kamalabob2

Klikster: Nice day in Buriram to visit Muang Pizza while my wife is at the Buriram Ekachon Private Hospital. I dropped into Ruangsangthai Builders Merchants directly up Highway 2074 from the Ekachon Hospital in Buriram to see the self propelled lawn mower with a Briggs & Stratton gasoline Engine. Mr. Pichai Ruangsuksriwong the owner of this Buriram Hardware Store understands and speaks English. He told me he sells this 12 speed self propelled lawn mower for 10,500 baht and he gives an 18 month warranty. The includes a Briggs & Stratton 500E series 140cc 4 stroke gasoline attached to a "Rapter" brand lawn mower. This self walking lawn mower has a grass catcher attached. Pichai said he has the parts in stock and that his repair department staff do warranty repairs, adjustments and after warranty period repairs on the Rapter brand grass mower and all manner of Briggs & Stratton engines. Pichai said that some stores sell this same self propelled lawn mower with a "different brand" of engine, but he ordered it from the Briggs & Stratton importer for Thailand to include the Briggs & Stratton 500 E series engine. The instructional manual is only in English, and it does not show the same Briggs & Stratton engine. Pichai has grown adults assemble, test and repair his lawn mowers, brush cutters and water pumps. I believe his sign staff use "google translate" when they make laminated price tags, as you can see by the interesting spelling of Self Propelled.

What caught my eye and my pocketbook today was a new Milwaukee Power Tool near the front door of the Buriram Hardware Store. The fact that Pichai has the spare parts and trained tool repair staff made it a simple decision on where to buy this Milwaukee Power Tool. I am not game to "put it in a box" and mail any DeWALT, Makita, Maktec, Hitachi, Bosch or Milwaukee power tools to be repaired in Bangkok, when I can get local Buriram tool repair services for those name brand tools at Ruangsangthai Builders Merchants.

A DAP product that the wood furniture makers used at my house in Buriram Province was "Weldwood Plastic Resin Glue". It is Made in the USA, but repackaged in Thailand to keep the cost reasonable. It is used at furniture factories in Thailand and by custom furniture makers in Buriram Province. I have seen "Weldwood" at family owned stores. The ingredients and instructions are in Thai and ENGLISH on the white can. The brand name is DAP SW COMMERCIAL. None of the wood furniture in my home have come apart. I bought this product to repair wooden doors and fiberglass doors that "came apart" after recalling the "wood team" who built the walk in closet, kitchen cabinets, bedroom wardrode closets, stereo shelves used the Weldwood successfully. .

Klikster: Yes I did misread your post. I will be going to Buriram on Tuesday or Wednesday so I will stop by and make note of the self propelled lawn mower that is under 12,000 baht and get more details. Since I did buy the Makita string trimmer lawn edger I did not want to "spoil" my wife with two gardening tools in the same month, hence I had not written down the make, model and speeds of the Briggs & Stratton powered grass mower at that Buriram Garden Supply Store.

I recall the motor is a 500cc Briggs & Stratton with 17.5hp. I did see it was made in Jackson, Michigan. The brand is Troy-Bilt which is often sold at Lowe's in the United States. The Troy-Bilt in Thailand come from the exclusive real authorized Briggs & Stratton Importer. Ruangsangthai Hardware Store in Buriram seems to be a high volume dealer of Briggs & Stratton made in the USA engines for pumping water in farming applications. This same model is also sold at selected HomePro stores. Next week I'll look for the model number, but since this was over 100K it was out of my price range. These specs are from a VERY similar Troy-Bilt riding lawn mower with the same 7 speed transmission, but the Briggs & Stratton engine is 17.5hp on the Pony riding lawn tractor currently sold in Thailand.

The engine might be the

The Briggs & Stratton® 17.5 HP PowerBuilt engine is a proven performer on many of the world's riding mowers and lawn tractors. Features include an overhead valve design for cooler operation, Performance Quiet muffler installed for low noise and low emissions, Dura-Bore cast iron cylinder sleeve for extended life, dual seal, cartridge-style air filter that provides maximum protection and extends engine life, 9 amp charging system , and a patented linear balancing system that provides smoother performance.

