Good morning!!!!

[rswyan]

Local guy here, a plumber, also does heating and cooling work. He calls his tech, he's "cheating and fooling" guy.

Nice ...

I've heard so many HVAC guys badmouth the competition and saying that they are crooks that I'm coming conclusion that many of them - including those making the accusations - may well be ...

I am not ever going to call him for a furnace or A/C problem.

Don't blame ya ...

I talked to a tech for a local heating and cooling place here. Young guy, was changing jobs, and I asked why? answer is $14 per hour, no bennies, he wants to get married, needs a better job. These guys get almost no training, little pay, and no bennies.

A while back I asked the young guy who installed the gas valve last night if he had ever been to school or had any specialized training for Rheem specifically.

I mean, given his boss man's claim that these systems can be more difficult to troubleshoot that a modern automobile, you'd think some specialized training would at least be desirable ... if not actually required ...

His answer: Nope ... I've learned it all on the job over the last ten years ...

Great ...

I put in a Lennox furnace a few years ago. Within 5 years, the original company was recommending replacement! I reminded them that I bought it from them, the guy goes "oh". I guess it's ok.

There ya go ...

I got another company to service it, no problems since. I've watched these guys work, I don't think they even know how to check voltage, they just replace parts.

It's a mixed bag ... some of them have some diagnostic skills ...

I'm not so sure my current guys fall into that category though ...

If they can sell you a new unit, they make a little more $$$.

Yup ... and assuming the install is done in a competent manner, they usually don't have any call backs for problems - unless a defect from the factory.

If they are doing diag and repair there's a good chance they may not get it right, will have to go back, and will face a pizzed off customer.

These current clowns have been out here probably 8 times - minimum - so far ... and they still haven't demonstrated their competence as far as I'm concerned.

If anything, it's the opposite.

 

[dave1949]

Thankfully we don't rely on the propane burner for much of anything. I like to run it now and then to keep it in working condition but we'll be warm and have hot water whether it works or not. It used to supply our domestic hot water and it's connected the radiant heat floor system. All in all, it has been a big waste of money for our house. Oh well.

17F Clear sky, full moon, breeze has died. We could see lows around zero tonight.

Farmer2009 good to hear the new bull is looking good. Wish you many healthy calves that pop out like greased pigs from a kid's arms.

 

[farmer2009]

I do all my own repairs and maintenance on the heaters in the chicken houses. If I hired it all done I'd go broke. They're not that complicated but I cheat. I go look at what isn't working say it looks like ... Then go get a new ... Out of storage. Plug it in if it works great, if not why. Usually simple but always findable.

Now house furnace is a combo pack. Had problems called wife's cousin who is an HVAC contractor. He comes out and asks why I didn't fix it. Said its the same principle as the ones in the chicken house. And showed me where the diagnostic codes and schematics were on a sticker on the heater. Haven't had to call him back out since. But I do call and get my parts from him.

I get far more confused trying to trouble shoot a modern vehicle. For one the light just says"problem". On the heater if it blinks once it's this. Twice its this. Three times that. Follow me? Won't tell you what part to replace but might say "no flame detected" well look if there is a flame then check flame sensor. If no flame figure out why.

 

[farmer2009]

Thankfully we don't rely on the propane burner for much of anything. I like to run it now and then to keep it in working condition but we'll be warm and have hot water whether it works or not. It used to supply our domestic hot water and it's connected the radiant heat floor system. All in all, it has been a big waste of money for our house. Oh well. 17F Clear sky, full moon, breeze has died. We could see lows around zero tonight. Farmer2009 good to hear the new bull is looking good. Wish you many healthy calves that pop out like greased pigs from a kid's arms.

Dave what do you heat with? Wood? What kind of heater?
I hope so with that kind of cold.

Thanks. I hope so also. Haven't pulled a calf since I started using EPD's to help select a bull. Let's hope that continues. Did switch breeds this time. So we'll see.

 

[murphy1244]

Ask your HVAC guy if he is NATE or ICE certified. He is also supposed to do 12 hours a year for CLE credit.

 

[rswyan]

Ask your HVAC guy if he is NATE or ICE certified. He is also supposed to do 12 hours a year for CLE credit.

murph,

Thanks - that's good info - will do.

 

[murphy1244]

murph,

Thanks - that's good info - will do.

And if he is working with your Freon he better have his EPA certificate or that's a 10k fine.

 

[dave1949]

Dave what do you heat with? Wood? What kind of heater?
I hope so with that kind of cold.

Thanks. I hope so also. Haven't pulled a calf since I started using EPD's to help select a bull. Let's hope that continues. Did switch breeds this time. So we'll see.

We heat mostly with sunshine; it's an earth bermed passive solar house with lots of south windows and lots of concrete (thermal mass) to soak up the heat during the daytime. We were gone the week of Thanksgiving Monday-Saturday. With no heating of any sort the living room was 63F and the bedrooms were 61F when we got home, so there isn't much added heat needed to make it comfortable. That wasn't a particularly cold week but we've found the interior temperature has more to do with the amount of sunny weather than the outside temps.

