Rsquared Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 So a couple of our other guys and I have been working at the NOAA home offices in Silver Spring Maryland for the last couple of months. We've been doing pretty much a ground up Re-Fit on the control systems for their central plant in one of their four buildings that they have here. Just like the other building that we did for them last year, they got all new chillers, pumps, cooling towers, freq drives and control valves. It always makes me laugh a little. Because, being a Re-Fit on a live, functioning system. You kind of have to attack these things in a caveman type of way. They have to stay somewhat functional, but yet you still have to rip everything out and replace it with new, modern equipment. Meaning, at some point, the place looks like an ABSOLUTE train wreck, with $hit running or dangling everywhere as you try to overlay the new stuff in place of the old. I could go on for days about this process, but I won't kill you guys with all the mundane details. I'm just rambling anyway. So I'll just show a little of what we had to deal with, and what we're about to walk away from as a finished product. First of all.....what we had to start with. Yep....pretty fugly huh? No reason for a control system running a chiller plant to EVER look like this. Obviously, this was after we had ripped the old panel down, cut in a trough for all conduits coming into the new panel, and custom building the new panel. I was probably about half way through the new wiring of the panel at this time, with just some baseline programming running some pumps. More wiring done. Stuff starting to come together. All wiring done at this point. Covers in place to help "clean" it up. Software maybe about 2/3 (ish). Just about everything buttoned up. Still tweaking software at this point. This plant has 23 line voltage (120 volt) 2 position valves. So we had to custom build a relay panel to control them. This is basically getting the panel layed out on the inside, in preparation for the relays and wiring. Installing the relays and getting them pre-wired for their incoming power source. Landing all of the power and control wiring. Pretty much finished. Just need to hang the laminated legend on the inside of the door, and then pop all of the cable ties that were holding back the wire before the covers were put on. You guys can probably see why I'm so anal with my own projects that I do at home now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 3 minutes ago, Rsquared said: You guys can probably see why I'm so anal with my own projects that I do at home now. Tell me again about your process for cleaning your guns?... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 5 minutes ago, Rsquared said: Because, being a Re-Fit on a live, functioning system. You kind of have to attack these things in a caveman type of way. That is really, honestly badass, brother. That whole post is fucking amazing. I know for a fucking FACT that you've got that Caveman Shiit down to a science, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rsquared Posted April 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 Easy. Almost no process there. I HATE cleaning guns. Smartass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 Jabs. When you can work in the jabs. That makes the fight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rsquared Posted April 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 Who doesn't love a good sparring round my brother? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cunuckgaucho Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 I'm almost afraid to say the words 'panel porn' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikedaddyH Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 2 minutes ago, Cunuckgaucho said: I'm almost afraid to say the words 'panel porn' Too late ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 6 hours ago, Rsquared said: Who doesn't love a good sparring round my brother? Outfukinstanding brother that is a clean install. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belt Fed Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 Wow! that's truly impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
392heminut Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 53 minutes ago, Belt Fed said: Wow! that's truly impressive. I agree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DNP Posted April 7, 2020 Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 6 hours ago, MikedaddyH said: Too late ! Ohhhh schiiit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rsquared Posted April 7, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2020 9 hours ago, Cunuckgaucho said: I'm almost afraid to say the words 'panel porn' Ha. Yeah...I'm into it. 9 hours ago, MikedaddyH said: Too late ! Uh-oh 3 hours ago, DNP said: Ohhhh schiiit! Agreed. This could get serious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepp Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 18 hours ago, Rsquared said: You guys can probably see why I'm so anal with my own projects that I do at home now. My boss would love you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cunuckgaucho Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 21 hours ago, Rsquared said: That would be ugly to troubleshoot and I'll bet any documentation( if it exist) is woefully out of date. It's the attention to the little details, example the jumper wires- it takes the same amount of time and effort to cut them the same length thus all being the same. Even after the bill is paid the main thing that the client will remember is how the end product looked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 One of the things about construction is you begin to put yourself out of work the day you start working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rsquared Posted April 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 17 hours ago, Cunuckgaucho said: It's the attention to the little details, example the jumper wires- it takes the same amount of time and effort to cut them the same length thus all being the same. Even after the bill is paid the main thing that the client will remember is how the end product looked. Coming from you brother, that's a hell of a compliment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtallen83 Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 8 hours ago, unforgiven said: One of the things about construction is you begin to put yourself out of work the day you start working. I miss those unemployment breaks I used to get.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unforgiven Posted April 8, 2020 Report Share Posted April 8, 2020 8 hours ago, unforgiven said: One of the things about construction is you begin to put yourself out of work the day you start working. You move on to the next mud hole. I had the privilege of bringing up alot of buildings out of the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shepp Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 1 hour ago, jtallen83 said: I miss those unemployment breaks I used to get.......... Thought I’d never see it but I’m at a stare down with it right now all our projects got pushed back to June, so sounds like we’ll just be covering our call week for service. STRANGE FUCKING TIMES! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cunuckgaucho Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 (edited) On 4/7/2020 at 12:27 AM, Rsquared said: Just want to point out another example of his attention to detail, I'm also betting he did it without really thinking about it. Did anyone one else notice or was is it a Ron/Eric thing?. The tyee wraps( aka zap straps,zip ties etc) Look at how they are not only placed symmetrically but the 'heads' are all the same in orientation and direction. Again it takes the same amount of time and effort as randomly placing them , yet the randomly placed ones you may not be aware but at a subconscious level your brain will tell you something is off. Story- came home and neighbor across the way had attached a piece of plexiglass to the black wrought iron gate to stop his puppy from escaping. He committed two cardinal sins 1) never trimmed the 'tails' 2) used white straps. Two days later ran into said neighbor and all he said was "It does look better now" 6 hours ago, Rsquared said: Coming from you brother, that's a hell of a compliment. Simply stating the facts Edited April 9, 2020 by Cunuckgaucho spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DNP Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 It’s gonna be like a where’s Waldo, but I’m hunting for something that looks outta place...just to keep him up for a couple nights before he drives back to swap it. I can’t seem to find anything worth pointing out...and if I did, I wouldn’t know what to call it. It’d be the yellow thingy next to the blue stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Z5V Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Cunuckgaucho said: Story- came home and neighbor across the way had attached a piece of plexiglass to the black wrought iron gate to stop his puppy from escaping. He committed two cardinal sins 1) never trimmed the 'tails' 2) used white straps. Two days later ran into said neighbor and all he said was "It does look better now" It's more about safety, later, too - when someone else needs to work on that shiit. I hate working on something "routine," only to find out that the customer installed his own lightbar and wiring, or whatever. I usually find out when a fucking zip-tie was cut at a 45 degree angle, and that motherfucker slices my finger open - when I was reaching for something else. Cut that shiit off perpendicular/flush to the fucking lock on the zip-tie, right AT the lock on the zip-tie. You don't need anything sticking out - what are you gonna do, re-use that damn thing later, anyway?! Hell no, you're not... My Zip-Tie rant... Edited April 9, 2020 by 98Z5V Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 ^^^^ What he said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.