• 17.5 HP (as rated by engine manufacturer) PowerBuilt engine
• 1 in. x 3-5/32 in. crankshaft
• Electric starter
• 48 fl. oz. Oil Capacity
• 2-year limited consumer warranty/ 1-year limited commercial warranty

Powerful. Easy to start. Low maintenance.

Additional Features

• 42" side discharge mowing deck
• 7-speed Shift-on-the-Go transmission
• Standard cup holder
• All steel construction for heavy-duty performance and added durability
• 2-year limited warranty

Specifications

Deck 42" side discharge Deck Height Adjustment 5 position Mower Deck Construction 13-gauge steel Deck Spindles Maintenance-free sealed ball bearings Deck Pulleys 14-gauge steel Deck Wheels None Transmission 7-speed Deck Engagement (PTO) Manual Monitor N/A Reverse Mowing System N/A Front Axle Steel Operator Entry / Exit StepThru Fuel Tank Capacity 1.3 gallon Engine 15.5 HP* Single Briggs & Stratton Engine Lubrication Splash lubrication Engine Electrical System 3 Amp / 5 Amp Battery 12V / 155 CCA Headlights 2 - standard Speed Range 0 to 5.5 MPH Turning Radius 18" Wheels 15" x 6" front / 20" x 8" rear Seat Low-back Accessories Optional FastAttach mulch kit, bagger or bumper Shipping Dimensions 70.5"(L) x 48"(W) x 35.5"(H) Shipping Weight 490 lbs Warranty 2-year limited

Kikster: I did note yesterday that some Craftsman brand self propelled lawn mowers sold in Thailand do come standard with a Briggs & Stratton Platinum series petrol 4 stroke engine and a grass catcher bag. I also took note of the price of the made in the Jackson, Michigan Briggs & Stratton 4 stoke 500cc 17.5 hp ride on lawn mower with a grass collection bag attached. I priced this at Homepro and then at Buriram Ruangsangthai. I would save over 41,000 baht if I bought this from the family owned store that has an actual lawn mower service center and spare parts for Briggs & Stratton engines. My wife does not need a riding lawn mower at her home in Buriram Province, but I am entertaining the purchase of a self propelled lawn mower with a Briggs & Stratton engine for under 12,000 baht including the grass catcher. What I did buy yesterday for her gardening adventures in her village is a Makita UR3000 string trimmer. The price difference and immediate in stock availability between one low overhead, high volume Builders Merchants store and the Buriram Homepro, Buriram Home Mart, Buriram Thaiwatsadu, Buriram I.Q. House, Korat Global House, Do Home in Korat and some "on line tool shop" in Bangkok was stunning on this Makita gardening tool. It bothers my wife when she phones and speaks Thai to store staff or goes in person to a store and they tell her "No Have" about an item, or worse "no have in Thailand", when another shop clearly has the same exact brand and model of gardening tool at a lower price in stock when she wants to compare prices.

Klikster: Some Craftsman Lawn mowers come with a Honda Engine. Ruangsangthai House Builders Merchants Store in Buriram sells and repairs Honda Lawn Mowers with grass catchers. They have in stock normal push manual lawn mowers, push electric Bosch and Makita lawn mowers, normal push petrol grass mowers, and several self-propelled petrol lawn mowers all with grass catchers. The self propelled Rowell BJ2010 has the Honda gasoline GXV 160 OHV motor. The Makita PLM 4110 is not self propelled. It has the Briggs & Stratton 500 series 158cc motor that claims 96db and 410 cm blade width. A Chinese brand is the Talon Eagle self propelled petrol mower model AM3056F2 that has a 173 cc motor with 480mm blade with. There must be plenty of independent dealers of these brands in Isaan, that are authorized repair centers for during the warranty period and that stock replacement parts and cutting blades for both during and after the warranty period. I'm not so sure I'd buy a lawn mower in Bangkok if I lived in Isaan. Being able to bring the mower back to the same lawn mower store that set up my mower or had the store staff deliver it to my house is way more convenient thast shipping a Husky lawn mower to Bangkok. I'd ask to see the actual spare parts, and the actual repair service department in Thailand prior to buying such a garden tool for my wife.

