Your Favorite Install Tool?

Ahh, no fun. Seriously, you ever run into cooling, or should I say overheating issues out there on the moon? I know the homes are all air conditioned, but what about vacation homes etc? I think Bob LaLonde wrote about cooling fans a few years back. Lessee... js

I'm sure you meant; that makes cents! :-)

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| > | > Sylvain Robitaille wrote: | > | >

| > | >> Crash Gordon wrote: | > | >>

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| > | >>>Basement is almost the same process...easier if your basement doesn't | > | >>>have a finished ceiling. | > | >>

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| > | >> The old, very damaged, suspended ceiling was removed the week I | > bought | > | >> the house. It's remaining with no ceiling until I finish several | > | >> rewiring projects, which I admit will be a few years at least. | > | >>

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| > | >>>Except you wont have the problem of drilling out the roof...only | > | >>>smashing into the basement stem wall with your drill bit...and of | > | >>>course water pipes. | > | >>

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| > | >> Oh yes, of course ... water pipes. Thanks! | > | >>

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| > | > And 110 wiring... Don't forget 110 wiring. | > | | > | | > | | >

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inline...

Some are...but you can buy pretty ones :-) Not anymore ugly than thermostats, hvac registers, cheap lighting fixtures, etc.

| | (Have I just gotten kicked out of the newsgroup? ;-)

No...why? You're asking good questions.

| | >| What I don't know is where to put the magnetic switches for doors and | >| windows. ... | >

| > Mostly dictated by building construction and where you can get a wire | > TO. | | Ok, so if I apply a little common sense I'm not likely to put sensors | anywhere that I'll later wish I hadn't. I'll consider your order of | preference. Thanks. | | > Hinge side (not like to false but a pain in the butt to get the magnet | > distance correct so the switch will open when the door opens) | | I imagine it's also more difficult to service, offering another tradeoff | from the "not likely to false trigger" characteristic.

Only if you're careful...like i said getting the break-point right on a hinged side switch is tricky.

| | > I prefer small surface mount contacts on windows in most cases...due to | > lightning and other service reasons. | | Lightning?

It's been my experience that recessed contacts in metal framed windows tend to get welded closed by a close lightning strike, and you'll never know unless you are religious about testing all your window switches on a regular basis (highly recommended practice, btw). Recessed contacts on sliding windows can go out of adjustment when the little metal wheels the windows slide on wear down...or fall off. They're also hard for a homeowner to troubleshoot if a magnet is out of alignment...its a service call to open the loop in the panel and find out which window in the zone is not closing/aligning properly...with a surface contact even the dumbest homeowner can look and see if the magnet is lined up...or missing.

| | > In residences I don't like recessed window contacts. | | Fair enough, but I take it that I should go ahead with these for doors. | They appear (from what I've seen of installations in friends' homes) to | be what is typically used. | | > Protect your phone line. | | Ugh! Unfortunately the phone line coming into the house is easily | reached by a 6' tall person standing on the deck at the rear of the house. | We had the phone company look at it (we'd requested that they move it) | when we bought the house. Our claim was that it presented a hazard | (based on the report about it given by our building inspector). The phone | company disagreed, and we've since contemplated paying them to move it, | but haven't done so yet.

They'll move it if you squeak louder. | | It would be interesting (for future reference, really) to find an alarm | system that dials first, and sounds the local alarm later. Or does such | a system already exist?

Some panels you can delay the dial out for a few seconds...personally I wont do that but you can do whatever you want.

good luck..and hth.

R.

| | -- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | Sylvain Robitaille snipped-for-privacy@alcor.concordia.ca | | Systems and Network analyst Concordia University | Instructional & Information Technology Montreal, Quebec, Canada | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |

Overheating...nah.. I do...but not the systems. Have had some early battery failures...like 2 years instead of 3-4-5.

Bob LaLonde is out in the boonie desert...we have water, airconditioning, even toilets here :-)

Vacation homes..not even there because they have to leave they're air set at at most 86 or the drywall will fall down go boom, the toilets will dry up and let sewer gas up into the house...not nice either.

Up in Happy Jack it gets cold so they gotta leave heat on or pipes will burst...doesn't get as hot up there as it does down here.

