Random Rant Thread (no moto content)

EricV

Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
8,227
Location
Tupelo, MS
Don’t put in a oversized furnace.
I agree, no need for uber efficient here either. If we go there, it's like for like replacement. My gas bill is $50/Mo. 1650 sq/ft house. 75k to 80k is just fine.
 

Sierra1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
14,817
Location
Joshua TX
….I was quickly reminded last night that the sharp cutoff on the headlights really sucks on tight sweepers....
It's the stupid lighting system....which is used on more, and more vehicles. IF the lights are adjusted correctly, and IF the roads are level, and smooth, and IF there is no other traffic , allowing you to use the "high" beam, they're great. They were obviously developed in a static environment. Then, to add insult to injury, around here, people are putting 4" of lift on only the front of their trucks. Now, their low beam are aimed into oncoming traffic. W.T.F? So, when they actually use the truck, as a truck, and hook up a trailer to it or put a load in the bed, it makes it even worse. I don't understand taking a $60k+ truck, putting the 4-6" lift only of the front axel, and then installing oversized wheels with low profile street tires. I'm also seeing this being done more, and more, to 3/4 ton trucks. Is this a local thing or is it everywhere? OK, I'm done. :oops:
 

EricV

Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
8,227
Location
Tupelo, MS
I'm also seeing this being done more, and more, to 3/4 ton trucks. Is this a local thing or is it everywhere? OK, I'm done. :oops:
The truck thing is all over. The jacked up truck with street tires is called a "bro truck".

As a society we need to publicly humiliate these idiots as much as possible. Point and laugh at them while loudly calling out "LOOK AT THAT DUMBASS!"

Many of the high end trucks have inside the cab headlight adjustment. (Tundra). Some of them deliberately run their lights out of whack. Loud lights save lives?
 

Sierra1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
14,817
Location
Joshua TX
:eek: bro-truck?! o_O Well that would also explain the mirrors extended aaaaall the way out; "come at me bro!" I refer to the "bros" that walk in the same manner, arms way out to the side just like their mirrors, as having invisi-lats.
 

EricV

Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
8,227
Location
Tupelo, MS
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bro truck

I guess it applies to super clean lifted trucks with off road or street tires. Seems like I saw another term too, but don't recall what.

Brodozer is another term for uselessly lifted trucks that are not off road capable. Like 2wd duallies.
 

Sierra1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
14,817
Location
Joshua TX
….Like 2wd duallies.
Saw one of those the other day. Brand new GMC High Country Dually. Still had the buyer's tag. 6"-8" lift. It was 4WD, but they had put the semi-truck wheels on it. Had to be at least $80K. I wouldn't want to drive it, let alone park it.
 

EricV

Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
8,227
Location
Tupelo, MS
When I lived in OR the Mexicans liked to buy old 1 ton duallies and slam them to the weeds. To the point where you couldn't carry more than a bag of groceries in the bed w/o dragging on the tires or ground. Just didn't make any sense to me, but hey, they drove a 'big truck'. Good for the ego, except when the girls laugh at them.

Priceless moment at a stop light that I witnessed. Warm day windows/top down. Old guy in a new, yellow Corvette convertible pulls up to the light next to a normal 2wd pickup with a smokin hot 30's woman driving. He revs the engine to get her attention...

She looks over and shouts "Nice car, sorry about the penis!" Light turns green and she drives away as he sloooowly pulls out to avoid any more eye contact. :D
 

AVGeek

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
2,780
Location
Boulder City, NV 89005
I gotta think it's the same kinda thing with the bro-trucks.
To be fair, I do drive a 3/4 ton F250 as my daily driver. At the same time, it has stock suspension (other than the rear air bags I put in to help when I had a slide in camper), original wheels and I did install a pair of light bars (one in the front bumper, one over the windshield, which I'm thinking about taking off). Anytime I see one of those bro-trucks (love that term!), I have the same reaction as the woman in Eric's story...
 

