When people ask me, “What’s the worst job you ever been on,” I usually tell them about one, very special service call. It’s one the public generally doesn’t hear about, nor does it need to be. However, it is one for the record books, yet, it moves above and beyond anything I’ve ever witnessed in my 33 year career.

When a person calls on a HVAC company to come over and fix their heat or air, you would think that person would know a little about the problem. Or, what the system isn’t doing. Or, has a general idea that a problem exists. But, on this one particular service call, it was anything but routine.

I arrived at work on a Monday morning. As I entered the shop, my boss handed me two service call slips with the address on each one. He specifically stated these two calls had to be done first before I head over to help with setting an outdoor unit for a new project. He also said that a plumber was called on one of them, but he couldn’t be sure which one it could be. I acknowledged my schedule and was on my way.

The first service call was a simple fix. The thermostat was in need of replacement. Luckily, I had a standard Honeywell with me that did the job. In fact, it was an exact match. I wrapped things up and was on my way to the next call. Now, keep in mind this was during heating season. I was told both calls has no heat.

My timing was right on with the next call. I arrived at the house to see the plumber’s truck parked on the street. I gathered my tool belt and made my way towards the basement entrance, when suddenly, the plumber runs out the basement door. This startled me, and I asked, “What’s going on, what’s the matter?” The plumber replied, “You’ll find out when you go inside. I’m leaving, there’s nothing I can do here.”

What I saw next literally shocked me. I opened the basement door and walked in. First, the smell hit me, then I found out why. The entire basement floor was covered with fecal matter. I mean, it was a fifteen to twenty foot round mound of sewage pile on the floor.

As I looked more closely, it appeared the P-Trap on the soil line had broken off. The waste from the upstairs bathroom toilet was being flushed right onto the basement floor below. The mound of sewage stretched from the basement floor, all the way up to the bottom of the floor joist. In fact, while I was standing there with my hat over my mouth, someone flushed the toilet upstairs. The waste and water spewed onto the 10 foot tall pile of sewage.

Nothing, I mean nothing could have prepared me for this brutal scene of homeowner negligence. It was like walking into a horror movie, but with all the rotten smell of human waste coming right you. I stood there in amazement, scanning the basement for the furnace. I finally noticed it was located at the extreme perimeter of the pile with approximately one foot of the furnace just soaking up the sewage.

I immediately turned around and made my way out the door. I picked up the pace and walked faster, and faster until I was in my service truck. I quickly removed my hat so I could breathe again. I turned the engine over and sat there for a brief moment before leaving the house of hell. I thought about what to say to my boss, therefore eventually regained my thoughts and quickly recovered.

My journey back to the shop paved the way to become the worst service call I’ve ever experienced. When I finally arrived, I quickly turned in my service call tickets. On this ticket’s response read: Furnace Unrepairable – Service It Yourself!

The very next day, my boss asked, “What is with your response?” I quickly replied, “You go see for yourself and let me know if you can fix it?” He couldn’t quite understand why I didn’t fix it, but he made sure he would be the one to correct it. And, I didn’t tell him why I couldn’t repair the furnace, or what I experienced while on the call. Later that same day, my boss returned with no comment. He simply shook his head from side-to-side, and said. “I’ll send them a bill marked, ‘No work Performed’ but, I will recommend an electronic air cleaner!”

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Lake Michigan Home

As new home owners scramble to survive in a struggling economy, finding a decent, well constructed home becomes increasingly critical. One company provides tools for survival amidst major competition and economic crisis.

Most home markets are challenged in today?s struggling economy. One national and international kit Home company has discovered a vital tool designed to help them survive and edge out competition.

All Kit Homes has developed a way to help home owners survive amidst pressures from the economy, natural disasters and major competitors. The company provides a new practical home ownership plan which saves 20% – 40% construction time without delay.

Each unit is constructed in a controlled environment. Each home is assured with a great level of quality control with only 20% moisture by the time it arrives on the construction site. This construction technique also eliminates the cost of on-site theft and vandalism. Bulk purchasing abilities have been developed to reduce costs, and this savings is also passed to the home buyer. Costs are further reduced because there are no wasted materials likewise on conventional job-sites.

“Our homes are much different from other homes. They are basically built the same by any other contractor, but with well constructed, high quality materials in a factory controlled environment,” says David Edwards, President of All Kit Homes. “The method we use has no tolerance for error, and this revision allows simple, but fast erection and reduces the site costs and total cost of their kit.”

Purchasing a total pre-constructed package significantly cuts exaggerated local labor costs, and reduces the time required for completion. This lowers construction loan costs and allows the home to be sold, or moved into more quickly.

Hand built items cannot logically be competitive, cost-wise with assembly line style material. The more time saved the more dollars saved. Time is money. Furthermore, the home which is factory constructed, the less local labor which in turn is cost prohibitive in most areas.

