Your company
How Sample Plumbing & Drain works, in Ray's words.
Welcome aboard. Your first weeks you ride with Marcus. Nobody expects you to know how we do things yet, so ask. Calling Marcus or me is never the wrong move.
Ray, owner
Ray's rules
- Shoe covers on and a drop cloth down before you touch anything inside. Every house, every time.
- Before and after photos of every job, and the rating label and the display on every water heater.
- Never quote a price. Prices come off the price book in Housecall Pro, and the customer says yes before you start.
- Anything with gas, or anything that smells wrong: stop and call Marcus.
- No smoking or vaping on a customer's property.
- Leave every drip wiped up. A wet floor is the customer's last memory of us.
What we expect on every job
- Text the customer from Housecall Pro when you're on the way, with a time you can keep.
- Explain what you found in plain words, and show the photo or the camera clip.
- Leave the work area cleaner than you found it.
- Notes, photos and camera video go in the job before you leave the driveway.
- Ask for the review before you pull away. Same ask, every customer.
- You run calls on your own when Marcus and Ray say you're ready, not before.
What to wear
- Company shirt, clean every morning. Renee orders more when you need them.
- Work pants, no shorts inside a customer's house.
- Safety-toe boots you don't mind getting wet.
- Gloves and safety glasses in your pocket, not in the truck.
- Shoe covers in your pocket before you knock.
Your schedule
- Monday to Friday. Meet at the shop at 7:30; first call by 8:15.
- Night and weekend calls rotate after your first 90 days. Ray sets the rotation.
- The truck goes home with you only on your on-call nights.
- Time off: ask Renee a week ahead, by text so it's written down.
Who to call
- Renee · Office managera schedule change, a parts order, or a customer's bill(504) 555-0150 · 8 to 4:30, Monday to Friday
- Marcus · Lead plumbera technical question on a job, or anything on the stop-and-call list(504) 555-0151 · any time you're on a job
- Ray · Owneran injury, damage at a customer's house, or a customer who's upset(504) 555-0152 · any time
- On-call plumber · Nights and weekendsan after-hours call that comes to youthe on-call phone (number on the visor card) · after 4:30 and weekends
How a call gets booked
- A customer calls or texts. Renee answers 8 to 4:30; after that it rolls to the on-call phone.
- Renee books it in Housecall Pro with the address, the problem and the best phone number.
- It shows in your Housecall Pro schedule, or Renee texts you a same-day add.
- Read the notes before you drive, then send the on-my-way text.
- Find the problem, then price it from the price book. The customer says yes before you start.
- Photos, camera video and notes go in the job before you leave.
- Take payment in Housecall Pro and ask for the review.
The truck checklist
Every morning before the first job. Ticks stay on this phone until you clear them.
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see the shop's answer. Nothing is saved or sent, and nobody sees what you picked. Talk any surprise through with your lead plumber.
Meet the system: a gas tankless water heater and what's around it
Draft: waiting on a licensed plumber to check it for this shop
Tap a part to see what it does, what fails and what you look at. Look, don't touch: every hands-on step comes after the safety stops, and the cover stays on.
Wall-hung unit and front cover
- What it does
- A cabinet hung on the wall that heats water only while a hot tap is open: there is no tank and nothing is stored. The front cover closes in the parts that carry gas, power and flame.
- What fails
- A cover left loose or off, missing screws, a unit pulled away from its mounting, rust at the bottom of the cabinet, water or scale stains running down from inside.
- What you look at
- Read the rating label on the side: the gas type, the model and the serial. Look for drips under the unit and stains on the cover. The cover stays on: opening it is Shop rule: only Marcus or Ray takes the cover off a tankless unit..
Control board and display
- What it does
- The board runs the unit: it senses water flowing, starts the fan, lights the burner and watches its safety switches. The display on the front shows the setting and, when something is wrong, an error code.
- What fails
- A dark display (no power, or a failed board), an error code, a board damaged by water or a power surge.
