Here we go again. Just when we thought we were getting enough of a screwing from the shippers who advertised one type of shipping and then used another, we now have yet another contender in the ring for slow shipper of the year. DHL Global Mail.
First off it frosts me to see a merchant state they will ship my order by FedEx and have the FedEx logo emblazoned all over their site. Then find out after the order is shipped that it has gone out FedEx SmartPost which in reality should be named StupidPost since it can take ten days for a package to travel a relatively short distance that U.S. Mail alone could handle in a few days. It starts out with FedEx and eventually ends up in the hands of your postal carrier for delivery. You note I said eventually since sometimes it doesn't happen for a long, long time. I've had packages never show up and the services point fingers at each other as to who lost the item. In many cases this is not even "free shipping", so you end up paying for the slowness too.
UPS Mail Innovations is no better. Merchants advertise they will ship by UPS and then use this snail-like service. They have the same modus operandi where the package starts out with UPS and at some point is transferred to the USPS for further handling and then carriage to your home or post box. One of the HUGE glitches in both of these systems is that the package can sit in a postal distribution center for days before it is transferred to the local post office because the paperwork has not been sent electronically to the Post Office to match the package. Or, the electronic paperwork is there and the package has not arrived, so you have no idea where the package actually is, but it is "in transit."
Enter DHL Global Mail, the new kid on the block. Or maybe that should be the new kid on the blockade as merchants find cheaper ways to get our mail to us slower and slower. Frankly, you need to complain and complain loud if you find your order is being shipped this way. Be careful to look at your order and ask how it's being shipped. Tell merchants if they ship this way you won't do business with them.
One example is Amazon's "Super Saver Shipping" which is supposedly "free". A shipment costs $9.49 or about ten percent of the value of the item and that is deducted as "free shipping". However, my FedEx regular shipping would only take 5 days and would cost no more, so why ship via Smart Post and let the customer wait 8 days? Because the merchant let me think I was saving over nine bucks while they were probably paying four or five at best.
Holiday season will be coming, thousands will not receive their gifts on time to give them for the holiday and you can thank the merchants who use these snail trail oozing services for that. And yourself if you don't ask first. The bottom line is to just say no and spend a couple of extra dollars for Priority Mail or some service that gets you what you want when YOU want it! Or get a shipping account and make the merchant charge the shipping to you! That's a novel idea they don't like because they can't pad the shipping costs!
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Respect for the Disabled...or Better Yet... Differently Abled
Both my son and I are disabled American Veterans and damned proud of it. My disabilities are internal and don't often show, so most people would never know unless they know me, or see that it's one of those days I use the disabled placard at the local shopping center. Pain is a silent and individual disability that takes your joy out of life slowly and insidiously, but some is always there, unless you want to become a slave to medications. I prefer not to become so.
My son's disability resulted in his voice changing and difficulty breathing due to a chemical inhalation accident while serving in the U.S. Army. As a result, he is required to take multiple medications and carries inhalers that may be needed to save his life if his breathing becomes in jeopardy. Perhaps his greatest disability is people...because his high pitched voice doesn't sound like it should come out of a good looking six foot man, one who doesn't seem to bear any outward marks of his challenges in life. And people think that's funny sometimes. Maybe they think he's making a joke. He isn't. If he had another voice, he would gladly We all thank God every day he has a voice and is with us, because he might not have made it. Any voice he has is a gift from God and we're just happy he can tell us he loves us, as we love him.
My son and I have worked, given back to our communities and maybe we're just differently enabled. Sure, they're called disabilities, but getting through the days, weeks, months and years is a whole new challenge that brings out your best. We've raised families and made a good life for them and deserve respect from those who might see us as any different from themselves. Sure. we're different. We've raised above those disabilities and lived a good, productive life. That makes us special! And it makes anyone with disabilities special who makes it through another day and on to the next with hope for a better day tomorrow.
You see, we were volunteers in the service of this country and proud to do so. Nobody made us go, we did it because we wanted to serve our country. No matter what anyone might think of the current administration, or the politicians in office, there is one thing for sure. America's service men and women are willing to place their lives on the line for not only every American, but for others to give them a chance at the freedom we so much enjoy.
