> 2) If you post an offer, and someone answers you privately instead of posting a response publicly - be suspicious. Scam artists avoid posting in the forums so their victims can't be warned. I very often email privately. I have an extensive collection of rare/hard-to-come-by plants which I enjoy trading but posting in the forum is the VERY best way to blow my own email box up. I will NEVER hold a trade until I receive my end but life has a habit of throwing curve balls my way and I can be a bit slow. The last trade I sent out was several days late going out, we had a very early cold wave that required some extensive repair and new construction on the greenhouses. I felt SO bad but there wasn't anything I could do about it. The kind lady I was trading with was completely understanding(thanks, Aboo!), I didn't even get a chance to pot up what she sent to me until yesterday(I told her she did an excellent job of packing, and she did; not one of those plants looked at all stressed). I probably won't ever ask for references, if the other person hasn't been around long enough for me to recognize him/her I'll probably just sit back and watch for a bit, or I may offer to send for postage, although it's so much more fun to actually trade. I have some of the most amazing plants and a lot of that is due to the generosity of the wonderful folks I've met here. I've probably had some traders fall through but as long as I get my own end out I'm ok with that, I propagate my own plants so the outlay isn't too high. I can probably count on less than one hand the number of trades that went south(where did that expression come from, anyway????). As far as I'm concerned, trading plants on GW is kind of like gambling at the dog track or playing the lottery but with better odds. I don't offer more than I can afford to lose and most of the time the pay-off is fantastic.

yosemitebill, things turned out very well. Thanks for asking. I almost lost my mind but good people are still out there. I even wrote a book called "Changing My Life Through the Kindness of Strangers a couple of years ago.These forums prove that point so well I think. Like I said after all the days off from work and the comcast people who hung up when they didn't know the answer there is a rose named Crystal who not only got the engineers working on it from her end instead of another tech home visit and then sent me a new DVR. AND, as I think I said, credited me all the way back to when I got the DVRs and gave me all the HBO and several other channels I did not have. She made her employer look very good. Now I must reward her with praise as I have done with other comcast superstars and there are a few. I always ask where they are located and have been successful in getting to one supervisor who was shocked, truly, by my phone call. Yes, dish installation has proven to not work. Love where I live and the people who pioneered through this subject before. Thanks for your kindness, Bill, and followup. I learned some things from you that I will pass on.

I'm baaaackkk! My contractor responded to my question to him about why the heat pump quote was so much higher than the non-heat pump quote...He didn't really answer it, but he has revised it to include the Infinity furnace (variable I think) along with the Infinity heat pump-a/c. My total payment after rebates is about 13,500. This includes the system below, 50 gal powervent hwh, 950 sq feet of r-19 blown in fiberglass and air sealing gaps in attic and as needed elsewhere. I have no idea what a reasonable price for this Infinity system is. I know the hwh and insulation are a little high, but not crazy. Any ideas what this hvac alone should cost? He doesn't list Infinity control but maybe that's an oversight as one of the units (a/c?) seems to require it. I would ask for it to be included in the price. This is the same price as he originally gave me for the 59TP5 furnce..the only diff is the furnace, is it much more in cost? � Remove and dispose of existing furnace, coil, line set, and plenum located in basement � Clean duct system. � Install new 2-stage, 100,000 BTU Carrier 96% gas furnace. (Model 59TN6A0100E2120) � Install new 4-ton Carrier Infinity 16, 2-stage heat pump condenser on legs. (Puron) (Model (25HNB636B) � Install new matching Carrier evaporator coil. (CNPVP4821A) � Install new properly sized disconnect/ whip. � Install new media cabinet and filter. (MERV 10) � Install new Carrier Edge programmable thermostat control. � Install new plenum and duct adaptation to existing supply and return duct. � Install new copper line set to connect units between indoor and outdoor equipment. � Install new condensation removal system terminating to exterior. � Connect to existing intake and exhaust piping to exterior. � Includes Carrier Limited Lifetime warranty on heat exchanger. � Includes Carrier Limited 10-year warranty on heat exchanger. � Includes Carrier Limited 10-year parts warranty and 10-year labor warranty. � Includes 1-year maintenance agreement. (Fall 2012 and Spring 2013) � All UCC required permit fees included Of course I do know that if my unit dies I could replace it with something for around 8-9k...but don't know how much Infinity would cost or if it's worth it. Also, He wrote his in the email, "This project will save over 27% of Total usage but I used 25% reduction over the course of one year. Using your utility bills from 5/11 to 4/12 you spent approx. $2,397.00 on electric and $1,040.00 on gas. (Keep in mind this was one of the warmest winters on record. From 4/11 to 5/10 you spent $1,375.00 on gas). Taking theses costs and deducting the 25%, we have an average monthly savings of $21.66 on gas and $49.93 on electric which equals to a total average monthly savings of $71.59. Remove that cost from the $83.33 loan payment you have $16.74 per month payment which equates to paying back $2,008.80 on a $10,000.00 loan." BUT, isn't part of my electric my fridge, computers and tv??? Also, I doubt the people who paid 8k got a 10yr pt/labor warranty...which does have some value.

"All of them should know what size supply the water heater requires and compare that to what is available in the house." The AHJ often has limited knowledge. The code the AHJ enforces does not cover distribution equipment. They do not control the gas company, and generally have almost non jurisdiction over them except after the meter. It was solely the responsibility of the plumber adding the gas equipment to make sure everything would work. That said, no one is going to tell the plumber to run a new gas service line. that would be between you and the gas company. The plumber can remove the equipment he installed, refund your money, and that is about all you are likely to get from him. he did no9t purchase something that cannot work in your house due to factors beyond his control. He may not have known it would not work either. What would you have said if he had simply refused the work telling you the unit could not function with your supply line? The only way it might be his responsibility is if he sold you the equipment.