- What you look at
- Read the display. Write any error code down exactly and take a photo of it. Don't clear it or reset the unit unless Ray's rule says so (a helper never clears a code; text Marcus the photo): the code is what the office needs. What each code means is in the manufacturer's manual for that model.
Heat exchanger
- What it does
- Coils and fins where the burner's heat passes into the water as it flows through. A condensing unit has a second exchanger that takes more heat out of the exhaust, which is why it makes condensate.
- What fails
- Scale (mineral build-up) lining the inside where the water is hard, which cuts the heat and can bring up an error; a leak inside the cabinet; fins clogged with dust or lint.
- What you look at
- You won't see it with the cover on. Water or scale stains under the unit, or an error code the manual ties to scale, are things to report. Descaling is Marcus's flush steps, with the gas and power off and both isolation valves closed first.
Burner
- What it does
- Lights only while enough hot water is flowing. A fan inside brings in air and pushes the exhaust out the vent, and the board turns the flame up or down to match the flow.
- What fails
- Won't light (usually an ignition error on the display), lights and then goes out, a fan that is noisy or won't start.
- What you look at
- Work inside the cabinet is for trained techs. From outside: with a hot tap open, listen for the fan and read the display. Never reach in with the cover off and the power on.
Cold inlet and its isolation valve
- What it does
- Brings cold water into the unit. The isolation valve under the unit shuts the water off to the unit without shutting off the house.
- What fails
- A valve left part-closed, a valve that won't turn, a leak at the stem or the fittings.
- What you look at
- Tell cold from hot by the labels on the unit or by following the pipe; don't guess. Learn which handle position is open on this valve. Don't force a seized valve: call it in.
Inlet filter screen
- What it does
- A small screen in the cold-water inlet that catches grit and scale before they get into the unit.
- What fails
- Clogs with sediment and cuts the flow. Then the hot water runs weak, or the unit may not light at all.
- What you look at
- Getting at it is a job step: the water off at both isolation valves and the pressure let off first, the way your shop trains you Marcus's flush steps, with the gas and power off and both isolation valves closed first. A screen full of grit is worth a photo for the office.
Hot outlet and its isolation valve
- What it does
- Carries hot water out of the unit to the house. Its isolation valve shuts the hot side off, and it is often where the pressure relief valve is fitted.
- What fails
- A valve left closed after a flush, a valve that won't turn, a leak at the stem or the fittings.
- What you look at
- Is the handle in the open position? Any drips at the nuts? A hot valve left closed is an easy miss after someone has flushed the unit.
Service (flush) ports
- What it does
- A small capped port with its own handle on each isolation valve. With the isolation valves closed, hoses go on these ports to flush the unit or drain it.
- What fails
- A cap missing or leaking, a port handle left open (a drip at the cap), a cap cracked from overtightening.
- What you look at
- Caps on and port handles closed. Opening a port is a job step, not a check: water from the hot side can scald. Flushing is Marcus's flush steps, with the gas and power off and both isolation valves closed first.
Pressure relief valve
- What it does
- A safety valve on the hot side that opens and lets water out if the pressure gets too high (some valves also open on temperature). Which kind, and where it goes, follows the manufacturer's instructions and the local code.
- What fails
- Drips or runs (it is opening, or it is worn), corrosion, or a valve somebody has capped, plugged or taken off.
- What you look at
- Look: is it there, is the discharge line attached, is anything dripping? Leave the test lever alone unless your shop trains you to: an old valve may not reseat, and the water can come out scalding. Shop rule: Marcus or Ray tests or replaces a relief valve. You look and report.
Relief discharge line
- What it does
- Carries water from the relief valve down to where it can drain safely, and ends open, where somebody will see it running.
- What fails
- Capped, plugged, kinked, cut short or run uphill: any of these can stop the relief valve from doing its job.
