# Is it wrong...



## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

....to refuse to work on equipment that they will not keep up, whether you do the om or someone else?


----------



## AlbacoreShuffle (Aug 28, 2011)

Gettinit said:


> ....to refuse to work on equipment that they will not keep up, whether you do the om or someone else?


I'd work on it , but if their not going to maintain it, I'll give the old tail light warranty.


----------



## Fullmetal Frank (Jul 11, 2012)

I'd reserve the right to not do it, but I wouldn't make it company policy, and no warranty at all.


----------



## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Thank goodness for people who refuse to do PM. As long as you tell em and write it down I don't see why you wouldn't. Unless it's a blame the plumber scenario.


----------



## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

Gettinit said:


> ....to refuse to work on equipment that they will not keep up, whether you do the om or someone else?


 If you refuse to work on it then nobody services it. I always say yes then usually curse myself that I excepted. I dont know but people complain there is no work and then turndown jobs I see this all the time. Its funny but sometimes the stuff nobody wants to touch is just old well built and needs a little TLC. Once cleaned the 1977 keeprite oil furnace was just purring and clean, zero smoke, 35% excess air, Zero CO! Amazing!


----------



## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

pilot light said:


> If you refuse to work on it then nobody services it. I always say yes then usually curse myself that I excepted. I dont know but people complain there is no work and then turndown jobs I see this all the time. Its funny but sometimes the stuff nobody wants to touch is just old well built and needs a little TLC. Once cleaned the 1977 keeprite oil furnace was just purring and clean, zero smoke, 35% excess air, Zero CO! Amazing!


For instance...I am sick of getting blessed out for some tankless heaters not working when they will not let me service them. I am talking about a place that should get the heat exchangers cleaned once a quarter...yeah that bad. There is only so much that I can even stand.


----------



## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

Gettinit said:


> For instance...I am sick of getting blessed out for some tankless heaters not working when they will not let me service them. I am talking about a place that should get the heat exchangers cleaned once a quarter...yeah that bad. There is only so much that I can even stand.


Ya I have a building that needs chemical treatment and a filter I have suggest this many times and quoted numerous times. Sometimes I feel like a broken record skipping along for almost 5 years now. Whats the heat exchanger for? There was also a disscusion in another thread about prefilters on cold to tankless heaters the answer is yes! So with the plugged heat exchanger the grundfos pump overheats... wait its coming any day now!:whistling2:


----------



## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Gettinit said:


> For instance...I am sick of getting blessed out for some tankless heaters not working when they will not let me service them. I am talking about a place that should get the heat exchangers cleaned once a quarter...yeah that bad. There is only so much that I can even stand.



When you fix it charge for that and the maint you will come and do.:laughing:


----------



## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

Gettinit said:


> For instance...I am sick of getting blessed out for some tankless heaters not working when they will not let me service them. I am talking about a place that should get the heat exchangers cleaned once a quarter...yeah that bad. There is only so much that I can even stand.



Tell your customer you won't install a tankless heater without a filter install also. You could also require them to purchase a service contract from you for the filter and tankless heater to be maintained or you won't install the tankless heater for them.Just a suggestion.


----------



## UALocal1Plumber (May 13, 2009)

justme said:


> Tell your customer you won't install a tankless heater without a filter install also. You could also require them to purchase a service contract from you for the filter and tankless heater to be maintained or you won't install the tankless heater for them.Just a suggestion.


what's really weird about this is that this whole time, I had this crazy idea that my customers told ME what to do.

Keith


----------



## justme (Jul 4, 2012)

UALocal1Plumber said:


> what's really weird about this is that this whole time, I had this crazy idea that my customers told ME what to do.
> 
> Keith


Yea that's why plumbers have customers complaining about tankless heaters not working properly, because there are plumbers out there doing exactly what the home owner wants instead of what is required for proper equipment operation.


----------



## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

UALocal1Plumber said:


> what's really weird about this is that this whole time, I had this crazy idea that my customers told ME what to do.
> 
> Keith


Popular mechanics July 2010 had a nice article on tankless water heaters. I cut out the two page visual and keep it in a binder to show customers what everything is and why it needs service. 

DO NOT TOUCH a tankless that has not been serviced or even installed correctly. Quote a proper replacement and move on. You do it the right way, if they don't like it, they aren't your customer.

EXAMPLE: a few months back one of our guys rolls up to a house and checks out the tankless. Found weeping out of a ball valve and very corroded check valves. The. It was 10 years old, no service valves and customer didn't want them installed. Cut to callback for master shower, then tankless constantly shutting down so hot water was unusable. Calls to tech support were difficult as it was late in the day.

Replaced heater the next day, maintenance to e scheduled through our office to keep warranty effective. Everyone is happy now.


----------



## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

This isn't even an issue. On my invoices I have a comment section. I use this for recommendations. such as tankless needs to be subjected to yearly service. or in a case where something was not serviced regularly,I will write item looks like regular service wasn't performed. Then I would put customer has been informed of such and such service to keep item in good working order. 

If it comes down to a lets blame the plumber in the future, the original invoice gets pulled out.


----------



## RW Plumbing (Aug 16, 2010)

On equipment that is beyond its serviceable lifespan I push replacement. If they don't want to replace,I will charge a trip charge and be on my way. I will annotate customer refused replacement on equipment beyond functional lifespan.


----------

