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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6027
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
Member Is Offline
Mood: Retireded
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About twelve years ago I did an inspection of the natural gas fired forced air furnace in my dad's home. I found a crack in the heat exchanger that
would allow CO to blend with the forced air, so we replaced it with a new unit.
The old, loud, and inefficient unit had a double wall galvanized flue that got pretty hot! The heat exchanger on the new unit is so efficient that
the exhaust gas is cooler than you would get from a typical hair dryer. The plastic flue runs horizontal and has never been much more than room
temperature.
I suppose the new heat exchanger could crack and change things, but so far it has not been a problem.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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surabi
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4938
Registered: 5-6-2016
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"The workman thought it was all BS...they were astounded at the fact that these P-nche gringos wanted something of proven effectiveness and quality."
That is a problem in Mexico, even when it doesn't concern something dangerous. There seems to be an ingrained attitude of saving money by cutting
corners, or "making do", which I can understand when people don't have any extra money to spend, and which is a big factor in Mexican ingenuity,
which is admirable in many cases.
But they haven't adjusted that attitude when working for gringoes, who would usually rather spend more money to do things right the first time,
instead of saving money now, only to have to redo it later.
I've seen this when I had my house built here with things like using cheap primer on metalwork, so things rust quicky and have to be repainted in a
short period of time. There's nothing wrong with trying to save money, but the workers should at least present a choice to the consumer- " I can use
this primer, which costs XX, or this one, which costs twice as much, but will result in a more long-lasting job."
An elderly friend had some workers she'd had for years, who were also friends who really cared about her and tried to look after her. She needed her
house repainted and had bought expensive Sherman Williams paint, as she wanted it to last a long time. She caught them watering down the paint, and
when she said No! and why were they doing that, that it defeated the purpose of buying high quality paint, they said they were just trying to save her
money.
[Edited on 8-12-2023 by surabi]
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Tioloco
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2679
Registered: 7-30-2014
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Quote: Originally posted by surabi  | "The workman thought it was all BS...they were astounded at the fact that these P-nche gringos wanted something of proven effectiveness and quality."
That is a problem in Mexico, even when it doesn't concern something dangerous. There seems to be an ingrained attitude of saving money by cutting
corners, or "making do", which I can understand when people don't have any extra money to spend, and which is a big factor in Mexican ingenuity,
which is admirable in many cases.
But they haven't adjusted that attitude when working for gringoes, who would usually rather spend more money to do things right the first time,
instead of saving money now, only to have to redo it later.
I've seen this when I had my house built here with things like using cheap primer on metalwork, so things rust quicky and have to be repainted in a
short period of time. There's nothing wrong with trying to save money, but the workers should at least present a choice to the consumer- " I can use
this primer, which costs XX, or this one, which costs twice as much, but will result in a more long-lasting job."
An elderly friend had some workers she'd had for years, who were also friends who really cared about her and tried to look after her. She needed her
house repainted and had bought expensive Sherman Williams paint, as she wanted it to last a long time. She caught them watering down the paint, and
when she said No! and why were they doing that, that it defeated the purpose of buying high quality paint, they said they were just trying to save her
money.
[Edited on 8-12-2023 by surabi] |
Surabi-
I noticed that you used the word “caught” to describe when your friend found these helpers trying to save her money.
What does that sound like to you?? Just curious.. 
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surabi
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4938
Registered: 5-6-2016
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??? It doesn't "sound like" anything but what it says. That she saw them adding water to the paint.
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Don Pisto
Banned
Posts: 1282
Registered: 8-1-2018
Location: El Pescador
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Mood: weary like everyone else
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| Quote: Originally posted by monoloco | | Quote: Originally posted by Paco Facullo | As a retired Plumbing contractor and avid traveler, I have inspected the plumbing in meny Countries. My conclusion is that it is installed to just
"work" without any regard so safety.
When I visited Cuba, my reason for being there was professional research, so I started a website and interviewed workers on construction sites. I also
examined and took photos of as much plumbing as I could. Needless to say, it just has to work..
Mexico is pretty much the same... |
The problem in Mexico is that there is no licensing or standards for
becoming an electrician or a plumber, and here in Baja Sur, there's a double whammy of no inspections. There is so much work here that typically what
happens is that a kid will go to work for a plumber/electrician for a few months or a year, then he'll decide that he knows enough to become a
plumbing contractor and hire his primo or sobrino, and start bidding jobs, then in a few months the sobrino will also become a contractor, rinse and
repeat. It doesn't take long for this to lead to a whole bunch of plumbers/electricians who never learned the basic concepts of their trade, who leave
a trail of shoddy and dangerous work in their wake. |
god bless em they try! 
there's only two things in life but I forget what they are........
John Hiatt
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18385
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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About 6 months have passed since the rancho pescadero hotel guests died…
Did they ever find the cause?
Did the hotel reopen yet?
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3508
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
Member Is Offline
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https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/newsletter/20...
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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pacificobob
Super Nomad
Posts: 2308
Registered: 4-23-2006
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Hotel not open yet. However, an attached restaurant has opened. World class cuisine by an Italian chef. This top shelf chow is not in any way
inexpensive but worth every centavo.
