BACKFLOW CONFUSION
“I had to see my Cardiologist recently, time to schedule bypass
surgery. He has been a good doctor. I’ve been seeing him for years
and he really knows me. Then I heard through the grapevine that
this new doctor around town is doing the same procedure for a few
thousand less; so I decided to go with the new guy.”
Sounds crazy, right? What would your advice to me be?
Well this is what is happening in our industry right now. Buildings
are rushing to comply with the soon-to-be mandatory rules for the installation of RPZ’s (reduced pressure zones) and/or double check valves.
As is par for the course, whenever new plumbing mandates are issued, a number of newly emerging companies have arrived on the scene to jump into the contest. Can these companies do the job?. The short answer is yes; the long answer is that several factors should be noted by your boards when making this decision.
First, the Architect or PE that is hired to design the plan…is he an engineer familiar with your building? Is he/she experienced with the NYC high rise residential market? A lot of these new firms are using Architects and PE’s at package prices that may not have any experience with a building of your nature. Will these firms be around for the long run…being able to back up the installation, and subsequent servicing issues? Are the service personnel being sent to do the installation qualified to handle a plumbing emergency that can occur during the installation or are they strictly trained for the package installation of the RPZ’s. Are these companies carrying the proper insurance to work in your property?
These are the questions that should be raised. Your building plumber at times may be more expensive, but remember we are talking about the “heart” of the plumbing system here.
There are two options that Pro-Tech can provide, as should any good building plumber:
1. A price on just the Architect’s Drawings – Once drawings are approved, then the building can get competitive bids from plumbers, all based on the same approved drawings.
2. A “soup to nuts” budgeting price which will include the Architect’s drawings as well as the price of installing the unit.
An important note – installing an RPZ will cause a small drop in building pressure. If the building already experiences pressure drops, this may complicate the existing problems.
Good luck with the process…..
For more information, log onto the NYC DEP website at www.nyc.gov/dep
