A clean installation is less about the equipment and more about the order of the work. When you know the sequence, you can see where each step should be confirmed, and you can tell whether the crew is skipping something. The steps below describe the usual flow, and the specific details depend on the equipment and the provider's written scope.
Before the crew arrives
Confirm the start time, the access route, and where the crew should park. Clear the space around the installation point so the technician can reach the valves, the drain, and the electrical outlet. Ask the provider to send the written scope and the manufacturer's manual ahead of time, so you can read them before the work starts.
The site visit and written scope
The site visit should confirm where the unit will sit, where the drain will discharge, where the power will come from, and how the existing supply line will connect. Ask the technician to point out each location and explain why it was chosen. The written scope should list the equipment, the connections, the bypass arrangement, and any work that falls outside the quote.
Shutoff, bypass, and pressure
The technician should shut off the supply, relieve pressure, and set up the bypass before cutting or joining any line. Watch for a dry and controlled shutoff. Confirm the bypass is in the position the manual describes, so you can still reach water if the unit is taken offline later. Before anything is joined, ask the technician to show you where the main shutoff is and how it works.
Setting and connecting
Check that the unit sits level and secure, that the drain line is routed as agreed, and that the power connection is in the location the scope described. Look at every joint once the water is back on. A slow drip at a connection should be fixed before the crew leaves, not noted for later.
Startup and first test
Ask the technician to run the startup procedure the manual specifies, including any flush the manufacturer requires before the water is used for drinking. Confirm the settings on the display match the written scope, including hardness or treatment settings. Once the system has run through its first cycle, draw water at a tap and check it against the results you expected. If the provider offers a follow-up test, schedule it and write down the date and who will perform it.
Handoff
Before the crew leaves, receive the manual, the warranty paperwork, the installation record, and the name and number for service calls. Ask the technician to walk you through the settings and the routine tasks you will handle yourself. Keep everything in one folder, so the next visit starts from a complete record.