RPZ Valves

[golftmann1]

How much mark up do you guys use on your RPZ valves? For example, I can get Febco 825 Y for around 190.00, but I see prices anywhere from 220 up to 400. I don't want to rip my customer off, but need to make it worth my time. Also, I am not charging for the labor as they are a year round customer, pay every month regardless of the work we do (Winters are slow) Any help would be appreciated.

[Mike Leary]

Charge list price, that makes you a few bucks since you're giving the labor away. :hammerhead:

[AI Inc]

1" = $379.74 , suggested list right off my suppliers price list ( 2009)

[golftmann1]

Thanks for the input. The account is one of our churches that we have had about 6 years. The extent of the labor was disconnecting the valve from the meter and hooking it back up, about 20 minutes total and we get 220.00 a month from them. Small church but nice to have year round income from our customers
.

[Wet_Boots]

Giving away the labor?!! :hammerhead:

[golftmann1]

No, from Nov through February we don't do anything, yet they still continue to pay us. We get $2,640 a year for showing up an average of 4.5 times a month from mid March through mid September. Total time on site is about 30 minutes. So 30 minutes x 4.5 = 135 minutes (2.25 hrs / month ) x 7 months =15.75 hrs. @2640.00 / 15.75 hrs = 168.00 per hour and my labor cost per month is 45.00, with no labor cost for 4 months. So I figure that 168.00 for 20 minutes work is ok. Plus, it's my church and I get referrals from them also. I don't see anything wrong with that, do you guys?

[Wet_Boots]

Around here, no one gets to give anything away to the paying public without taking grief for it :)

[golftmann1]

I appreciate your post , and agree with it, but I just don't feel in this case like I'm giving away the labor. Maybe I'm wrong. It wouldn't be ther first time.

[Mike Leary]

I think all of us have done something like that; we called them "charity cases".

[Wet_Boots]

Welcome to Lawnsite, by the way. When you reach a thousand posts, you get a free decoder ring. :)

[golftmann1]

Thanks for the welcome. Used to be here regularly abiut 4 years ago, but somehow just got busy, forgot about it, had to do chores. Anyway, looking forward to the decoder ring. Any chance there's a shot at 3-D glasses? Might make some of my customers easier to look at.

[ArTurf]

golftmann,

I am like you, if I feel like I am coming out good moneywise and they appreciate it I will do things some things for little or no fee. Of course there are those customers that try to squeeze you, the something for nothing crowd. Just wondering why did the RPZ need replacing? Do you normally do irrigation or just mow?

[Waterlogged]

Golftmann1
Where are you? Here we have to pull a permit, do a test, get an inspection and oh yeah, you have to be registered in the city. Could be around $500.00 or more depending on which city. You should test the device regardless of any lack of requirement to do so. :)

[Mike Leary]

You should test the device regardless of any lack of requirement to do so. :)

Double ditto.

[golftmann1]

They had a board member responsible for removing the RPZ, but he is no longer on the board, and noone else thought about it. I knew the guy took care of it, always had. I'm in Arkansas, and we can remove etc, but a plumber needs to check it evry other year where I am. Also, we can do all the installation work up to the rpz, then again, licensed plumber has to connect to water system.

[ArTurf]

Golfmann,

I am a fellow Arkansan. Where are you? If you ever need advice PM me.

[sprinklerchris]

How much mark up do you guys use on your RPZ valves? For example, I can get Febco 825 Y for around 190.00, but I see prices anywhere from 220 up to 400. I don't want to rip my customer off, but need to make it worth my time. Also, I am not charging for the labor as they are a year round customer, pay every month regardless of the work we do (Winters are slow) Any help would be appreciated.


List price. We're using the Wilkins 375.

[ARGOS]

You should test the device regardless of any lack of requirement to do so.

I am open to correction, but my understanding is that it is federally mandated to test the device and is locally enforced (left to the water co). So, to say that you don't have to test the device locally is fallacious. Something in the clean water act?

Waterlogged hit it on the head.

[Wet_Boots]

There is this theory going around that the device is good to go from the box, and the mfr is in line to get grief if it isn't.

[AI Inc]

There is this theory going around that the device is good to go from the box, and the mfr is in line to get grief if it isn't.

Thats the theory I follow.

[ARGOS]

There is this theory going around that the device is good to go from the box, and the mfr is in line to get grief if it isn't.

I would guess that the back-flow companies have at least 70-80 parts per million that are faulty...probably higher. If there is one occurrence of back-flow and someone is sick it could have been prevented.

Testing a device and finding it faulty still puts the manufacturer on the line without jeopardizing public safty. I agree you should assume a device is good from the box, but I would want it tested to make damn sure it was operating correctly before it was connected to my families drinking water.

[Waterlogged]

Well it could be a moot point that the device is new if the plumber does not flush his lines before he installs it. Although I have found brass shavings embedded in the seat and I'm pretty sure it was from the Mfg. I also had an R/P ( new ) that would not stop leaking even after two kits. The Rep. came out and could not fix it and they replaced it :waving:

[Wet_Boots]

Would you make the blanket statement that backflow preventers are not tested at the factory? Even a humble rotor head gets tested.

[ARGOS]

Even a humble rotor head gets crap in it during install.

[Wet_Boots]

If you don't flush the line before installing a $300+ BP, you are the epitome of pikerdom.