So when you see, or hear, a person who has or might have a disability, be respectful. First of all, Thank God or whoever you pray to, that you don't have to bear the cross that person has to bear. Second, if that person is a veteran, Thank God again that there are people like him or her that will stand up for you and this country, so you can live how and where you do. And, yes, even defend your right to be a jackass and giggle or sneer or smirk if you find you have to. But maybe, before you do, take a trip to the local Veterans Hospital or Rehabilitation Center and look at some of the people there and imagine if they were you. How would you feel if the giggle or smirk or comment were pointed your way....huh?
My son's disability resulted in his voice changing and difficulty breathing due to a chemical inhalation accident while serving in the U.S. Army. As a result, he is required to take multiple medications and carries inhalers that may be needed to save his life if his breathing becomes in jeopardy. Perhaps his greatest disability is people...because his high pitched voice doesn't sound like it should come out of a good looking six foot man, one who doesn't seem to bear any outward marks of his challenges in life. And people think that's funny sometimes. Maybe they think he's making a joke. He isn't. If he had another voice, he would gladly We all thank God every day he has a voice and is with us, because he might not have made it. Any voice he has is a gift from God and we're just happy he can tell us he loves us, as we love him.
My son and I have worked, given back to our communities and maybe we're just differently enabled. Sure, they're called disabilities, but getting through the days, weeks, months and years is a whole new challenge that brings out your best. We've raised families and made a good life for them and deserve respect from those who might see us as any different from themselves. Sure. we're different. We've raised above those disabilities and lived a good, productive life. That makes us special! And it makes anyone with disabilities special who makes it through another day and on to the next with hope for a better day tomorrow.
You see, we were volunteers in the service of this country and proud to do so. Nobody made us go, we did it because we wanted to serve our country. No matter what anyone might think of the current administration, or the politicians in office, there is one thing for sure. America's service men and women are willing to place their lives on the line for not only every American, but for others to give them a chance at the freedom we so much enjoy.
So when you see, or hear, a person who has or might have a disability, be respectful. First of all, Thank God or whoever you pray to, that you don't have to bear the cross that person has to bear. Second, if that person is a veteran, Thank God again that there are people like him or her that will stand up for you and this country, so you can live how and where you do. And, yes, even defend your right to be a jackass and giggle or sneer or smirk if you find you have to. But maybe, before you do, take a trip to the local Veterans Hospital or Rehabilitation Center and look at some of the people there and imagine if they were you. How would you feel if the giggle or smirk or comment were pointed your way....huh?
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Chevy Volt...It should have been called the Chevy Dolt
Once again, GM sold the government a bill of goods on the Chevrolet Volt, the wonder car that would soon be flooding America's streets with amazing fuel mileage and beating the crap out of the imports.
It didn't happen and it isn't going to happen. Reports released yesterday show the Volt will probably die from a terminal discharge sometime in the near future, unless GM can con the Obama administration to throw more money at a sinking ship.
Here's the latest IBD Editorial:
August 7, 2013
Chevrolet's Electric Volt: Is Failure Within Its Range?
It didn't happen and it isn't going to happen. Reports released yesterday show the Volt will probably die from a terminal discharge sometime in the near future, unless GM can con the Obama administration to throw more money at a sinking ship.
Here's the latest IBD Editorial:
August 7, 2013
Chevrolet's Electric Volt: Is Failure Within Its Range?
"Gone Green: Nearly a year ago General Motors was losing almost $50,000 for each Chevrolet Volt it built. Now GM's business model, driven by trendy environmentalism, calls for it to cut the price and lose even more money.
The green lobby wants more hybrids and plug-in electric cars on the roads. Therefore the president wants 1 million electrics humming around by 2015 — and the car makers have to ignore market reality under pressure to do what the environmentalist-political complex demands.
Even if it makes no sense.
