Have you ever pulled the Disconnect Switch to hurry payment long ?

[Noel Murdough]

I had a four story dorm that I cared for that was heated by steam. The kids on the top floor would turn the radiators ALL the way up and open their windows in the 0° F weather. The 8 averaging sensors would become low enough to call for heat all of the time, but the chimney effect would FREEZE out the rooms on the ground floor. That fresh smokey air that was LEAVING the top floor was being replaced by the freezing air coming in the bottom floor, through old windows.

Turning up the setpoint actually made the difference between the top floor and the bottom floor WORSE!

Of course, the DDC system was heavily investigated and trended to see if IT was the problem. I was told not to touch it....

It recorded changes in setpoints and status.

It didn't record offsets being added or subtracted from sensor inputs.

I made the thing think the building was 79°, one sensor at a time. The steam boiler shut off. It stayed off.

The windows began coming down. Slowly at first, then all at once.

I reset the offsets. Had to do that for three weeks, every day, EVERY FALL, to train the little buggers to close the damned windows when they went out.

After that, except once in a while, most of the windows would stay shut. The ones that didn't stay shut, I'd be sure to knock hard on their door EVERY TIME I was on that floor, to remind them. They didn't care for that. No, not one bit.

Finding a way to do it from the main building without leaving tracks was the hard part.

It was an XBS Excell 5000 system, without naming names.

Noel

[Edited by Noel Murdough on 02-11-2005 at 06:19 PM]

[NormChris]

Originally posted by hvacfella
'I was working on the roof of an aerospace building when the security people forced me to leave because a group of Air Force generals were going to have a top secret meeting in the building.
So I shut down every rooftop unit and went back to the maint shop and waited. I informed the director of maint of what I did and he thought it was great. About 45 minutes later he got a phone call while he and I were having coffee in his office. They wanted me back on the job immediately because it was too hot in their meeting room to hold the meeting. The maint director informed the general making the call that we were real busy but he would try to locate me and see what he could do. He also told them that once I returned I would need to be allowed to remain on the roof until all my work was finished.
I went back about an hour later and here were all the brass standing outside waiting for me. I was allowed back on the roof and remained there even during their meeting.
On that particular day they learned not to mess with the AC crew.
'

ME: Wasnt it a little risky for you to kill all the RTU's knowing youd be affecting Top Generals ??? Its a good thing they didnt discover your ploy . Did u do it because you felt you were inconvenienced ?!

That was about 30 years ago when I was a young fella feeling my oats. I just wanted to mess with them. I am much older and more professional now.

[frozensolid]

A former coworker of mine, on an emergency service call went to a third world market. Upon his arrival, the owner went ballistic on my friend about how much this was costing him. So the mechanic turned around and started to walk out, the owner asked the mechanic where was he going.

He replied, I am going to save you a lot of money, and he never looked back.

[midhvac]

Install a coin box on the outside unit.

[mattm]

Hey Norm, Did you ever find out why they took all the coffee makers?

[NormChris]

Originally posted by mattm
Hey Norm, Did you ever find out why they took all the coffee makers?

Yes, the company administration got some bug about the time spent drinking coffee instead of working. It did not last long and the coffee makers returned. Probably new ones.

[kbtech]

about 25 years ago, before I entered the hvac trade, I installed a service for a customer on his barn. After 2 months of no payment, the boss sent me to the customers property with the instructions to "collect the check or bring the equipment back". I had been working parking lot lighting that day, so I was driving the 55' hi-ranger.After arriving at the customers property, about 25 minutes of arguing with the P.O.S. about his failure to pay...no joy! He just wasn't going to pay. I jumped in the truck and sat for a minute, trying to figure out what I was going to tell the boss. Remembering what the boss told me about the money or the equipment, I backed the truck up to the barn, wrapped a chain around the service mast and jumped back up into the cab of the truck. At this point the customer shows up next to the truck and asks WTF! I calmly explained my position to him. I told him that if I didn't return to the shop with the money or the equipment that I had installed for him my boss would take it out of my paycheck, as I had a new baby at home I couldn't afford to lose my money, because he was a deadbeat SOB, and I was planning on removing the service from the side of his barn by pulling it out with my truck, as I had already wasted enough time on a job that I had not been paided for. He turned about 6 ahdes of green and told me not to move. I waited about 2 minutes and he reappeared with a hand full of cash and paid for the job infull. When I returned to the shop and related the story to the boss he put me incharge of accounts receivable.

[fixit50]

A few times I put in the contract that the a/c was just a rental unit untill it was paid for and we can remove the unit at anytime payment not received. Just like what those high priced furniture rental stores use. Just check your state law to see if this allowed. It does work and you get paid quickly also. Just show up tell them to pay or you have to take the unit.

[hvacfella]

KB, That was so funny to read ! Ill bet alot of sparks would have flown had you hit the accelerator pedal !

[hvacfella]

'A few times I put in the contract that the a/c was just a rental unit untill it was paid for and we can remove the unit at anytime payment not received.
'

ME: I like this one alot and will seriously consider doing it ; do u say in the contract what the rent will be , or, is there any need to ?

[cehs]

On every one of my invoices, there is a statement right below the authorizing signature:

There is NO warrenty on unpaid items.

[Green Mountain]

As a general statement let me say to all of you young new contractors that it is against the law to enter someones property and disable his equipment without his permission.

I refuse to answer any questions as if I ever did this. (On the grounds that it may incriminate me!!)

Learn the gentle art of getting your money as you do the work. When someone saids, "I'll pay you on tuesday." BE THERE on tuesday and remind them that they said "tuesday" so I made this special trip for collecting the money you owe me. By the way we have not adjusted the gas pressure on your furnace so that it will give you the optimum operation. When will you want me to schudule this? This is usually something we do at the final payment and the commencement of the warranty period.

You have to remember what they said. Go back to them, and quote what and when they said this. Repeat thier words over and over again as often as 10 times in one meeting.

You, in a very nice way, must tell them "You are a freaking, lying ba$tard! You know it and I know it." But yet you can't pi$$ them off.

[oogene]

the "it's a rental unit until final payment is recieved" is an excellent idea, was wondering if one could install a heat pump or a/c and hold off on charging the unit until final payment recieved or keep the boards and maybe a gas valve (if a furnace)until paid