- What you look at
- Never cap, plug or reduce it; its end stays open and in sight. Water at its end means the relief valve opened: note it and call. How and where it must end is Ray's rule: Ray pulls the permit and checks the discharge line against the local code on every heater job.
Gas supply, shutoff and sediment trap
- What it does
- The gas line to the unit, its shutoff valve, and the capped pipe below the tee (the sediment trap, or drip leg) that catches debris before it reaches the unit. A tankless unit burns a lot of gas while it runs, so the line feeding it has to be big enough: that is the installer's and the code's call, not a service-call fix.
- What fails
- Leaks at the fittings, a valve that won't turn, a line too small for the unit (errors or cold water when several taps run). Never use a flame to look for a leak.
- What you look at
- Know where the shutoff is and which position is off on this valve before you need it. Smell gas: stop and follow the gas steps in Safety stops. Work on gas piping at this shop: Shop rule: only Ray works on gas piping. Helpers don't open a gas fitting..
Vent pipes and termination
- What it does
- Carry the exhaust out of the building and, on a sealed unit, bring outside air in. It is two pipes, or one pipe inside another (concentric), in PVC or whatever vent material the manufacturer approves, ending at a termination outside.
- What fails
- A joint pulled apart, a pipe sagging or crushed, a termination blocked by a nest, leaves, snow or ice, vent material the manufacturer doesn't allow.
- What you look at
- Follow the pipes from the unit to the wall: joints together, pipes supported, nothing crushed. Outside, is the termination clear and undamaged? Soot, scorching or melted pipe: stop and call. Vent work is for trained techs.
Condensate line and neutralizer
- What it does
- A condensing unit makes acidic water from its exhaust. The condensate line carries it to a neutralizer (a cartridge of media that takes the acid out) and on to a drain. A non-condensing unit has none of this.
- What fails
- A line clogged, kinked, disconnected or frozen, water backing up into the unit (often with an error code), a neutralizer that is leaking or whose media is used up.
- What you look at
- Follow the line from the unit to the drain: connected, not kinked, running downhill, end clear. Water on the floor under it? Note it. Changing the media is the way Marcus shows you on a ride-along, with gloves on.
Power cord and receptacle
- What it does
- The unit needs power for its board, fan and igniter, usually through a cord to a receptacle nearby (some are wired in). No power means no hot water, even with the gas on.
- What fails
- Unplugged, a tripped breaker or GFCI, a damaged cord, a dead receptacle.
- What you look at
- Is it plugged in, and is the display lit? A tripped breaker or GFCI: reset it only as Ray allows: one try, with the customer's OK, then call; if it trips again, stop: that's a call, not a retry.
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see the shop's answer. Nothing is saved or sent, and nobody sees what you picked. Talk any surprise through with your lead plumber.
Safety stops
Draft: waiting on a licensed plumber to check it for this shop
In this order, every time. The drawing shows each stop; tap a step to see it.
If you smell gas when you walk in, don't operate switches, phones or anything that sparks, and don't touch the unit's controls. Get people out, leave, and call from outside per Ray's gas rule (call the gas company's emergency line first, then Ray) and [the gas utility's emergency line] · not filled in yet.
Before any work on the unit, turn its gas shutoff off (know which position is off on that valve). Tag it per the lockout rule below (your tag, your lock, only you take it off).
Unplug the cord, or turn the circuit off and lock it out per the lockout rule below (your tag, your lock, only you take it off). Then prove it off the way your shop trains you: Marcus's way: cord out and in sight, display dark, and a tap on the unit's own on/off with nothing happening. A lit display means it still has power, and behind the cover the board and igniter carry live voltage.
Close the cold and the hot isolation valves before you open a service port, the filter or any fitting. Then let the pressure off slowly through a service port into a bucket: the hot side can still be hot.
A unit that just ran holds scalding water, and the hot line, the hot-side service port and the relief valve can all spray it. Keep your face and hands away from any outlet, wear gloves and eye protection, and let it cool first.
