Desk Jockey
Member
Dear Richard:
We are pleased to hear that you are considering the purchase of a new Butler System.
The Butler Corporation has been committed to manufacturing a quality carpet and fabric cleaning system for more than 25 years. We certainly have no reservations regarding a Gold Seal of Approval after viewing the list of approved portable extraction machines and truckmounts (www.carpet-rug.org) that have passed the CRI (Carpet and Rug Institute) testing procedures. It would appear that all truckmounts should receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold approval.
However, at this time, our company and many of our cleaning and restoration industry associates have questions and concerns as to who or whom the CRI approval really benefits.
It is our opinion that the following are only a few of the questions and concerns that need to be addressed within the cleaning and restoration industry with clear definitive answers from the CRI.
• Will individuals and companies be forced to sell their machines at a considerably devalued price, if they are not CRI approved, and have to purchase a new CRI approved machine?
• Upon manufacturers receiving the CRI approval, will all their machines in use, prior to the approval, be automatically grandfathered?
• If not, will individuals and companies have the opportunity to test their machines at the CRI testing laboratory in Georgia, in order to be in compliance?
• And if so, how is the Georgia location feasible for our customers and companies that are located throughout the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, or international businesses and the US federal government around the world?
• Will the individual or company need to pay the initial $2,500.00 per machine testing fee, as well as, the $1,000.00 per machine yearly renewal fee that manufacturers are required to pay?
• Will there be additional charges to the $2,500.00 per machine testing fee and the $1,000.00 yearly renewal fee, if you were to use more than one size and/or type of floor wand, because it is our understanding that both will need to be tested?
• If you do not use the manufacturer's wand, wand glide, cleaning tool and hoses, or change the length of the hoses, etc. that was part of the CRI approval for the machine, how will that affect the machine's compliance?
• If you repair, replace or modify a vacuum blower, wand, hoses or any accessory or part to your CRI approved cleaning machine, will it need to be retested?
• If a machine is designed for more than a single wand, does the machine have to be tested with each of the possible wand combinations?
• And if so, at what cost?
• If a new machine has been CRI approved and is later sold, is the CRI approval transferable to the new owner?
• Will manufacturers and/or distributors be given the opportunity to individually test their newly manufactured machines or their customers used machines for compliance and to provide a seal of approval (SOA) if the machine is in compliance?
• Will a manufacturer be required to retest a machine based on for example: a component manufacturing change of equal performance or a larger vacuum/blower upgrade?
• Do all CRI approved machines and cleaning products tested at the CRI laboratory use the same water supply and water temperatures, and if so, what affect will the water and water temperatures in various regions of the country have on the machine's performance or the cleaning products effectiveness?
• We also question how the CRI can possibly monitor the performance of an approved machine after it has been in service? As a manufacturer it’s been our experience that every machine's performance relies on the operator's experience and the machine's performed maintenance.
• A machine that is CRI approved may be out of compliance in a very short period of time, due to poor maintenance (ie: dirty filters, worn and/or misaligned jets, etc), the use of improper cleaning procedures, tools, cleaning agents, spotting agents, water, water temperatures, water pressures, airflow, clogged filters, etc., etc.
• On the other hand, a 25-year-old machine can perform as well, or better, than a new machine based on how well the machine has been maintained and the care and experience of the operator.
• Who is ultimately liable for any claims if the cleaning technician uses a CRI approved machine, CRI approved cleaning products and is IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) certified or none of the preceding or any combination herein? Is it the CRI, the IICRC, the carpet manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, installer, homeowner, the manufacturer of the carpet cleaning machine, their distributor, the manufacturer of cleaning products, their distributor, the carpet cleaning company, the carpet cleaning company owner(s), the carpet cleaning company technician, his/her assistant or all or some of the above.
• It is our opinion that it would be more beneficial for the carpet and rug manufacturers and the cleaning and restoration industry, if more emphasis were placed on recommending stringent specifications for cleaning machines, machine maintenance and cleaning products, as well as, cleaning procedures and operator training.
The Butler Corporation has always considered CRI testing, but as time went on more questions and concerns became apparent and we are cautious to undertake something that may or may not be of benefit to our customers and our industry.
We welcome and value all suggestions, questions, comments and concerns on this controversial topic. You are welcome to share this information with other colleagues and professionals. We will be addressing this same topic on our website shortly.
Thank you for your interest in the Butler System. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call.