In September of last year, we said "Obama's Government Motors needs to shut down the Volt line indefinitely" — not just for the month it planned to halt production — then restart the assembly lines only when it could make a profit on the car.
In May, we noted: "The market for electric cars is so weak that consumer costs are approaching almost nothing."
Here it is August, and the Volt, the car that USA Today calls the "supposed" star of General Motors' portfolio, is back in the news.
This time it's because the automaker is going to drop the price by $5,000. USA Today reports that with "a full $7,500 federal tax credit, the price is cut to $27,495," a figure that doesn't include some state tax credits.
Aside from those whose egos demand that they use their cars to scream out their moral superiority as environmentalists, and maybe a few enthusiasts who dabble in the technology, does anyone really want these electric cars? Their dismal sales numbers simply do not justify their existence.
Sales of the Volt, the most popular electric vehicle, were only a little more than half of the 45,000 that GM expected last year. Ford built 1,627 Focus Electrics in 2012 and sold only 685 of them.
Foreign makers fared no better. Mitsubishi could sell only 600 of its i-MiEVs while Nissan sold fewer than 800 of its Leafs last year. Sales in 2013 remained stagnant until Nissan cut the price by $6,400 early in the year.
Yes, Tesla seems to be doing well. But remember: It makes a luxury car that appeals to the wealthy who buy them as toys. It's an outlier.
Meanwhile, Chrysler has wisely decided to stay out of the EV market until "consumers are willing to step up and pay for the technology," Automotive News reported this week. That's the way it should be.
Government involvement invariably introduces inefficiency, improper incentives and, in the end, failure."
Well said. Government encouragement, money and lack of foresight and oversight equals squandered taxpayer dollars. All the while watching the economy go south as those sad cars plow the streets at way below the cost to make them, due to subsidies paid by the taxpayers.
Here's the story from The Blaze, dated yesterday, August 16, 2013:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/16/whatever-happened-to-the-chevy-volt/
More detailed info on how, in 2012, the government spun the losing proposition in to great political press: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/seton-motley/2012/07/17/media-fail-chevy-volt-makes-gm-no-money-costs-taxpayers-hundreds-thous
How much money will the government throw at Green technology that fails? Just look at the record of the current administration and the back-room deals.
The green lobby wants more hybrids and plug-in electric cars on the roads. Therefore the president wants 1 million electrics humming around by 2015 — and the car makers have to ignore market reality under pressure to do what the environmentalist-political complex demands.
Even if it makes no sense.
In September of last year, we said "Obama's Government Motors needs to shut down the Volt line indefinitely" — not just for the month it planned to halt production — then restart the assembly lines only when it could make a profit on the car.
In May, we noted: "The market for electric cars is so weak that consumer costs are approaching almost nothing."
Here it is August, and the Volt, the car that USA Today calls the "supposed" star of General Motors' portfolio, is back in the news.
This time it's because the automaker is going to drop the price by $5,000. USA Today reports that with "a full $7,500 federal tax credit, the price is cut to $27,495," a figure that doesn't include some state tax credits.
Aside from those whose egos demand that they use their cars to scream out their moral superiority as environmentalists, and maybe a few enthusiasts who dabble in the technology, does anyone really want these electric cars? Their dismal sales numbers simply do not justify their existence.
Sales of the Volt, the most popular electric vehicle, were only a little more than half of the 45,000 that GM expected last year. Ford built 1,627 Focus Electrics in 2012 and sold only 685 of them.
Foreign makers fared no better. Mitsubishi could sell only 600 of its i-MiEVs while Nissan sold fewer than 800 of its Leafs last year. Sales in 2013 remained stagnant until Nissan cut the price by $6,400 early in the year.
Yes, Tesla seems to be doing well. But remember: It makes a luxury car that appeals to the wealthy who buy them as toys. It's an outlier.
Meanwhile, Chrysler has wisely decided to stay out of the EV market until "consumers are willing to step up and pay for the technology," Automotive News reported this week. That's the way it should be.
Government involvement invariably introduces inefficiency, improper incentives and, in the end, failure."
