MICE (Meeting, Incentive, Convetion, Exhibition)

In a hot water (hydronic) heating systems, water is heated in a gas, oil, or electric boiler and circulated through pipes to convectors; older systems use radiators. When the thermostat calls for heat, a “circulator pump” in the boiler return line moves water through the pipes to the convectors, which give up heat to the rooms. When the circulator is not pumping, a “flow-control valve” stops the water flow to protect the convectors from overheating.

Older gravity systems have no circulator pumps and depend on lighter, heated water rising in the pipes to the radiators; and cooler, heavier water gravitating back to the boiler.

Single-pipe systems, with short branch lines to each convector, are used in small to medium-sized houses. Two pipe systems use separate supply and return pipes, and are more appropriate for larger houses, because cool return water from convectors doesn’t pass through others. This maintains a higher water temperature at far ends of the system.

As heated water expands, an air-tight “expansion tank” on the hot side of the boiler takes in the excess; and if the tank fills up, a “safety-relief valve” on top of the boiler relieves the pressure. If this valve leaks under normal operating pressure, you can open it (beware of hot spray) and close it. If the dripping continues, the relief valve needs to be replaced.

Twice a year, if the circulator pump and motor are not permanently lubricated, add a couple drops of oil. If you want to work on your boiler, shut off the power, let it cool down and then drain the system if necessary. Older tanks can be drained when they’re too full, but newer “diaphragm tanks” should be drained only by qualified service personnel.

When first heating cold water in a hydronic system, it releases air which becomes trapped in the convectors, preventing hot water from entering. To release this air, most convectors are installed with air vents, which can be opened with a screwdriver until hot water squirts out.

Efficiency can be improved by insulating pipes, or by partially closing convector shut-off valves in rooms requiring less heat. Systems can be divided into zones with one or more rooms controlled by a thermostatic “zone valve”. Alternatively, a separate circulator is sometimes used for each zone, or you could have thermostatic valves installed on each convector, but these options might be expensive.

Boilers are more expensive to install than other systems, but are generally trouble-free, very efficient, and last much longer than other types of heating systems.

* Some newer systems use non-metallic piping, installed in/under floors, to distribute hot water in the rooms to be heated. In some cases, a domestic oil or gas-fired hot water tank can be fitted with a circulating pump, and the hot water directed to convectors or a heating coil installed in a hot air plenum.

Copyright Gil Strachan – All rights reserved.

Gil Strachan is a professional home inspector, representing Electrospec Home Inspection Services in east-central Ontario, Canada since 1994. Visit http://www.allaroundthehouse.com to learn more about home inspections.

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The Internet has again crept further into our daily lives with the conception of on line dating. With a couple clicks of a button you can open a whole broad world of people awaiting you, looking for relationships..

Naturally, when meeting people on line your decisions have to be made carefully. The basic awareness and basic rules are recommended, even necessary, to remain safe and to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. The majority of people you meet on line you can be relatively sure they are harmless. However, there are always those among the crowd, which hide their true identity, or completely lie about who they are and what they want of you. People like this, also known as predators on line, are in particular of danger to children.

If your children are large users of Internet, and if they use it to meet people on line any time. Then you should take time to inform them of the dangers of giving out personal information and marks, and to alert them of the potential dangers. On line predators are not similar to the worst nightmares of the relative – they are a very true risk to any child who uses the internet to meet people on line. Even for the children who play games on line, there is a need for attention.

For example, in many on line games you can interact with other players. Something as simple as the child’s first name and school can be very dangerous information. As a parent you should recognise these events and take the time to explain to your children about giving out personal information, and the threats of on line predators.

It is very easy to be deceived on line – without being able to see a person face to face it can be hard to judge them. A mistake when meeting people on line or using on line dating sites can have very real consequences, and at the very least allows the misuse of your personal information. Consequently the personal awareness and caution are necessary when meeting people on line. With some simple precautions you can be relatively sure that the people you meet are harmless and by carefully protecting passwords, using username only and not disclosing personal information, you can continue you to appreciate meeting people on line without the risk.

About the Author:
Dave Stewart – for more information about singles dating, online dating and how to meet people online visit Successful Singles Dating .

Pssst, want a stock tip that will make you rich? Okay, here it is: phone a public
corporation and ask to speak with the CEO.

If a secretary tells you that the CEO expects to be busy in meetings for the next six
hundred years, call your broker and sell the stock short. Any company unable to
manage an activity that should last an hour is on its way down the financial tubes.

Although it’s true that senior executives spend much of their time in meetings, you
can bet that a business is in trouble if their meetings are out of control.

Surveys show companies waste an average of 20% of their payroll on bad meetings.
And that’s just the beginning of the problem. Meetings keep people away from the
tasks they were hired to perform — tasks that make money for the company and
keep the business ahead of the competition.

Since bad meetings are so wasteful, you may wonder why anyone tolerates them.
Unfortunately, many business leaders think that their meetings are just fine. They
even believe that they’re experts at holding effective meetings.

For example, when I phone companies to ask if they would be interested in
improving their meetings, I sometimes encounter an assistant who assures me that
the executives believe that they hold wonderful meetings. Then the assistant
snickers, coughs softly, and regains enough composure to state that they don’t
need my services. At this point the assistant sounds like someone on a sinking ship
who is throwing a life jacket into the water.

