Tug Of War with the Asbestos guy

GW · November 2017

So I go and drain/disconnect this boiler this morning for the asbestos people.

Me: before I go I’d like to take that Bryant emblem off the boiler.

Asbestos Guy: I have a collection of all these old boiler logos and emblems. I have also saved a lot of old pressure gauges too, some are very nice

(Asbestos guy starts to try and unscrew the tiny screws that affix the little Bryant badge)

(Me) I pull out my tiny screwdriver and remove the two small screws

As it comes off the guy still has his fingers on my prized emblem. I gently tug on it; he doesn’t let go! I let go, fine I say to myself.

10 minutes later:
(Me) So you wanted that boiler badge too?

(Asbestos guy) Yes, like I was telling you, I have a whole collection of emblems and steam gauges, been collecting them forever.

Lesson, the next time I really want something, get it gone before the asbestos guys show up. Hahaha

This pic was taken BEFORE our gentle tug of war. One screw was out and I realized I hadn’t taken any pix yet. He wasn’t gonna take is finger off until it was his

Henry · November 2017

Asbestos guy doe not touch boiler or will loose finger!

nicholas bonham-carter · November 2017

That looks like a nice Revere Ware pot under that drip leg, maybe that can be had as partial compensation, for the badge loss.--NBC

ratio · November 2017

I learned that lesson years ago, when I let several hundred (! Yes, hundreds! ) pounds of copper get away from me . If I want it, EVERYTHING waits until I get it.

EBEBRATT-Ed · November 2017

Is the asbestos contractor your sub or working for the owner??

If he's your sub you get the badge. If he works for the owner.....not so much

GW · November 2017

yes the HO hired them, that's why I didn't make a big issue out of it, my fault and lesson learned. I didn't know the asbestos people had appreciation for such things, now i know. I cracks me up becasue I thought my communication was good. When I said I wanted the emblem, he didn't reply at all, not even a grunt. He just took some large tool out of his pocket and attempted to remove the tiny screws.

GW · November 2017

It's just that the horse on the emblem was rockin...next time.......

GW · November 2017

No horse in the emblem but it’s newer and better

mikeg2015 · November 2017

Should have threatened to tell the home owner the asbestos could just get wrapped up and covered, a waste of money IMO removing it unless it's falling apart so bad there's no safe way to encapsulate it. I'm convinced removing it increases overall exposure no matter how careful you are. I think it's a total waste of money most of the time unless you are removing the pipe completely ...but that's me. Had a ton if it in the last house I owned. No reason to touch it even though the steam system sadly had been abandoned probably because of some frozen pipes and general neglect.

GW · November 2017

Well the old boiler was in our way so it had to go. Yes I believe the wrapped the boiler and hauled it out in one piece

Mad Dog_2 · November 2017

A careful, proper abatement by a competent
Handler who takes the time is much safer than leaving it in place, even when properly encapsulated. It's kicking the can down the road: every time a new contractor or worker or unwitting homeowner disturbs it, your spewing fibers in to the space. Mad Dog

GW · November 2017

what's the general opinion on the asbestos, seems a little over rated to me. Smoker? don't touch it, your lungs are already beat. Non-Smoker??? a little dust gonna kill you; along with the fiberglass you've sucked in all your life? We follow the rules, just wondering what you think

ratio · November 2017

I understand that the WHO bins it in the same category as cigarettes and The Pill. It's certainly not good for you, and the people who had to work in it got royally screwed, but the OMG ASBESTOS attitude isn't making us any safer.

I mean, let's face it. How many times has legislated safety worked out without major, often insurmountable, issues?

Leon82 · November 2017

I remember digging my nail into the asbestos on my aunt's old coal boiler when I was young.
It was basically coated in it

Fred · November 2017

I'm with you @GW , I think we all know it's best to respect it and not disturb it on a regular basis but give me a break, there are all types of risk in our homes and the environment. Fix it, when you can, avoid it if possible and deal with it ocassionally, when needed is my mantra. I'm almost 70 and I can remember the days when we put new brakes on our cars, blew and brushed the old brake dust off of the inside of the drums, replaced old furnaces, wrapped in asbestos, removed old asbestos filled floor tiles, and on and on and on. I don't want to minimize the impact it can have but I also don't think it is something to be alarmed about. Encapsulation is fine. IMHO
EDIT: And what about all the houses that were/are sided with asbestos siding, then just covered with aluminum or vinyl?

BobC · November 2017

I've handled asbestos before and always with great care. In the early 80's I helped a neighbor strip it off an old mummy by spraying it with hot water and a surficant. I scraped while she sprayed. i had a large fan exhausting air out the cellar door and we worked from the back to the front of the old mummy that was about 4 ft from that open door. We double bagged it and threw it into a dumpster.

In the 90's my sister bought a stacking washer/dryer pair or the back hall and I installed it for her. This was an old house with asbestos siding. I removed the shingle I wanted to vent through and drilled a lot of 1/8" holes around the perimeter of the 4" hole I needed. I kept it wet and did everything out in the driveway.

That same year they discovered a large block of asbestos next to the old Squantum naval air base, you would have thought they had found an unexploded 1,000 pound bomb out there. They erected a barrier 100 ft around the block and had guys in moon suites out there for an entire day. Anybody with a brain would have dug a large hole beside it, rolled it into the hole and buried it under 3 ft of marsh muck.

The stuff is dangerous if it's handled haphazardly but it's not ricin, and I had to deal with what we thought might be ricin at the Post Office on one of the machines. You have to know what your doing and take proper precautions because if things go sideway you won't know for 30 years.

Bob

GW · November 2017

Ok I guess my feelings are not unique

Tug Of War with the Asbestos guy

Comments

Categories