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the_gas_man
About the_gas_man
Epinions Most Popular Authors - Top 100
Member: Chasing Stoichiometry
Epinions.com ID: the_gas_man
Location: Where I Need To Be
Member Since: Nov 21, 2001
 
Favorite Websites: Stop Global Warming
  Letters Vent-Free Owners

Still venting, after all these years...  more
Activity Summary
Reviews Written: 63
Member Visits: 11,207
Total Visits: 876,069



the_gas_man's Recent Opinions
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the_gas_man's Most Popular Reviews
#162 Overall: Mitsubishi's Mr. Slim- It's Ductless & Perfect For ...
#29 in Home & Garden: Mitsubishi's Mr. Slim- It's Ductless & Perfect For ...
#242 in Restaurants & Gourmet: Molson Canadian Beer, Is Just Like Me,... Cool, Cl ...
 View all 18 popular reviews
the_gas_man's Author Popularity
#100 Overall
#5 in Home & Garden
#269 in Restaurants & Gourmet

About the_gas_man
Most fuel burning heaters and appliances are safe, injuring only the inexperienced, the careless, and sadly, sometimes,...the innocent.

It has been my hope, that some of these reviews may provide information on safety issues and performance. The kinds of information usually not found in advertisements, sales brochures and operating instructions. In other words, information they would rather you didn't have or information they feel you don't need to know.

Gas appliances, in general, are safe.
I feel both qualified and confident to make that statement. However, as with any fuel burning appliance, neglecting regular maintenance, and/or improper installation can result in an "incident".

An "incident" is a clinical term, often used in our industry and by government to describe; a fire, carbon monoxide poisoning or even an explosion. The cause of an "incident" can usually, be traced back to one of, consumer abuse, neglect, improper application, installation or servicing of the appliance. Of course, other causes of "incidents" can be related to poor product design, component failure, or manufacturing defects (I.E. lack of quality control) .

Fortunately, and statistically, such "incidents" are relatively low in numbers. Unfortunately, the fact that our industry keeps statistics on such "incidents", it tells us they happen too often.

We should never become so complacent about statistics, that we forget these numbers, represent injury, suffering and death to men, women, and children.

Please, take a little time to understand the safety issues involved with any fuel burning appliances in your home. By actually reading Operation and Maintenance Instructions and by taking a few simple precautions, you can prevent an "incident" from happening in your home, and you will avoid becoming a statistic.

The Greatest Health & Safety Threat To Americans, (With the exception of California, Wisconsin (pre 1980) and New York City. Plus hundreds of other cities, regions and states, please see my review for details at http://www.epinions.com/content_5373993092.

UNVENTED FUEL BURNING FIREPLACES/HEATERS

I am a very vocal opponent of unvented, ventless or vent-free gas fireplaces and heaters in homes. I have offered many reasons for my position on these serious health and safety issues and I intend to keep "venting" them.

MY BACKGROUND

I have worked in the design, manufacture, performance and safety testing of gas and oil fired heating products industry for many, years.

I have a strong background with the international standards agencies, who test and evaluate design, safety and performance requirements, for fuel burning appliances and with national installation codes.

If you have Questions:

If anyone has a question about purchasing a fuel burning appliance (vented or unvented) or has a problem with their heating system, their gas fireplace, or some other fuel burning appliance, please feel free to write to me.
Questions about any fuel burning appliance can be sent to: the_gas_man@hotmail.com My responses are free and they are based upon a lifetime of hands on knowledge of the fuel burning products and the heating, ventilating and air conditoning (HVAC) industry.

CONTROVERSIAL REVIEWS:

I have been threatened, repeatedly, with lawsuits due to my views on several products. What many of them don't realize is that by signing up to slander my reviews, and by threatening me with litigation, they are quite often drawing more attention to the reviews they would rather people did not read.

I want consumers and manufacturers alike to know that I will never be gagged by manufacturers of products that break the rules of honesty in advertising. I offer them "all" the opportunity to prove their product claims on this site and since they have all refused to do so, I think it speaks volumes about their credibility. If a manufacturer uses the simple truth in describing their products, they will have nothing to fear from me, however, those who put out wild marketing claims supported only by questionable testimonials and data that can't be substantiated by an unbiased, nationally accedited testing agency, will have cause to watch out for my reviews.

I welcome and invite opposing views to my reviews, if they can produce supporting technical data that has been generated by an unbiased and accredited testing agency. Sadly, no one has ever taken me up on that challenge which leads me to believe my reviews of their products were accurate.

My Affiliations

There are now several people on the internet under the user name of The Gas Man or close variations to it. Many/most are promoting products. I would just like to make it clear that I am not associated with any of them, in any way. My goal is to "give" free technical information that helps you to make better decisions that suit your specific needs. My objective has never been and never will be, to sell a product or service to you.
I also write about good products and services that can benefit consumers. Again, I am not affiliated with any of them and I don't get as much hate mail on those subjects but it is important to note.

I hope you all enjoy a safe, comfortable, and well ventilated home.

Sincerely,
The Gasman

The best things in life aren't "things".