You push sixteen feet, whadda ya get, Another bay over, and you ain't there yet, Crash Gordon don't ya call me cuz I cain't go, I need that wire to my keypad below.

js

Frozen pipes? Hmm...maybe quote some temp. monitoring on that puppy. Remote furnace/AC control, etc? Just a thought. js

I'll suggest it. He's supposta email me a mini plan tonight.

| > Bob LaLonde is out in the boonie desert...we have water, airconditioning, | > even toilets here :-) | >

| > Vacation homes..not even there because they have to leave they're air set | at | > at most 86 or the drywall will fall down go boom, the toilets will dry up | > and let sewer gas up into the house...not nice either. | >

| > Up in Happy Jack it gets cold so they gotta leave heat on or pipes will | > burst...doesn't get as hot up there as it does down here. | | Frozen pipes? Hmm...maybe quote some temp. monitoring on that puppy. Remote | furnace/AC control, etc? Just a thought. | js | |

that make sens.. ;-)

"Crash Gordon" a écrit dans le message de news: u7C7f.78$ snipped-for-privacy@news.uswest.net...

That's consistent with what I was intending to do, likely in the corner of an L-shaped hallway joining kitchen/dining/living rooms with bedrooms. Another motion sensor will likely be placed in the basement, (though that one won't get to 8'), and perhaps a third in the stairwell joining upstairs and downstairs.

My concern there is that I'd like to make the installation as inconspicuous as possible. I hope no one here will be offended by this remark, but I find alarm components rather unsightly.

(Have I just gotten kicked out of the newsgroup? ;-)

Ok, so if I apply a little common sense I'm not likely to put sensors anywhere that I'll later wish I hadn't. I'll consider your order of preference. Thanks.

I imagine it's also more difficult to service, offering another tradeoff from the "not likely to false trigger" characteristic.

Lightning?

Fair enough, but I take it that I should go ahead with these for doors. They appear (from what I've seen of installations in friends' homes) to be what is typically used.

Ugh! Unfortunately the phone line coming into the house is easily reached by a 6' tall person standing on the deck at the rear of the house. We had the phone company look at it (we'd requested that they move it) when we bought the house. Our claim was that it presented a hazard (based on the report about it given by our building inspector). The phone company disagreed, and we've since contemplated paying them to move it, but haven't done so yet.

It would be interesting (for future reference, really) to find an alarm system that dials first, and sounds the local alarm later. Or does such a system already exist?

The fish tape _knows_ I'm no pro at running cabling through walls and ceilings! :-)

Talking about keypad height...I did a takeover last week where the LCD keypads were at switch height (no not a ADA house either)...totally stupid. I had to program the system on my knees so I could read the screen...and of course the homeowner didnt want me to move them up to user height - which I offered to do for no charge. I dunno how they'll ever use the system.

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| > | > I usually hide them behind clothes in the mbr closet...and where I can | > reach | > | > them without a 12 foot freekin' ladder. WHY do people put them almost on | > the | > | > ceiling in a residences? | > | | > | | > | Drives us short installers nuts. | > | | > | Yep... that's why.... | > | | > | | > | >

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hah!

I did a takeover from a national company about a year ago...every thing was fine except the kitchen arcadia door showed open. I couldn't see the switch anywhere. I had originally prewired the house but they had gone with the national company to do the install then got tired of them I guess and came back to me. Anyway, I KNOW I had run a wire to that door. The national company's zoning showed it as the only door in that loop...what the heck?...I look in the frame and I could see the 3/8" hole and..no switch, no wire. Damn...I'm thinking its time for an attic crawl in a shitty attic. So, I go outside on the patio for a smoke before I don my attic suit....I'm sitting outside on the patio lookin at the pool enjoying the butt, then I swivel around to face the house and to my surprise...and shock...they had intentionally installed the switch on the OUTSIDE of the arcadia sliding door. Oh, yeah the switch was one of those commerical screw type switches with no cover on it. HUH? I still can't figure out why they would do that...they had to go out of their way to do it too. Needless to say the switch was bad...and yes; I moved it INTO the house.

| >Major alarm co in my area...here's how they mount the panels...huge glob of | >construction adhesive and one drywall screw to hold it from falling down | >while the glue dries. If you have to change the panel somewhere down the | >road half the wall comes off with the box. Same for lawn signs, which they | >mount on the side yard gate. Nice, huh. | >

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| >| >>Let us know about your favorite installation tool ? | >| >>

| >| >>Mine is the Robertson (square-drive) screwdriver? Screws stay on with | >| >>one hand at all angles and drive true and hard. | >| >>

| >| >>BobbyD | >| >>

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I am one of the tallest tech's we have and the smurfs always tease me about crawls and tight attics... So I tease 'em right back when they have to tote around a 4' ladder to get to stuff I just reach up to.