Well said. Government encouragement, money and lack of foresight and oversight equals squandered taxpayer dollars. All the while watching the economy go south as those sad cars plow the streets at way below the cost to make them, due to subsidies paid by the taxpayers.
Here's the story from The Blaze, dated yesterday, August 16, 2013:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/16/whatever-happened-to-the-chevy-volt/
More detailed info on how, in 2012, the government spun the losing proposition in to great political press: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/seton-motley/2012/07/17/media-fail-chevy-volt-makes-gm-no-money-costs-taxpayers-hundreds-thous
How much money will the government throw at Green technology that fails? Just look at the record of the current administration and the back-room deals.
Friday, July 19, 2013
SDG&E Power Outage - Rates go up and reliability goes down!
Calif. outage leaves 123,000 without power overnight in San Diego, Orange counties
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO – Authorities say a power outage in Southern California has left at least 123,000 customers in the dark in San Diego and Orange counties.
San Diego Gas & Electric spokeswoman Jennifer Ramp says the blackout began at just after 11:40 p.m. on Thursday and continued into the early morning hours of Friday.
Ramp told KNBC-TV (http://bit.ly/13ECZkb) that the company's entire south Orange County customer base was without power. That includes the cities of Mission Viejo, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, as well as Camp Pendleton in neighboring San Diego County.
The company is investigating the cause of the outage.
(That means they don't have any idea what caused an eighth of a million people to be without power! And they call this reliability!)
How about this statement:
Incidentally, why does your power bill baseline power allowance change every month so you use more than the baseline no matter how much you use? We don't have air conditioning, have gas hot water and range, only use fans to circulate the air, got rid of all the old tube type TVs and use timers on lights. Switched to LED's and fluorescent lights everywhere and are very judicious about turning lights off. Yet every month, I notice the baseline electric usage is lower than what we use so we fall into the tier 2 category for some of our electric bill, allowing the gougers to charge a higher rate.
Once again, are the "Smart Meters" just a new way to screw the customers in Southern California to pad the electric company pockets?
San Diego Gas & Electric spokeswoman Jennifer Ramp says the blackout began at just after 11:40 p.m. on Thursday and continued into the early morning hours of Friday.
Ramp told KNBC-TV (http://bit.ly/13ECZkb) that the company's entire south Orange County customer base was without power. That includes the cities of Mission Viejo, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, as well as Camp Pendleton in neighboring San Diego County.
The company is investigating the cause of the outage.
(That means they don't have any idea what caused an eighth of a million people to be without power! And they call this reliability!)
How about this statement:
"Cause: We have determined that a combination of factors has caused a problem in the electric system."
Uh, sounds like a mechanic telling you why your whatever failed in your car and why they don't know what the hell caused the failure. Just a guess, folks. Bullsh*t it appears for the press.
But they know how to bill millions of people more money anytime they please? And wrap it all up in monthly bill changes and split months and other gobbledy-gook to confuse the customers so they really can't read their bills. Like a carnival barker selling lightning instead of snake oil!Incidentally, why does your power bill baseline power allowance change every month so you use more than the baseline no matter how much you use? We don't have air conditioning, have gas hot water and range, only use fans to circulate the air, got rid of all the old tube type TVs and use timers on lights. Switched to LED's and fluorescent lights everywhere and are very judicious about turning lights off. Yet every month, I notice the baseline electric usage is lower than what we use so we fall into the tier 2 category for some of our electric bill, allowing the gougers to charge a higher rate.
Once again, are the "Smart Meters" just a new way to screw the customers in Southern California to pad the electric company pockets?
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
The Riots...
Once again, the black community hears an unfavorable verdict and the riots begin. No matter where in the nation the verdict is handed down, those intent on destruction and mayhem will find an excuse to riot and do so in the name of righteousness.
Had the verdict been guilty for George Zimmerman and he been given 5 years probation, the riots would have started a bit later, because the same narrow minded idiots would believe the sentence was too light, even though the verdict was guilty. No matter what came down, there were going to be riots, either by those using the innocent verdict as a reason to destroy, or those who would use the guilty verdict, no matter how harsh the sentence, as a cause for jubilation and destroy in the name of "justice."
