Sequence of operation

Steamhead (in transit)

with our more-elaborate systems. Hopefully they won't need service other than regular maintenance, but in case they do the info will be there.

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Keith_8

Sequence of operation

How many of you guy's leave O&M's or Sequnce of Operation details with the customer or in the boiler room after an install?

I ask this question because as I'm reading the Wall and following along with control stategies it occurs to me..... If this installer doesn't service the house forever how would the next guy know where to begin?

As the higher cost of energy sinks into the residential thought process control strategy will play a more significant role. With all the new products entering the market and going thru revisions constantly we out to be leaving a detailed paper trail.

Just asking because in the commercial market I find it lacking. Systems that we installed a couple years ago with O&M's and a paper trail seem to have the information evaporate into thin air.

Keith

David Sutton_6

Hi Keith

I always go over the complete ops with the HO.i had a call the lady said she was having a delayed ign, the company she had came back 4 times and said nothing was wrong! the rep asked me to stop by and look at it, NO ONE ever told her it was pre-purge! Man, was she mad. she said she did all that worring for nothing!

So each time i go thru start up to shut down and all paper work is at the boiler...David

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lchmb

paperwork

I like to place all paperwork into a plastic folder and attach it to the wall in the boiler room. The folder's I use state not to remove from the boiler room. Of course, not everyone listen's. I also, if the customer has access, like to send them a complete explanation of the operation of the system and recommended service on the computer for future knowledge.

Josh_10

We supply 15-20 pages of piping, wiring diagrams, tubing lay-out and written sequence of operation with EVERY installation. It is great to have that info when you need it.

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Brad White_104

What is also really nice to do

is format all documents in Adobe PDF format and leave them on a CD-ROM along with a hard copy. More durable and easy to copy, share, transmit...

For documents, I mean anything from calculations, manufacturer's data (found on-line in PDF format), any drawings, sequences, warranty data and hey a video, why not?

Keith_8

CD

CD is a nice touch.

Makes sense and well worth the effort. Long after the paperwork is lost and the converstaion is forgotten the CD can be reviewed and printed. Today's consumer is probably more comfortable with this format as well.

Keith

Keith_8

Set yourself apart

Josh,
Is it safe to say you have set yourself apart from the competition?

With that type of back up my guess is you have very little left to the "imagination" either before, during or after the project?

Keith

Constantin

Yup...

... when I took the Vitotronic class at Viessmann, I immeadiately started to build a little matrix of settings and what they mean. It makes it a lot simpler later on to know where to jump back into the system when something is amiss, or if the boiler develops amnesia.

If I were a contractor, I would do two things: Leave a CD and hardcopy as brad suggests, but also keep a series of copies at work and home. One CD can hold hundreds of jobs, even the good ones cost little to nothing to make, storing them in multiple places (just like your accounting records) is cheap, easy, and can be a lifesaver.

Josh_10

That didn't even occur to me Brad.. Thanks for that! I will do that from now on for sure!

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Weezbo

Thanks *~/;)

That would reduce the clutter

Save space

A?

Christian Egli_2

Encrypted for posterity

I've still got floppy disks I'd hard pressed to shove into any slot on our current computers. Moses got his commandments on stone tablets and we still managed to loose those originals. The Egyptian Pharaohs may have had the best idea, scribble everything on the walls, then seal the boiler room and build a massive pyramid on top so that no one can ever possibly walk away with our instructions. Those instructions are indeed precious.

I believe that in order to keep nice records near the boiler, these records have to be maintained regularly or else get forgotten. What I mean is that there should be a log book to be updated regularly every time the boiler is visited by the owner and of course any guest outside service. This way, who ever is in charge starts taking ownership of those records, maintains them and preserves them along with the cool instruction books.

If there is some data to record, such as hours, gallons, CCF, BTU, it will quickly become a fascinating story. Blank spreadsheets help getting things started. Every meter I have is tied to a pencil and a clipboard.

Mega boiler rooms should have a desk provided just for that. At home, a neat wall pocket might be enough. Larger or deluxe set ups could call for a folding wall desk.

Ask the owner if they indeed want the little extras such as meters and data loggers and the folding wall desk. Not everyone is opposed to extra sales and the deluxe features that make life fun. Get paid to produce framed system schematics to hang on the walls and leave behind a copy of the "We got steam heat" book or such.

Then every year / season, send an updated paper with degree days data for the location, with your name on it, for the owner to go insert in the data book and take a look at the machines and wonder about calling you, like the list of (super toxic contaminants) my city sends me periodically about my water just to remind me why it tastes so delicious. I enjoy reading those things.

Here is a link to a medical supply company that sells the wall desks. We've used some purchased locally.

http://www.grogans.com/servlet/shop?cmd=I&id=OMNI291501

Just more ideas to throw on the pile.

Brad White_105

Glad you like it!

Just expanding on the concept, you can have a nice label made on your computer with company logo and a short video of any walk-through, service or just, "Hi, I am Josh the designer and installer of this system... ".

Years from now you will be a legend more than you already are..

In my business (consulting engineers) it is the contractors who do the O&M manual preparation and the CD is just a part of that. Great age we are living in!

LarryC

Encrypted for posterity II

Remember the writeable CDs are now coming down with non recoverable failures after only 5 years. Magnetic media only lasts 5-10 years before the iron starts falling off of the plastic medium.

My best guess for longevity is fade resistant paper and ink, and a non water soluble ink.

Larry