# Explain why electricians and fitters don't get along



## bill39 (Sep 4, 2009)

Sad to say, but after 39 years of working in the trade I've developed a well-justified bias against pipe fitters. I've worked mainly as a construction electrician in heavy industry (refineries, power houses, automotive plants, some service work, hospitals, etc.).

That being said, a young guy I'm working with asked why and my short answer was "we're just natural enemies." He asked for detailed reasons and these were the two that came off the top of my head:

* There is only so much real estate on a project and we fight over it (move a conduit so the fitter can run his line straight)
* They tend to move in will take over an area if you let them

It is just me or do others feel the same way? I'd like to hear your reasons why electricians and fitters don't get along.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

We give a chit and they don't. That's why.


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## 24 big guy (Jun 29, 2011)

bill39 said:


> Sad to say, but after 39 years of working in the trade I've developed a well-justified bias against pipe fitters. I've worked mainly as a construction electrician in heavy industry (refineries, power houses, automotive plants, some service work, hospitals, etc.).
> 
> That being said, a young guy I'm working with asked why and my short answer was "we're just natural enemies." He asked for detailed reasons and these were the two that came off the top of my head:
> 
> ...


There's no one Dumber than a Plumber


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## Surge03 (Sep 23, 2012)

bill39 said:


> Sad to say, but after 39 years of working in the trade I've developed a well-justified bias against pipe fitters. I've worked mainly as a construction electrician in heavy industry (refineries, power houses, automotive plants, some service work, hospitals, etc.).
> 
> That being said, a young guy I'm working with asked why and my short answer was "we're just natural enemies." He asked for detailed reasons and these were the two that came off the top of my head:
> 
> ...


In my experience they think our job is simple and we are overpaid.So my answer to them was why don't you apply if its so simple lol


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## Amish Electrician (Jan 2, 2010)

I can't say I've ever had a problem with pipefitters. Maybe it's because they also happened to be the first trade I was ever exposed to in construction.

I do notice on a new job a little apprehension on the part of most trades when the electrician (me) first arrives. This quickly ends; it seems the other trades (not just the fitters) have encountered quite a few Sparkys who were prima-donnas.

Look at it this way .... the fitters have a tough job. Their pipes are effin heavy, and they don't bend. They need to crawl all over the blessed things, just to get their welds right. I never have a problem getting out of their way.

Take over? They come in, do their thing, and are gone. Not like us, who are there for the entire job.

I was a bit upset at the sprinkler fitters for leaving all their scrap above drop ceilings - until I learned it was not they, but the ceiling guys, who were doing that.


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## al_smelter (Jan 25, 2011)

I have never had a big issue with the per se, but it's well known [around here] that it's easier for the electricians to move conduit than fitters to move pipe. Industrially, I would rather they came and went before us. We've had to move stuff for them several times, and it can be aggravating.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

I got along with all the trades on most every job. I cannot ever remember having problems with anyone. Not to say it didn't.
Seems everyone knew their job, did their job and went home.


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

..one of my main reasons is that the fitters I typically run into are under the false impression that every tool is a company tool [doesn't matter which company] and that none of the tools are actually personal tools.
They think nothing of grabbing a tool, using it, and it never gets returned.


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## heavyduty73 (Jan 11, 2008)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mViO9mnCTBo

Not the same but close.


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

heavyduty73 said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mViO9mnCTBo
> 
> Not the same but close.



FWIW...the videos on the side bar look appealing :thumbup:










:laughing:


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## Michigan Master (Feb 25, 2013)

I have actually seen an electrician cut the plumber's pipes off a rolling mill we were installing and run his pipes (job not being laid out well cause problems). We all work for the same company so needless to say it didn't go over over well with management. Nowadays on rolling mills we run cable tray and aren't really ever in each other's way too much on this type of job.


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

24 big guy said:


> There's no one Dumber than a Plumber


I told my helper if he were any dumber, he'd be a plumber. He didnt laugh, but the plumber in the same room did.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

I get on well with everybody on a site, I'm the big guy always smiling. If I was an arsehole my job would be a hell of a lot more difficult. Half the time I get over to a wall and the sparks drilled holes for me as I have for him on the wall I was just at. Works really well just to be nice as the job goes a lot smoother.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

chewy said:


> ...If I was an arsehole my job would be a hell of a lot more difficult....


 It is. Took me a long time to figure that out. Now I put a lot of effort into getting along with people. I enjoy it, and I'm happy, but it's still really hard to bite my tongue when someone's a dumb ass.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Big John said:


> It is. Took me a long time to figure that out. Now I put a lot of effort into getting along with people. I enjoy it, and I'm happy, but it's still really hard to bite my tongue when someone's a dumb ass.


