Columnists: Yates
Gray water encounters
Several very important safety issues are often ignored out of ignorance during DIY installations. Professionally installed gray-water systems incorporate three primary points of protection: a potable water-line back flow device installed in the make-up water feed that (in my opinion) should be a testable reduced pressure zone back-flow preventer to protect the potability of the home’s drinking and bathing water....
Solar Decathlon is changing with the times
With energy use being closely monitored and judged for the Solar Decathlon competition, the entire home’s systems-package must be one that enhances efficiency while still maintaining comfort and required dehumidification. ...
The battle is over
The sheer joy that comes with creating something marvelous, from scratch, generates an upbeat and infectious mood that’s impossible to avoid when visiting the Solar Decathlon's student teams and their faculty advisors/mentors. ...
Hurricanes and floods, oh my!
A quick call to our agent with copies of the letters from the agencies strongly suggesting no repairs are made were included. Hours later, we had an official reply: we would likely be covered if at some point in the future, any problems arose, but that would not prevent a lawsuit being filed based upon our having ignored the warnings while performing repairs instead of replacements. Their advise: repairing flooded appliances exposes us to increased exposure to liability and they strongly urged we replace or walk away from the work. ...
Internet leads to sales opportunities
With folks turning to the Internet more frequently, it’s not unusual for customers to have a pretty good idea of what they want before they call you. ...
Checking an electric water heater for leaks
Checking an electric water heater for leaks: unless the tank itself has a large enough pin-hole to create a clearly audible “here-I-am” under the jacket, you need to poke and probe for the answer. It's a straight-forward logical series of steps....
Next time showcase professional plumbers
So, it won’t come as a surprise to anyone that I cringed when Hansen ran a show to expose plumbers and pretty much painted us all with a very broad brush. ...
Shackled by fuel bills – Part 2
Returning from the overly-warmed cavernous mechanical room, I was once again invited to join my new old friends at the kitchen table. One option always suggested is solar thermal (reminder: it’s not my money), which was rejected due to the up-front costs. ...
Shackled by fuel bills
Help! My oil bills are draining my wallet! At first glance, you wouldn’t think there were many options....
Drains that cannot be cleaned
“Help — our water heater is leaking and we need an estimate for a new one.” In addition, a few questions during the phone call revealed they would be interested in pricing for a new furnace and central air conditioning. This is a new potential customer who was referred by a friend of theirs who is a customer — the best kind of introduction. ...
Offering energy conservation value
Do you want to sell high-efficiency equipment like hot cakes at a pancake jamboree? If so, then you’re an energy conservationist and you need to stand out from the crowd during your sales pitch. There is a real value to what it is you are offering and the term Energy Conservation Value (ECV) fits it like a glove....
The chicken or the egg?
"What's the first best investment: upgrade the shell by sealing infil-exfiltration air leaks, adding insulation, installing new windows and doors, or replacing the heating and air conditioning equipment? You can only afford to do one or the other."...
Head-to-head with a PI — Pt. 2
When last we spoke, we were in a pickle due to a PI who had failed to properly interpret the plumbing code. ...
Going head-to-head with a PI
What can you do when the bully is in a position of authority and abuses their powers? To complicate matters, what can you do when they have a badge, a code book and no one to answer to but themselves? ...
What's in it for your customer?
What's the angle? Or, in other words, what's in it for your customer? Stop, look, and most importantly, listen. Your customer asks, "What's the least expensive way for making hot water?" ...
Smart ways to avoid water damage
Add a little TLC (Time for a Leak Check) to plumbing service contracts or simply as a value-added service your company provides. These days, anything that helps you stand out among the crowd will enhance your company's image and the bottom line. ...
Be the customer's energy conservation specialist
You are an energy conservationist of the first order. We don’t save energy. Instead we offer our customers the opportunity to conserve energy and avoid spending their hard-earned money on wasted fuel. ...
Mechanical mayhem: defects hidden in plain sight
I wasn’t there to admire the tricked-out kitchen or the massive flat-screens with surround sound that the builder tossed in as an incentive during his last-ditch effort to survive the weak economy. You know why I was there: problems with the mechanical systems....
HP water heaters: where the rubber meets the road
The good news, no make that great news, for my friend and competitor who said that: he doesn't need the license to sell and install HP water heaters. The refrigerant circuit is self-contained. The potentially bad news is that failure to follow a few basic guidelines will increase operating costs for his customers and potential for service issues he'll be forced to correct. ...
Heat Pump Water Heaters — Part 2
Keep selling heat pump water heaters after tax credit expires
Step right up! Get your tax credits here! Well, at least up until Dec. 31, 2010. Due to expire at the stroke of midnight, the 30% up to a maximum of $1,500 Federal tax credit, www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index, has been a boon for business these past two years and a huge advantage for selling tax-credit-eligible products. With less than half a year to go, we’ll need to sharpen our sales skills if continued sales of more expensive, higher-efficiency equipment are to continue at, or near to, the same pace. ...
Making hay with the RPA
One thing that's undeniable: this recession and economy has altered the way we do business. Chances are you’re operating a bit leaner and paying closer attention to details than when the economy was firing on all eight cylinders just two years ago. It's not easy being an independent small business and it seems to get tougher with each passing year. ...
Drain-line carry and HETs
If ever there has been a phrase designed to strike fear into our hearts, it has to be this one. If, as has been widely suggested, drain-line carry dictated where adequate drainage stopped and stoppages began forming, we’d be spending every minute of every day occupied with clearing waste blockages....
1.6 ULF to 1.28 HET upgrade concerns
Mike, a plumbing engineer, writes, "Hello Mr. Yates. I’ve been commissioned to perform water-efficiency audits at several facilities in the area, which is to include recommendations for toilet and urinal replacement/retrofits. Most of these facilities are currently equipped with 1.0-gpf urinals and 1.6-gpf toilets....
Papal permit trumps plumbing code
Hey Gene, I need half a plumbing permit for a double-bowl sink! Gene was Eugene Witmer, the York City plumbing inspector at the time, and we were installing a special plumbing fixture. I wanted to give my friend Gene a bit of a hard time — in a friendly manner — about this fixture. Two drains for two bowls in a single fixture...
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