William Smits: Nice sandstone facing and I admire your sensible roof design. I was curious as to what looks like white rain gutter down spouts. Were the rain gutters not complete in the photos or was a different from traditional rain gutters with downspouts. Thanks in advance.

Klikster: Today I asked Pichai the owner of the Buriram Builders Merchants Store that sells and repairs electric and petrol lawn mowers from Bosch, Makita, Honda, Talon, Briggs & Stratton if the Bosch Rotak 34 electric grass mower is suitable for that size of a lawn in Buriram Province. He said with a proper electric extension cord that would prevent voltage line drop, absolutely the Bosch Rotak 34 electric would be appropriate for about 1.5 ngan of grass area. He seems to have a few lawn mowers, not just the Troy Bilt Briggs & Stratton 17.5hp riding lawn mower which he charges 20,000 baht less than the "sale price" of HomePro for the exact same model.

Far be it from me to disagree with Pib, but this morning I stopped by a Buriram Water Pump dealer and showed him Scooter's question about what water pump for a single story house in Thailand with two showers would be best. Without hesitation, Pichai the owner of Ruangsangthai Builders Merchants, (who stocks and sells hundreds of water pumps each and every month) and is an authorized repair service center with installation and home repair service of Hitachi, Franklin Electric, Schaefer, Mitsubishi, and Calpeda Water Pumps in Buriram Province, recomended the Hitachi WM-P150GX2 or the Mitsubishi EP-155Q3 constant pressure bladder water pumps. He has a real grasp of what water pumps need adjustment or repair services. Those two models are available all over Thailand, but certainly different prices, different alledged installation services and way different warranty or after warranty repair policies depending on where you buy your Hitachi water pump or Mitsubishi Water pump. I'd recommend Scooterboy visit the family owned "water pump specialist" in his province for a better price, better advise, better installation and better repair experiences. The store that will offer "free loaner water pump" will show Scooterboy which water pump retailer in his Thailand province is committed to customer satisfaction. I've read tales of the "you put it in a box and mail back to Bangkok" being told to expats in Thailand who purchase a water pump from a big box retailer more interested in selling massage chairs, pillows, whirlpool spas or Italian wall tile. How and who actually repairs your Hitachi, Franklin Electric, Calpeda, Mitsubishi or Schaefer water pump in Thailand both during and after the manufacturers warranty period is a great question to ask prior to selecting a water pump in my opinion. It's been my personal experience that a properly installed water pump tends to run with way less issues. However I noted some "ridden hard and put away wet" Mitsubishi water pumps in Buriram Province are repaired at Ruangsangthai Hardware Store.

Yesterday I spotted a genuine Briggs & Stratton 500cc 17.5 HP 4 stroke gasoline engine made in Jackson, Mississippi USA in Buriram. The Builders Merchants store located directly across from the Buriram four story Provincial Electricity Authority on the Buriram - Phutthaisong Highway sells and repairs the Troy Bilt riding lawn mower and other Briggs & Stratton lawn tractors. The price I noticed was significantly less baht than HomePro charges for the exact same Troy Bilt riding lawn mower. It seems to have mulching capabilities.