Especially for me being a "Data Bitch" we have pretty specific instruction from the client they want 300mm away from power etc etc and nobody else really cares, its hard for me to even care. :laughing:


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## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

I married a pipefitters daughter......that's all the reason I need to hate those swine. 
That and their total lack of respect for anybody or anything else that may need to work in an area.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Rollie73 said:


> I married a pipefitters daughter......that's all the reason I need to hate those swine.
> That and their total lack of respect for anybody or anything else that may need to work in an area.


I think tin knockers are worse, I swear they find the spot that has the most cable tray over head to stack all their stuff.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

I find the ceiling grid guys are the biggest assholes in the world


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

mikeh32 said:


> I find the ceiling grid guys are the biggest assholes in the world


Haha, I had thread rod hanging from the ceiling above a Telco closet ready to hang some basket to feed our racks and the goons just bent the threaded rod up into the ceiling and installed their tiles.


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## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

We are a general and employ all the trades. Fitters aren't that bad for us. Millrights and iron workers seem to be worse. Although it seems like most of the time,, we are waiting on the fitters so we can finish our work


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## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

Surge03 said:


> In my experience they think our job is simple and we are overpaid.So my answer to them was why don't you apply if its so simple lol


Union fitters make more than we do


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

Poor job planing.Blame the super running the project.The guy in the warm trailer reading the funny papers.


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## T.Jack (Sep 5, 2012)

I guess I haven't been in the trade long enough to develop a dislike for the pipe fitters,in fact the ones on the job I'm working at right now are all pretty cool guys. Heck one of them even gave me a reamer. The ones that I really can't stand are the drywallers, though that all started when I was working as a floor installer.


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## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

I'm gonna be honest here. 
I hate all the other trades.....they're all in our way and we all _know_ that the electricians are superior. 
The rest of them have to get the hell out of _my_ jobsite while I'm there.:thumbsup::laughing:


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

Celtic said:


> They think nothing of grabbing a tool, using it, and it never gets returned.





T.Jack said:


> Heck one of them even gave me a reamer.


:whistling2:


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## sparkyforlife (Sep 4, 2012)

Lots of tradesman think the trade they are in is superior to all others it's an ego thing. I think this trade takes more brains then all other trades that's why I got into it.


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## farlsincharge (Dec 31, 2010)

Rollie73 said:


> I'm gonna be honest here.
> I hate all the other trades.....they're all in our way and we all _know_ that the electricians are superior.
> The rest of them have to get the hell out of _my_ jobsite while I'm there.:thumbsup::laughing:


If they don't play nice, I'll shut the lights off and go home. :thumbup:

I try to get along with everybody, and actually find myself mediating others disputes before it gets ugly.


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## cdnelectrician (Mar 14, 2008)

Fitters and plumbers for the most part seem to be the roughest and I mean rough guys on a job site. Disheveled and dirty, but if you make friends with them they are usually alright and will help you out. But do not piss them off! They seem to be responsible for all the ****s I see drawn all over the washroom walls at work...


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

Best joke to play on sprinkler guy. 


They have a jig they use to get their drops centred in a 2x2 tile. 

If they leave it in at lunch, screw that sucker in to the side of the grid. 
Works every time.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Fitters will eff you in a heartbeat.


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

I have found that sprinkler guys are more primadonna than electricians and it has mostly to do with their trunks being fitted with taps offsite. 

They have no way to adjust their runs and probably wouldn't know how if they had to. 

I hate them all except this one guy I worked with a few times named joe. 

He was cool but all he talked about was all the dope he did last weekend?


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

480sparky said:


> Fitters will eff you in a heartbeat.


Looks good to me. 
Maybe not to the EE. 

Insert 'coordination issue' here...


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

walkerj said:


> Looks good to me.
> Maybe not to the EE.
> 
> Insert 'coordination issue' here...


Insert "fitters don't give a damn" here. That, and their entire installs are generally pre-fab.

Their response to this was, "What.... You expect us to look at the E-sheets?". "Hell yes!.... You expect me to look at the M-sheets!"


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## stuiec (Sep 25, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Insert "fitters don't give a damn" here. That, and their entire installs are generally pre-fab.
> 
> Their response to this was, "What.... You expect us to look at the E-sheets?". "Hell yes!.... You expect me to look at the M-sheets!"


 
sooo, why'd you put your light in their way? :shifty:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

stuiec said:


> sooo, why'd you put your light in their way? :shifty:


I put it exactly where the plans showed it. The fitters were just plain lazy and didn't look at the E-sheets.