We add heat with a Finnish Tulikivi soapstone fireplace that weighs 3 tons. It is a counter flow design where the heat goes up in the stove and then back down to floor level before it enters the chimney flue. If we burn that once a day it takes two 5 gal buckets of wood to keep it warm. Sometimes we skip a day on a sunny stretch. If there is a long cloudy spell we fire it twice a day. We use 1 to 1-1/2 cords of wood per season.

The 8K and 12K btu mini split units we installed last summer will heat too. I've tried them out a couple times but not enough to know what they do to the electric bill. I think they will make good heat sources just to take the chill off for a couple hours. It seems like they would supply all the heat we need but that would run up the power bill.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I learned to service my oil burner after finding the "pros" using wrong nozzles, which caused all kinds of problems.
My draft unit has a sensing tube that would need to get cleaned.
If it trips, the ignitor wont get voltage.
Course i dont use any of it now since i put in geothermal, but i havent removed the old boiler yet.

 

[noller9]

not getting my brain around this house. I read the post and assumed you were in the South West. Maine? So does this house get extremely warm in the summer?

 

[dave1949]

not getting my brain around this house. I read the post and assumed you were in the South West. Maine? So does this house get extremely warm in the summer?

Western Maine, about due west of Bangor on the other side of the state.

It gets warm enough that AC is nice but that varies depending on the weather. It stores summer heat just as well as winter heat so it can build up in a hot spell. The 28" deep overhangs block direct sunlight totally for about six weeks around the Summer Solstice (June 21-22). Late July and August are the months that it can get too warm to be comfortable. The sun is getting low enough then to have some direct sunlight coming in, plus the windows are going to pass some radiant heat with or without direct light. The past two summers have been more too humid than too hot. AC is the only cure for that. If the house is closed up to use a dehumidifier it will for sure be too hot.

Some of that could be controlled with extending awnings, or rolladen-style exterior shades. I really like rolladen shades but the price here in the US was killer for good quality. The glass in the windows is clear for maximum transmission of light. Low-e or tinted windows would cut summer heat but reduce winter heating too.

Rolladen Shutters

 

[sodamo]

One of the best features I liked living on the German economy was Rolladen shutters.

David Sent from my iPad Air using TractorByNet

 

[sodamo]

Can't say the day started as planned. Wife left for her morning walk, hoping to beat the rain and I was starting my 10 miles on the recumbent bike. Within minutes she returns to tell me of a water leak at the cottage, but she couldn't remember how to turn it off. She tells me it is same place I intended to fix a fitting. Threaded coupling failure. Tenants were oblivious to leak. Took me about half hour or so to come up with suitable replacement parts. Good thing it has been raining, lost about 1000 gallons plus of water.

Still made my haircut appointment on time.

Got the 1st 100 feet of chainlink stretched and secured. Second run of 60 ft in place and initial stretch. Hopefully will get that section finished and last 25 ft section installed tomorrow. Almost pic time

David Sent from my iPad Air using TractorByNet

 

[RoyJackson]

2014-12-05, 0344

4 degrees right now....brrr! High today will be about 33

 

[daugen]

43 degrees here, going up to 60 today on a cloudy day. Rain forecast for tomorrow.
went to bed too early, up too early.
Oh well, Roy needs company
And David/Sodamo needs someone to say goodnight to him...
And RS is busy making the Eiffel Tower and adding twin turbos to his gas burner (Trane Ecoboost???)
all is well, have a great day

 

[daugen]

I was thinking that with the drop in gasoline/diesel pricing, that home fuel oil, the stuff farmer puts in the giant tank for all those greenhouses, must be dropping too. Merry Christmas for sure.

 

[wngsprd]

39 and raining off and on. Should hit 48 but cloudy.

Gas is certainly dropping in price - filled up for $2.34 in Petersburg on the way home from a hunting trip down near the VA/NC state line yesterday.

Dave, very interesting home design, and fireplace. I Binged some pics of Finnish Tulikivi soapstone fireplaces and they are beautiful.

 

[Thomas]

8F now high low 30's.
Nasty winter mix arrives tonight,turning all rain mid 30'ssoooo outside plans for Saturday looks cancel,Sunday might be interesting day dealing w/snow and ice.....ahhhh but at least it the weekend.

Enjoy the day all.

 

[Buppies]

36 this morning and cloudy high of 45 later. Rain that was not supposed to come yesterday did so we all took a cold shower. Today wet but not raining so we shall see. Christmas is coming fast and I'm not ready.

Two sections of lights do not work on tree and I'm befuddled. Will work on them again tonight

Good Morning

 

[murphy1244]

32 with freezing rain, going to be a fun driving day.