Bazmld: "I went to buy a new one at Thai Watsadu yesterday and it was pointed out to me that Fujika Pumps have onsite service and a 5 year warranty, Hitachi or Mitsubishi are return to manufacturer for service, which is a pain in the butt if anything goes wrong." That may be the case with Thai Watsadu, and Thaiwatsadu might have their own reasons for suggesting Fujika Water pumps over Hitachi Water Pumps or Mitsubishi Water pumps. I am of of the opinion that every province in Thailand has a "water pump specialist" shop that sells name brand water pumps at a discount, lower than the national modern trade stores, and that the water pump installation experts in most any Thailand province can install a water pump, guarantee the installation, and go to your home to make repairs for less money than HomePro charges for installations. I've been very happy with the water pump installations and repairs done at my home, even the swimming pool pump repairs done at a fraction of the cost quoted by the swimming pool builder, by a store in Buriram Province. Perhaps other stores also offer a "free loaner water pump" if they can't repair your water pump during the home visit. Thaiwatsadu has a great selection of wall tiles, whirlpool bathtubs, window curtains, even bedroom furniture for a house in Buriram. But when I needed a Franklin Electric Schaefer Submersible 14 stage water pump for a well in my wife's Isaan Village I found a much lower price in Buriram at Ruangsangthai Builders Merchants than I was quoted on the telephone by KTW in Bangkok. The web site prices were high, the telephone price discount lower, but it still was higher than the local water pump shop. Ruangsangthai made the cable the 76 meters I needed and I was not stuck with a 45 meter "set' that Krieng Thai Watana wanted to include for a significant price. There must be plenty of family owned water pump dealers in Thailand that will at no fee, go to a customer's house and fix the Mitsubishi water pump during the warranty period. I personally would not buy a power tool or water pump from a store that wanted me to "put it in a box, pay for postage, and send it back to Bangkok and WAIT for repairs" if a different hardware store had lower prices and would fix the item at my house. No retail store is perfect in Thailand and I am encouraged to read where the Thai Visa member, a UK expat, DraxNet is helping to improve Thaiwatsadu near Pattaya. I live in Buriram Province so I have a choice of which shop will repair my Mitsubishi, Hitachi and now Franklin Electric Schaefer Water Pumps. Mitsubishi and Hitachi both offer a 5 year warranty on water pumps, but some dealers are authorized to do at your home repairs, at their store repairs and other retailers tell you to ship it to Bangkok.

The OP might be better served to have the local water pump specialist shop, at no charge to him, send a person with actual water pump experience to his home, so the local shop can make a suggestion of what water pump(s) will best suit the OP's needs, all at no obligation. That is how I first became aware of Ruangsangthai Builders Merchants in Buriram Province as my Thailand house builder knew her house building staff were not qualified to properly install a water pump for a two story house. I've since had the "water pump shop" staff re-install two toilets, a Toto urinal drain, a shower drain, all the original house construction workers did incorrectly.

At my home I do have a Pure water filter. It may or may not be sold in Buriram or Pattaya at a high margin, high overhead chain stores and it may not be sold at a high overhead, high markup "franchise" water filtering store that has a large sign in English.  The Pure Water Filtering tank I have for carbonate granulate filtering of municipal government water is PURE from VJV International Ltd.  It is not the same Pure Water Filter, or anywhere near the price of Pure Water Filtering franchise stores or at a Homepro, Global House, Homeworks, Home Mart in Buriram or Surin Province. The serious water pump, water filtering stores who do the installations at hotels, schools, hospitals, Universities in Pattaya will probably sell, install and repair this made in Thailand stainless steel tank filtering brand.  The quote from the owner of Ruangsangthai Water Pump shop in Buriram where I bought this tank many years ago was that "Pure VJV International offers great quality, good prices, good spare parts availability and good factory support".  It has served me well and this is a brand worth considering in my opinion based on my personal experience.  I have experienced "service?" from Mazuma Water Filters and how the actual process of spare parts for a Mazuma water filtering tank dealer actually occured in Buriram Province.  I bought my first Mazuma Water filtering tank from an excellent Siemens, Electrolux, Hitachi, and Samsung appliance dealer located near the Bamboo Bar called "Buriram Supply" in downtown Buriram when I lived in a 2000 baht a month rental house in Buriram Province. The S 106 is clearly shown on the simple color brochure at a water pump specialist for Pure Water Purification by VJV International Ltd. 