High panels are an joke around here because one of our service techs has a truck so packed and messy he can't get his 6' ladder out without doing major re-organization.

But I only do 'em when that's the only choice and then never in a tight place (hate those myself). We laugh about Mike having to get his ladder out to service it though...

Side not re: tall / short tech's...

Our shortest > It was you?

Maybe the alarm was installed to keep folks in? Serously....

Unruly teens... foster home for delinquents?

Granted, I am reach> Wierd Installs, Ok, here goes.........

On their knees?

That's the rest of the story...he was abt 6' 7" and she was under 5' so it was kinda ok for her.

just those cheapie tyvek suits; keeps some of the fiberglass at bay.

| > I did a takeover from a national company about a year ago...every thing | was | > fine except the kitchen arcadia door showed open. I couldn't see the | switch | > anywhere. I had originally prewired the house but they had gone with the | > national company to do the install then got tired of them I guess and came | > back to me. Anyway, I KNOW I had run a wire to that door. The national | > company's zoning showed it as the only door in that loop...what the | > heck?...I look in the frame and I could see the 3/8" hole and..no switch, | no | > wire. Damn...I'm thinking its time for an attic crawl in a shitty attic. | So, | > I go outside on the patio for a smoke before I don my attic suit....I'm | > sitting outside on the patio lookin at the pool enjoying the butt, then I | > swivel around to face the house and to my surprise...and shock...they had | > intentionally installed the switch on the OUTSIDE of the arcadia sliding | > door. Oh, yeah the switch was one of those commerical screw type switches | > with no cover on it. HUH? I still can't figure out why they would do | > that...they had to go out of their way to do it too. Needless to say the | > switch was bad...and yes; I moved it INTO the house. | | Attic suit? Wow never knew about those :) | | |

Attic suit? Wow never knew about those :)

ooohhh a thread that calls out to my inner kit freak

in no particular order -

the Ghost Ladder - a folding 3 ft Grade 1A step ladder which is high enough for 85% of the jobs yet folds up small enough to fit in any car and can be carried into the house (because it fold's up so small) without worrying about scratching up the walls.

Unfortunately it doesn't appear that it's being made any more.

for the taller jobs - a Little Giant or Jaws folding ladder. (I found a Chicom knockoff for 1/2 the price of a Little Giant)

Pants _ (wait a minute pants don't qualify as a tool I hear you say.) Check out the work pants from Skillers

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designed by an electrician they have these nifty double pockets that pull out so you've got two built in pouches for screws, contacts, crimps, as wells as a side pocket that holds cable ties like a dream. Best part is they have these two pockets on the knees that hold kneepads so you can spend all day kneeling down putting in door contacts and still be able to walk to the truck at quitting time. Up here in Canuckistan Mark's work Wearhouse make a cheaper knockoff called the Ultimate Work Pant.

You have to wear safety boots for the commercial sites but Mrs Homemaker wants you to take them off as soon as you walk in the house so you don't scratch the hardwoods. Save 1/2 hour a day by putting in boot Zippers

OR... buy pull on boots Megapro Screwdriver- nice fat handle - lots of torque. Maglite Mini -(the 2 AA cell size) yes they're expensive but try hitting a angry rotweiler in the head with your LED headlamp and you'll see why I prefer machined aluminum. add a couple of Nite-Ize accessories LED upgrade-Batteries last for ever -turns it into a handsfree light Inspection light- now you can see inside the wall Battery Tester- the best one I have ever found is the Intelligent Battery Tester from ACT-Meters ened up buying one for every tech in the company (20+). Amazing how many bad batteries you find in systems with a falsing problem.

Continuity Testers - the Latch-Test from Test-Um

not only NO and NC circuits but can latch on either. Invaluable when working alone.

Fiber Glass Fish tape

metal fish tape is designed to pull wires > Let us know about your favorite installation tool ?