Stupid construction companies.

[Fonze]

So we went tio a friends house on kadena yesterday and there were notes on people doors warning about air quality in housing that this air contained amounts of radon? Don't these companies do there job right?

Also the new housing behind the px on foster did not pass inspection cause they ****** up the something with the AC's and the water drainage system.
lets not forget all the mold everywhere on towers and tons of unliveable housing on kadena.

Are these companies doing poor jobs? Is it on purpose to force residents to live of base? Is it so these companies can continue getting more money for extended projects? Or are these companies retarted? i mean they do have plans don't they.

[socalheart]

I like to think there wasn't anything bad intended. Sometimes, things aren't done right the first time. Unfortunately, it costs a lot of money and time. Perhaps, they felt rushed to build and cut corners or didn't notice small, important things. I like to give the benefit of a doubt. My concern after hearing this, is for the quality of construction on the new school buildings being built on Kadena.

[Ammoyankee]

That's what happenes when you constantly go with the low bidder. Every once and awhile the goverment should pick a contract out of the middle and see what they get. On the side of the gov't, I have a friend who works Civil Engineering and he said that quite a few of the mold complaints come from people who either never change filters or who run the A/C at 65 and leave doors and windows open which makes the whole house drip with water from every vent...

[Asshat]

Let me clarify the the AC issue in Chatan. The builder installed AC to specification. The specification was written on a different assumption, ie geographical area....than Okinawa. Thus, the AC, installed to specification was inadequate to handle the temperature and humidity of Okinawa.

The blame lays in the contract writing and the technical evaluation of the specifications within the contract prior to submitting it for bid. Not with the local agency.

[P_chan]

Radon is in just about every home, it's nothing new.

[Fonze]

Let me clarify the the AC issue in Chatan. The builder installed AC to specification. The specification was written on a different assumption, ie geographical area....than Okinawa. Thus, the AC, installed to specification was inadequate to handle the temperature and humidity of Okinawa.

The blame lays in the contract writing and the technical evaluation of the specifications within the contract prior to submitting it for bid. Not with the local agency.

Dont they have plans or blue prints though. I guess i shoul have put this in the rant section.


What is radon and why is it in housing.

[DoctorP]

Radon is a naturally occurring element that in large amounts can be harmful to humans.

[P_chan]

It's a radioactive gas that is emitted from the ground and can be found in most basements. Usually there isn't a lot, but sometimes it poses health problems if there is too much.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon

Even some natural hot springs emit radon.

[keera4]

On the side of the gov't, I have a friend who works Civil Engineering and he said that quite a few of the mold complaints come from people who either never change filters or who run the A/C at 65 and leave doors and windows open which makes the whole house drip with water from every vent...

I live in the Towers. We have no control over our temperature. I change my filters and clean my A/C's at least every 30 days if not sooner. My windows and doors are always closed because pigeons will fly in if they are open. And I still have mold. oh I have two dehumidiers one in the living room and one in the hallway.

I do agree with your other point though that the Government needs to maybe go with the higher bidders to get a better quality product.

[P_chan]

I think they need to stop with the damned power outages. They say it saves money but I wouldn't be suprised if it cost them just as much. After a planned outage the initial surge from the turn on blows so many electrical items it's crazy.

Last planned outage they blew all 8 of our repeaters, and the generators that go with them. The repeaters cost $18,000 a piece and the generators cost around the same. Thats $288,000 dollars in repairs because of a planned outage. Now how is it saving them money?

[Fonze]

my wifes theory on planned power outages is that it's a conspiracy with the px to get you to shop cause of slumped sales.

[DoctorP]

I think they need to stop with the damned power outages. They say it saves money but I wouldn't be suprised if it cost them just as much. After a planned outage the initial surge from the turn on blows so many electrical items it's crazy.

Last planned outage they blew all 8 of our repeaters, and the generators that go with them. The repeaters cost $18,000 a piece and the generators cost around the same. Thats $288,000 dollars in repairs because of a planned outage. Now how is it saving them money?

Why would it blow your equipment unless you have no protection built in? Sounds like a problem on your end, and not one caused so much by the outage itself.

[P_chan]

There is protection built into our system. But the surge is so strong that is still blows it. Thats what happens whenever the power is turned back on anywhere. Even things that don't normally blow (like water pumps on AC units) tend to go out once they turn the power back on.

[DoctorP]

There is protection built into our system. But the surge is so strong that is still blows it. Thats what happens whenever the power is turned back on anywhere. Even things that don't normally blow (like water pumps on AC units) tend to go out once they turn the power back on.

I'm sorry...but this is my field of expertise, and I just see this as having to be a poor job of communication, or a shotty job of equipment installation. This is not something that should happen to you.

[Tempestuous]

We ran our air I think around 70, we changed the filter when we remembered, which was less often than we should have.

We never opened the windows with the air on, with the exception of the bathroom window.
We did sometimes have the front door open if the kids were out.
We didn't have mold any where but the underside of the cabinet in the bathroom.

I know they were checking radon levels when we were there. Little black thing hung in my hallway for a few months. Supposedly the level in our place was within normal limits.
Gov Radon site (http://www.epa.gov/radon/)

[P_chan]

I'm sorry...but this is my field of expertise, and I just see this as having to be a poor job of communication, or a shotty job of equipment installation. This is not something that should happen to you.

Our equipment doesn't blow all the time, lots of different stuff blows around base. Last time, it just happened to be our repeaters. At the start of the summer our AC blew out once they turned the power back on.

Our repeaters are contracted out, but of course, the government pays for them.

[iAmtheMovie]

On a semi-related topic, I am tired of road construction.

329 going north is miserable, so many cones, so little progress.
Right around Camp Hansen is the worst.

[keera4]

On a semi-related topic, I am tired of road construction.

329 going north is miserable, so many cones, so little progress.
Right around Camp Hansen is the worst.

Is it just me, but has the construction area around Hansen grown instead of getting smaller or closer to finishing?

[iAmtheMovie]

I'm pretty sure they put at least one extra cone up every day for laughs.

[Fonze]

On other base news. The new swings at the SPOT park on foster are all fu*ked up. You push your kids just a little fast and the swings nearly colide. All 4 of them have uneven links.

They really need to pick better companies.