I asked Pichai the owner of Ruangsangthai Pump shop builders merchants in Buriram about the water filtering question as outlined by Moonseeker.  Pichai said there are two solutions. First  would be to clean out the pipes that supply water to his condo as perhaps they have a "clot" from sediment. He agreed that a carbon granulate filter would solve the brown residue seen in the shower. If a home owner or condo owner was in on or near Buriram, Isaan he would suggest the Pure stainless steel water filter model S106 which cleans 1000 liters per hour. It has 1/2" inlet and outlet. This Pure water filter is 100 cm high not including the "base" and is 15 cm across. There must be one or more high volume "pump shop" that serves smaller hotels and condo buildings with water pumps and water filtering at a competetive price and not "HiSo" prices with under-trained staff in and near Pattaya.  

This is an e-mail from April 28, 2014 regarding wholesale purchases of Beer Lao

On Mon, Apr 28, 2014 at 3:05 PM, Punchat Srinakorn <[email protected]> wrote:

I was fortunate to not be asked to have a single document translated. Nothing notarized. No charge what so ever in a Government office in Kaen Dong in Buriram Province. With the yellow house book a "permit to build" was issued in my name, PEA electric service in my name, Municipal water service in my name, truck registration in my name, post paid phone service in my name, the government health scheme for aliens card and one year "policy" issued in my name, land line telephone service issued in my name, etc.   But this is Thailand and your experience at a Government office can vary from one day to the next from one community to the next.  One might not need the yellow house book for ANY of the above, yet it saved me the time and expense of any other paperwork to prove where I lived.   For Dilligad, I believe obtaining a new yellow book in a different location will be VERY simple for him.  

In my experience in the same province, I had my name in a yellow book based on a village address. That yellow house book was issued free by a Government office near that village.  After I moved to a proper amphur and no longer lived in the village the process was simple. I went to the new office, they told my wife what to do at the original office. I gathered they VOIDED OUT the existing yellow book at the original office, and I turned that voided book in with other paperwork (not much paperwork) at the new amphur office.  The next day a new yellow book was  issued all at no fee.  I got the feeling the Thai Government wanted the yellow house book to reflect where you were living currently.  I have experienced many benefits from having a yellow house book and it just plain makes the Thai staff, in a Government building, bank, utility office, Land Transportation Office, more comfortable about you as they can read a Thai document in their language and it has facts about the Farang.  To save the travel time and fees for a "proof of residence" necessary for so many transactions in Thailand, would make obtaining a yellow house book a prudent consideration. Dilligad should find the process of obtaining a NEW book far easier than the original application process. As long as he is with the person who owns the land where he lives and they have all the normal paperwork, it will be a smooth process. A little more complicated if he has a landlord in a rental who did not live in the area and was not keen about showing up in person at the government office. I did not have to have anyone vouch for me when obtaining the 2nd yellow house book. 

I am of the opinion that every province in Thailand has a low overhead "pump shop".  This is not unique to Buriram Province. Not a flashy place with tile floors and a/c blasting. Not in a Mall. Not a shop house franchise with franchise markup and limited actual experience. But a shop that does serious volume in water storage tanks, water pumps, diaphragm pump, booster pumps, pressure tanks, water filtering systems for both residences, small hotels, schools, apartment buildings, and government buildings. The local family owned high volume water pump dealer is more likely to have better trained installation teams, and sell water filtering media at a fraction of the price of the water filter shop with a large sign in English.  Perhaps in your province a local business owner can point you in the direction of the "go to" water pump shop. The owner of that shop will probably speak and understand English or his adult children would speak and understand English.  A high volume water filtering shop might have over 1000 Mitsubishi Water Pumps, Calpeda Italian Water pumps for swimming pools and deep wells or hundreds of Hitachi water pumps in stock, as they might also sell water pumps and water filters to smaller Mom and Pop shops or to housing projects.   They should have in stock water filtering systems of different types and in different sizes.

