Water Experts in The Making

 
 

“Adding water conditioning to your plumbing business can help stabilize income
and increase your bottom line”
Published September 11th, 2024 in Plumbing & HVAC Magazine
By John Cardiff, Canature WaterGroup

 

Increase Revenue by Adding Water Conditioning Products

When you own a small to medium-sized plumbing business, growth is always on your mind. Particularly when it comes to opportunities that help stabilize your income and make you less reliant on service calls as a primary source of revenue. Offering water conditioning equipment is one of those revenue opportunities that can help. In addition to the equipment mark-up and installation fee, maintenance plans or scheduled service calls help grow revenue from within your existing customer base and provide additional year-round income security.

As a trusted water expert, you’re in a unique position to help your customers solve all their water problems. According to the Water Quality Association’s (WQA) 2023 consumer opinion study, lack of knowledge about water conditioning is one of the major deterrents for homeowners who don’t have water conditioning in their home. A simple discussion about the benefits of water conditioning for their home and health as part of a regular plumbing call can be a great way to build relationships with your customers and help them feel confident about making a purchase. If you aren’t already offering water conditioning as part of your product and service offering, there’s no better time than now to get started.

 

Training and testing

While your company already has a strong foundation in plumbing, water conditioning systems require specific knowledge and expertise. Training and certification programs can help you install, maintain, and troubleshoot these systems effectively. There are comprehensive training courses available that cover a range of water conditioning topics, including water assessment basics, application and sizing, and drinking water contaminants.
These self-directed, online courses range in time commitment from 12 to 24 hours and give up to a year to complete the content and final exam. Talk to associations, manufacturers, and your local wholesaler for online or hands-on training opportunities.

Once you and your team feel confident about the basics of water conditioning, the critical first step in determining water conditioning requirements is water testing. When conditioning is necessary, the test will help determine the type and size of equipment that will be required. Testing for hardness is easy and should be done even if there is already a softener in the home.

Small, inexpensive portable test kits take about one minute to get an accurate hardness test result. If the test shows a hardness of more than 3.5 grains per gallon, you have something to discuss with the homeowner. Either they need a softener, or their current one is not working and may need replacing.

Besides hardness, there are a variety of kits available for testing other common water problems right in the field. The most common tests are for problems associated with iron, manganese, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and tannins.

Many equipment suppliers offer free water testing for these and other common working water problems. If there are any concerns about the safety or potability of the water supply, it would be wise for the homeowner to get the water tested at a provincial or local health lab. Such tests are usually available for a small fee. These test results can be provided to your wholesaler who will work with an equipment supplier to recommend the right system.

“While your company already has a strong foundation in plumbing, water conditioning systems require specific knowledge and expertise. Training and certification programs can help you install, maintain, and troubleshoot these systems effectively.”

 

Understanding your customer’s needs

Both residential and commercial water conditioning solutions address three key areas:

  • Hard Water: Water softeners help prevent scale buildup on pipes, appliances, and fixtures; prevent spots on dishware and glasses, shower doors; make laundry soft and bright; and give you softer, healthier skin and hair.

  • Disinfectants: Filtration systems remove chlorine and chloramine used by municipalities to provide potable water to residents.

  • Harmful Contaminants: Reverse osmosis units provide high-quality drinking water by removing contaminants including PFAS, lead, microplastics and chromium.

Even before you test the water, you can use municipal water reports to help understand the water composition in your community. This, along with what you see happening in the home, can be a great conversation starter about water conditioning options and benefits.

Choose the Right Products to Offer

When looking for a supply chain partner, ask about the experience of the supplier’s field sales representatives, water testing services, system certifications, commercial engineering capabilities, whether they charge for sales materials, the experience of their customer service teams and the quality and reliability of their equipment. It’s also important to consider the ease of installation, maintenance, and customer satisfaction when selecting products.

Key products to offer include:

  • Water Softeners: Ideal for areas with hard water, these systems reduce mineral content, extending the lifespan of plumbing systems and appliances.

  • Whole-House Filtration Systems: These systems filter all the water entering the home, addressing issues like sediment, chlorine, chloramines and odors.

  • Point-of-Use Filtration: These filters are installed at specific locations, like kitchen sinks, to provide clean drinking water.

  • Reverse Osmosis Systems: These units offer comprehensive filtration, making them a top choice for customers concerned with contaminants and healthy drinking water.

Ready, Set, Sell.

Once you’re confident in your knowledge and have chosen a supplier, you’re ready to start talking to your customers about water conditioning. Many homeowners are unaware of the benefits of water conditioning systems or may not even realize they have water quality issues.

Introducing water conditioning to your customers doesn’t have to mean cold calling or hard sell tactics. Ending regular calls or appointments with a discussion about water conditioning or providing product brochures can be a very effective marketing approach. Offering a free water test while you’re in the home can also help a homeowner understand how a water conditioning system can address their needs and improve their home’s water quality.

Another effective way to introduce water conditioning products is by bundling them with your existing products and services. For example, when performing a water heater installation or a major plumbing repair, you can suggest a water conditioning system that enhances the overall performance and longevity of the customer’s plumbing or appliance. Offering package deals or discounts when customers purchase a water conditioning system along with other services can also encourage sales.

Conclusion

Adding residential water conditioning products to your plumbing business is a smart move that can diversify your services, increase revenue, and enhance customer satisfaction. By choosing the right products, investing in training, educating your customers, and effectively marketing your new offerings, you can position your business as a trusted provider of comprehensive water quality solutions. With careful planning and execution, this expansion can lead to significant growth and success in the long term.

 
 
 

By John Cardiff

Executive Vice-President, Business Development, North America 

Canature WaterGroup

John Cardiff has been in the water treatment industry for 42 years. In his current role as Canature WaterGroup's Executive Vice-President of Sales and Business Development for North America, John leads CWG’s sales teams across all brands, Customer Service and Customer and Employee Training departments, as well as the Commercial Industrial Engineering Division.