And that must make you wonder: why any intelligent person would hold a meeting
that wastes everyone’s time and produces nothing.

There are easy answers such as 1) they don’t know that their meetings could be
effective, 2) they don’t know what an effective meeting is like, or 3) they don’t know
how to hold an effective meeting.

But what about the rest of them? That is, what about all of the executives who know
how to plan and organize and run an effective business, but still hold bad meetings?

Let’s dig deeper. These executives actually want to hold bad meetings because they
prove to be useful. Here’s how.

1) They provide refuge.

Bad meetings provide a sophisticated form of executive busyness. Some people find
this useful because it keeps them from having to work on difficult tasks such as
planning, coaching, learning, and communicating. Compared to these difficult tasks,
sitting in a conference room is easy. In fact, it is so easy that a six-year old could do
it, assuming you could convince the child to stay inside for such a pointless activity.

Better: An effective meeting is business activity where people work together.

2) They avoid responsibility.

Bad meetings never end with decisions, which means that no one ends up being
held responsible for doing anything. Some people find this useful because
responsibility implies accountability and accountability requires results. Thus,
without responsibility there is no failure and everyone appears to perform well. This
masks poor performance so that everyone continues to receive raises and
promotions, even when they accomplish nothing because (you guessed it) they
spent all of their time sitting in meetings.

Better: Effective meetings produce decisions that someone is responsible for
implementing.

3) They provide excitement.

Bad meetings feature all of the elements of a good drama, such as conflict, tension,
and pain. For example, the participants deliver self-aggrandizing reports, denigrate
their colleagues, and engage in politics. Some really terrible meetings play out like
pathetic battlegrounds with verbal gladiators battling for favors while the boss
watches.

Better: Effective meetings occur in a safe environment of respect.

4) They serve food.

Bad meetings become an enviable executive perk when they provide snacks, coffee,
and (sometimes) meals. The attendees then use eating to offset the boredom of
having to hear meaningless discussions. It also saves them the expense of having to
buy food.

Better: Meals should be a separate activity used to build relationships and
(sometimes) rest.

5) They entertain.

Bad meetings resemble a party. People tell stories, trade jokes, and argue over
trivia. Some meetings feature comedy performances by the office fool. Others
feature humorous belittlements by the office bully. And if neither of these occurs,
the absolutely unbelievable discussions amaze and entertain everyone.

Better: Effective meetings use process tools to make methodical progress toward
results.

All of this shows why the type of meetings held in a company should be of major
concern when making investment decisions. If the executives need to learn how,
that can be fixed by scheduling a workshop. Then you might consider investing in
the company, after they complete the workshop. If, however, the executives hold
bad meetings to avoid fundamental leadership responsibilities, you should seek
other investments.

IAF Certified Professional Facilitator and author Steve Kaye works with leaders who
want to hold effective meeting. His innovative workshops have informed and
inspired people nationwide. His facilitation produces results that people will
support. Call 714-528-1300 or visit his web site for over 100 pages of valuable
ideas. Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.stevekaye.com

These mistakes ruin meetings. Here’s what to do.

Mistake #1: Do all of the talking.

Some meetings are run like a medieval court. The chairperson sits on a verbal throne while the subjects sit in respectful silence. The big talker justifies this by thinking: if the other people in the meeting knew anything worthwhile, they’d be leading the meeting.

Reality: If you’re the only one talking, you’re working too hard. In addition, realize that most people protect themselves from long monologues by sending their brains off on a holiday. That is, no one is paying attention to the monologue. Instead, they’re busy daydreaming, doodling, or dreaming.

The Fix: Convey large amounts of information by a memo or email. If you must deliver it verbally, call the event a lecture instead of a meeting. And then be as brief as possible.

Mistake #2) Be spontaneous.

Most meetings are held without an agenda or a clearly stated goal. The chairperson simply invites people to an endless discussion, sort of like a party that lasts until everyone is too tired to continue.

Reality: A meeting is a business activity. And it should be run like a business, with a plan. If spontaneity were a universally sound business strategy we would build buildings without blueprints. Of course, no smart business leader works without a plan.

The Fix: Set a goal for the meeting, and then support this with an agenda that accomplishes that goal. Use structured activities that guide the group’s efforts toward accomplishing the goal.

Mistake #3: Invite everyone.

Some people hold meetings as if they were free. They think that since people are already at work, their cost is zero. Thus, they invite dozens of people to attend meetings that go on for hours (or longer).

Reality: Meetings are very expensive. They use people’s time, and the payroll is often the largest expense in running a business. When people hold bad meetings, they waste the most important resource in a business – the work that they were hired to perform.

The Fix: Plan meetings that earn a profit. Compare the value of the result with the cost of the meeting, and then invite only enough people to accomplish that task.

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Steve Kaye helps leaders hold effective meetings. He is an IAF Certified
Professional Facilitator, author, and speaker. His meeting facilitation and
leadership workshops create success for everyone. Call 714-528-1300 for
details. Visit http://www.stevekaye.com for a free report.