 

 Not an appliance shop that sells a/c units, Samsung side by side refrigerator, Siemens dishwashers, and front loading Electrolux washing machines, who as an afterthought might stock Mazuma or Pure water filtering as a sideline.  The sort of shop you might find in any province will have large containers of the carbon, resin, soda ash light, and Ion Exchangers. The sort of water purifier equipment dealer I shop at in Buriram Thailand stocks and delivers Manganese Zeolite for removing Iron Maganese Hydrogen Sulphur from well water.  Moonseeker could see pallets of such water filtering chemicals in large bags at a high volume water filtering dealer in his province. The owner of such a water filter dealer would gladly show him the materials and write down the prices for both the water filtering tanks, installation, warranty period and consumables.  The shop would stock reverse osmosis,  20" sediment filters, post carbon filter, 5 stage water filters all on display with discount prices.  The water quality and water filtering cost would be of real importance to a small hotel owner, so perhaps the OP can speak with the owner of a small hotel in his Thailand community to see what water filter shop they recommend for the actual water filtering equipment and the water purifier consumables. 

Great question IMHO. Seven years ago my Buriram Building contractor knew by the end of her building my house that she or her house building staff were not really qualified to do a proper installation of the water pumps, pressure tank, or water filters at our modest home in a Buriram small town. So the building contractor suggested I visit the downtown Buriram "pump shop" of Ruangsangthai. I had walked by that downtown shop a dozen times going to a Buriram dentist. Well a business owner who understood and spoke English. Prices far less the the chain stores. Staff who could properly install and maintain and repair my water pumps and water filters in Buriram Province. Selling name brand tools for my workshop and for the family at far lower prices than I had seen in Korat or Surin at HomePro, Home Mart or Thai Watsadu. Even lower than the Global House in Roiet which had fantastic kitchen cabinents. So it is a slippery slope in a relationship with a vendor who by all our dealings and local reputation is ethical. Getting a proper well constructed grey water sewer system installed at our home in 2012 was a watershed moment in realizing that this little power tool and water pump shop had much more to offer me as a house owner in Buriram Province. I can't comment on how his thai staff responds to e-mails, but I will speak to him on proper answers in a timely fashion to [email protected] Picahi allows my pet cats to stay in his "VIP ROOM" of his "builders merchants superstore across from the Buriram PEA office on highway 2074, while I run around Buriram and wait for our favorite cat veterinarian to open at 5p.m. My wife grew up and has relatives in a village near Kaen Dong. This is the tool repair shop they trust to repair power tools and brush cutters in Buriram Province with real parts at a fair price while they wait. This water pump shop also solved my swimming pool pump problems and sells me swimming pool chemicals at a fraction of the cost I paid from a major swimming pool builder based in Bangkok. So anytime I can mention this shop in context on Thai Visa I am happy to recommend this shop to expats.

I'm a fan of Makita Power Tools and Makita Garden Tools. I've had the opportunity to tour the Makita Manufacturing assembly plant in Thailand that produces selected Makita and Maktec corded power tools. I asked today in Buriram at Ruangsangthai Builders Merchants if they sold the Makita 9404 Belt Sander. The owner had his power tools buyer contact the three Makita wholesale distributors in Thailand. The answer from all three was that the Makita 9404 Belt Sander is not currently imported into Thailand. Has the OP actually seen this Makita Power Tool at a tool store or builders merchant in Thailand? The owner of Ruangsangthai also looked at the Thai Wood Carpenter web site. He assured me that he had lower prices every day on the popular Makita, Maktec and Hitachi Power Tools, not to mention Stanley Hand Tools listed on that web site. He is willing, able and experienced at selling name brand, power tools via EMS and the bank transfer as outlined by Farma. He was hesitant to stock or sell no name Chinese made power tools as spare parts and after the sales service issues from his point of view was not worthwhile. He expressed a satisfied customer who buys a reliable tool where he can provide prompt repair service was better for the reputation of Ruangsangthai in Buriram. He does not have a web site with an order form, but he stated that if expats send him an e-mail listing what name brand tools they wish and exactly where IN THAILAND, they would be sent, he can give them a written price quote. He noted there was no such thing for the consumer as truly "Free shipping", that in fact the selling price would be jacked up to cover the "free shipping. However he showed me what it cost to send three Makita power tools to a boat building company in Rayong and how the cost of shipping was not a hinderance to the sale to the customer since his selling price was lower than any other "internet" or big box retailer advertisement. EMS and LogisPost are very safe methods to ship high value items as power tools in a prompt, affordable, trackable manner in Thailand according to Pichai Ruangsuksriwong.