Can anyone see how this further destroys the progress we have made in race relations in this country? How such idiotic behavior undermines the trust and dignity that we have begun to develop between brotherhoods as a result of so many years of work? That people would allow others to run amok and burn, smash, destroy and injure in the name of alleged justice? Come on, this isn't justice. It's hooliganism and vandalism in its' highest form. And done in the name of a deceased person who some people are trying to canonize like a saint. Shame on you.
I went through the Baltimore MLK Riots in 1968 carrying a Remington 870 shotgun and my greatest fear was not the dark streets, not the Molotov cocktails, not the roaming gangs of looters. It was the possibility that I might have to shoot a fellow American. Even after tours in Vietnam, I just wasn't hardened enough to wrap my head around that; this was happening in an American city. Sure, Newark was in the past, but this wasn't Newark, this was Baltimore and the people here were more civilized and gentile. Or were they? No, the streets were just like Newark, taken over by the young people who burned and looted, while their elders sat on the curbs and wept, not about their own burned out stores and shops, but about the race relations that had fallen back 20 years in just a few nights. Yes, I spoke with many people in the streets those nights, and we all agreed that Martin Luther King's death was a horrible thing, but these riots were not going to bring him back, nor would he be pleased by the actions of these thugs.
Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the Trayvon Martin - George Zimmerman verdict, the justice system has spoken. There was no prejudice on the part of the jury who made the decision. It's over and time to move on to constructive things. Don't let Trayvon Martin's memorial be one of looting and burning; let it be one of building new bridges towards peace and a renewed commitment towards brotherhood between races. Zimmerman will have to find his own way. Please find yours. Peacefully.
Had the verdict been guilty for George Zimmerman and he been given 5 years probation, the riots would have started a bit later, because the same narrow minded idiots would believe the sentence was too light, even though the verdict was guilty. No matter what came down, there were going to be riots, either by those using the innocent verdict as a reason to destroy, or those who would use the guilty verdict, no matter how harsh the sentence, as a cause for jubilation and destroy in the name of "justice."
Can anyone see how this further destroys the progress we have made in race relations in this country? How such idiotic behavior undermines the trust and dignity that we have begun to develop between brotherhoods as a result of so many years of work? That people would allow others to run amok and burn, smash, destroy and injure in the name of alleged justice? Come on, this isn't justice. It's hooliganism and vandalism in its' highest form. And done in the name of a deceased person who some people are trying to canonize like a saint. Shame on you.
I went through the Baltimore MLK Riots in 1968 carrying a Remington 870 shotgun and my greatest fear was not the dark streets, not the Molotov cocktails, not the roaming gangs of looters. It was the possibility that I might have to shoot a fellow American. Even after tours in Vietnam, I just wasn't hardened enough to wrap my head around that; this was happening in an American city. Sure, Newark was in the past, but this wasn't Newark, this was Baltimore and the people here were more civilized and gentile. Or were they? No, the streets were just like Newark, taken over by the young people who burned and looted, while their elders sat on the curbs and wept, not about their own burned out stores and shops, but about the race relations that had fallen back 20 years in just a few nights. Yes, I spoke with many people in the streets those nights, and we all agreed that Martin Luther King's death was a horrible thing, but these riots were not going to bring him back, nor would he be pleased by the actions of these thugs.
Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the Trayvon Martin - George Zimmerman verdict, the justice system has spoken. There was no prejudice on the part of the jury who made the decision. It's over and time to move on to constructive things. Don't let Trayvon Martin's memorial be one of looting and burning; let it be one of building new bridges towards peace and a renewed commitment towards brotherhood between races. Zimmerman will have to find his own way. Please find yours. Peacefully.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Why is it?
A life is a terrible thing to have ended by violence. Regardless of how the verdict comes down, a human life lost is a condemnation of society as a whole, that something went wrong in what should be a peaceful, co-existing relationship between humans.
