[james44]

Hi  guys what is you opinion on the idea of installing an outside tap on your customers houses, i think this has been asked before,but this is for wfp users on all residential,

been thinking , these taps can be bought for  say £10 now if you had 200 houses thats 10x200=£2000 outlay  but you would not need a van or tank to store your water nor pump or battery you would just need a trolley for your di tank and hose reel to connect to tap and away you go even if you had the merlin ro set up you could still put this on a trolley, the only cost you would have are resin and ro filters no need to worry about the battery running flat or the pump playing up

i have customers at the moment who dont mind me using there tap and most new built have taps already installed

well would the customer think i could do my own windows,
well yes and no, they could but they would not get done as regular and they would soon get fed up and get you back would they do as good a job, ok they can buy a kit for £100 quid to do it but they could also buy a ladder and squeegee and apllicator for the same but do they, i have been in contact with a company about bulk buy of these taps and you could get them for £6/7.00 now £1200/£1400 for a complete set up with low running cost what do you guys think bearing in mind you would only have to install where needed the cost could be even lower
 

[windows_chepstow]

So you're saying you'd buy the taps in bulk and then fit them yourself to each of the customer's houses that didn't have one.

How long do you think that would take?

How would you feel if you installed one, then after a couple of cleans they dropped you?

What advantage would having a tap give you, rather than puchase, say a WFP trolley system, water jerry cans, RO unit and water barrel?

[james44]

So you're saying you'd buy the taps in bulk and then fit them yourself to each of the customer's houses that didn't have one. (yes)



How long do you think that would take? 10/15mins

How would you feel if you installed one, then after a couple of cleans they dropped you?  ( I do customers at the moment that i use there tap if customers are going to drop you they will regardless)

What advantage would having a tap give you, rather than puchase, say a WFP trolley system, water jerry cans, RO unit and water barrel?  ( well my thinking is  if i take on new customers  then later on i would not have to upgrade to bigger tank and bigger van and would only be running my car not having to tax and insure two vehicles not having to fill tanks at night when i get home, i am in a soft water area and would only need di tank and hose reel on a trolley and my pole a lot less to carry and not have to worry about how much i can carry, since i have started wfp i put my prices up so any cost of taps would be payed for, i am not saying this i an advantage i am looking for opinions as to my thinkiing  could it work)

[baldeagle]

Don't forget that in order to comply with the Water Regs, an outside tap needs to be supplied via a non return valve (check valve).
Baldeagle

[Old_Master]

James
If it will only take you 10 to 15 minutes you are definatly in the wrong trade and would earn a fortune as a plumber.

Please come to my house a fit one, I have 3' thick flint and stone walls.

[AuRavelling79]

I reckon it'd take a lot longer than 10/15 minutes to install a tap.

Pleasantries/explain what you're doing  (5 mins)
Find valve to turn off customer's water.  (5 mins)
Find right pipe to join into. (5 mins)
Cut into pipe. (5 mins)
Add T - junction. (5 mins)
Cut and add in length of pipe for tap (5 mins)
Find electrical powerpoint and run out cable for drill. (Battery drill not really powerful enough?)
Drill thru' wall with long 20/22mm bit (5 mins)
Fit tap to pipe and screw to wall. (5 mins)
Turn on water and check for leaks. (5mins)

45mins already x 200 customers = 150 hrs if all goes smoothly = about a four weeks work!


(And in winter - what if conscientious householder turns off water to stop pipes freezing?)

[s.hughes]

James
What about those on a meter? They might not like the idea. Tell you what you could do though. Get the nice old lady that never minds anything, smears/ marks etc, you know the type you are always a nice young man to them. Connect to her tap, get a long hose pipe and do the street from there. So long as you put signs up to show work in progress (hose trailing),you will be covered by h&s.
Anyway its a good idea maby you could do a few that agree and take it from there. I wouldnt think that you would loose customers because they would appreciate the use of the outside tap for other reasons.
I would like to have an outside tap and if I wasnt in the business then I would like a w/c to install one for free.

Steveyboy

[AuRavelling79]

Get an adapter for the local fire hydrant!

[james44]

 outside taps are a lot easier to fit  nowdays no copper pipe involved, (plumber i am very skilled at diy) and you do not have to turn off the customers water supply you fix the tap first then use the self pierceing tap  to connect to the water supply


i also have a backup system  in me van, backpack and trolley  with leisure battery if ever i need it  carry 250ltrs of water in 25ltr containers and have a 1000ltr ibc tank at home,

now if when i get to a customers house and there is a problem with there water supply i have my backup with me

i am using a few customers water at the moment and they dont mind at all  quite a few alredy have had a tap installed 
and most of the new build houses that i am targeting have them already,  my system has cost me around £1000 any future  upgrade would be to change the resin only not changing to bigger van/tank

[AuRavelling79]

There you go James44 - I didn't even know about self piercing taps - that'll reduce your installation time then.

[james44]

We learn something every day malc  now let me explain the reason for me asking the original  question was to find out  all the problem areas, i mean if someone posts a reply about  a problem area then my hope was to answer with a solution you supply the problems and i hopeto supply the solution, easy said than done i no but i will work on all  areas

[james44]

NO dont drink

[rosskesava]

It seems a lot of work and what if the customer objects?

Some people are fussy and if what happens if there's a problem drilling through the brick work or something similar or if a customer says they now have a damp problem even if you weren't the cause or all the other varied and wonderfull problems that people can create in their own minds?

To me, it just sounds too complex.

Personally if I had a w/c and he asked me if he could install an outside tap, I would say no. Sorry, but that is how I would see it.

Cheers

[james44]

Yep point taken rosskesava,, the few that i do at the moment are not bothered if i use there tap and futher customers are quite pleased  in the fact they are getting a free tap and some customers are never in when i do them and dont mind how i clean them so long as they are clean, i dont force them to have a tap installed  i just ask if they dont mind me installing one and pointing out the benifits to them,ie they will be able to  wash there car  and things like that

[rosskesava]

Hi James

You make good points.

I'd be interested how you get on with your idea.

Cheers

[james44]

Hi thanks rosskesava  i was looking for negative feedback to see if i had all the solutions, or try to find solutions around problems, i mean its like doing anything you have to look at it at all angles, thats why i ask the questions because others will see problems i dont

[ICG]

Why not buy a decent van mount & save yourself all the time, insurance issues, hassles, etc.?

[james44]

 

[AuRavelling79]

Where's Graham Gould's sarcy comment about being drunk then James - did he remove it or one of the Mod's - ?

[Pureandclean]

There are Guy's around our area that advertise £50 to fit an outside tap.
Why not leaflet drop all your customers with you special offer of " outside tap fitted for only £30 " and make a bit for fitting the tap. Go the next stage and try and sell them a water filter whilst your at it, and in a soft water area the water could be good enough to clean with.
Get your tds meter out and show them how many nasty little bits there are in their water and how you could solve their problem.
Could be a whole new business for you to tap into !!

 : Blessings  :

Graeme