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Eyes Wide Shut on CO
I hate to start this eye opening experience off with “I have been doing this for 24 years “because there are contractors that use this as their badge of honor! I want to tell you its content not time.
I have been in the Plumbing and heating industry since 1983, licensed in 1987 through the years I have received my master plumbing license as well as my unrestricted Builders license and my Nari ( National association of the Remodeling Industry ) certified remodelers certificate. Recently I passed the Core for the NATE (North American Technical Excellence) test which is phase one of a multitude of classes I can get certified in.
It is now this amount of time and training that I am ashamed to say that I didn’t know about or read about proper Boiler maintenance and tune up. This also includes Water Heaters, Warm air furnaces, gas fire places as well as gas appliances Stoves (Wood and Gas) Dryers as well as LP fired appliances.
Knowledge of Carbon Monoxide Testing and Equipment
Last week I attended a three day Training and certification put on by NCI ( National Comfort Institute ) The teacher and trainer Jim Davis with 31 years of hands on equipment maintenance has put together a Library of technical data with trouble shooting diagnostic break down. Jim has traveled the country over the past ten years teaching and spreading his knowledge in this field.
As Jim spoke I was amazed at the amount of information he had compiled over his 31 years dealing with carbon Monoxide testing and Equipment Tuning. It was at this point I started to think of how much of this equipment I had installed over the years and how I gave the homeowner the best possible job I knew how to give them and how could it be that at this point I am just learning and hearing of something of this Magnitude.
How could I feel good about calling myself a Master Plumber without this knowledge and Training?
Jim opened my eye’s to the diagnostic side of equipment maintenance where there’s no guessing just evidence. Evidence you can share with the Homeowner so they can make an educated decision on what to do next.
More importantly Jim’s class specializes in Carbon Monoxide gases that are produced when equipment isn’t tuned and vented properly and how this can affect the homeowner and their most prized possession their family.
Saving Life
My reasons for writing this article is not for selfish reasons it is because I am a homeowner too with five kids at home and if I believe in the Plumbing associations Mission Statement; and I do. “The Plumber protects the health of the Nation “than I felt it was my responsibility to share this story with the people I protect.
If you’re a homeowner with a Gas or Oil fired heating system in your home or office or have gas appliances in your home or office you owe it to yourself and family to have a Certified Technician with Carbon Monoxide training to your home or office to professional tune the equipment. <blockquote>Not only will you save money with a more efficient running heater or appliance you could save the life of your family</blockquote>.
For more information visit NCI’s web site at www.nationalcomfortinstitute.com.
