charging the customer for sprinkler damage

[oldugly]

Clearance,
Good job, you got him pegged.

 

[Jumper]

Knowing there are sprinklers and stumping anyways without their exact location does not demonstrate "due diligence" IMHO. Locate the darn things, or do not take the job. Billing the customer for your haste to make a buck reeks of hack enterprise.:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[spacemule]

The only way I can see this would be ethical is if the customer said definitely that there were no lines to watch for.

If there are lines there, sure, it might be common courtesy to point them out, but many times they don't know. As an equipment operator, you are responsible for what you hit. You are running the machine--not the customer.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

The only way I can see this would be ethical is if the customer said definitely that there were no lines to watch for.

I could buy that.

 

[Ax-man]

It is not rocket science to figure out where the lines are, the heads are usually above ground and visible, there has to a pipe to connect them from the source and they are usually in some kind of straight line or run off at a 90 or 45 degree angle from a main line. They are not that deep either, a little probing around the grinding area will tell you if they are close to a stump or not.

Larry

 

[Groundie30]

I'm just reading this thread wondering; if the homeowner didn't want to pay you to fix them, if they had the right to sue you for damage to their property, or who would win in court a case like that. I have damaged things on the job.. i.e. a section of fence, a lawn ornament, etc. I always scramble to replace it or rebuild it before the homeowner gets all worked up. Haven't had any problems yet. Seems like you should replace what you destroy. Besides there are some awnry old people down here..

 

[M.D. Vaden]

sounds like a couple of you guys are real un-ethical business owners....

When i grind and hit something i repair it at no additional cost to the customer. now it would be different if i had asked a customer to move their vehicle out of the danger zone and they didnt.... and while grinding a stump a rock smashed their windshield, id place them at fault, as i asked them to move it and they didnt. Therefore it would result in them paynig, not me

Another example: When snowplowing i hit irrigation all the time. after the last snow i go back and repair it with NEW PARTS and i use the RIGHT PARTS, not some piece of crap garden hose that isnt rated for irrigation. I also Dont charge the customer for my carelessness.

I dont know why you would screw your customers when the bulk of our work is word of mouth. Just think... you sour one relationship with a customer and you'll lose more work than you know!!!! Just sucks that in stead fo providing an honest service you'll have to learn the hardway...

We always charge (if we agree in advance to fix it, which isn't that often).

We also state the real truth in our advertising, so we never claim anything is for free. All business expenses in a profit making business like ours are paid from the business bank account. And every dollar in that account comes from customers.

No tool, part or chemical is supplied free from our personal checking account. That means that customers pay for all operating expenses either directly or indirectly.

So, nothing is for free.

Sometimes, irrigation repair is excluded in writing, because lines can shatter. Our customers usually understand this. Several have their own landscape maintenance services that will do the repairs and make sure the lines and heads are not clogged with grit, chips and sediment.

Very few tree services do irrigation repairs properly, or have the tools on hand to do it right. That's why some of them are not really charging appropriately for the repair - they are doing low-ball hack job repairs.

 

[BoesTreeService]

Another dumb question

Who are the idiots installing these irrigation lines next to tree stumps? Or do I just not get it, is this common? The only sprinkler problem I have had is dropping a large limb on a sprinkler head, and getting to see the fountain occur from above...haha. Oh, I did fix it, and i ate the $2.65.

 

[DDM]

Who are the idiots installing these irrigation lines next to tree stumps? Or do I just not get it, is this common? The only sprinkler problem I have had is dropping a large limb on a sprinkler head, and getting to see the fountain occur from above...haha. Oh, I did fix it, and i ate the $2.65.

The sprinkler was running while you were doing the tree work?Otherwise i cant see hitting a sprinkler head causing a fountain.

 

[BoesTreeService]

Busted sprinkler

It was an old system, and it was a wet system. I guess like sprinkler systems that provice fire protection, some are wet- meaning they have water in the lines at all times, and others are dry, meaning the water drains out of them after being used. With a ground sprinkler, the water pressure when you open the valve pushes the head up and allows the water to spray out of the nozzle. When you turn the system off, the water sprays out until the pressure is low enough for the head to retract. There is still some residual pressure and there is still water in the line - until I broke it and the the pressure needed to come out the broken line was way less than the residual pressure, and thus the fountain, short lived but still quite a surprise to me up in the tree. Thats how I understand it, any lawn guys might correct me but I think the basics are right.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

The most common combination of trees by sprinkler lines, seems to be in subdivisions where the street trees are in the narrow bed by the sidewalk or curb.

 

[1CallLandscape]

It was an old system, and it was a wet system. I guess like sprinkler systems that provice fire protection, some are wet- meaning they have water in the lines at all times, and others are dry, meaning the water drains out of them after being used. With a ground sprinkler, the water pressure when you open the valve pushes the head up and allows the water to spray out of the nozzle. When you turn the system off, the water sprays out until the pressure is low enough for the head to retract. There is still some residual pressure and there is still water in the line - until I broke it and the the pressure needed to come out the broken line was way less than the residual pressure, and thus the fountain, short lived but still quite a surprise to me up in the tree. Thats how I understand it, any lawn guys might correct me but I think the basics are right.

Boes, i Install irrigation in my business and there isnt residual pressure in the lines after the heads drop the pressure is gone. However there still is un pressurized water in the lines. the only way that you hitting a line would cause a "fountain" would be if you ht a main line or before a zone valve.
Ive hit heads while felling too but i try to locate them first and i place a couple of logs around them to prevent damage while felling.
-mike

 

[BoesTreeService]

Residual pressure

Why would there not be residual pressure? I do know it did fountain up for a short somewhat comical (now-not at the time) moment. The homeowner didnt tell me there was a sprinker system under the tree. There was a well head which I did protect. I would love to know more about sprinkler systems as they seem to be getting more and more common around here in the more affluent neighborhoods.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Why would there not be residual pressure? I do know it did fountain up for a short somewhat comical (now-not at the time) moment. The homeowner didnt tell me there was a sprinker system under the tree. There was a well head which I did protect. I would love to know more about sprinkler systems as they seem to be getting more and more common around here in the more affluent neighborhoods.

Is there a hill?

There is about 1/2 lb. or water pressure gain per 1 foot of elevation.

If a head was on the downhill end of a a large zone that ran up and downhill, say 4 to 10 feet, you could see a miniature geyser under 2 to 5 psi or pressure for a short time.

Or, the zone may coincidentally have turned on via timer at the exact time you hit it. Slim, but possible.

 

[1CallLandscape]

Is there a hill?

There is about 1/2 lb. or water pressure gain per 1 foot of elevation.

If a head was on the downhill end of a a large zone that ran up and downhill, say 4 to 10 feet, you could see a miniature geyser under 2 to 5 psi or pressure for a short time.

Or, the zone may coincidentally have turned on via timer at the exact time you hit it. Slim, but possible.

this is correct if there was an incline you could have a "fountntain" from the water remaining in the line draining to its lowest point. certainly no dramatic event but water would leak none the less.
-mike

 

[M.D. Vaden]

Speaking of sprinkler damage, I got to do a little - even a lot. I'm converting a skinny lawn area to a running creek bed that's 110' long.

I was locating sprinklers along the edge, and the customer said not to worry, since he was going to replace the whole thing.

What a treat. Got to grind a few PVC lines with the 13 hp Barretto tiller, and hack sections with an axe to clear creek bed depth.

Here's initial stage images...