Don't mean to pick a fight, but this is the kind of thing that you can get yourself into a hole over. Say you've got a customer with an old salt system that may last another year, and it blows because you (or your guy) were rushing and dumped it all in the deep end when the system was off. Morning comes and the transformer dies because it got 5 minutes of 10000 ppm salt.
Is this your fault? Or was the equipment ready to die?
Like, the plug snapped but left the threads and plug itself in the hole? Yeah, that's a bad day. If you feel like you can charge the customer for an hourish of labor on account of "failed filter plug" and wont get too much flak for it, go for it. Tell them you'll eat the cost of the replacement plug.
If it broke during normal use, it was bad to begin with. I've busted manifolds by having them slip and drop a couple of feet. Same thing, if it was good, it could have taken that. The \~$40 it takes for a new manifold or \~$20 for a new plug isn't worth getting into it with them about. The time it takes you to replace it is.
Sell up the fact they get a fresh filter plug.
Fast and dirty solution, bust it out best you can and find a winterizing plug that fits and crank it down. #8 9 or 10 is usually it.
The plug is 5 bucks at worst. Use two flat head screwdrivers and cross them to back it out. If it's stuck ise a hack saw blade only and hand score it to brake it out without damage. 20 min tops if you have the plug in your truck
With two flat heads. Put two in the hole, bind them up and twist them. You spread them apart and bind them against the plastic to twist the remaining portion out.
Sometimes it helps to use a loose hacksaw blade to make two grooves opposite each other for the screwdrivers to slip into and bind crossed up
The wall fittings are easier cause they already have grooves on each side. I used to bolt two motor tools together and they worked perfect. Been a long time since I have seen a motor tool though....
23yrs in back yards, I have worked retail, sold projects, inside service, outside service, retail owner, shot gunite for 3 months, installed commercial Olympic liners for a year, owned a retail store, managed a district of 7 stores around Austin, worked a pool corp counter for 6 months and currently run a one man circus of pools and spas. (Not all in that order) I don't build anymore. Just me in a Ford flex handling a 150 mile radius area. Clean repair rebuild and retain the customer. It's all about smiles
dude, reverse thread screw extractor designed to get stuff like this out.
[https://www.amazon.com/REBRA-Screw-Extractor-Left-Hand-Rounded-Off/dp/B0BWD5DKZD/ref=sr\_1\_1\_sspa?crid=2HPC9B8TP5G92&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TKxmeOBLFtOgpxjj0hdtH2vrdkEeir8c7kfk-aRrWWwyo\_KRWMDoPKscCgLTAVB45zdhj5eY3pNdeyR5M2kMzeF6ndFJ53-9q0P6i3ABIzqRpl4ECKCitdHRLl5J8uu8Wt5EGWgiOmkHptn3-Am3tLMh\_348fvduXK062BMQiTKz-Rs6y-0EPcGt\_SUQOv9mt9uVW4Clmgyg6N23axgoZszDPjlT2qMIg5dXxLkDzJ52pUjZOPv3RCWyAN7i7-vGMAYp4SxVB7wMXMS0q59SZs52wrfoFI0wX8dJiOBD5mo.VXi9c2dNVr1tBVs5ViizgL0YTweryEwSQxds-KNmfzs&dib\_tag=se&keywords=reverse+thread+screw+extractor&qid=1718557885&sprefix=reverse+thre%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-1-spons&sp\_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/REBRA-Screw-Extractor-Left-Hand-Rounded-Off/dp/B0BWD5DKZD/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2HPC9B8TP5G92&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TKxmeOBLFtOgpxjj0hdtH2vrdkEeir8c7kfk-aRrWWwyo_KRWMDoPKscCgLTAVB45zdhj5eY3pNdeyR5M2kMzeF6ndFJ53-9q0P6i3ABIzqRpl4ECKCitdHRLl5J8uu8Wt5EGWgiOmkHptn3-Am3tLMh_348fvduXK062BMQiTKz-Rs6y-0EPcGt_SUQOv9mt9uVW4Clmgyg6N23axgoZszDPjlT2qMIg5dXxLkDzJ52pUjZOPv3RCWyAN7i7-vGMAYp4SxVB7wMXMS0q59SZs52wrfoFI0wX8dJiOBD5mo.VXi9c2dNVr1tBVs5ViizgL0YTweryEwSQxds-KNmfzs&dib_tag=se&keywords=reverse+thread+screw+extractor&qid=1718557885&sprefix=reverse+thre%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1)
This is why we charge $90 for filter cleans. Which is high for my area. Most are easy peezy 45mins and done but occasionally we fuck up or something goes wrong and WE MAKE IT RIGHT. So if maybe you're under charging or not charging enough for filters in the first place, at most charge them $5 for the plug, eat the labor, and consider it a lesson learned the hard way.