That said, why does everything have to have some smear of civil rights or racism tossed in? The just ended Zimmerman-Martin case is decided, but long from over it seems as now the government wants to establish whether civil rights violations are possible. And whether the family may sue in a civil case. What? This case should be closed. How can there be a civil rights violation when a man is found not guilty? How did he violate Trayvon Martin's civil rights?
What if...George Zimmerman had been killed? Would the government step in and open a case to see if his civil rights were violated? Of course not. We're told not to think racist, and I for one tend to be color blind, but it galls me to see the government and others jump in and pander to causes regarding civil rights only when it behooves non-whites to do so.
Look at it this way. Trayvon Martin kills George Zimmerman and the facts are exactly the same. Trayvon Martin is found not guilty. Case closed. No civil rights violations, no marches in the streets by ethnic groups saying this was a racist thing, no cries for a retrial, no cries for the government to step in and appeal the verdict. No riots, no mayhem. Absolutely nothing. Trayvon Martin would have gone home and lived as normal a life as he could have lived under the circumstances without a followup circus being staged, all in the name if "civil rights" and racism. Oh, wait. How does this race card get played? Only if it behooves the party that plays it. Since we're becoming a generally accepting and mixed society, it's less and less an issue, until some group wants it to be an issue.
Remember the professor in Massachusetts who was detained at his home because the police had a burglary call, He was black and the police officer was white. Made no difference that he had no identification and no way to prove he owned the home or had the right to be there. But the fact that he was subjected to the indignity of being stopped and questioned by a white cop and not allowed to proceed into the house that was "allegedly his" brought forth racist cries from the community. And, this professor turned out to be one of President Obama's buddies, and of course Obama played the race card there because it became opportunistic for him to do so. He did invite all to a glass of beer in the Rose Garden at the White House to smooth things over. I'd have told him to shove his beer, but, then again, I don't have a career to toss down the drain to do the right thing, albeit politically incorrect.
Numerous Caucasians and other persons are killed, maimed or injured as a result of crime by non-white aggressors and criminals, some guilty and others adjudicated not guilty. Yet when can anyone remember there being a civil rights case being opened against a Hispanic or African American person for the death or severe injuries of a Caucasian? Is this some sort of a double standard?
I'd just like to know how this civil rights thing works. Is there something that says if you are one race, creed or national origin and are killed or otherwise injured by someone not of your same race, creed or national origin that your civil rights have then been violated? Or does that specifically exclude Caucasians and certain other ethnic groups? Or is it inclusive of certain groups only?
I'd really like to know.
That said, why does everything have to have some smear of civil rights or racism tossed in? The just ended Zimmerman-Martin case is decided, but long from over it seems as now the government wants to establish whether civil rights violations are possible. And whether the family may sue in a civil case. What? This case should be closed. How can there be a civil rights violation when a man is found not guilty? How did he violate Trayvon Martin's civil rights?
What if...George Zimmerman had been killed? Would the government step in and open a case to see if his civil rights were violated? Of course not. We're told not to think racist, and I for one tend to be color blind, but it galls me to see the government and others jump in and pander to causes regarding civil rights only when it behooves non-whites to do so.
Look at it this way. Trayvon Martin kills George Zimmerman and the facts are exactly the same. Trayvon Martin is found not guilty. Case closed. No civil rights violations, no marches in the streets by ethnic groups saying this was a racist thing, no cries for a retrial, no cries for the government to step in and appeal the verdict. No riots, no mayhem. Absolutely nothing. Trayvon Martin would have gone home and lived as normal a life as he could have lived under the circumstances without a followup circus being staged, all in the name if "civil rights" and racism. Oh, wait. How does this race card get played? Only if it behooves the party that plays it. Since we're becoming a generally accepting and mixed society, it's less and less an issue, until some group wants it to be an issue.
