Bad Job Hall of Shame

Rusty Powers

Image #2 is my new desktop wallpaper. Talk about job security with this stuff happening....what a waste of parts!
Good luck with this...

Paul Rohrs_7

\"Brace yourself Effie\"

I have seen pictures posted of some pretty raunchy jobs, but this is one that we went out to get up and running. Munchkin M199 was dead, no display. This job is 1hr away so I took everything I thought I would need. One full day later I couldn't get it to run. Went back today with a temporary boiler to get them space heat and dhw.

Here are the pics......look closely.

Some of the travesties you can see, some you really can't.

Here is a list of a few of the top offenses.

1. No relief valve on indirect

2. DHW zone valve on priority, but other ZV's call for heat from a separate ZVC.

3. Slab sensors in zones hooked up directly to ZVC controller (no stats)

4. Boiler, well it's just not facing the right way now is it?

5. Tridicator is mounted below air-separator in flow stream of fill water, not supply.

6. Some Cell-Core pipe on exhaust vent

7. VTK is just short of 2ft away from window that opens

8. No outdoor reset for SOG radiant floor heat

9. Feeding 180F water to all infloor zones, no mixing

10. Condensate insert fitting had no air-gap hole drilled in it.

11. Genuine duct tape over the hole drilled in the exhaust where they presumably had utilized a combustion analyzer.

12. Fluidmaster faucet flex connectors on 2nd floor air handler.

EDIT: 13. Glycol filled heating system has no backflow preventor on it, isolating it from the make-up water.

The HO has had to go downstairs every morning to reset the boiler and hold his hand over the venturi to get it to light just to have DHW.

We have a temp boiler installed to get them by until Spring when the HO will then let us do some reciprocating saw surgery and clean it all up.

I brought the original blueprint home with me to do a load calc for this insulating contractor/home owner. I think the 199 is wayyyyy over sized but we'll see what load calcs I come up with. This is a super insulated and insulted home.

Matt J went with me today, pipe in Matt if there were other things I missed.

Paul

Unknown

This is a great example

how the modcons will weed out the hacks in this trade.
The venting appears legal though not ideal.

Big Will

I like they way the boiler faces the water tank. makes maintainence a breeze. Get the sawzall start over.

Steven Gronski

The mechanical inspector............

in the town that this job was installed should be put out to pasture.........If there was a permit on this job for inspection........how do yoy get away with the Omega flex gas piping to the boiler like that? No rigid piping or shut off within 3 feet of the appliance? and the coupling connections made on the 3 gas lines lines on the right? The exhaust venting not 4feet below the window that opens? who was this inspector, Stevie Wonder? The sad thing is it isnt the quality of the job or the installer that gets the bump rap on these jobs.....its usually the product manufacturers that get the rap that there product sucks, and it really isnt that there product sucks, its just the hack the installed the product improperly that causes it not to work properly in the first place. No consistency in a companys product on the radiant heating side either with tubing and manifolds, what was this guy doing.cleaning out his garage. Good luck with getting this one up and running right. I would say with a time and materials fix on this job, I would be taking a nice carribian vacation come February.

Paul Pollets

Looks like...

...a pasta factory. This is not an uncommon example of what some would say is an "average" install. Phooeey!


Sawzallectomy. Too bad the owner doesn't have Boiler Blue Shield.

To Learn More About This Professional, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Professional"

Paul Rohrs_7

Strategic Hydronic Intervention Team

you can all figure out the acronym for yourself.

That seems to be my moniker lately.

Maybe I could be the King of the Strategic Hydronic Intervention Team.

I'm thinking that inspector should be stripped of his credentials.

Paul

World Plumber

Factoey rep on startup to get warrenty

Maybe the Europeans have it right when they require a factor rep present when the unit is started to get warrenty coverage. The rep checks to see that it meets code as well as the factor recommended instulation procedures. The job I'm on there now we have to produce the invoices for the requied solder and brazing rod compositions they require 40% or higher silver. It might cut down on some of these I saw my girlfriend's, stepfather's, son's, cousin do it once installers.
I guess you aren't supposed to service it or you are expected to bring Gumby with you.

Todd_37

Why are you picking on my installation? LOL.

Jamie Pompetti_2

Bet he was the lowest bidder!