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## MHElectric (Oct 14, 2011)

walkerj said:


> .... but all he talked about was all the dope he did last weekend?


That sounds like the sheetrockers and the mud crew right there.

Come to think of it, that also sounds like the plumbers, electricians, fitters, duct men, roofers, floor guys.......


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

walkerj said:


> They have no way to adjust their runs and probably wouldn't know how if they had to.


Sure they do...










Roll Grooving tool










Coupling


It's not that difficult to cut and relocate the taps when you have tools.

As more of the pipe trades move to lighter and/or more flexible means, so do the sprinkler fitters:


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## walkerj (May 13, 2007)

Celtic said:


> Sure they do...
> 
> Roll Grooving tool
> 
> ...


I agree but try telling the local companies here that.


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## uconduit (Jun 6, 2012)

Fitters get all the scaffolding they want, they get any size crane they want (so they don't have to lift anything heavy), they get paid more than electricians, and then they hang out at biker bars after work.


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## Ultrafault (Dec 16, 2012)

uconduit said:


> Fitters get all the scaffolding they want, they get any size crane they want (so they don't have to lift anything heavy), they get paid more than electricians, and then they hang out at biker bars after work.


Well sounds good to me. I officialy quit have fun with your wires or whatnot chumps.


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## uconduit (Jun 6, 2012)

Ultrafault said:


> Well sounds good to me. I officialy quit have fun with your wires or whatnot chumps.


Have fun with your welding fumes, asbestos, and hexavalent chromium.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

Fitters here have to show up on the site with a stick rule and a pair of chanelok type pliers.


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## electric mike (Jun 15, 2009)

3 pages in and no mention of bricklayers yet? Well let me be the first to say brickies can kiss my azz!


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

I get along with the fitters I work with but once in a while they'll do some ridiculous chit and have to start over from the top of my chit list. Most recently I told them they could use one of our racks as long as they stayed towards the top. Well they didn't stay towards the top and they used a laser level and my guy used a story pole so you probably know where this is going. After 100 feet their pipe was about an inch away from our top conduit. Wtf


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## Semi-Ret Electrician (Nov 10, 2011)

When I worked for the big companies everything was either a scaled plastic model (+/- 1/8") or 3D Cad.

Never had a problem with who ran what where.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

electric mike said:


> 3 pages in and no mention of bricklayers yet? Well let me be the first to say brickies can kiss my azz!


 Never had troubles with them.They work and the super tells them when the breaks are.And lunch. Whistle.take a break


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## LightsOn81 (Jan 6, 2012)

I will mention bricklayers! And concrete! And GCs! Since construction in my area is limited to Camp Lejeune for the most parts, you generally see the same faces, even if its with different companies. Kannapolis, Humphreys, Ramsey, TA Woods, Keen, Bryant Durham, Watson have all been used here interchangeably for decades so its like extended family. That don't mean we don't fight, but we kill a lot of bs cuz we know we are going to see each other again real soon.

Now masons, those are the prima donnas. I ain't saying there's not some sort of skill required for masonry, but all you need is a trowel, a level and tape measure. for crying out loud, give me 5 minutes to get my glue and pipe from across the building. I'm only going up 3'6" at a time. I told a mason Thursday "sorry for making you wait. I know you don't like waiting on us." One was cool the other was all whiny. "We sure dont. I would covered you up." So I told him,

I got a 4 pound sledge hammer and I'll bust every block I got to.

And all a mason does is run block and brick. 9 times out of 10 straight up and straight across. And the mess they leave everywhere. sloppy, always twisting my ankle. Man for real screw mason in general.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

Wow! Camp LeJeune... I was there for other reasons.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

And I still dislike the dude that put gravel in my conduit.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Never had problems with the other trades here. 
The fitters go first and are gone. 
The masons are all more layed back. They only work a "Toes to Nose" day so they are never in a hurry.


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## LightsOn81 (Jan 6, 2012)

bobelectric said:


> Wow! Camp LeJeune... I was there for other reasons.


It's my old mans fault I got tired of moving so I just stayed.


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## Acadian9 (Jun 6, 2009)

Kind of sucks when the plumbers/fitters AND sprinkler guys drill through my pipes when installing threaded rod.


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## denny3992 (Jul 12, 2010)

Terrazzo floor guys are the worst, knuckle draggin neanderthals!!!!!!


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