Remember the professor in Massachusetts who was detained at his home because the police had a burglary call, He was black and the police officer was white. Made no difference that he had no identification and no way to prove he owned the home or had the right to be there. But the fact that he was subjected to the indignity of being stopped and questioned by a white cop and not allowed to proceed into the house that was "allegedly his" brought forth racist cries from the community. And, this professor turned out to be one of President Obama's buddies, and of course Obama played the race card there because it became opportunistic for him to do so. He did invite all to a glass of beer in the Rose Garden at the White House to smooth things over. I'd have told him to shove his beer, but, then again, I don't have a career to toss down the drain to do the right thing, albeit politically incorrect.
Numerous Caucasians and other persons are killed, maimed or injured as a result of crime by non-white aggressors and criminals, some guilty and others adjudicated not guilty. Yet when can anyone remember there being a civil rights case being opened against a Hispanic or African American person for the death or severe injuries of a Caucasian? Is this some sort of a double standard?
I'd just like to know how this civil rights thing works. Is there something that says if you are one race, creed or national origin and are killed or otherwise injured by someone not of your same race, creed or national origin that your civil rights have then been violated? Or does that specifically exclude Caucasians and certain other ethnic groups? Or is it inclusive of certain groups only?
I'd really like to know.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Solar Roof Fans - Beat SDG&E to Cool Your Home!
I've written about many things, mostly how people get ripped off, but this is one of those times I would like to send kudos to a great company and a product that can save you angst and money too. It's called the Solar Star solar roof fan by Solatube Home Daylight in Vista, CA.
First, let me explain that we live close to the Pacific Ocean and have no air conditioning but the ocean breezes. That said, the attic gets hotter than a convection oven on the warm summer days. Even with the requisite six inches of insulation, the master bedroom ceilings were showing 86 to 90 degrees on a laser guided digital infrared thermometer. Some areas were in excess of 90 degrees where tight ceiling/roof areas prevented significant air flow and there were dead air pockets. The bedroom was uncomfortable for sleeping, even though we had installed heavy duty UV resistant double pane windows with one-third and one-eighth glass to cut heat and light, so heat penetration through them was minimal.
Second, you might ask, why not just put in more insulation? Great question. The answer is the same Pacific Ocean winds that help cool the air in the summer bring huge winds during the Pacific storms in the winter. Roof vents already in place allow the wind to circulate in part of the attic, insulation becomes dislodged and blown all over, necessitating recovering and replacement of the batts, which are irregular and some several feet square. Plus, the attic area over the master bedroom is a vaulted ceiling, with very low access, making the choice of insulation in that area blown in, rather than batts. That, combined with the low clearance between the roof and the ceiling joists creates a low flow air space. So no matter how much insulation were in the attic, the space itself would not be getting any cooler during the summer heat. (I am excepting insulating the underside of the roof for various reasons, including access) Plus, the insulation tends to trap the heat longer after the sun goes down. Kind of a Catch-22 situation, I suppose.
Third, the back of the bedroom wall is also the garage wall, the garage wall extending about one-half the way up the bedroom. This same garage wall is also the back wall of a first floor bedroom as well. The garage wall facing the bedrooms is insulated with 4" fiberglass, but the garage outer walls and roof is open studs and rafter construction with no insulation. The garage door is steel with 2 inches polystyrene between two steel panels.
Now to the fans. We had installed two RM1600 22 watt Solar Star fans, one in the attic directly above the hottest part of the master bedroom ceiling and the second near the peak of the garage. We chose the thermal switches for each fan since they allow the fans to activate when the attic temperature reaches 85 degrees and to deactivate when the temperature is 65 degrees or less. Thus the fans don't run in the cold winter months unless needed.
The results: During 80 plus degree days, the master bedroom temperatures have remained in the low 70's and are much more comfortable. The ceiling temperatures during the peak heat of the day show as between 74 and 84 degrees, a significant drop from earlier testing. Garage temperatures, which used to be almost unbearable, after bringing in heat soaked vehicles, are now pleasant.I can actually work in the garage without sweltering! Granted the uninsulated open roof does allow some heat buildup, but the Solar Star fan takes it out quickly and even with two hot vehicles, the temperature is not uncomfortable.
