roadguy

HI, I have replaced many of the fixtures in my home with compact fluorescents (CF). I started replacing first in high usage areas. They do save a noticeable amount of energy (as reflected in utility bills), but... 1)Turning them on/off on a daily basis drastically shortens the life, 2) the light is "different" (my wife's word) and you may need to go up a size in replacing (e.g. using a CF that compares to a 75 watt instead of a 60 watt), and 3) check out the "disposal method". Many CF's contain levels of mercury that require them to be disposed of at a proper facility. We could be trading one environmental problem for another. [:-crazy]

Kinda depends on the model/type of heat pump. Some manufacturers use one motor to turn both fans (there is a window unit in my office that is that way). If that is the case, even though the resistance heating is working, there won't be any air moving across the coils. Bad situation, either way. Needs immediate attention.

Hi, Les said... Amen, Brother Les. And why, praytell, has this come about? Well, Chris said... Righteous, Brother Chris, absolutely righteous. And why is it that Joe Homeowner would be concerning themselves with such things? Could it be that they do not perceive any uniformity in the practice of the profession (if they even look upon it as a profession)? Could it be that they have not perceived any value in the esoteric "standards" of organizations such as ASHI, NACHI, et al? And, the biggest question of all, will the focus of this profession be to 1)take the path of least resistance and simply "fall back" on standards/codes/instructions established by others, reciting them ad nauseum, or 2)actually evaluate the home/building in a systematic manner, using the s/c/i's as guidelines to ascertain whether or not these various systems are "functioning as intended", and then communicate that evaluation in a professional manner? And the congregation says...?

Hi, I think maybe what Scott was trying to say is that there is a difference between "inspecting" to code/standards versus "enforcing" those codes/standards. The difference between those two concepts should mean a difference in the language/tone used in the report (which contains advice, using words such as "should" and "ought") as compared to a code inspection (which will contain mandates, using words such as "shall" and "must"). Is that somewhere close, Scott?

Hi Chad, My sincere apologies if you felt I somehow intended that comment for you. That was not the case at all. It was actually intended for any who might be new or just looking for some clarification. The explosive use of the WWW as a research tool has, unfortunately, not been accompanied by a corresponding push to maintain ethics regarding the use of the vast amount of information found there (although I do see some progress being made). There is a whole crop of young folks coming out of school (high school and college alike) who don't seem to comprehend the difference between repeating a concept and out-right plagiarism. Again, I don't believe that applies at all to you, or the process that you have described, and apologize for any implication of such. [:-paperba Glad to hear that you're not having to tunnel out of your house with a spoon right now! [:-slaphap

Mike, Thanks for the clarification. That's kinda what I figgered. Just wanted to emphasize... that Copy/Paste does not satisfy either of those concepts, convenient as it may be when one is rushing to complete the report.

Chad, Oh, man. Now you've done it. [xx(] Actually, though, in all seriousness, I've been kinda wondering how much that legal notice (in the HOME dropdown menu above) applies to paraphrasing on answers given here on TIJ. Mike, any thoughts/clarifications?

Yes. As in "It is spelled consequences, not consequenses". I was attempting to parry a "98 No" response with a gentle admonition to use the (free!!) spell-check function. [:-slaphap

Jim, Thanks for making yourself perfectly clear. I wasn't advocating that point of view; I was trying to explain it to a person unfamiliar with the situation. And it's consequences. Clear enough?

Really. I don't dispute the latter portion of that statement; a cursory glance at the Table of Contents of the book is enough to convince me of that. I do, however, feel there is a need of a technical guide that pertains to this particular profession. Consider the following, please: That deliberate bit of misinformation survived exactly 1h:31m:47s on this forum (BTW, thanks, Bob), and I'm very confident that he wasn't the first/only to catch it. It's not simply a matter of grammar/spelling/punctuation; the inspection report is a document that needs to survive factual, logical, and, at times, even legal scrutiny. The inspector is required to write like a lawyer (without the benefit of using "legalese"), an engineer (without using so much techno-jargon that the client doesn't comprehend), a reporter (who can't simply print a "retraction" in case of a factual error), and, all the while, write in an "interesting" active voice (without resorting to the out-right lies of political pundits). Given the litigious nature of our society, it is no wonder, then, that most choose to employ proven "boilerplate" language delivered in a (very) passive voice, and I sincerely doubt that there will be a great number who will be willing to give up that security for the sake of being more "interesting".

I'm tellin' ya, man. The crucial ingredient missing from HI reports is some entertainment value. People might actually read the damn things if Chris's photo was captioned with that kind of text. Imagine what goes through the clients mind: No mamby-pamby passive voice whimpering here. H-a-e-l no! Let's read on!

Bonnie, dear Bonnie, If all the folks who desperately need to respond to your invitation actually do so, I hope, for your sake, you have a very, very large e-mail server. [:-bigeyes Maybe you could work on a technical writing manual/guide that is in the same vein as your well-reviewed "...Missing Modifier". Is this a possibility?

Agree wholeheartedly. However, a continuation of that sentence could read "but, professionals do set/make standards". IMHO, this should apply to the writing/communication skills as much as it does to technical ability/knowledge. Exactly how to go about accomplishing that is beyond the scope of this inspector []. I believe it is a widespread, society encompassing problem; not sure HI's are more/less afflicted than any other segment of our society.

[:-slaphap And that right there, folks, is the epitome of concise. Just two letters...speaking volumes. Love it. I'll check out your book based simply on that response. And, no...I'm not being a facetious @$$.

I have decided to utilize this description ASAP, with your permission, of course... And I hope to Gawd no one ever asks me to clarify ...they'd have to come back the next day to see if I was done laughing. [:-slaphap[:-slaphap[:-slaphap