[lit-ideas] Re: JOE THE PLUMBER
- From: "Mike Geary" <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:56:10 -0500
JK:
>>Otoh, I have managed to deal with some electrical issues w/out killing
>>myself, mostly because I approach the inscrutable, ineffable, unknowable
>>magic of electricity with gut feelings, intuitions, and prayers.<<
Of all the trades I ply, I enjoy electrical work most because it's the cleanest
and the least odoriferous. A couple of weeks ago though, I got popped. First
time in probably 5 years. Always such a surprise. Wow! It was really dumb of
me. In Midtown Memphis most of the houses were built in the 1920's and use the
old knob and tube wiring where the "hot" wire and the "neutral" wire are run
separately and both are covered in black insulation so that one can't tell
which is which visually -- too often the neutral wire was run to the switch --
a no-no -- so that turning off the switch, while it turns off the light or fan
or whatever, doesn't disconnect the electricity to the appliance that one is
working on. Thus someone -- a fool such as I for example -- might blithely
grab hold of wire thinking the world is a good and safe place. Whappo!!! Holy
Shit! Stupid ass! You didn't check for voltage. Rule #1: Always check for
voltage. Rule #2: Make sure your meter is working. Rule #3: Check for
voltage again.
When it comes to cleaning ducts, I'm on the fence. I've peered into some ducts
that I thought looked like Church ("Save the Children from Witchcraft")
sponsored Halloween Houses (and recently at a lot of the bars I go into) with
the thick drooping "spider webs" everywhere. Still, I've never recommended
cleaning ducts to any of my customers. I've had customers who did it on their
own complain that it cost a bundle and made no appreciable difference. But I
honestly don't know. Obstruction of airflow definitely makes a difference in
the efficiency of a cooling/heating system. Industry magazines push IAQ
service -- (Indoor Air Quality) as a money maker. Anti-mold measures is
another. I'm personally rather ludditely skeptical of the efficacy of most of
these "movements", but I readily admit that molds can present a real health
hazard to sensitive individuals, and that ducts encrusted with stalactites of
dungeony dust may well aggravate allergies in sensitive people. But if you're
a real cowboy, you suck it up and get back on your horse.
Mike Geary
Memphis
----- Original Message -----
From: Julie Krueger
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2008 10:36 AM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: JOE THE PLUMBER
Uhuh -- but see, I've tried to sweat pipes before. It's a long, ghastly,
ugly, and only semi-successful task. Otoh, I have managed to deal with some
electrical issues w/out killing myself, mostly because I approach the
inscrutable, ineffable, unknowable magic of electricity with gut feelings,
intuitions, and prayers.
McCain made a personal phone call to Joe yesterday, inviting him to join him
on the last limping leg of his campaign trail. Even more jealous?
(You know about ducts?? WAIT! I bet you understand like, the um, er, system
organization of a/c, furnaces, air flow and um oh well.)
Living in a closed system, detritus of two fires, fighting mold, and afloat
on top of a sea of water -- I'm trying to decide among cement, bleach, sand,
cement and bleach, sand and bleach, cement and sand, or all three.
It's not that I couldn't move. It's that I won't.
On Thu, Oct 16, 2008 at 2:24 PM, Mike Geary <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
JK:
>>Yeah, but do you know how to sweat pipes to install a new hot water
heater?<<
Honey, that's child's play -- sweating. Ptui! I was sweating pipes in
first grade. We HVAC/R types braze pipes. We work at about 1000 degrees
hotter than sissy plumbers. We deal with manly pressures -- up to 400 psi;
girly plumbers seldom see 70 psi. Don't talk to me about "sweating" pipes
unless you want to be laughed at. Hell, I've even welded pipes -- but it
wasn't pretty, I must admit. Don't be taken in by plumber braggadocio, Julie.
They're all big talkers, but little doers. As one plumber who was watching me
braze a joint, then quench it with a wet rag asked (as if I were an idiot):
"Aren't you afraid of it caramelizing?" "No," I said. "I'm not." Surprised,
he shook his head, then realized his stupidity: "Oh, you're using Sil-phos,
aren't you?" "Duh," I said. God, I hate plumbers. You have to hold them by
the hand. Electricians too. They think they're so bright -- yeah, 25 watts
seems bright in the middle of the night. We HVAC/Rers are plumbers and
electricians and mechanics, we're steamfitters, pipefitters, ductfitters.
We're the Renaissance men (and women -- I've known one female HVAC/Rer) So it
goes.
Mike Geary
cooling hot boxes
in Memphis
----- Original Message -----
From: Julie Krueger
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2008 11:26 AM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: JOE THE PLUMBER
Yeah, but do you know how to sweat pipes to install a new hot water
heater?
I'm willing to try and tackle just about anything in the house with a
high risk of failure ... except pipes.
I hate the bloody things. They're evil.
On the whole though, being successful enough to be able to buy your own
company and then grousing about the 3% tax increase you might incur is a
strange claim to fame.
On Thu, Oct 16, 2008 at 8:33 AM, Mike Geary <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'm jealous, to say the least, that plumbers get all the attention.
What about your heat, eh? What about your AC, eh? What about your goddamn
refrigerator, eh? To hell with all politicians. We HVAC/R guys deserve to be
heard from too. Carl the carpenter? He's got Christ on his side. Otto the
mechanic? He's got Goodwrench extolling his virtues. Elrod the electrician?
Everybody lights up when he comes around. Yeah, well, just wait till next
summer. "What's that you say? You're hot? Ha! Call a plumber."
Enough, basta, zut! I'm on strike.
Mike Geary
Memphis
--
Julie Krueger
Visit www.VoteForChange.com. Register to vote and help spread the word.
--
Julie Krueger
Visit www.VoteForChange.com. Register to vote and help spread the word.
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