Sierra1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
14,817
Location
Joshua TX
To be fair, I do drive a 3/4 ton F250 as my daily driver. At the same time, it has stock suspension (other than the rear air bags I put in to help when I had a slide in camper)...
No, no, no....I don't have anything against trucks. It's what they DO to the truck....that make it so it can't work as a truck. I don't make enough money to spend that much on something to reduce it's designed capabilities.
 

Eville Rich

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2016
Messages
464
Location
Wisconsin, USA
I agree, no need for uber efficient here either. If we go there, it's like for like replacement. My gas bill is $50/Mo. 1650 sq/ft house. 75k to 80k is just fine.
FYI, Goodman is owned by Daikin, which also does Amana and Daikin HVAC products. Not sure if Daikin does furnaces under their brand. But between Amana and Goodman, the main difference is likely the warranty. Getting a heat-exchanger only warranty isn't worth much. The price difference may only be warranty options. Basically a metal box with burner and controls. The difference is the marketing strategy. Same thing with Carrier/Payne/Bryant. Same basic metal box, maybe some options at the high end.

The greater priority, in my experience, is the quality of the install (as your experience suggests).

The residential HVAC industry is largely selling commodities with different distribution and marketing channels to drive price points. The quality is in the install and efficiency options at the high end. For example, at the highest efficiencies, such as a 98 percent system, proprietary controls are typically required. Ironically, using a Nest t-stat instead of the OEM's on these units drops the efficiency to 95 percent.

Basically, don't sweat the brand. Focus on a quality installer. I work in energy efficiency and do market research on residential HVAC from time to time. I won't try to sell you on efficiency if it's not your thing. Upfront costs matter and if your current system uses a traditional chimney, there could be added costs to run PVC for the venting on a higher efficiency unit. I assume you are in a temperate climate if your winter gas bill is only $50. Still, might be worth checking with your local utility to see if rebates are available for higher efficiency equipment. If you have central A/C that may need replacing, might worth ditching the furnace and going with a heat pump. You'll get waaay better cooling efficiency than was available 10+ years ago.

But I'm an energy efficiency nutter for the house. I installed a ground source heat pump 10 years ago and added a 95 AFUE propane furnace as auxiliary heat. That furnace hardly gets used but I don't care. I partly justify my motorcycle addiction by commuting with the excuse of excellent mpg. Don't get me started.

Just get a good contractor.

Eville Rich
2016 S10
 

EricV

Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
8,227
Location
Tupelo, MS
More furnace fun. Woke up to a cold house again yesterday. Exhaust fan running, no burner or blower fan. Called the HVAC guy again. Eventually they came back out and poked it until they figured out the gas valve is dead. So now we're into new furnace time. At least they are eating the second transformer and control panel costs. Quoted $700 for a replacement Rheem unit and $300 for install. I suspect install will go a bit higher due to the physical size issues. Close enough to what I could do online that it's easier to run with the local guy. Slightly better warranty with the Rheem, it would appear too. The local guy has not tried to up-sell me, which is refreshing.

We have a Heil single stage, std fan model. 15.5" wide cabinet, 75k btu, 80% efficiency model. Odd size now, so likely will be putting in a 17.5" wide unit and they will have to make a transition to the A/C coil. Old unit is 40" high, new is 34" high, so at least there is some room to do the transition, If I understand correctly on how that needs to get done. Depth is the same on both units and plenty of room in the furnace space for the slightly larger furnace. They have to get one, but should be able to get it locally. Waiting to see when they can do the R&R.

A tidbit I learned after speaking to a Goodman rep over the phone is that furnace warranties are void unless it's installed by a 'qualified' HVAC technician. He got a little squirrelly about what made a tech 'qualified'.

