The installer has finished the connections, the system is running, and the crew is packing the truck. This is the moment most homeowners lose the detail they will need later. Before anyone leaves, the work should be recorded in a form you can read without the installer present. This guide covers what to ask for at start-up, what to check with your own eyes, and what the paperwork must say before you sign.

Ask for the start-up record before the crew packs up

Commissioning means the system is set up for your water and shown to run. A complete start-up record usually lists the equipment make, model, and serial number, the settings the technician entered, and the readings taken during start-up. Ask for a copy in hand, not a promise to send it later. If a field is blank, ask why. A blank field is much easier to fix while the technician is still on site.

Check the settings against what was agreed

Compare each setting on the record to what you agreed to in the estimate or proposal. For a softener, that means the hardness setting, the regeneration schedule or trigger, and the salt dose. For a filter, check the backwash or service cycle timing and the drain route. For a reverse osmosis unit, check the tank pressure reading and the drain flow. If a setting was changed from what was discussed, the record should say so and give the reason. Do not accept a vague answer such as the setting is standard without a number attached to it.

Read the pressure and flow numbers at two points

Ask the technician to take a pressure reading before treatment and another after treatment, at a tap you choose. Also ask for the flow at the tap farthest from the equipment. Write each reading on the record with the name of the tap it came from. These numbers are your baseline. If pressure drops noticeably after the install, you will know whether the drop was there from the start or appeared later, and that changes who you should call first.

Confirm the bypass and shutoff positions with your own eyes

Have the technician show you the bypass valve position for treated water and the position for untreated water. Label both on the valve or on the nearby wall if the installer did not. Ask them to close the main shutoff for the equipment and show you where it is, then reopen it and confirm the position they left it in. Water-quality complaints often trace back to a bypass that was left in the wrong position, so this is the step most worth doing while the installer is still there.

Watch for leaks after the system has run

A joint that is dry in the first minute can weep after the system has cycled. Before the crew leaves, let the system run through at least one full cycle if the equipment allows it. Then look at every fitting, the drain connection, and the valve bodies. Place a dry paper towel or tissue under each joint and check it again after a few minutes. Ask the technician to note that the leak check was done and what it covered.

Get the water test and handover documents in writing

Ask what water test, if any, was run at start-up and whether it was run before or after the system began treating water. The record should show the test type, the lab or meter used, and the result. Then ask for the owner manual, the warranty card or registration, the parts list, and the name and phone number of the company that will answer service calls. Keep these in one folder with the start-up record. Future repairs go faster when the model number, the settings, and the original readings are all in one place.

Sign only what you have checked

Signing the install completion form is usually the step that closes the job. Before you sign, check that the completion form matches the start-up record, that every blank is filled in or explained, and that any unfinished work is listed with a reason. If something is missing, write it on the form before the crew leaves. A short written list of open items is far better than a signed form that says the job is complete when a leak check, a setting, or a manual is still missing.