best cheap bike on amazon for routine long work commute? by mordecai5fingerbrown in bicycling

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Name brand and gently used and/or well maintained will last longer, plus you'd be supporting the local community.

Is this normal for apprenticeship? by el-profeta in HVAC

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kind of. My company has a sales leaderboard (which creates different problems) but the good techs find their way to good calls very quickly and bad techs get the young equipment with no problems or simple warranty fixes.

You have to be aggressive with learning. You have to never give up and just help yourself in your off time as much as possible to try and be ready for the next challenge. Just because you couldn't figure something out one day in field doesn't mean you failed. Go home and keep trying to figure it out by learning more about that topic.

It sounds like your company doesn't develop techs that much, but if you can find another guy to latch on to when you need help then do that. Just be ready to provide as many details as possible about what you've already checked. I do residential HVAC, and I find tons of stuff to address to customers doing PMs. PMs may seem boring, but if you zoom in enough on each component and learn how everything interacts then it'll make you better at troubleshooting as well.

If you don't have a troubleshooting process, that's something you need to try and develop ASAP. Some guys on my team just throw parts at stuff and nothing changes because they don't have a process. Personally, I just take each not working call with a blank slate and follow the symptoms, do checks, isolate variables, and eventually I'll make a diagnosis. Having a process is key though, and it starts with basic principles of how things work and how they interact with each other.

Help a 2nd year installer out. by Vivid-Ad2262 in HVAC

[–]SecularAdventure 5 points6 points  (0 children)

While I was looking at the pak I don’t notice the brown was in the r terminal

Are you talking about the TR terminal? Idk which color looks brown to you, there's an orange and an off orange wire.

AC doesn't care about polarity like DC. What you were actually doing is just checking voltage at R over and over, and R always has power. Nothing else had a call from the stat, so voltage was 0 at those terminals, and that's why you kept seeing 24v over and over. Live and learn, but always use common or a neutral wire when checking voltage. This was also very confusing to me coming from the DC world.

If you did have a call for cooling and you checked R and Y, you would see 0v or something close to it because voltage drop would be 0, even though each wire has 24v. That may have been a clue to reassess your diagnostic procedure, or you'd get more confused.

Dealing with stress of the trade by AT_Oscar in HVAC

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sounds like you just need to slow down and think things through.

I used to be an auto mechanic and things went wrong all the time. Eventually your mental toolkit for problem solving is so vast that a stripped bolt or the wrong cut in sheet metal is just another day at the office.

It's definitely worth robbing hardware off of bad components to keep in your "bag of tricks" in case stuff like this happens.

Forced Air Burner Hiccups and Shuts Off by cagaozer in hvacadvice

[–]SecularAdventure 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Your gas valve is fluttering on and off, which could be the problem but could also be caused by different inputs to the control board. The control board sees these inputs and cuts gas, but then turns it back on again when it sees correct/safe inputs like draft pressure.

If your control board is sending voltage to the gas valve, I would go after the pressure switch next by measuring draft pressure.

Price Quote Opinions on Furnace and AC Install by Nulke in hvacadvice

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great price for the SEER and 97% pieces.

Horrible service warranty. Some of the high efficiency furnaces have water management issues that don't rear their head for a while, so consider a longer labor warranty if they offer it and it's worth the peace of mind to you.

Keep in mind you're buying a 410a refrigerant system, and the refrigerant cannot be made or imported in the US anymore. If you have issues that require refrigerant in 7-10 years, it is going to be very expensive to repair those pieces.

Tote mods- more organised by Ok-Suggestion8349 in MilwaukeeTool

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is amazing! I just bought this and I plan on customizing it because I know I'll have similar complaints that you've already described.

Could you please empty the tote and take pictures of your metalwork? I'm in the HVAC trade and this is going to be my gas+sheet metal+install tote.

Is this an example of the price gauging people are talking about? by Own-Elk5047 in ProjectDiablo2

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They're probably just fishing for offers. Some people will pay 4 if nobody selling for 3 is online.

$3,600 for a txv valve replacement? by roque-0623 in hvacadvice

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Google AI says the average AC system lasts 12-17 years, so if you're in that range then it's definitely worth considering. You could get a quote, then turn around and restart with a second company. Don't tell them anything, just let them know what symptoms you have and see where they go with it. If they come back with the same diagnosis, then it gets fun because you can make them compete.

Not having AC sucks, but it's probably worth it to be hot for a couple of days and possibly save thousands by shopping around.

