Your customer, Mr. Rogers, has decided he wants an open-loop active water pump installed in his home. Open-loop active systems use pumps to circulate household water through the pipes. They work best in non-freezing climates. Also, the clearer the water, the more smoothly the open-loop active water pump will function.

Before you even begin the job, Rogers starts getting into the bottom line. "Look, I'm not made of money, you know," he says to you. "I can go as high as $3,000, but no more. What's this going to cost me?"

"Math will help you in many ways in this field," says heating and cooling technician Jim Bodine. "Anything from temperature relations for refrigeration, heat rise, super heat, air flow, proper duct sizes, air flow, pricing...the list goes on and on. Many times, though, it's pretty straightforward mathematics."

Here are the particulars:

• Open-loop active system = $2,295.00
• 18 hours of work at $14 per hour

Using these figures, you must arrive at a final bill for Rogers. Don't forget to add 12 percent tax.

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