“We are finding more people around the world do not know the full concept of open panel construction. A home kit is faster and more economically safe than prefabricated or modular homes,” says Edwards. “This allows sufficient time to prepare the home site and have the foundation ready when the package arrives.”

Obviously, quality craftsmanship, energy efficient and reduced per square foot cost are major factors. However, today’s consumers demand something more than dull, rectangular living modules. They demand contemporary design, eye appeal, and luxury. All Kit Homes is proud to say that these kit homes, not only meets this demand, but also exceed these requirements.

About All Kit Homes.

All Kit Homes is a national and international distributor/contractor of High Quality, Affordable, Custom Panelized Homes – Shipped World Wide.

All Kit Homes, Inc. (http://www.allkithomes.com)

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Most construction contractors try to prevent projects from heading to court. They spend endless hours trying to seek resolution amongst those who fail up uphold their end of the contract. But, what they also don’t utilize in the industry is a less expensive alternative to resolve or reach a mutual agreement to settle disputes.

I have made a decision to offer an alternative method prior to formal mediation, arbitration, and litigation. These services are available to owners, architects, and contractors. Foremost, these procedures can be utilized prior to either party(s) filing a formal claim through their attorneys. Thus, allowing final resolution of disputes in a more cost efficient manner.

This method does not waive any other rights or future claims through formal proceedings should either party(s) fail to reach a full agreement for any specific claim.

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While most of the United States is under a cool-wave, other locations around the globe are feeling the impact of high costs regarding utilities.

what I’m about to give you is from 33 years experience of HVAC (Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning) in the residential, commercial and Industrial construction trade.

Heating your home uses just as much energy as cooling, and drains more energy dollars than any other system in your home. Typically, 44% of your utility bill goes for heating. What’s more, heating systems in the United States together omit over half billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, adding to global warming. They also generate about 24% of the nitrogen oxides, the chief ingredients in acid rain.

No matter what kind of heating system you have in your house, you can save money and increase comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment. But remember, an energy efficient furnace alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using the whole-house approach. By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with appropriate insulation, weatherization, and thermostat settings, you can cut your energy bills and your pollution output in half.

AIR HANDLERS AND FURNACES

It might surprise you to know that buying a bigger heating unit won’t necessarily make you feel more comfortable during the cold winter months. In fact, an air handler or furnace that’s too big for the area it is supposed to heat will perform less efficiently and less effectively than a smaller, properly sized unit.

This is because normal size units work better if they run for relatively normal periods of time than if the unit continually switching off and on. Longer run times allow the unit to maintain a more constant room temperature in heating mode.

Sizing is equally important for central systems, which need to be sized by professionals. If you have a central air system in your home, set the fan to shut off at the same time as the electric heat strip or burners. In other words, don’t use the system’s central fan to provide circulation, but instead use circulating fans in individual rooms to distribute the heated air.

Air handlers with heat pumps only put out your body temperature (98.6 degrees), therefore, the discharge air temperature will feel cold. Oil or gas furnaces put out 135-150 degree heat which produces instant heat discharge. The difference between the two can determine the level of comfort you want, but will also become a burden on your home heating budget.

MAXIMIZE HEATING

Whole-house fans on low help heat your home or apartment by pulling the heated air through the house and keep the warm air in circulation. They are most effective when operating near a wood stove or possibly in the kitchen near the stove while cooking. The fan will lower the heat by a couple of degrees, however, circulating warm air throughout the house eliminates over usage of the main central system.

Set your thermostat as low as comfortably possible in the winter – especially during very cold days. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall bill will be.

Do not set your thermostat at a hotter setting than normal when you turn on your central heating system. It will not heat your home or apartment any faster and could result in excessive heating, and therefore, unnecessary expense.

Do not place lamps or TV sets near your heating thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the system to run shorter than necessary, or not at all.

Keep outside heat pumps clear of plants or trees. Do not block the air flow around the coils. A unit operating in the open uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating with plants or grass blocking the unit.

PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTATS

You can save as much as 10% a year on your home heating bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10% to 15% for 8 hours. You can do this automatically without sacrificing comfort by installing an automatic setback or programmable thermostat.

Using a programmable thermostat, you can adjust the time you turn on the heating according to a pre-set schedule. As a result, you don’t operate the equipment as much when you’re asleep or when the house or part of the house is not occupied.

Programmable thermostats can store and repeat multiple daily settings (six or more temperature settings a day) that you can manually override without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program.

WINDOWS

Windows can be one of your home’s most attractive features. They provide views, day lighting, ventilation, and solar heating in the winter. Unfortunately, they can also account for 10% to 25% of your utility bill. During the winter, sunny windows can make your heating system work two to three times less.

