Re: Some people never learn

["Bob La Londe" <nospam@xxxxxxxxx>]

"nick markowitz" <nmarkowitz@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:dffb7bde-4062-46ab-ab39-92513475118d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> On Aug 11, 7:03 pm, Jim Rojas <jro...@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> nick markowitz wrote:
>> > One of my institutional customers got a grant and insisted on using a
>> > card access manufacturer I do not deal with so they hired a computer
>> > place to install 7 door system and all 7 doors fail to meet ICC-
>> > NEC70 and in addition fail to meet the PA-DPW codes for residential
>> > programs.
>> > needless to say I get a call today after they get failed and asked if
>> > i can fix it.
>> > yes I tell them whole thing needs ripped out and redone properly as
>> > they have violated all these different rules and there workman ship is
>> > terrible.
>> > So now it is going to cost them twice.
>> > Some people never learn.
>>
>> I use to have that happen to me on large fire alarm & access control
>> jobs...electrical contractor outbids me, then has the nerve to call me
>> to clean up his mess. Yes, it does cost them at least twice the amount.
>>
>> Jim Rojas
>> Technical Manuals Online!http://www.tech-man.com
>> 8002 Cornwall Lane
>> Tampa, FL 33615-4604
>> 813-884-6335
>
> I do not know why contractors fail to call and check things out ahead
> of time with the AHJ and always think they can getaway with something
> or deal with it later attitude.
> I get flack from other alarm dealers all the time because i design a
> system and it gets passed 1st time and AHJ will not let other company
> do it and they get all mad because they failed to read and understand
> the code and they end up redoing it 2-3 times before they get it
> right.
> Then again some company's should just not be in business period.

Funny, here in Az an electrical engineer must design any "required"
commercial fire alarm system, except that some AHJs will allow a basic
approved panel with a simple plan for sprinkler monitoring only.

I get clients all the time who just want me to throw something together.

I would kinda like the engineer required approach if it worked.  Often the
electrical engineers throw in enough "contractor will specify" or
"contractor will change to meet code" type language to basically make their
original drawing suspect at best.  One set of plans I got said something to
the affect, "It is the contractors responsibility to meet all applicable
codes and make changes to the plans as needed to do so."  Another the
engineer actually sent somebody to survey a site that had an ancient fire
system that had not worked since the dawn of resistance loop meter panels.
They did a nice detail drawing of the 10% of the building where there was
some remodeling and new construction going on, and then there was this big
cloud on the rest of the main floor, the other two floors and the basement
that just said, "connect existing system."  The existing system was mostly
Ademco 597 radioactives strung together with lamp cord.  And they had all
been painted over.  It made it impossible to bid legally or honestly.