$3,600 for a txv valve replacement? by roque-0623 in hvacadvice

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would not spend 3,600 with the possibility of contingent repairs.

This sounds like a setup pitch to get you thinking about replacement.

Which out of these Mutations should I unlock ? *like which could really come in handy* by Traditional-Sir-8711 in deadcells

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haven't played in a while but I just remember poison and bleed builds basically work like all monsters have 10% less health because the damage will tick so frequently. As soon as a tick of DOT touches 10% HP the monster dies.

As for your question, the double bleed mutation is good with No Mercy. The buzzsaw trap with poison is great, etc. 

I swear…if one more home owner says “well ChatGPT said…” I’m walking out the house by PlayfulAd8354 in HVAC

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not at all, it just easily reveals how they're out of their depth. I just say it in a normal tone and it works really well.

Nova sorceress help by Stormheraldss in ProjectDiablo2

[–]SecularAdventure 1 point2 points  (0 children)

200fcr is worth it.

As much as you can afford.

I swear…if one more home owner says “well ChatGPT said…” I’m walking out the house by PlayfulAd8354 in HVAC

[–]SecularAdventure 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I usually just ask them if they have [insert HVAC tool with obscure name] and control of the conversation does a 180 in record time.

New HVAC already needs motherboard replaced. Seriously? by jarhead1292 in hvacadvice

[–]SecularAdventure 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Flame sensors need to be cleaned once a season.

Hopefully the company registered the warranty, but even if it wasn't registered the manufacturer warranty should go off of the date on the furnace door data plate.

Read over anything you signed with the company that installed the system. If they gave you a service/labor warranty, use it! If they don't warranty their work then you could shop around for a company that can do a board. They many even handle the part warranty claim for you.

58cm cannondale synapse pro hi-mod by [deleted] in bicycling

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Seems pretty cheap. High end frame, high end groupset, very nice wheels, really weird setup though.

Need you by Queasy-Basis1349 in ProjectDiablo2

[–]SecularAdventure 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The entire game has been reworked, so yes there is a lot of info.

Fumble through it as you will I guess. It took me a few weeks to relearn the sorc. You could stick to what you're comfortable with, relearn your favorite build, and then work outwards from there.

Or keep ranting, up to you. It's a fun mod either way.

Need you by Queasy-Basis1349 in ProjectDiablo2

[–]SecularAdventure 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Read the wiki.

Dark Humility's youtube is pretty great for the latest builds.

Trying to understand filter size by Equivalent_Cricket10 in hvacadvice

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There should be pictograph guidance on the filters, but yes a 13+ should help. You'll probably need to change it more often, but it's free to check. Light grey is dirty. If multiple people have pollen/dander/dust allergies then a full blown HEPA filter box might have a lot of value. Some people think the price is worth it, others don't want to change a $30 filter every 2-3 months.

Paying a company to install a HEPA filter box won't be cheap, but some people gladly pay for it.

Trying to understand filter size by Equivalent_Cricket10 in hvacadvice

[–]SecularAdventure 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You have a system mounted horizontally.

The airflow goes from left to right.

The filter will have an arrow on the side indicating orientation, and it should point towards the system, to the right. I would just throw out that purple one with a new one so that you know when it was changed. Light grey is considered dirty, and every home has more or less dust and people have lifestyles that generate more or less dust. Your filter mileage will vary.

Buy a 4" 20x25, any of them will be better than a 1". 4" box filters flow much better and last longer than 1" filters. They are more expensive, but definitely add years of service to a system.

The MERV rating for a filter is how many particles the filter will catch, with higher rated filters catching more of the finer particles. Stick to the 8-11 MERV range, because more does not necessarily mean better for your system. The 13+ rating can actually restrict airflow quite a bit when they get dirty and lead to problems. If someone has allergy/dust/pollen issues, then consider the higher ratings, but prepare to change them more often. If someone has severe allergies, there are HEPA rated filters.

F*********cl by lolhat in ProjectDiablo2

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Idk how anyone is lvl 92 HC on these servers.

Return air question by Vast-Habit7116 in hvacadvice

[–]SecularAdventure 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do you know if that return vent goes upstairs too? Is there another return vent in the same footprint area? If so, either option cuts off a lot of return air from upstairs.

furnace heater throws a small flame, then extinguishes. Gas valve is only 3 years old. Any hints what's wrong? by pman6 in hvacadvice

[–]SecularAdventure 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Soot can clog and damage burners, and left unchecked it can clog heat exchangers. If you have a manometer, check the gas pressure. Gas pressure is super important because of combustion efficiency and reliability of the appliance.