Install dark window shades, drapes, or blinds to attract heat from the glass window on the house or apartment. Open curtains on the sunny side facing windows. Do not apply sun control films on windows to reduce solar gain, rather, let in the solar heat during winter months.

MISCELLANEOUS

Clean or replace filters once a month or as needed. Seal and/or insulate all ductwork associated with the system. Insulate attics and crawl spaces. Place vapor barrier on ground floor with heavy duty 4MIL plastic. Block off all foundation air vents.

Open cook stove doors after preparing meals. Keep your fireplace (if any) damper closed. Caulk cracks around windows and doors. Install plastic cover on outside of windows. Use fluorescent lamps which are much more efficient than incandescent bulbs and last 6 to 10 times longer. Turn off lights and vents in any room you’re not using. Close window air conditioner dampers and block vents when possible. Keep furniture, curtains, and other material from blocking floor or ceiling registers.

These are fundamental and basic energy saving tips you can do to live in a heated comfortable environment while operating your central system. By working all these principles, and staying warm during the winter, you’ll be saving energy at the same time.

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In the litigated world of today’s HVAC construction, owners and corporate executives are faced with many challenges and options in regards to management of construction projects.

With a basic understanding of several of the options, owners and executives can select what is best for their project; achieve a level of protection, and most importantly, assurance of a successful project.

One of the most overlooked items that must be understood, is a construction project is not a painless undertaking. All projects create disruptions, inconveniences, and can pull key personnel away from their normal duties. Not to mention dealing with utility interruptions, design issues requiring correction, project decisions to make, and resolving contractor issues.

The Architect and Engineer must also be monitored for clarifications, design issues that are being resolved in a timely manner, and to ensure full compliance of all contractual obligations.

From project conception, internal meetings, project design, and through completion of the last punch list item, an owner or executive must have complete written documentation kept in an organized manner for the project.

On large projects with long durations, good project documentation is very crucial as anyone involved in the project could have personnel changes prior to the completion date. Another key item is the project must be kept moving forward at all costs, because an owner must not allow the project to sit idle, due to delayed owner decisions, or awaiting design correction of design issues.

Even if an owner change needs to be implemented immediately, but impacts the critical path of the project schedule, it may be less costly to implement the change at a later date, even though the change would require some demolition of installed HVAC work.

Negotiated projects run smoother and have fewer issues to deal with, but one of the more costly routes can increase 15% to 30% more than a bid project. Negotiated projects are only second to design build in contractor preference of performing work. The additional cost is due to the contractor?s reputation is at risk, and will utilize top subcontractors on the project. This generally does not bid to more than two subs in each trade.

The contractor is also assured of a guaranteed profit margin of 11% to 15% (depends on market area), which is in most cases at least double of their bid margins. However, with this type of project, the contractor must justify its cost to the owner and can only bill the final cost of completion amount.

Bid Projects tend to be the less costly approach, but require a tremendous more amount of time to manage, as contractors will push issues to their limits and request clarifications on minor details. Contractors also open the bidding to most subcontractors, and will utilize the lowest numbers to win the bid award.

Contractors will bid this type of a project as low as a 3% profit margin and will beat down a subcontractor whom will have numerous exclusions attached to the bids. This is where the problems begin, as contractors will only look at the numbers on bid day, then realize the exposure.

On the first day, the contractor will begin submitting design alternatives and recommend substitute materials to reduce project costs. The next thing that occurs is design deficiencies will not be submitted by the contractor until the time of critical path impact with a delay claim included in the change order.

At risk construction management seems to be the construction raze at this time, and many of the large general contracting firms are offering this service. At risk construction management means the owner is assured the project will not exceed the estimated cost, and if so, is picked up by the contractor or construction management firm. Should any monies be left over, these are returned to the owner excluding any bonuses that may be included.

Utilizing a contractor for this type of service does not offer any owner protection or provides owner documentation of the project. Generally, what occurs is contractors have a bid rate and a sale rate for their labor, and will submit the cost of the sale rate labor on pay applications to reach the estimated cost of the project, so there is no project savings to the owner.

At risk construction management firms will document a project for the owner, however, will also be limiting their exposure should the project develop major issues.

Construction management firms offer the owner, the highest level of protection and planning on a construction project along with having the most accurate documentation of the project, because when contracted, they are an extension of the owner as a Professional Consultant.

CM Firms are also dependent on their reputation and will manage a project in the best interest of the owner, because they are not at risk financially, and do not have a vested interest in the project due to set fees and/or hourly rates. CM Firms will keep the owner informed of all project issues and assist the owner with determining the best resolution.

CM  Firms will be out ahead of the contractor, clearing the path for subsequent installations and evaluating for potential issues that could arise. The contract documents are also implemented to the fullest extent along with ensuring contractual obligations are met by all parties, including A&E Firms. CM Firms also offer the highest level of owner protection should a litigation issue arise.

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