If its new, its junk. Right?

I’ve been a licensed plumber for 15 years, 14 of those years I’ve held a Master Plumber license. I started in the trades at a young age working as a helper during the summers for a family business and entered the plumbing apprentice program in Minneapolis in 1997. In all the years I’ve been exposed to the trades I have learned one very important lesson. It’s not the only lesson obviously but as our worlds have expanded through such things as social media this simple fact has only been reinforced time and time again.

“If its new, its shit.”

That’s right. If Facebook groups, forums or the Twittersphere full of other tradesman and woman has taught me anything its that whenever a new product enters the market said product is total crap and possibly the worst idea ever to come along since, well, the last worst thing like plastic DWV piping or at one time copper tubing [I’d imagine].

PEX tubing?! More like OMG! What a terrible idea! While I cannot say what other plumbers or pipefitters thought about the replacement of schedule 40 iron pipe with copper, mostly because it happened long before my time but, I bet if FB existed then it would be full of complaints that it would never last. I have experienced the integration of PEX into the marketplace and can vividly recall the apprehension by nearly every plumber in the shop. Don’t even get me started on copper press fittings.  By all accounts, from what they were saying then, we would all be without a job by now because there would be no need to have a licensed plumber if PEX was the future.

The fact of the matter is this, its time the regular-guy/gal plumber got over him/herself and realized this and other new products will continue to come to market that will make performing our job faster and easier. The person who signs your paycheck is demanding this. These new technologies will not take your job away, you’re still needed for your skill and knowledge in how to fix the problems, size the pipes, make it work etc. but new products will continue to be developed, know this as fact.

Well, that’s all I have for today because I have two tankless water heaters to install and a 96% AFUE boiler to service. Man, where are all the cast iron boilers at?…