Working In The Heat

I work for the University of Florida in the Chiller Plant. They have decided to re-insulate the two steam condensate recovery tanks. Let me set this image. We have three huge boilers one is 80,000 lbs. of steam per hour and two other's are 100,000 lbs. of steam/hour.

It is 96-100 degrees ambient air temp outside this building and the tanks hold water that is 120-150 degrees. So lets pull off the insulation, clean the steel and re-insulate in the summer.

Glad I get to watch this from a distance. It is unbearable up close.


is

Mikey

 

How old is the insulation? I hope it’s fiberglass and not asbestos? Even when the straight runs are fiberglass the hard packed elbow fittings can contain asbestos. This is the industry I work in. They had it tested right?

 

Here at UF they test everything over 30 years old for asbestos. If they even think there is asbestos they go into full Ghostbuster mode. You also can't even say the "M" word! Mold, geez I said it! C'mon this is Florida there is mold everywhere.

Mikey

 

They got subs to do the work?

 

Molds a huge issue now. Outside it’s overkill though.

 

I'm taking a break from cutting grass. The local TV station says that the "feels like" temperature is 106. If John Deere ever puts AC on a garden tractor, they will be working three shifts to make enough of them.

Updating the above: This morning WINK-TV reported that the "feels like" temperature in Naples was actually 111.

 

Wonder why the job couldn't wait a few months??

Been a pretty mild Summer for us so far:

 

Went through 2 sets of work clothes today. Soaking wet before noon.

 

Been 90+ for a couple weeks. This weekend is looking like some reprieve. Be in the garage all day sunday

 

Summer is life. Embrace the heat guys. Global Warming? I hope so because winter sucks.

 

85% of Americans are convinced they will die if the temperature is not between 70 and 78 degrees. It's obnoxious.

 

One of the MORONS at the company I worked at decided we all needed to wear IF clothing in case we got zapped we wouldn't catch on fire . The equipment we work on ( Elevators and Escalators whose controls are in a hotter room or a shaft that has no air circulating ) has everything from 12 Volts to 480 Volts AC and DC . They made the day to require EVERYONE to be wearing the clothing in Mid July a few years ago . Temp was near 100* F . So you were given a chance to die from the Zapping because you were Soaking wet with Sweat . But at least you wouldn't catch on fire .

 

Drives me nut and makes me a small fortune at the same time. Why anyone would want to keep the house @70* is way beyond my understanding. Had a lady today that insisted I come first thing because her dog couldn't stand the heat. $600+ later shes got a cool and happy dog!

 

I’m out here in West Texas, it’s 110*F outside (different than FL heat I know) working inside a big metal tube, so yeah it’s hot out. Clothes are soaked by 8:30, think I lost about 15 pounds already

 

That is why I work for UF now virtually no outside AC calls. Just got so tired of being soaked to my knees while customers bitched about my rates. 30 paid vacation days a year, great med insurance and no one bothers me. I have it made!

Yea we have to wear that same stupid clothing. I am HVAC in large buildings on UF campus with many elevators. Find out why the buildings are negative and not positive in relation to the outside. Being negative they are drawing outside air and humidity in the shaft vents on the roof. That humidity creates microbial growth issues in the building. If the building was .01" positive static pressure the elevator shafts and control rooms would be comfortable and cool. Buildings are supposed to be positive pressure. The problem is some old buildings have been remodeled so many times with exhaust fans added while not designing in conditioned outside air intakes to balance the building.

Mikey

 

UF uses subs on everything now especially out buildings but you gotta be available 24/7 for medical facilities and be able to respond within 2-4 hours. PM me and I'll get you on the UF/UF Health vendor list if you aren't already and you want work but they do take 30 days to pay. We have tons of DX equipment out there begging for service. WWGay, Comfort Temp and a few others don't have the manpower to keep up in the summer so there is opportunity.

Mikey

 

Unless they have facility's in my neck of the woods I would not have the time to handle it. I do 1 hour response on all my calls and G vill is a min hour 30 min drive each way.

 

Welllllll, winter here in Texas tends to be one really long Fall for six months (compared to the North where I grew up).

 

I just did a job at a wharehouse size bakery. Inside a very large blast freezer. Im wearing overalls with lining, sking gloves, a lined jacket with a hood. And I still have to stop every 15 minutes to thaw out my hands. Then I get to go ont the roof ware its 100 deg to fix the other half of tbe unit. All in a good days fun. In Sacramento

 

I have seen that movie many times...

I have three walk in freezers in the hospital; two are 20 below zero F, one is the size of a house about 1200 sqft, one is normal 100 sqft. The last one is a blast freezer for freeze drying food, 10' wide by 5' deep but air coming off that coil is 40 below zero and the wind/turbulance in that think is insane. Will take oven temp food to 20 below zero F in 20-30 minutes. You can't walk in there with it running; I have a safety switch on the door that stops the fans when you open it.
Door switch broke once and someone did not close it all the way. Whore frost froze it shut, had to shut it down and it took two days to thaw enough to get the door open again.

Mikey