I am picking up a gardening bench in Buriram at Ruangsangthai Hardware Builders Merchants and an English speaking Sales Woman for a Wood Stain brand "Woodtect" is in the store. I showed her this question and she asked me "Is this Timber on the floor OR is this Timber on the wall?". If Phuket Stan is able to reply I can get a reply and primer suggestion.

Thank you for the comment SantiSuk. I was never fond of gardening in the USA, and it appears to me my wife is OK with gardening as she grew up in a typical village. She has strong opinions on which gardening tools or garden watering sprinklers make her task easier, so I am happy to find the gardening tools in Buriram she enjoys. Last week I ordered a 2nd gardening work potting bench which will have a nice plywood top surface. Buying a leaf mulcher or garden Shredder was not on my original agenda when moving to Thailand in 2006. A garden mulcher with a Mitsubishi 3hp electric motor can cost what a iPhone or iPad costs, so maybe it was better to buy the garden mulcher shredder and NOT an iPhone or iPad. Gardening and raising fruits and vegetables is one of the better healthy pursuits of a wife in any country in my observation.

Today I spoke with Pichai Ruangsuksriwong, the owner of Ruangsangthai Buriram Hardware Builders Merchants Store located across from the Buriram Provincial Electricty Authority Office Building on Highway 2074. He is very familiar with that Luckystar water pump. That particualr model LSC 250 EA has been cloned under license to a company called Sumoto Corporation and sold as the DNA PC-250-D. Pichai sells never models of Luckystar water pumps but also sells and services the DNA PC-250-D. He had a staff sales woman, not a water pump repair person, point to the bolts on the DNA water pump. He mentioned his water pump repair staff would unbolt the impeller first, and then the mechanical seal which is rubber and springs would need to be removed. (My interpetation of a technical explanation) On a newer pump the mechanical seal would be re-installed, but often on an older pump it is necessary to install a replacement mechanical seal. The O.P. mentioned 7 years old, and I noted on the new Luckystar LSC 301 there is a 7 year warranty sticker. Perhaps the O.P. can contact the authorized Luckystar repair center in his area for a service call to his home. I picked up a red wheel barrow today for my wife to use in her garden, that the store staff seem to enjoy on a Saturday.

I am going to Buriram on Saturday and I will ask the owner Pichai of Ruangsangthai Builders Merchants how to solve this problem. While I own and have had over eight years service from a Hitachi water pump and a Hitachi Water Pump, the made in Korea Luckystar LSC line of water pumps are very popular in Buriram. Is your Luckystar still covered under the warranty? I've had warranty and after the 5 year warranty work done by Ruangsangthai on my own water pumps. There may in fact be an authorized Luckystar repair dealer in your area who have the training and spare parts provided by Luckystar.