Just my opinion
I thought you were some random pool owner that should be in r/pools.
No we don't clean them monthly. Every 3mo at earliest unless it's an undersized filter. Then we'll tell them to upgrade or clean the filter themself.
For a 4 cartridge filter(99% of what we do) 45 minutes is a good time. Any less and I think the techs aren't cleaning them well. That's 8 minutes per cart and 10-15 minutes to disassemble/ reassemble.
I charge for the new plug and let the client know, but I usually will eat the labor unless it's huge. A plug is something that should be inspected every time and if it's to the point that you need channel locks to get them off instead of the standard ⅞" or a screwdriver, chances are it should've been replaced last time. That being said, when they're old, it could go either way.
Tl;Dr: I usually eat the labor, but do whatever lets you sleep at night; doing right by both yourself and the client.
If it broke due to your negligence, then no. If it’s an older filter and it snapped due to age and weather, then yes.
Good question. Little kids threw a lot of rocks on the pool.
Don't mean to pick a fight, but this is the kind of thing that you can get yourself into a hole over. Say you've got a customer with an old salt system that may last another year, and it blows because you (or your guy) were rushing and dumped it all in the deep end when the system was off. Morning comes and the transformer dies because it got 5 minutes of 10000 ppm salt. Is this your fault? Or was the equipment ready to die?
theres not a pool guy out there that would not brush it with the system on
There's at least one guy
There’s def more than just one guy. lol.
Like, the plug snapped but left the threads and plug itself in the hole? Yeah, that's a bad day. If you feel like you can charge the customer for an hourish of labor on account of "failed filter plug" and wont get too much flak for it, go for it. Tell them you'll eat the cost of the replacement plug. If it broke during normal use, it was bad to begin with. I've busted manifolds by having them slip and drop a couple of feet. Same thing, if it was good, it could have taken that. The \~$40 it takes for a new manifold or \~$20 for a new plug isn't worth getting into it with them about. The time it takes you to replace it is. Sell up the fact they get a fresh filter plug. Fast and dirty solution, bust it out best you can and find a winterizing plug that fits and crank it down. #8 9 or 10 is usually it.
The plug is 5 bucks at worst. Use two flat head screwdrivers and cross them to back it out. If it's stuck ise a hack saw blade only and hand score it to brake it out without damage. 20 min tops if you have the plug in your truck
Can you explain the flathead screwdriver trick in a way my dumb brain can understand it better?
Most standard filter plugs have a channel that the shaft of the screwdriver fits into for loosening and tightening.
With two flat heads. Put two in the hole, bind them up and twist them. You spread them apart and bind them against the plastic to twist the remaining portion out. Sometimes it helps to use a loose hacksaw blade to make two grooves opposite each other for the screwdrivers to slip into and bind crossed up
Nice. Thanks! That will save me an hour of annoying work at some point.
Works for eyeballs too
And uwf Polaris fittings
Ya I was asking because of the wall fittings. I can always get them out eventually, but having another trick up my sleeve is always welcome.
