoman Nov 28 '21 at 04:30
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You should update this valve now that you are in there installing a new dishwasher.

The dishwasher purchase, "with installation" correctly does not include updating your plumbing.

It is extremely easy to replace this valve yourself. The pipe is exposed and in good shape and the old valve uses a compression fitting. Buy a Sharkbite quarter turn dishwasher valve (straight, not 90 degrees) and a Sharkbite pipe reamer. Unscrew the old one, shove on the new one and you're done. 5 minutes.

enter image description here

If you want someone else to do it, I'd accept the offer from this guy. It's reasonable and you don't have to find someone else and coordinate.

jay613
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    Disagree. It's a jacked up price from a profiteering "installer" who "would do it "off the books."" And there's no need to faff about with a sharkbite where there's a perfectly good compression fitting on the pipe. – Ecnerwal Nov 27 '21 at 16:15
  • I'm not sure I understand this comment. The compression fitting is integral to the old valve being replaced. How can it be reused? The ferrule can't be reused either. Maybe you could reuse the nut by why? You could buy a compression valve if you're not a Sharkbite fan but it will come with all new parts. I don't get the comment. And I would expect an appliance retailer to be clear that replacing customers' plumbing shall not be done as part of a free install. If some well-meaning installer does it and it goes wrong, the customer could, and SHOULD, expect the retailer to make good. – jay613 Nov 27 '21 at 18:35
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    Is it clear to all that the installer works for the appliance retailer not for OP? And probably is subject to a massively lawyered up contract designed mainly to protect that retailer? – jay613 Nov 27 '21 at 18:37
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    The compression fitting is a bog standard part. You unscrew the nut from the old valve and remove it. The nut and ferrule already on the pipe screw into any compression fitting of the same size - you just remove the nut and (uncrimped) ferrule from the new one. You most certainly can re-use them, if you're not so daft as to try and remove them from the pipe they are installed on. – Ecnerwal Nov 27 '21 at 18:42
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    Just to add to @Ecnerwal comment above... if some gorilla with 18" wrenches mangled the heck out of the ferrule, then it'll be pretty clear when you re-use it that you aren't going to be watertight. At that point, just nip the copper back a bit and install everything new. But I'll always reuse a ferrule in good condition. – Aloysius Defenestrate Nov 27 '21 at 19:17
  • My hunch is: installer has specific rules of what they are to do/not do as part of a standard installation, won't go over because their boss (or themselves if they are a one-man shop) knows they will not get 0.01 extra from HD for any extra work. Offering to do it as a side job off the books, on the spot, is actually quite reasonable. The only issue is the $ amount. If this were a regular plumber (who would likely charge more overall than the package price from HD) then adding that valve might be $50 to cover time & materials. $100 is overpriced in comparison. But to get a plumber out *only* – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Nov 27 '21 at 23:39
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    for that one little task is likely to cost $100 when he walks through the door. So $100 is perfectly reasonable in comparison to that. A **lot** of people will not attempt a valve replacement themselves, and some others will decide that unless they enjoy trips to HD (I do, but well...) that the time it takes to get the part and install it is not worth it and they would rather just hand over an extra $100 and be done. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Nov 27 '21 at 23:41
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    @manassehkatz-Moving2Codidact I take "off the books" to mean "without warranty and insurance", which should be included in the $100 you pay for the proper plumber. For me that would be one reason to avoid such an offer (the other reason being that where I live working "off the books" would be tax fraud). – Eike Pierstorff Nov 28 '21 at 16:56
  • @EikePierstorff Those are definitely possible issues. I am taking "off the books" here to mean "HD doesn't know about it". Which raises *other* issues, but if (as may be the case) HD simply has no process for contracted installers to do anything beyond a standard simple installation, that really doesn't bother me. To the insurance, etc. issues, there is one more concern: licensing as a plumber. It is quite possible that some of the installers have basic business/handyman/etc. licenses (which varies a lot by jurisdiction) but **not** an actual plumbing license. If that's the case then... – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Nov 28 '21 at 17:16
  • legally they can't replace the valve themselves because they're not "plumbers". You, as homeowner, generally can make such repairs yourself. If that's the case, then liability is a real issue. On the other hand, if the installer is a licensed plumber then the only "off the books" issue is taxes, and that is, at least where I am, the installer's concern and not the homeowner's concern. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Nov 28 '21 at 17:18
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Let me take this from the value proposition angle (I am assuming you own none of these)

  • A scoring tube cutter is about $15.
  • A simple metal file is $10 or less (or you can buy a de-burr/reamer tool for more than that).
  • A Sharkbite 3/8" ball valve itself (just shove it on) is maybe $12 (and it's as close to goof-proof plumbing as you can get)
  • A water shutoff key is less than $10 in most cases

So about $50 in hardware. Takes about 10-15 mins to turn your water off, cut the pipe, deburr it, shove the Sharkbite on and turn the water back on. By the time you add all that up, the average homeowner is probably not going to spend that time and money when you can pay some guy who has it on his truck and all the tools to do it right there. Add in the convenience factor, and $100 isn't exactly unreasonable, but you could spend that money to have the tools yourself to replace, say, the other valve under your sink. Or the rest of the valves in your house. And you come out ahead from not paying the installer some $90 to do it. This is a DIY site and... well, we're gonna tell you to buy the tools and do it yourself.

The reason HD likely has a policy like that is these older mutli-turn stop valves do wear out over time. My house is some 40+ years old and I've been steadily doing this over time because some of them just stopped working properly (some needed a wrench to get them to cut off). I recently replaced my kitchen sink and the gaskets inside disintegrated when I tried to turn them off. It's worth your time to buy the tools and replace both valves there (and any others you can reach).

Machavity
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  • Why sharkbite? Why not just re-use the existing compression fitting? – Glen Yates Nov 29 '21 at 17:25
  • @GlenYates The OP said their installer said it had to be a quarter-turn ball-valve or no deal. Possibly a scam, but there are legit reasons to balk at the crank-turns like this. – Machavity Nov 29 '21 at 17:27
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    I was questioning the recommendation to replace the valve with a sharkbite version, not questioning whether the valve should be replaced with quarter-turn ball valve - it should. – Glen Yates Nov 29 '21 at 17:35
  • Sharkbites are typically less hassle for not a lot more money (as of this writing a Sharkbite is only $1 more than a comparable compression ball valve). For someone who has not done plumbing before, the extra cost is worth it. – Machavity Nov 29 '21 at 18:04
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    Except in this instance, sharkbites are way more hassle! To use a sharkbite, you have to cut off the existing connection then file the cut smooth. To replace the old compression valve with a new quarter turn compression valve, you simply unscrew the old one and screw the new one in. You don't need any tools but a wrench. – Glen Yates Nov 29 '21 at 18:40
  • Two wrenches. One to hold the valve, one to turn the nut. – Ecnerwal Nov 29 '21 at 21:55
  • I suspect the people suggesting SharkBite fittings are used to sweated on shut off valves, as you correctly noted, in this case, they are compression fittings and no pipe cutting is needed to replace in kind (with the ball valve type). – DaveM Oct 17 '22 at 00:45
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It is a modern income source for Home Depot and other vendors. I recently purchased a washer and dryer from Home Depot and they would not install them without all new connection equipment ( hoses, wire, ducts, etc). You could consider it profit or covering the cost of install labor. Not all a bad idea as I can imagine some of the equipment is old and worth updating. I had previously installed all my own stuff including furnaces, roofing and central AC , but I am older and tired now, so not a bad deal.

blacksmith37
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