Hvac Controls Job Walks

by

Not Gold

Sleight of hand is a technique used by illusionists in which one hand disguises what the other is doing. This often reveals a trinket and surprise, but when the contractor does this on a job walk, it’s often his cock which ends up in your ass. A point to illustrate… on a recent job walk, I had noted on the reflected ceiling plan in a hallway, that old-school 1×1 acoustical tiles which are glued to the lid, were to be repaired. Upon walking the job, I noted there were no access hatches leading up to the attic, and I needed to know where they are as we intended to pull an bundle of about 25 cables down the hall to various rooms.

The contractor assured me that it was going to be easy as pie, as the tiles were coming completely down in spots to give access to above. Great, I thought…. But Reagan was beckoning from the grave, ‘Trust, but verify,’ he called out in an eery moan. The big fat wiremold surface mounted up close to the ceiling made me more suspicious. Why would there be a 4INx2IN wiremold running down a hallway? Find access I must. I found a tile which had previously fallen down, and was now held up by wood screws. Upon removing the wood screws, I found an older acoustical tile above, probably asbestos WTH? I didn’t care, but above that one, was ancient pan deck. DENIED! The tiles had been hung on furring strips, which were sucked up tight to the lid. No running cables down this hallway, ‘Thanks asshole!’ But he’s not really an asshole, I’ve known the guy and liked him a long time, he probably just didn’t know…

Anyways, we found another route to run our cables, but all the walls are concrete block, with plaster floated on top, so it’s going to be messy with alot of macho (roto-hammer,) time. The other hallways, I verified access was available above the lid, and it was. Moral of the story? Dig a little deeper, bring a screwdriver, flashlight, and ladder to the deal. Check out the reflected ceiling plan on the drawings, and anticipate the wire pulls.

Another consideration? Surface mounted raceways in finished spaces. Wiremold? Yes, steel or non-metallic? EMT? Bell-boxes and compression fittings or steel boxes and fittings? Difference in linear foot price adds up quickly if the take-off was done using a cheaper method. Don’t neglect to take that into account when walking the job. Mechanical and electrical rooms are no doubt okay territory for steel boxes and fittings, but in other spaces, take the finish into consideration.

Anytime walking a job in unfamiliar territory, like HVAC Controls Installation, check the epicenter of installer wisdom, http://electriciansjobtalk.com/forum.php and browse the HVAC Controls Sub-Forum.

WWW.ElectriciansJobTalk.com

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