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Have any of you been told

Tim McElwain
Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,612
by local inspectors that a factory rep has to be present when you start the equipment? This is for residentail equipment not commercial.

Comments

  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,366
    Never Heard That One

    Sounds like someone's making up their own rules again. What jurisdiction?



    Are we talking gas, oil, boiler, forced air?
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • JStar
    JStar Member Posts: 2,752
    ...

    This is a good reason to become a factory rep. Get paid to stand around and watch people work.
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,366
    Maybe Not

    Who's gonna pay him? The rep makes his % off the sale to the wholesaler.



    And as far as being a "factory rep" goes, if I'm factory trained and certified, then I'm the rep!
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • j a_2
    j a_2 Member Posts: 1,801
    never

    Never once been told, such a thing...Why do you ask, such a question,,just curious...Ja
  • Tim McElwain
    Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,612
    I got my information from

    a reliable source who stated this was requested twice in Mass and once in RI on new gas installations.



    I presented this info to a couple of factory reps and there answer was no way was that going to happen.



    I have a feeling this is caused by the installer perhaps not be real familiar with start up on a new say Mod/Con system and also the inspector not being familiar with the product. Keep in mind in Mass they have gas inspectors who have to approve before they get gas.



    As for RI I am still waiting to hear from the state inspectors office here about this one.
  • icesailor
    icesailor Member Posts: 7,265
    "Oops" shows:

    Where I work, I've heard of some serious horror shows with installers who don't do gas piping, having them gas piped by others, who don't do the conversion from Nat. Gas to LP. The gas installer and the installer of the appliance don't own a DCA, and nothing gets tested out. Perhaps the inspectors are cracking down on shoddy and incomplete installations. 

    It would be fine with me.
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,366
    Agreed, But...

    "Perhaps the inspectors are cracking down on shoddy and incomplete installations.

    It would be fine with me."



    I don't see this as the solution. I still believe that the manufacturer's and wholesalers are gonna have to be the ones that say:"Unless you are trained and certified on this equipment, you cannot purchase it". But, as long as greed drives them, that won't happen.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,561
    The Inspector...

    The Inspectors could require that installers have completed the manufactures training course for the product being installed.

    From talking with trainers, no one in the industry benefits from shoddy work.

    Carl
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • Tim McElwain
    Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,612
    Bob, that is something I have been

    advocating for years. At least if certification was required and of course a license then some control could be administered toward this problem.



    With the much more complex equipment the training on that equipment is lacking all the way around. I schedule classes on the start-up and diagnostics of new equipment and three people sign up. Schedule a session on five ways to make more money and improve your business and it is sold out.



    An example is the upcoming Mechanical Systems Week in Illinois. The trainers listed has only three that are doing anything toward what we are talking about. Mark Eatherton on Hydronics, Jim Davis on Home Performance and Carol Fey on Electricity. All the rest is geared toward sales and marketing. I hope the classes those three do are well attended but my past experience at what was Comfortech when I taught a class on Electronic Controls we had 10 people in the class. Most classes at that show had 60 to 75 in attendance.



    No one ever does training anymore on controls and in this day and age electronic controls and how to troubleshoot them.
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,366
    Greed Again

    Tim,

    Therein lies the problem. People on both sides of the counter want to turn a quick $ with less than minimal effort.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • j a_2
    j a_2 Member Posts: 1,801
    queation

    I realize you say stat up in your original post...It is not the job of a local inspector to be present for start up, as to the best of my knowledge.....in Mass....However things do change...I am not fully understanding your post and some of the responses...sorry ....Lets take the common mod/con boiler...Simply put you size it, you gas, you supply a water feed,you vent it....then you attach it to the existing or new heating system...All is very basic,correct...Then you start it up and check the parameters, adjust as necessary....Once done, comply with the combustion test, as required....This may seem difficult to a homeowner and I truly understand that...However if that is difficult to a installer who gladly accepts the first check, then, has to get on the phone and waste the time of the tech department, in my mind, he no right selling the job.. certification is your licence   JA
This discussion has been closed.