Designing a BMS (Building Management System) with UI (User Interface)

[petersonra]

Had to throw out a Siemens tech out on a Sunday morning. I troubleshoot a VFD was down due to thier pressure switche being bad. He told me that he had to call in a fitter to replace a basic two wire switch. Jumped it out to get the drive working. Always received quicker & better service from JCI over hard to deal with Siemens.

One time I went to a power plant. Someone had set a temperature switch wrong. To get it removed so it could be brought to the calibration lab to be set correctly took three or four different tradesmen, not including the instrument tech.

 

[gadfly56]

One time I went to a power plant. Someone had set a temperature switch wrong. To get it removed so it could be brought to the calibration lab to be set correctly took three or four different tradesmen, not including the instrument tech.

The system designer must have come from one of the Big Three automakers.

 

[petersonra]

The system designer must have come from one of the Big Three automakers.

Had little to do with the design. Was all about union rules.

One of the guys was a union steward. They had to wait for a union steward to come and observe because there were more than two tradesman there.

There was a pipefitter and an electrician and apprentice present so that apparently triggered the need for a union steward. The electrician made us wait to disconnect the two wires connected to the switch while his apprentice went and got his tools.

I don't recall why they needed the union steward present. I think it was because the work being done was not on the day's scheduled work or something.

After his tools arrived, the electrician disconnected the flex that was used to wire up the switch and then disconnected the two wires going to it. Then the pipefitter used a pipe wrench to unscrew the switch from the pipe. Everyone waited there while the instrument tech and I went with the switch to the instrument lab to set it properly. We brought it back maybe 30 minutes later and the pipefitter screwed it back into the pipe and the electrician connected the electrical back up. Took most of a day by the time it was done.

 

[gadfly56]

Had little to do with the design. Was all about union rules.

One of the guys was a union steward. They had to wait for a union steward to come and observe because there were more than two tradesman there.

There was a pipefitter and an electrician and apprentice present so that apparently triggered the need for a union steward. The electrician made us wait to disconnect the two wires connected to the switch while his apprentice went and got his tools.

I don't recall why they needed the union steward present. I think it was because the work being done was not on the day's scheduled work or something.

After his tools arrived, the electrician disconnected the flex that was used to wire up the switch and then disconnected the two wires going to it. Then the pipefitter used a pipe wrench to unscrew the switch from the pipe. Everyone waited there while the instrument tech and I went with the switch to the instrument lab to set it properly. We brought it back maybe 30 minutes later and the pipefitter screwed it back into the pipe and the electrician connected the electrical back up. Took most of a day by the time it was done.

There's a comedy sketch in here somewhere.

My ex-brother-in-law related a similar story at an equity house. The director didn't like where a small stool was located on stage, so he moved it. Up pops the shop steward for whatever union covers stagehands. "You can't do that!" he said. "What, I can't move that little stool?" asked the director. "Absolutely not. That's a stagehand's job. You're in violation of the contract," said the steward. "I see," said the director, who then proceeded to have the stagehand relocate that stool for about an hour. The steward finally said, "Move your own f*****g stool!"

 

[garbo]

There's a comedy sketch in here somewhere.

My ex-brother-in-law related a similar story at an equity house. The director didn't like where a small stool was located on stage, so he moved it. Up pops the shop steward for whatever union covers stagehands. "You can't do that!" he said. "What, I can't move that little stool?" asked the director. "Absolutely not. That's a stagehand's job. You're in violation of the contract," said the steward. "I see," said the director, who then proceeded to have the stagehand relocate that stool for about an hour. The steward finally said, "Move your own f*****g stool!"

Up until a few years ago at the nearby and large convention center vendors had to get a union electrician to plug in an extension cord for a little 10 by 10' display. What got me mad with Siemens tech it took him almost two hours to show up then he demanded to call the a union fitter that lived in another state and would take at least 1.5 hours to get there mean while patient rooms were getting colder. We had a great BSO department where they could open up cross over dampers to partially supply heating or cooling but on this day it was very cold.