Rant: Why is it that the diagnostic process has died out so badly in most repair industries? Cars, bikes, electronics, furnaces, etc. These industry workers are often well trained and skilled tradesmen (and women), but most just throw parts at the problem until it's fixed or there is a smoking gun. Having spent over a decade being paid to wrench on cars, it used to be SOP to find the root cause of the problem and repair THAT. Not just toss a part at it and hope it fixes it. Lots of process skills involved in that, and sure, not ignoring the simple "known good part" swap to rule something out or confirm, but nearly every individual part of a complex system is test-able to confirm function.
 

Sierra1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
14,817
Location
Joshua TX
If there's no "error code", they can't fix it. Even base model, top-load washers have circuit boards.....WTF for?!
 

EricV

Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
8,227
Location
Tupelo, MS
If there's no "error code", they can't fix it. Even base model, top-load washers have circuit boards.....WTF for?!
BTDT with a one leg short on the house line years ago. Killed a bunch of stuff, including the boards for my washer and dryer. I was lucky, the Ins Co. denied my claim as electrical short was not a covered issue. My great agent went back at them and said the wind storm that caused the wire to rub against the tree and short out was the root case and wind damage was a covered issue. Took three months, but they paid for replacement costs on everything. I'm still annoyed that my service panel surge protector didn't do squat to help me avoid that issue. Neither did the individual ones, except oddly the UPS system for the computer saved it. And to this day, no one makes a 230V surge protecter for things like a dryer. Only 120v.
 

EricV

Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
8,227
Location
Tupelo, MS
Hi there Eric, for the very best surge protection Leviton is a great brand. I'm assuming you are talking about a single phase 240V drier. This one is the very best for commercial use:

https://www.leviton.com/en/products/42120-1

For a lot cheaper and more than good enough for home use this will work:

https://www.leviton.com/en/products/51120-1
I would have been thrilled to find those in 2000 when I was replacing the electrical service panel in my home in OR. I had a new panel, in panel surge protector and sub panel for generator use all installed along with a new meter and wire from the meter to the service panel. No one at the time could provide me with a 240v surge protector solution.

Right now our service panel is maxed. Too bad they don't make something consumer oriented that you can just plug into the 240v outlet, then plug the drier in like the 120v stuff.

Update on the furnace stuff today: New unit is in and fired up fine. Installers are tidying up, doing the last of the taping and we need to sort the filter situation. Looks like we'll be adding a return grill filter unit, which was something I wanted to do anyway. They may have one they can install, but not on site right now.
 
Last edited:

Sierra1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
14,817
Location
Joshua TX
Not trying to be negative, because I'm sure they would work, but even the cheaper one is 3/4 the price of a new washer/dryer. As long as it's resettable, that's fine, but if it's a single use, it could still get expensive.
 

EricV

Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
8,227
Location
Tupelo, MS
Depends on the W&D. The set I had in OR was Maytag and the set here would have been ~$1200+ if we had bought them new. I guess I'm just saying it's relative. :) We get a lot of lightning here, though have only had one power outage in the last 18 months. But it only takes one. :(

I may look into adding one of these, but not this instant. Furnace replacement ended up $1071 and about another $40 for the cold air return/filter housing that we are choosing to add.
 

Sierra1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2016
Messages
14,817
Location
Joshua TX
"Stir crazy". . . . I'm really starting to hate that term. It began to get thrown around about two weeks after the virus got into full swing, and people started staying apart, or at home. I'm seeing more, and more, people whining about nothing to do, and how bad their children annoy them. When I was in the Navy, we'd spend days, weeks, and months out to sea, under the water. (yes, it's been said that could explain a lot of things about me :oops:) I was on a fast attack; 365' tip-to-tip, and contrary to some Hollywood movies....no windows. Missile boats had more room, but still stayed under water. Even though the surface ships allow for their crew to see the sunshine, they are still away from their families. And, this doesn't even start to compare to the life of a soldier in a combat zone. We (forum members) are a little different. Plenty of y'all are taking this time to catch up on bike maintenance. Many are going on rides. I don't know if people have became that lazy, or depend on others to keep them entertained. And, as far as the kid situation. . . . they're reaping what they sowed. If they raised an a**hole, that's their fault. :)
 
Top