Sunday, June 26, 2016

What Quality is Your Parachute

Imagine that you are about to embark on a skydiving adventure. When choosing your parachute, where are you going to look? Are you going to be shopping at “Surplus Universe”, online from “DIY Parachutes”, or looking for a deal on Craig’s list? Not me! I want to choose my parachute at a place where everyone there has actually used a parachute and knows how they work. The reason is obvious: my life depends on that choice.

What about a NASCAR race? Would you want the cheapest car available? Probably not, because you could not compete with the folks driving real professional grade cars. No matter how good your driving skills are, you won’t even qualify if you are driving a Yugo.

You should take the same attitude when choosing your tools for any trade, especially HVACR. For a trades person, your tools are your lifeline. Poor tools limit your ability to work and can be dangerous. For example, when using a volt meter, your hands are holding the leads through which the electricity is flowing. The only thing keeping you from being shocked is the insulation quality of the leads. You do not want to be using a meter that has not been tested by an independent agency for safety. For HVACR work, the meter should have a safety category rating of at least III  and that rating should be verified by an independent agency. Further, a meter designed expressly for HVAC will offer features not found on the bargain meter, such as capacitance or microamp testing. The “Yugo” meter won’t allow you to check the flame rod circuit, hampering your ability to do your job.

Yes, the professional grade HVACR specific meter will cost more – but your life depends upon the quality of that meter. I prefer to purchase tools from wholesalers that specialize in HVACR because the people there know more about the products that they sell. Many of the employees at an AC Wholesaler have actually used those tools. AC Wholesalers also tend to carry better quality products than the discount stores. Further, HVACR wholesalers generally don’t stock anything that is dangerous to use. If you want people to take you seriously, don’t show up with a bunch of tools from “Surplus Universe.”

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Fathers Day 2016

I traditionally do a father’s day posting to my blog. This is the first father’s day since dad passed away on December 21, 2015 - one day past his 62nd wedding anniversary. He would have been 90 in January. Up until the last month or so, he got up every morning and made bacon and eggs. We used to grocery shopping together. At first he pushed the grocery buggy around, using it like a walker. Then as he got weaker he started using the motorized scooters. The last time we went shopping, I was not sure he could maneuver the scooter, so I pushed him in his wheel chair. It did not take long for me to realize my oversight – there was no place to put groceries! He could look at all the groceries, but we had no place to put them. I circled back and got a buggy. Now I was pushing dad with one hand and pulling the buggy with the other. However, I was not doing a particularly good job – which dad noticed. He offered to push the buggy. I reluctantly agreed to let him try. So I pushed his wheel chair and he leaned forward a bit and pushed the buggy. We must have been a sight! As funny as it must have looked, dad had helped solve the problem. You see, he was all about solving problems. Looking back, I realize what a blessing those outings to the grocery store were. If you pay attention, you can find meaning in the most mundane parts of life. I really miss those trips to the grocery store.

Lynn Stanfield's 89th Birthday January 30, 2015
Richard, Dad, Sally, Carter (me)