SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

Geeesshh!!! PMS Lush?
Professionalism? Replace and not repair when NEEDED OR NOT? Screw the customer when ya can charge for a new valve AND labor, too? It's all about the money, eh, LUSH?
Well I guess ethics aren't really in question here, let alone one's integrity.

Will you ever quit rockin' the boat? You're quite the CONtrary CON-tractor in almost all subjects on this board.
You apparently didn't learn from YOUR mom that if you can't say something decent (in this case, constructive)then keep your mouth shut!

I think your a little out of line here. It is one thing not to agree and another to hurl an insult such as this. If I were you, and I am not, I would sincerely retract my comment to Boots and ask for forgiveness. I may not agree and do things the same way as you, but I would respect you as a professional and never hurl an insult such as this. Your better than that, or at least I would hope you are.

sure you can. (liar) you know as well as me that the newer parts arent always compatible with the older ones. so you are a liar. and my talents far exceed yours. ask your mom.

I can repair a Richdel valve that was installed 35 years ago, and it will operate like new, and no callbacks. Perhaps there are some skills missing from your roster of talents.

hey wet boots, cars and sprinkler valves are apples and oranges. and sprinkler guy........you are a poor business manager. the times you had to go back cost gas money, labor, and making a repair for free while that same tech could be making money at another job. so add that puppy into your calculations. replace the entire valve and save your customers aggrivation of just having you go back to do it anyway. and anybody thats in the business knows that the old richdel/irritrol valves aren't compatible with the new ones all the time. and bill, replacing the whole valve is more than just 20 more bucks and it only takes me 10 minutes. now "again" when you have to go back "for free" to replace the whole valve anyway, you lose tons of money. so check your books again. this is just bush!!! i cant believe you guys. where is the professionalism.

Hmmmm... I've often wondered WHY folks replace a whole valve when the guts only will more than suffice. Kinda like the shade tree mechanics abounding today replacing parts and not really figuring what wrong in the first place.
When comptemplating replacing valve guts, I gotta ask:

Is the bibb seat scratched or dented from the flow control being closed down too tightly?
Is there a leak on either the upstream or downstream side of the valve connection?
Are any of the screw holes stripped?
Is there a crack in the body of the valve where the injection process brings the hot PVC together and there's a joint failure? (Toro, Hardie, Rainbird??)
IF none of these things are wrong I can really find little reason for the customer to have to foot the bill for a completely new valve installed, labor included!
PVC is an extreemly impervious plastic and little goes wrong with it. By replacing the guts, the customer virtually HAS a brand new valve, especially ALL NEW WORKING parts. When I DO replace the guts only, I tell the customer that I did, and WHY I did it.
EVERY CUSTOMER whom I did this for in the last 45 plus years was grateful for the savings incurred in the transaction... (Save 2 - very anal to say the least, so they got the whole valve... fine! IF that'w what "THEY" WANT!!!)
In my books, using up an extra half hour at an hourly rate to make an extra $20 or so by replacing a valve is not productive as finishing the job up in good shape and going on to another call that is flat rate. Most guys in this industry that I know have valve problems solved and are gone within 15-20 minutes at most!

Sigh

The bodies almost never go bad....

Come on Lush..quit rocking the boat....

Myself and my techs over the last 15 years or so have probably gutted 15,000 valves.....yes we have had to go back sometimes...but we have probably saved our clients $750,000.00 total by doing it this way.....

Sigh

The bodies almost never go bad....

Come on Lush..quit rocking the boat....

If you fixed cars, you'd be replacing engines, instead of repairing/rebuilding them?

any company who lets there service techs gut valves to fix them should be ashamed. but i guess thats why my company has been around for 35 years. thats not an accident.