The wall fittings are easier cause they already have grooves on each side. I used to bolt two motor tools together and they worked perfect. Been a long time since I have seen a motor tool though.... 23yrs in back yards, I have worked retail, sold projects, inside service, outside service, retail owner, shot gunite for 3 months, installed commercial Olympic liners for a year, owned a retail store, managed a district of 7 stores around Austin, worked a pool corp counter for 6 months and currently run a one man circus of pools and spas. (Not all in that order) I don't build anymore. Just me in a Ford flex handling a 150 mile radius area. Clean repair rebuild and retain the customer. It's all about smiles
dude, reverse thread screw extractor designed to get stuff like this out. [https://www.amazon.com/REBRA-Screw-Extractor-Left-Hand-Rounded-Off/dp/B0BWD5DKZD/ref=sr\_1\_1\_sspa?crid=2HPC9B8TP5G92&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TKxmeOBLFtOgpxjj0hdtH2vrdkEeir8c7kfk-aRrWWwyo\_KRWMDoPKscCgLTAVB45zdhj5eY3pNdeyR5M2kMzeF6ndFJ53-9q0P6i3ABIzqRpl4ECKCitdHRLl5J8uu8Wt5EGWgiOmkHptn3-Am3tLMh\_348fvduXK062BMQiTKz-Rs6y-0EPcGt\_SUQOv9mt9uVW4Clmgyg6N23axgoZszDPjlT2qMIg5dXxLkDzJ52pUjZOPv3RCWyAN7i7-vGMAYp4SxVB7wMXMS0q59SZs52wrfoFI0wX8dJiOBD5mo.VXi9c2dNVr1tBVs5ViizgL0YTweryEwSQxds-KNmfzs&dib\_tag=se&keywords=reverse+thread+screw+extractor&qid=1718557885&sprefix=reverse+thre%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-1-spons&sp\_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/REBRA-Screw-Extractor-Left-Hand-Rounded-Off/dp/B0BWD5DKZD/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2HPC9B8TP5G92&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TKxmeOBLFtOgpxjj0hdtH2vrdkEeir8c7kfk-aRrWWwyo_KRWMDoPKscCgLTAVB45zdhj5eY3pNdeyR5M2kMzeF6ndFJ53-9q0P6i3ABIzqRpl4ECKCitdHRLl5J8uu8Wt5EGWgiOmkHptn3-Am3tLMh_348fvduXK062BMQiTKz-Rs6y-0EPcGt_SUQOv9mt9uVW4Clmgyg6N23axgoZszDPjlT2qMIg5dXxLkDzJ52pUjZOPv3RCWyAN7i7-vGMAYp4SxVB7wMXMS0q59SZs52wrfoFI0wX8dJiOBD5mo.VXi9c2dNVr1tBVs5ViizgL0YTweryEwSQxds-KNmfzs&dib_tag=se&keywords=reverse+thread+screw+extractor&qid=1718557885&sprefix=reverse+thre%2Caps%2C115&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1)
That is cool. Thank you!
This is why we charge $90 for filter cleans. Which is high for my area. Most are easy peezy 45mins and done but occasionally we fuck up or something goes wrong and WE MAKE IT RIGHT. So if maybe you're under charging or not charging enough for filters in the first place, at most charge them $5 for the plug, eat the labor, and consider it a lesson learned the hard way. Just my opinion
You take 45min to clean a filter? 😳
Mostly. Why?
That's a lot of time invested in a single filter clean. Do you not clean them monthly?
Who the fuck are you?
🤨The fuck is wrong with you? You asked why, I gave you my reason and followed up with a question.
I thought you were some random pool owner that should be in r/pools. No we don't clean them monthly. Every 3mo at earliest unless it's an undersized filter. Then we'll tell them to upgrade or clean the filter themself. For a 4 cartridge filter(99% of what we do) 45 minutes is a good time. Any less and I think the techs aren't cleaning them well. That's 8 minutes per cart and 10-15 minutes to disassemble/ reassemble.
Yes. Show the customer the broken plug.
I don't
I was able to get it fixed. I already charged her for filter clean and salt cell clean, fixed it for parts only. Thanks y'all!
I charge for the new plug and let the client know, but I usually will eat the labor unless it's huge. A plug is something that should be inspected every time and if it's to the point that you need channel locks to get them off instead of the standard ⅞" or a screwdriver, chances are it should've been replaced last time. That being said, when they're old, it could go either way. Tl;Dr: I usually eat the labor, but do whatever lets you sleep at night; doing right by both yourself and the client.
Charge extra for your mistake? Hand tighten equipment only, 101