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Nolan Kienitz

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Posts posted by Nolan Kienitz

  3. Which Brand HVAC???

    in HVAC Forum

    Posted

    Goodman/Amana was purchased by original folks and was taken private. At that time they did a serious turn-a-round to focus on "quality". I've been through their manufacturing, testing, shipping facilities in the Houston area.

    They used to be known as "builder's grade" or even less than that, but has changed once they took the company private.

    I had an Amana system (heating and cooling) installed at my home about six years ago and it is working very well.

     

  4. Best roof cover for low pitch roof

    in Roof Forum

    Posted

    21 hours ago, Steven Hockstein said:

    There are special instructions for Shingles when slopes are between 2-4 on 12. Under 2:12 requires a different system.

    For example:

    http://www.gaf.com/Warranties_Technical_Documents/Steep_Slope_Guides_Application_Instructions/Shingle_Application_Instructions/Timberline_Series_Application_Instructions_English_Spanish_French.pdf

    As an aside, it is amazing how often I see building products installed improperly ( i.e. windows, shingles, etc...) while the installation instructions are scattered all over the worksite, written in multiple languages. There should be instructions about how to read instructions.

     

    Part of the problem might be that many installers might note be able to "read" ... in any language. :)

  5. Staying healthy for long career

    in Open Discussion Forum (Chit-Chat)

    Posted

    67 for me and I've slowed down a lot in the past year or two. Save for being a T1D (Type One Diabetic) since 1967 my health is very good.  Just can't do or keep up the pace I used to maintain.

    Like Erby I have similar comments:  "I'm happy as a clam, I woke up on the green side of the grass ... and everything after that is a gift."

    I am winding down the inspection career and that might occur in about two+ years.

     

     

  9. Getting Started - Questions About Schools

    in Professional Home Inspection Associations

    Posted · Edited by Nolan Kienitz

    You have presented a good approach to learning more about the HI business ... measured and thoughtful.

    Bill & Marc's comments are excellent. Marc is seriously focused on HIs have a good education and with being able to write a good, meaningful and non - b.s. report. As Bill noted and Marc has shown you ... the content of your report is what should be first/foremost. Don't get caught up in the many software packages ... they all want to sell you something new. Focus on basics.

    Spend some time to search the TIJ forum and you will find a lot of information about the 'written word' and what we try to or should be telling our clients. You will also find that Jim Katen (Oregon), Chad Fabry (New York) and many more are quite good with their verbiage.

    Don't make mountains out of molehills ... you are (or will be) an inspector and I can assure you that you are NOT a Pulitzer prize winning writer. When something is broke or not right in a home ... note it, describe it in a straight-forward fashion. No need for $25.00 words.

    You will find a recent thread with Jim Morrison (Boston area) who was a long-term inspector and is now a writer for a local newspaper. He has a great inspection history (having worked with his Father) and knows how to form words into meaningful sentences and paragraphs. He is providing input on reports we have written and things we have published and how it could be better.

    Reaching out to CREIA and planning for the NHIE are good moves and will serve you well.

    Welcome to a very educational forum. 

     

  12. Opinion

    in Open Discussion Forum (Chit-Chat)

    Posted

    My step-son was somewhat interested, but I got him on a path for the ever-evolving high-tech world and he is now a Program Manager for data center rebuilds (mostly the network connectivity) in Seattle and his main client is Amazon (FWIW ... they love him and his crews work and he has resisted all their offers ... he is doing quite well).

    I'm on my ~3rd career after working in the engineering/technical group at The Associated Press and then on to American Airlines, Teleport Communications Group and AT&T Labs. Lots of physical site construction and new-wave thinking during the "dot-com bubble growth". I enjoyed the construction/inspection of many Internet Web Hosting Data Centers during that time. After 9-11 all things changed and I was assigned to construction of classified data centers for our government "spook" agencies ... Actually some of the best people in the world to work with and for.

    AT&T down siized to sell themselves to SBC and I was on a list and got the boot out the door. That pushed me to doing what I do now and have been for the past 16+ years. I love the inspections and clients (reports ... not so much), but I'm also "winding down". May fully retire and end this gig in Spring of 2018 or two years after that ... will just have to see how it rolls along.

    I've suggested to many folks interested in this profession to ensure their better half has a stable income as we all know how difficult the start-up in this business can be and still is.

  13. Federal Pacific panels

    in News Around The Net

    Posted

    FPE panels are accidents waiting to happen.

    Two homes in our development have caught fire due to failures of breakers in the FPE panels in the homes.

    The HOA for one 'high end' development in North Dallas sent a letter to all homeowners telling them that if their home still had an FPE panel installed they would have to replace the panel before the HOA would allow them to list their home for sale. This was several years ago and was an effort to deliver a message to homeowners to "pay attention" to the problems related with FPE panels.

    An insurance company in California will not write coverage for homes with FPE panels.

    And ... on it goes.

    FPE panels need to be replaced ... period!!

  14. New air handler/furnace/gas

    in HVAC Forum

    Posted

    I just browsed through the thread again and note that you were considering an "on demand" (I'm guessing tankless) water heater.

    I don't believe the recirculating pump I mentioned and that Kurt linked in a few comments up are OK with tankless systems. I believe it is that tankless systems that don't "approve" such circulation pumps.

    Need to look into to verify.

  23. New air handler/furnace/gas

    in HVAC Forum

    Posted

    I've set the timer on the pump (at top of W/H) to turn on/off two different times per day. Morning and evening use basically ... a few hours on for the AM and PM cycles.

    Water diversion magic happens in the device connected to the Hot/Cold lines below the sink(s) in the 'distant' bathrooms. Sometimes have a bit of warm water when I first turn on the cold valve, but only about 2-3 seconds at most. And ... only notice that when the timer has cycled the pump to run.

    We love it. As I noted I used to have to wait 6-10 minutes to get hot water in those same distant bathrooms. That is a lot of water down the drain waiting for a shower.

  24. New air handler/furnace/gas

    in HVAC Forum

    Posted

    You might want one of these....because of this.....or maybe not.

    I've been using one of those Watts recirculating pumps on my 50-gallon W/H and it has been flawless. 6-10 minute wait for hot water disappeared at the two bathrooms on the far side of the house from the W/H in the garage/closet.

    I also just replaced my A.O. Smith Vertex W/H with a standard A.O. Smith 50-gallon unit. The Vertex was only 8 years old and was massive loud with snap/crackle/pop and I had been cleaning/draining tank each year. Then the electronics unit started going wonky. I had to cycle power off/on to get it back to run. Found that cost for that controller and such was almost the cost of a new heater.

    So ... new heater is now in place.

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