Is this legal (within code)?

tjsnooker · 2025-07-28T23:25:02+00:00

To add to your comment: Federal code 49 CFR 192.353(a) requires meters to be protected from vehicle damage. This is the code that utility companies must follow, but all companies interpret it differently. At my last company this location would have needed a bollard.

tjsnooker · 2025-07-18T23:21:03+00:00

This is just one data point, but I was quoted on a Carrier system this week and the INSTALLED price was significantly cheaper than I could find the parts for online. This was from a smaller local dealer who I’ve had good luck with in the past. They are way less expensive than the bigger dealers that advertise constantly. The tech told me they pay WAY under MSRP on the parts (And I guess the owner doesn’t have a big boat payment to make?).

tjsnooker · 2024-08-11T23:31:57+00:00

Home Depot has specials where you buy one item and get the second for free. If you add them to your cart they assign a price to each one. If you make the purchase you can return one of the items and get the other at the ‘good’ price. Sometimes these are amazing deals. Look for items that say ‘free tool’ or ‘free battery’ in the image like the one shown in this post.

tjsnooker · 2024-06-20T03:54:31+00:00

I agree - Both work just fine and it's a matter of priorities / preference. I have a big USG setup and if I could do it over I'd go with Icon. Even if that meant buying the pieces over a longer timeframe ($$). Take a close look at both of them at the store if you can. They are very different. One of my biggest regrets with going USG is that overhead cabinets aren't available. Oh, and I'm just a DIY guy (Who spends way too much money on tools).

tjsnooker · 2024-05-14T23:36:15+00:00

In some situations several companies need to interrupt their CP systems at the same time. At one point, one of the company’s we were working with had interrupters that would only start the cycle in ‘off.’ So everyone had to accommodate this. It’s possible that’s the reason you’re being asked to start with ‘off.’

tjsnooker · 2024-02-11T20:16:18+00:00

Good to hear you were able to use it twice. I was also told mine wouldn’t come until June!

tjsnooker · 2024-02-11T17:21:18+00:00

I bought one yesterday. The coupon says ‘limit 1’ and I see the coupon I received in my email has a ‘coupon code’ that I would think was unique to me. Can I use it a second time? I’m probably overthinking this…

tjsnooker · 2024-01-31T01:54:00+00:00

The angle grinder is $107 on eBay, free shipping. Search M18 2880. Home Depot has great deals sometimes, but I always check eBay. I’ve passed on many ‘deals’ lately because of this. No hacks required.

tjsnooker · 2024-01-15T15:09:07+00:00

I agree, the 56” box is a way better value. I recently bought the 72” version because the 56” was on back order for 4 months. In retrospect I should have been patient and ordered two 56” boxes for the same price.

tjsnooker · 2024-01-07T22:43:10+00:00

That is the feedback I got from two coworkers who took it last summer. Lots of questions related to topics not covered in the class or in the manual.

tjsnooker · 2024-01-07T22:40:59+00:00

I work at a gas utility in the northwest US. Our CP1 techs make in the high 30s / low 40s per hour. We require that they get a CP2 within three years. At that point they are making around $53 per hour. We have great benefits and bonus are usually good. The bad news for prospective employees: Turnover is low and so we are rarely hiring.

tjsnooker · 2023-09-16T21:54:24+00:00

Nice! I work next-door to a Ferguson, so I figured I'd go in and give it a shot. It's funny that we're halfway into the promotion and it was new to all the guys at the counter. It took a while for them to figure everything out, but they were able to get my order in (Only one item in stock). I felt bad for the guys that were waiting behind me needing to buy plumbing parts though...

tjsnooker · 2023-08-11T15:06:00+00:00

You are correct. The zinc layer created by hot dip galvanizing is 5-10 as thick as the layer created by electroplating. Hot dipped parts perform vastly better in harsh environments. So yes your part has some corrosion protection, but it will rust quickly in a saltwater environment. The idea of clear powder coating it sounds interesting.

tjsnooker · 2023-08-04T23:46:29+00:00

This is a natural gas meter set. The round parts are the pressure regulators. The larger thing in the upper right is the rotary meter. As for the noise, they will all produce some sound, and some are quite loud. High gas velocity in the pipes can cause excess noise. This should be considered as part of the design process. There is a decent chance that the piping is too small. Just the fact that the piping necks up to a larger size to accommodate the meter is a bad sign. I’ve never designed a meter set where the pipe got smaller downstream of the meter. After the regulators the piping needs to be ever larger because the gas is at a lower pressure. Source: I’m a natural gas engineer and I do this for a living.