I've a limited experience with observing both the installation and repairs of Stiebel Eltron multi point water heaters in Thailand. I bought five of the multi point Stiebel Eltron DHA 4/8 and one smaller single point under the counter heater. In the bedrooms, each multi point can heat two sink faucets and one shower faucet. In one case, one DHA 4/8 is mounted under a guest bathroom sink (there is no shower in this 1/2 bath) and it also heats the sink tap and shower in the guest bedroom suite bathroom. The guest bathroom and the guest bedroom suite bathroom are adjoining rooms so the pipe run is reasonable. In the kitchen one unit heats two of the kitchen sink faucets.You may not want to over estimate the plumbing ability of who generally installs your water lines. Most house builders do not sub out the water pipe or water heater installation process. Some stores have a fair set fee to install a typical in the shower wall unit, and they might do the multi point under the sink unit. But the actual supply line to the unit and then hot water pipe to each of up to three faucets or shower heads or a bathtub, need a level of integrity and skill not always found in the Kingdom. There are certain water pipes PPR or even copper, readily available that will handle hot water if you look around in a store with staff who have better knowledge of water pipes. The integrity of a weld on copper is one thing, the connection on the PPR pipe is a diffeent issue. The warranty you see on the unit might state 5 years, but that is only for the heating unit. Other parts failed in the first 5 years on three of my six Stiebel Eltron multi point heaters. The service team of Stiebel Eltron wanted a reasonable fee to travel to Buriram Province. But for a modest fee I had a local pump shop "plumber" properly remove the broken units and I shipped the three units to Stiebel Eltron in Bangkok. They sent a price quote for the non warranty repair, it was fair enough, I did the bank transfer and then they shipped the repair units back to our home. The same local pump shop man returned and he re-installed the three heaters. Siemens, Panasonic, AEG, and Toshiba are four of many brands with multi point heaters widely available. If I was to do it again, I would pay closer attention to the warranty details, see if a local shop actually had parts for any brand I was considering, since I would have preferred the after the warranty repairs to have been done in our home and not the week to ten day back and forth to Bangkok shuffle. I am guessing that Bangkok or Phuket would have a service center for most major brands, and in home service both during and after the warranty could be possible without the travel fee. But if you were considering a central type water heater, then I hope you have better "plumbers" than I had in 2008. One place even major name brand home builders cut corners, not to mention a typical local house builder, is on what valve they install for your water outlets. The build quality of simple valves and warranty of the valves can vary in Thailand. I installed VRH stainless steel valves and they have done well. I have also installed ANA brass valves and they seem like a strong product. Both VRH and ANA offer serious warranties on the valve.

The best thing I did was to have a "wine cellar" dug under the downstairs bathrooms. All the pipes were easy to access, water supply and waste pipes, in a crawl space that is about 5 foot high with a light mounted. No wine down there, but it has made fixing poorly installed shower drain and toilet pipes much easier. The "typical" bury the water pipes under the tile is not the only option. So when the original house builder pipe staff hooked a Toto urinal waste line to a shower drain it caused smells. Going under the house in the "wine cellar" we could see the problem and easily fix the issue. I should have gone under the house prior to the last payment to builder to see with my own eyes the pipes were going the right places. Build in haste and repent at your leisure.

You can consider the name brand builders with an office in Korat. Royal House is one, P.D. House is another. There are others. Generally they like to stick to a choice of the house plans they have previously done, perhaps with some modifications. Even these "name brand" house builders will sub out most all the work. But they can give you a buillding materials list in English and in Thai prior to any contract. On Highway 2 are some independent building merchants where the owner might speak English and perhaps point you in the direction of a reputable architect in Korat or vern your community. The architect or the builders merchant will have direct knowledge of which house builders pay bills on time and have less angry clents venting about build quality or short cuts. Alan the Builder is highly regarded by many Surin and Buriram expats. Builders merchants in your community deal everyday with local builkders, and they can see who is cutting corners and not really ordering steel, etc the size on the house plans and who acts in a responsible manner. Builders merchants often extend credit to selected house building contractors. The builders merchant often gets involved in solving issues between the home buyer and the building contractor. The home buyer might stop making payments, the builder merchant wants to see a real resolution so that in the end the house buyer is happy and the building contractor can pay off his tab at the builders merchant store. I've experienced some of this in real life in Buriram and eight years ago I visited the offices of two name brand house builders in Korat, and I visited two family owned builders merchants on Highway 2 which indicated to my wife they could recommend house builders. 90%, maybe greater, of Thai citizens working on construction crews in Korat or Buriram will be part time farmers who are motivated to earn a living for thier family. I wish more women had worked on the crew that built my home in Buriram Province. The women showed up on time and were always sober. They did not take smoke breaks. Best wishes on your house build in Isaan.