Sincerely,
Paul Joao
The Butler Corporation
We are pleased to hear that you are considering the purchase of a new Butler System.
The Butler Corporation has been committed to manufacturing a quality carpet and fabric cleaning system for more than 25 years. We certainly have no reservations regarding a Gold Seal of Approval after viewing the list of approved portable extraction machines and truckmounts (www.carpet-rug.org) that have passed the CRI (Carpet and Rug Institute) testing procedures. It would appear that all truckmounts should receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold approval.
However, at this time, our company and many of our cleaning and restoration industry associates have questions and concerns as to who or whom the CRI approval really benefits.
It is our opinion that the following are only a few of the questions and concerns that need to be addressed within the cleaning and restoration industry with clear definitive answers from the CRI.
• Will individuals and companies be forced to sell their machines at a considerably devalued price, if they are not CRI approved, and have to purchase a new CRI approved machine?
• Upon manufacturers receiving the CRI approval, will all their machines in use, prior to the approval, be automatically grandfathered?
• If not, will individuals and companies have the opportunity to test their machines at the CRI testing laboratory in Georgia, in order to be in compliance?
• And if so, how is the Georgia location feasible for our customers and companies that are located throughout the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, or international businesses and the US federal government around the world?
• Will the individual or company need to pay the initial $2,500.00 per machine testing fee, as well as, the $1,000.00 per machine yearly renewal fee that manufacturers are required to pay?
• Will there be additional charges to the $2,500.00 per machine testing fee and the $1,000.00 yearly renewal fee, if you were to use more than one size and/or type of floor wand, because it is our understanding that both will need to be tested?
• If you do not use the manufacturer's wand, wand glide, cleaning tool and hoses, or change the length of the hoses, etc. that was part of the CRI approval for the machine, how will that affect the machine's compliance?
• If you repair, replace or modify a vacuum blower, wand, hoses or any accessory or part to your CRI approved cleaning machine, will it need to be retested?
• If a machine is designed for more than a single wand, does the machine have to be tested with each of the possible wand combinations?
• And if so, at what cost?
• If a new machine has been CRI approved and is later sold, is the CRI approval transferable to the new owner?
• Will manufacturers and/or distributors be given the opportunity to individually test their newly manufactured machines or their customers used machines for compliance and to provide a seal of approval (SOA) if the machine is in compliance?
• Will a manufacturer be required to retest a machine based on for example: a component manufacturing change of equal performance or a larger vacuum/blower upgrade?
• Do all CRI approved machines and cleaning products tested at the CRI laboratory use the same water supply and water temperatures, and if so, what affect will the water and water temperatures in various regions of the country have on the machine's performance or the cleaning products effectiveness?
• We also question how the CRI can possibly monitor the performance of an approved machine after it has been in service? As a manufacturer it’s been our experience that every machine's performance relies on the operator's experience and the machine's performed maintenance.
• A machine that is CRI approved may be out of compliance in a very short period of time, due to poor maintenance (ie: dirty filters, worn and/or misaligned jets, etc), the use of improper cleaning procedures, tools, cleaning agents, spotting agents, water, water temperatures, water pressures, airflow, clogged filters, etc., etc.
• On the other hand, a 25-year-old machine can perform as well, or better, than a new machine based on how well the machine has been maintained and the care and experience of the operator.
• Who is ultimately liable for any claims if the cleaning technician uses a CRI approved machine, CRI approved cleaning products and is IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) certified or none of the preceding or any combination herein? Is it the CRI, the IICRC, the carpet manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer, installer, homeowner, the manufacturer of the carpet cleaning machine, their distributor, the manufacturer of cleaning products, their distributor, the carpet cleaning company, the carpet cleaning company owner(s), the carpet cleaning company technician, his/her assistant or all or some of the above.
• It is our opinion that it would be more beneficial for the carpet and rug manufacturers and the cleaning and restoration industry, if more emphasis were placed on recommending stringent specifications for cleaning machines, machine maintenance and cleaning products, as well as, cleaning procedures and operator training.
The Butler Corporation has always considered CRI testing, but as time went on more questions and concerns became apparent and we are cautious to undertake something that may or may not be of benefit to our customers and our industry.
We welcome and value all suggestions, questions, comments and concerns on this controversial topic. You are welcome to share this information with other colleagues and professionals. We will be addressing this same topic on our website shortly.
Thank you for your interest in the Butler System. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to give me a call.
Sincerely,
Paul Joao
The Butler Corporation