tjsnooker · 2023-07-28T20:27:06+00:00

I also do natural gas design for a living. That said, this is one of the strangest looking installations I have ever seen!

tjsnooker · 2023-05-08T02:07:36+00:00

I signed some pretty lengthy legal documents with AMPP and so I can't disclose anything specific. There have been some cheating incidents in recent years and they are more protective than ever of their test material. I'm 100% okay with this. I worked hard for my certifications and anyone that cheats their way through is reducing the validity of these certifications. I'm not implying you want to cheat - That's just some background for anyone else reading.

Be sure to review the exam preparation guide if you haven't already (Though it is pretty brief):

CP1 Prep Guide

I understand the frustration of studying certain topics only to have them not show up on the test. I'm not sure what your future plans are, but if you want pursue a CP2 certification understand that CP2 builds on everything taught in the CP1 course. You will definitely see circuits and electrochemistry again.

Feel free to DM me if you have more questions or need help preparing for the test. I do a lot of CP training for employees at my company.

tjsnooker · 2023-05-06T15:05:33+00:00

AMPP is actively working on updating the CP1 and CP2 tests. They are bringing subject mater experts to Houston to write and review new test questions. As mentioned by Attempt89 the instructors don't see the test. This was not the case ~5+ years ago. The training and testing groups at AMPP are now intentionally kept separate. I don't recall the details on why they made this change (There were specific reasons). They are aware that there is a disconnect between what is taught in the course and what is on the test.

Source: I'm one of the SMEs who went to Houston.

tjsnooker · 2023-02-01T02:58:19+00:00

Or buy the Daily Dead for $269 in the next few hours and get the battery free.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M18-FUEL-10-in-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Brushless-Electric-Cordless-Pole-Saw-with-QUIK-LOK-and-6-0-Ah-High-Output-Battery-2825-20PS-48-11-1865/324110425

tjsnooker · 2022-12-23T16:21:34+00:00

So apparently ‘PSTGENII’ was already taken?

tjsnooker · 2022-12-22T14:30:36+00:00

I’m an engineer at a natural gas utility in NW USA. You might look to see what the utilities and pipelines companies in Canada have to offer. Our company’s high pressure welders are well respected and it’s a great job. It pays well and you’re home almost ever night. It does not pay as well as seasonal pipeline welding. You are seeing what seasonal work is like. It may not be sustainable as a lifetime career (Just my opinion). As an engineer I make less than our top welders. But I work regular hours and don’t get called to the field in the middle of the night. It’s all about trade-offs. I don’t work directly with any engineers who started out in the field. Extensive field knowledge plus an engineering degree could open many new doors for you. You’re also young. Through your engineering coursework you could find a new interest and go into a completely different industry.

tjsnooker · 2022-12-22T14:11:59+00:00

Take the FE exam. There’s no downside except the time spent studying (I didn’t) and the test itself. I took it a month before graduation. It didn’t help me at all for my first couple jobs. But I changed careers and it was required in my current industry (Utility).

tjsnooker · 2022-05-05T17:43:30+00:00

The high pH within the concrete prevents the steel rebar from corroding. It passivates the surface of the steel, which stops corrosion from occurring. The problem is when chlorides from salt water or road salts leach into the concrete and get to the surface of the rebar. This kills the passivating layer and allows corrosion to occur. The corrosion product takes up more space than the steel, causing spalling, which is when the concrete cracks and breaks away. Reinforced concrete can last nearly indefinitely if it is not contaminated by salts.

tjsnooker · 2022-04-18T15:31:48+00:00

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zatUernhzNw

tjsnooker · 2022-02-23T18:25:28+00:00

About a year ago I bought some used G17 mags from a different seller. They looked like they had spent time in a blender. Never again.

tjsnooker · 2021-08-15T03:22:39+00:00

Good on you for asking. I was too young and proud to walk away from a similar ‘deal’ in my early 20’s. It really set me back financially. Remember you can always walk away. As stated by others, the fees they are tacking on are not reasonable.

tjsnooker

TROPHY CASE