The relief valve and its discharge line protect the unit, the pipes and everyone near them. Never cap, plug, kink or shorten the line, and never remove or block the valve. If one is dripping, note it and call.
Carbon monoxide has no smell. A vent pipe pulled apart, a blocked termination or the wrong vent material can let exhaust into the house. Wear a CO monitor if your shop issues one, and stop and call on soot, scorching, melted or separated vent pipe, or a CO alarm.
Descaling uses your shop's procedure and your shop's chemical, with gloves and eye protection on per Shop rule: chemical gloves and splash goggles from the descaling kit, every time. The gas and the power stay off and both isolation valves stay closed while it runs. Never mix chemicals, and get rid of the flush water the way your shop says.
This shop's lockout rule
Every plumber carries a lock and tags in the truck door. The tag says your name, the date and DO NOT TURN ON, and it goes on the gas valve handle, the breaker or the unplugged cord. Only the person who put it on takes it off.
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see the shop's answer. Nothing is saved or sent, and nobody sees what you picked. Talk any surprise through with your lead plumber.
No hot water, or it goes cold: the checks before you call
Draft: waiting on a licensed plumber to check it for this shop
Most calls that feel stuck end at one of these. Go in order, and stop at anything on the stop-and-call list.
Is the unit's gas shutoff open? Do the other gas appliances in the house work? No gas anywhere in the house, or gas off at the meter, is a call, not a fix.
Is the display lit? If it's dark: is the cord plugged in, is the breaker or GFCI on? Reset a tripped one only as Ray allows: one try, with the customer's OK, then call; if it trips again, stop: that's a call, not a retry.
Write the code down exactly and take a photo. Report it; don't clear it or reset the unit unless Ray's rule says so (a helper never clears a code; text Marcus the photo). What the code means is in the manufacturer's manual for that model.
Are both isolation valve handles in the open position, with the service port handles closed and their caps on? A valve left closed after a flush is a common miss.
Weak flow at every hot tap can be a clogged inlet screen. Checking it is a job step with the water off and the pressure let off: Marcus's flush steps, with the gas and power off and both isolation valves closed first. Report what you found.
The unit lights only when enough hot water is flowing. Open a hot tap all the way: does it heat now? A tap barely open, a clogged aerator or a fixture's mixing valve can keep it from lighting, or let it go cold mid-use. One cold tap points at that fixture, not the unit. The model's minimum is in its manual.
A unit outside or in an unheated space after a cold snap: look for frost on the pipes, a split pipe, a frozen condensate line, ice at the termination, and a freeze code on the display. Never thaw a pipe with a flame: call it in.
Stop and call: don't fix these yourself
- A gas smell, a CO alarm, or soot, scorching or melted vent pipe
- Water coming from the relief valve or its discharge line
- Water leaking from inside the unit's cabinet
- An error code that comes back, or a breaker or GFCI that trips again
- Anything on the gas line, the vent, or inside the cover
- Frozen or split pipes, or a frozen condensate line
- Anything outside your training
How to reach the office
Have the address, what you checked and your photos ready.
- Renee · Office managera schedule change, a parts order, or a customer's bill(504) 555-0150 · 8 to 4:30, Monday to Friday
- Marcus · Lead plumbera technical question on a job, or anything on the stop-and-call list(504) 555-0151 · any time you're on a job
- Ray · Owneran injury, damage at a customer's house, or a customer who's upset(504) 555-0152 · any time
- On-call plumber · Nights and weekendsan after-hours call that comes to youthe on-call phone (number on the visor card) · after 4:30 and weekends
Check yourself
Tap an answer to see the shop's answer. Nothing is saved or sent, and nobody sees what you picked. Talk any surprise through with your lead plumber.
Sign-off
The owner or lead plumber ticks each section after going through it with the new plumber: watched, understood, signed off by a name on a date. It stays on this device; print it for the file.
Nobody is scored or ranked. The sign-off is a person's judgment after a conversation, not a test result.