I consider this a very good investment. The fans run free with no electricity charge, do not need full sunlight to operate efficiently, and are very quiet. They really are efficient, even more than I expected. The cost for several of these units is in the $1500 range, but there is a 30% tax credit for solar energy that can be applicable from what I understand. 5 year warranty on the fan and motor and 10 years on the rest of the components.Very professional installation in about 90 minutes for both fans. Plus, the fan and solar unit could be replaced if ever needed with no roof intrusion, a big plus in the future if it were needed. Just remove a few bolts, remove one fan assembly and install a new working unit! Very cool!
I don't recommend products very often but this is just one of the super stars that I really feel good about.
Here's a link: http://www.homedaylight.com/content/show/6934
First, let me explain that we live close to the Pacific Ocean and have no air conditioning but the ocean breezes. That said, the attic gets hotter than a convection oven on the warm summer days. Even with the requisite six inches of insulation, the master bedroom ceilings were showing 86 to 90 degrees on a laser guided digital infrared thermometer. Some areas were in excess of 90 degrees where tight ceiling/roof areas prevented significant air flow and there were dead air pockets. The bedroom was uncomfortable for sleeping, even though we had installed heavy duty UV resistant double pane windows with one-third and one-eighth glass to cut heat and light, so heat penetration through them was minimal.
Second, you might ask, why not just put in more insulation? Great question. The answer is the same Pacific Ocean winds that help cool the air in the summer bring huge winds during the Pacific storms in the winter. Roof vents already in place allow the wind to circulate in part of the attic, insulation becomes dislodged and blown all over, necessitating recovering and replacement of the batts, which are irregular and some several feet square. Plus, the attic area over the master bedroom is a vaulted ceiling, with very low access, making the choice of insulation in that area blown in, rather than batts. That, combined with the low clearance between the roof and the ceiling joists creates a low flow air space. So no matter how much insulation were in the attic, the space itself would not be getting any cooler during the summer heat. (I am excepting insulating the underside of the roof for various reasons, including access) Plus, the insulation tends to trap the heat longer after the sun goes down. Kind of a Catch-22 situation, I suppose.
Third, the back of the bedroom wall is also the garage wall, the garage wall extending about one-half the way up the bedroom. This same garage wall is also the back wall of a first floor bedroom as well. The garage wall facing the bedrooms is insulated with 4" fiberglass, but the garage outer walls and roof is open studs and rafter construction with no insulation. The garage door is steel with 2 inches polystyrene between two steel panels.
Now to the fans. We had installed two RM1600 22 watt Solar Star fans, one in the attic directly above the hottest part of the master bedroom ceiling and the second near the peak of the garage. We chose the thermal switches for each fan since they allow the fans to activate when the attic temperature reaches 85 degrees and to deactivate when the temperature is 65 degrees or less. Thus the fans don't run in the cold winter months unless needed.
The results: During 80 plus degree days, the master bedroom temperatures have remained in the low 70's and are much more comfortable. The ceiling temperatures during the peak heat of the day show as between 74 and 84 degrees, a significant drop from earlier testing. Garage temperatures, which used to be almost unbearable, after bringing in heat soaked vehicles, are now pleasant.I can actually work in the garage without sweltering! Granted the uninsulated open roof does allow some heat buildup, but the Solar Star fan takes it out quickly and even with two hot vehicles, the temperature is not uncomfortable.
I consider this a very good investment. The fans run free with no electricity charge, do not need full sunlight to operate efficiently, and are very quiet. They really are efficient, even more than I expected. The cost for several of these units is in the $1500 range, but there is a 30% tax credit for solar energy that can be applicable from what I understand. 5 year warranty on the fan and motor and 10 years on the rest of the components.Very professional installation in about 90 minutes for both fans. Plus, the fan and solar unit could be replaced if ever needed with no roof intrusion, a big plus in the future if it were needed. Just remove a few bolts, remove one fan assembly and install a new working unit! Very cool!
I don't recommend products very often but this is just one of the super stars that I really feel good about.
Here's a link: http://www.homedaylight.com/content/show/6934
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)