Supplies on the Van?

[Nat]

Hi all,

I am looking to set up on my own in the very near future and was wondering about something. Can anyone help me please?

What do you consider to be absolutely essential, materials wise, to keep on the van? What would any self respecting plumber never go to a job without?

I mean, I would think everyone has a few ballofixes in the back but would you keep, say, a kitchen sink trap? You might have a few speedfit fittings to get you out of trouble but who's got a male 3/4 copper to iron or 2 inch waste tee?

And what about pipe? Does everyone keep 15, 22, 1 1/2, 1 1/4? Other pipe sizes? Hep?

What's reasonable to say 'I'm gonna need to go to the merchants for that...' for? Do you guys charge your customers for the time you spend going to get these bits or would you say 'I'll pick it up later and come back at another convenient time' and then charge for a second visit?

Looking forward to hearing your replies and thanks in advance.

Nat

 

[SimonJohns]

Type 2 diaphragms
Cap ends
Push fit fittings

You'll build alot up really quickly

 

[SimonG]

For pipe I carry 10, 15, 22 and 28mm Cu. (10mm is plastic coated for oil lines). Assorted end feed fittings 10mm to 28mm and an odd few solder ring fittings for those hard to reach areas. Lgth of 15mm speedfit, a piece of 22mm and a part coil of 10mm. Assorted sf fittings and inserts. Part lgth of overflow pipe and a bit of 25mm alkathene for sleeves. Compression box filled with assorted 10mm and 15mm plus an odd 22mm and 28mm compression fitting, plus a tub of heldite. A 15mm trv and an 8/10mm trv both complete with lock shields. Have short lengths of 32/40 solvent weld and push fit. Assortment of solvent weld fittings, couple of pushfit elbows and a 32/40 compression st conns. A tap washer box, a wc box and a plumbers emergency box (washers, o rings, olives). Umpteen rolls of ptfe and a tub of paste. Spare gas, flux and solder. Flexi tap connectors, spare garden taps, iso valves 15 & 22 for hot and cold water, 22 gate valves, 3/8" ball valves for oil. All my tools (hand and power), step ladders, extending ladders, pipe bender, spirit level etc. Then my oil test kit.

Then I have all my oil spares, plus bottom entry float valve, side entry float valve, part 1 and 2 float valves, spare float.

Then all the stuff in the cab, oil paperwork, invoice pad, straps for roof rack, pens, pencils, the odd fitting, invoices, delivery notes etc etc.

Cuddly toy............fondue set.


Prob missed a load but that's off the top of my head............and it all squeezes into or onto a fiat doblo.

 

[AWheating]

i keep atleast few lengths of 15,22,28 copper, 1 length each of 11/2,11/4 waste, 1 length of overflow. 1 of each waste trap, a random selection of fittings. A box of 15mm fitting, a box of 22mm fittings, a box of waste fittings etc..........

i basically have enough on the van to do a full heating or bathroom suite in fittings, but i do hate having to keep going to merchants for one or two fittings at a time, id rather get the job done and restock the van later.

 

[wiggers]

I keep 15,22 pipe and overflow pipe and a length of speedfit length of 40mm,32mm pushfit,sol weld waste pipe
various speedfit fittings, part 2 float valves, torbecks, and a couple of fluidmaster fill valve
sink anb bath wastes tap revivers and a few various traps wm2 and bath traps that does me.
oh and a few slip couplers when you burst late at night!!

 

[WaterTight]

My niche is quick response to small jobs and so I aim to carry 99% of everything I could possibly need on me. I even have a some taps. Unless I'm replacing a rad or renewing 25 metres of waste runs or something I usually don't need to go the merchants. What makes this astounding is I work out of a small car.

 

[northstar]

My niche is quick response to small jobs and so I aim to carry 99% of everything I could possibly need on me. I even have a some taps. Unless I'm replacing a rad or renewing 25 metres of waste runs or something I usually don't need to go the merchants. What makes this astounding is I work out of a small car.

got any pics ?

 

[Phil]

I spend WAY too much on van stock but its been about 18 months since I've needed to go to merchants mid job, I carry multiples of everything. I have a home made plywood box full of every brass fitting you can think of (domestic) to connect or cap anything, that alone must be £200 worth.

I have a huge cardboard box on my passenger seat with every concievable waste trap, another full of waste fittings in the footwell. Inside the van are plastic boxes brimming over with stoptaps, iso valves, toilet parts, balvalves, silicone, tap spares, boxes of taps, immersion heaters, electrical supplies, basin wastes, masses of assorted washers, washing machine hoses too much to list.

Its a far cry from my 1st job when I had to make THREE trips into town just to fix a faffing siphon.

 

[tamz]

Personally i carry enough van stock to probably last me a week or more and i restock it every night from my yard stock but for accounting purposes, i never have more than £500 :wink:

Do you guys charge your customers for the time you spend going to get these bits or would you say 'I'll pick it up later and come back at another convenient time' and then charge for a second visit?

How you deal with these situations will depend on what you know or how busy you are and your attitude to doing your job, pleasing customers or making money.
I have not got the time or inclination to have to go for everything so i keep most things in stock.
Most times a customer will tell you their problem and you should know roughly what you need by that conversation by asking a couple of questions.
simple e.g. 's
"My toilet is not flushing"
Is the water running away?
"Yes it is just not flushing"
Syphon or chocked ballvalve!

"My heating is not working"
Combi boiler?
"No"
Have you got hot water?
"Yes"
Did it just stop working or has it been getting gradually worse?
"It was working in May"
Pump or valve!

"The water is py$$ing through my ceiling"
What is your address?
"123 3bed Semi St"
Nothing bigger than 28mm!

These examples are things you will learn but there are always some things you will have to run for no matter how orginised you are.

 

[REDSAW]

My niche is quick response to small jobs and so I aim to carry 99% of everything I could possibly need on me. I even have a some taps. Unless I'm replacing a rad or renewing 25 metres of waste runs or something I usually don't need to go the merchants. What makes this astounding is I work out of a small car.

you mean a hammer and a roll of gaffa tape then.lol.

 

[S90GAM]

My niche is quick response to small jobs and so I aim to carry 99% of everything I could possibly need on me. I even have a some taps. Unless I'm replacing a rad or renewing 25 metres of waste runs or something I usually don't need to go the merchants. What makes this astounding is I work out of a small car.

Thats what i do then get the customer to come out to the van and choose what taps they would like usually have about 20 odd on board, doesn't always work but 9 times out of ten it does..

 

[tamz]

you mean a hammer and a roll of gaffa tape then.lol.

Any decent plumber always carries 2 hammers especially in the burst pipe season. :lol:
Saying that things are changing. Houses are better het and bursts are less common than they once were.

 

[Phil]

Thats what i do then get the customer to come out to the van and choose what taps they would like usually have about 20 odd on board, doesn't always work but 9 times out of ten it does..

Do you really carry 20 odd pairs of taps SPG?

 

[S90GAM]

Do you really carry 20 odd pairs of taps SPG?

I do indeed then i replace what i use with the stock in my garage, I stock up on most things when screwfix have one of their clearance sales online, you can pick up some right bargins, I get shower/mixer valves for £25 down from £45, Kitchen taps half price. just recently brought 10 pairs of contract swirl basin taps on ebay for £60, BARGIN!!!!