Great question I've had limited success answering this myself. you know i had a really good supplier in there and i failed to get his number before the market was torn out.

but since then i have rediscovered my electrical supply place not far away from where they were torn out. i asked him where all the shops went and he said they've mostly relocated not too far away you'll just have to ride around a bit to find them all.

what are you looking to purchase? perhaps i know a place.

Al

Hey do it yourselfers,
have you done anything interesting in the field of remodeling here in kunming? where did you get materials? good sources of lumber for finish carpentry? need help figuring out problems at your residence? want to do small project remodeling but cant get started?

ive been doing projects for friends here for some time and have lots of good suggestions, i know they city well, and i know the different markets, but theres always more to know, i love construction, and id love to answer any questions about remodeling projects that you guys might have.

i think the thread will remain popular. lets see what happens.

Alan B

I have had a bit of experience with this as well. I am a well experienced contractor from the states and can offer what i know or contact me through my ad offering construction services.

you need to make a logical assessment of whats going on. First of all the likelihood of being cheated i think would be pretty low but i like the suggestion made by someone that your toilet is to blame.

1 find the meter and apartment water shutoff and start checking it, maybe for a few days to get a baseline of usage.

2 when you leave the apartment turn off all water to the toilets, theres a shutoff at the base, if the installer did not put in a shut off turn it off at the main. you can repeat this process for all sinks too.
3 if you notice that the problem has stopped tell the landlord you need to have the toilet fixed. if not fixed move on to step 4
4 look around the apartment near the pipes for signs of leakage, peeling paint near an internal wall, mold etc.. my neighbors water has been leaking into the brick wall for a long time im pretty sure its grey-water and wouldnt affect their bill but it shows that the methods commonly employed to run piping are not very safe and the materials they use here are half the thickness of pipes in other countries.
5 ask the people below you to tell you if they see water. my neighbor let me look around for signs of water. they dont want that in the apartment either.

hope it helps

alan B