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towntaco
Junior Nomad
Posts: 70
Registered: 1-14-2018
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| Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena | Here's an update from the Todos Santos Newsfeed on Facebook:
"Many of you may have read the tragic news about the two Americans, Abby Lutz and John Heathco that lost their precious lives in a hotel room in
Pescadero, BCS Mexico. What you may have not heard about are the two first responders that almost lost their lives as well, Fernando Valencia Sotelo
and Grisel Valencia Sotelo. The brother and sister team were the attending to Abby and John when they quickly became overcome. They were able to exit
the room just in time before Grisel collapsed to the ground. Fernando was able to get himself and Grisel back to their ambulance and administer oxygen
to himself and to her. They were then rushed to the hospital by other team members. The hospital in La Paz did what they could but they do not have
the proper treatment facilities. Today, since Grisel and Fernando were still feeling very ill and were very concerned about long-term effects, as a
team we decided to take them to a private hospital in San Jose del Cabo." |
OSHA training talks about gas leaks most often killing two additional people beyond the first people to be taken down as responders, whether rescue or
not, rush in and then are overcome themselves. It's gnarly, sad and quite often avoidable.
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3508
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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Bought this meter when the story broke. I travel with it now.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09YRGH72R/?_encoding=UTF8&am...
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18385
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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I stayed in a Hyatt last month, and did not die. I was one of the lucky ones!
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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RFClark
Super Nomad
Posts: 2462
Registered: 8-27-2015
Member Is Offline
Mood: Delighted with 2024 and looking forward to 2025
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The local news indicates that they are in the process of or just have reopened that Hyatt. Locals have been complaining about generators running at
night,
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towntaco
Junior Nomad
Posts: 70
Registered: 1-14-2018
Member Is Offline
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I recommend similar to friends who have done diesel heater setups on their campers. Probably not a terrible idea to just have while traveling.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18385
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by RFClark | | The local news indicates that they are in the process of or just have reopened that Hyatt. Locals have been complaining about generators running at
night, |
Must be hard to sleep at that hyatt, eh? With the toxic fume history, i would be keeping the windows open while i sleep, but generators running all
night and an open window are a recipe for insomnia…
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18385
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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Hyatt’s Rancho Pescadero rebranded as IHG Kimpton’s Mas Olas.
Same owner, reportedly. Dont know if they got rid of the managers or staff who disabled the gas detectors/alarms.
Also unkown if hotel is haunted…
[Edited on 6-13-2024 by mtgoat666]
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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pacificobob
Super Nomad
Posts: 2308
Registered: 4-23-2006
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About 20 years ago i was having a plumber do some work. I forgot exactly what he was doing, but it involved a great deal of silicone and other shoddy
plumbing practices. I made a comment to him about it. His reply was along the line of ...hey this is not a wealthy country, we have to make do.
Delivered with a rather salty attitude. I remember that conversation to this day when supervising workers.
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surabi
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4938
Registered: 5-6-2016
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I do admire the inventiveness of Mexicans in making do with a modicum of tools and materials. But I really hate it when they smear big lumps of
silicone all over instead of using proper fittings.
[Edited on 6-13-2024 by surabi]
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pacificobob
Super Nomad
Posts: 2308
Registered: 4-23-2006
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When a plumber shows up with only a pair of slip groove pliers (channel locks) and a huge tube of silicone, it's a bad sign.
I can't remember the last time a tradesman has done work for me without needing some of my tools.
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surabi
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4938
Registered: 5-6-2016
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And watch out if you let them use your tools! They'll use your best wood chisel to pry open a can of paint. 
I'm not sure I'd consider someone a "tradesman" who didn't come equipped with the normal tools of his trade.
Like "gardeners" who are basically just hose holders and don't even have a pair of their own clippers.
I and some of my neighbors used to have a guy work for us who was a sort of jack-of-all trades, although I wouldn't have used him as a plumber or
electrician and he didn't claim to be one.
But he did gardening, cement and tile work, outside clean-up, or just physical labor, like moving stones, or whatever in the wheelbarrow.
Depending on what he was coming to do, he always brought his own tools, whether it was garden clippers and a machete, or a cement hod and a trowel.
He was also self-sufficient in that he always brought his lunch and a big thermos of water. He never left to go to the store to get a bottle of coke
and some chips or take-out like a lot of workers do, never asked for water or expected to be fed lunch. And he was so sweet- he often brought
something for me in his lunch, like he'd bring 2 granola bars and say "This one's for you."
Also, he was gay, which as a single woman meant I never had to deal with the "Where's your husband?", "Do you have a boyfriend?", and other of those
sorts of MYOB stuff I get from Mexican men.
I was sorry to lose him when he moved from the area.
[Edited on 6-14-2024 by surabi]
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cupcake
Nomad
Posts: 152
Registered: 4-23-2024
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| Quote: Originally posted by Cliffy |
...(Remember we're talking CO (carbon monoxide, and NOT CO2, carbon Dioxide a product of exhalation)...
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CO2 can also be deadly. There have been a number of deaths in camping/climbing tents, where the door zipper was closed all the way. CO2 buildup caused
'deep sleep' and subsequent suffocation.
CO2 can also be quite dangerous in automobiles, causing drowsiness which has lead to serious crashes. In autos, this becomes more of a concern when
there are many passengers. This has been confirmed via blood tests of crash victims, which revealed high CO2 level.
[Edited on 6-15-2024 by cupcake]
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