# When is it too hot to go in?



## daveEM (Nov 18, 2012)

Strap a big-assed fan to your butt. << Helps a bit.


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## papaotis (Jun 8, 2013)

remember that even on a partly cloudy, hazy day it can get to 120+ in there. never stay in there over 10 minutes without assistance!:no:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Some dumb home inspector probably demanded the fan be disconnected. :laughing:


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## zac (May 11, 2009)

When you black out and fall through the ceiling!
I went in earlier this week and got a headache. I bring a lasco fan that really moves a lot of air and will soak a shirt in water and wrap it around my head if possible.


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## Azspark (Jan 24, 2014)

Heat conditioning, sounds like you need to hire a young wiper snapper to crawl up there. Just my two cents. I agree on hot days I like to have someone with me similar to the buddy system. Worse case I am coming through the ceiling. WATCH OUT!!


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## Stickshaker (Jun 29, 2012)

I've spent countless hours in them like that and likely will in the future. Lots and lots of water and a break every half hour or so. I wonder how much blown in insulation I've ruined with sweat puddles...and why do they always smell like squirrel piss?


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

it's not too hot unless it's on fire. just do it.


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## manchestersparky (Mar 25, 2007)

Not going in was never an option.
When I was just a mere helper /apprentice, I had no choice but go in and get it done!
When doing the work for myself, it was just suck it up and get it done asap and collect the check.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

130's is nothing. We've measured 160 plus in attics here.


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## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

you can get ventilation blowers or the type used to dry floors and some flexible ducting to blow cool air in your attic area.
or if you know an hvac guy who can give you an old furnace blower you can make your own:laughing:


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## CTshockhazard (Aug 28, 2009)

I take the flex duct off the register and aim it at me. 

Unfortunately, that doesn't work on new AC installs, which is the most likely reason I'm up there.


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

I do all my attic work in the winter.


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## Spark Master (Jul 3, 2012)

It's amazing people respond to a home inspector without ragging on you.
Bob, do you realize when you pull panel covers to inspect a live electrical panel, that is actually illegal, and an OSHA violation. Major 70E violation.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

Spark Master said:


> It's amazing people respond to a home inspector without ragging on you.
> Bob, do you realize when you pull panel covers to inspect a live electrical panel, that is actually illegal, and an OSHA violation. Major 70E violation.


I'm gonna play devil's advocate here: could you please specify code sections to prove your contention. If the incident energy isn't high enough to require ppe, why would this be the case if he is a qualified individual.


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## 3DDesign (Oct 25, 2014)

A customer wants me to install security cameras at his house, five Cat6 running through the attic. I told him "Not in the summertime, it's too hot in the attic".


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## Spark Master (Jul 3, 2012)

wildleg said:


> I'm gonna play devil's advocate here: could you please specify code sections to prove your contention. If the incident energy isn't high enough to require ppe, why would this be the case if he is a qualified individual.


Because you would need to do an arc-flash study to prove the incident energy is not high enough. The home owner would be responsible for this.

Although I heard talk about them changing the laws, I haven't been following it for a while.


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## MXer774 (Sep 1, 2014)

I leave it up to my guys to decide whether or not to go up in an attic. My projects are 15% resi so we don't worry about this much. Restated Jlarson's point: Down south, it is a completely different environment. It's entirely too dangerous and stupid to go in an attic during the summer for an extended period of time even with periodic breaks. Besides, I legally cannot put my guys in a dangerous environment. And I would classify that as dangerous conditions.


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

Spark Master said:


> Because you would need to do an arc-flash study to prove the incident energy is not high enough. ....


for a single phase homowner service ? really ?


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## Spark Master (Jul 3, 2012)

wildleg said:


> for a single phase homowner service ? really ?


I believe so, am I positive, .... no........

If you really want to know, go over to the mike holt forums, and the safety guys will rip you a new black hole, and make your head spin.

I do know, from reading their rants, the property owner is 100% responsible for the electrician blowing themselves up. The whole thing is really ridiculous. The gov't controls your life, even if you don't know it.


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## Dash Dingo (Mar 3, 2012)

Spark Master said:


> It's amazing people respond to a home inspector without ragging on you.
> Bob, do you realize when you pull panel covers to inspect a live electrical panel, that is actually illegal, and an OSHA violation. Major 70E violation.



That's why I only visit the residential forum once or twice a year, there's a effen home inspector on here asking questions for Christ's sake.


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## BlueOval5272 (Jul 25, 2015)

We usually only go up for extended period early in the day. If we get to a service call that is going to be extended period attic work, it gets rescheduled for another day usually as early as the customer is willing. For short periods, 15-20 minutes, I say just get it done. Buddy systems I believe are very important though. In extreme heat it is foolish to go in an attic without someone there to lend aid if need be.


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## Bad Electrician (May 20, 2014)

Bob Sisson said:


> Sometimes when you open the attic and the blast furnace is on HIGH, you really wonder if it is worth it.
> 
> Luckily this was a Stand-up access type attic, but I still limited my work inspection time to a <5 min, and I was soaked!
> 
> ...


Did a flat roof attic 18" clearance, years ago mid July, they had added extra Owens Corning Pink, crawling on my belly to hang a ceiling fan. Back in those days we had to use a 2x4 for support, fan boxes were not the in use yet. Dropped my Kliens and did not realize it until I got down, I said screw it, for all I know 40 years later they are still in that attic.


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## Bad Electrician (May 20, 2014)

Spark Master said:


> It's amazing people respond to a home inspector without ragging on you.
> Bob, do you realize when you pull panel covers to inspect a live electrical panel, that is actually illegal, and an OSHA violation. Major 70E violation.


What is the deal with dissing HI's, I just do not get it, we all have a place in the order of work scheme, if I did residential I would want HI's in my rolodex (for you youngsters an old school method of storing contacts


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

Spark Master said:


> It's amazing people respond to a home inspector without ragging on you.
> Bob, do you realize when you pull panel covers to inspect a live electrical panel, that is actually illegal, and an OSHA violation. Major 70E violation.


Actually assuming that Bob is not an employee, OSHA does not apply. OSHA only covers people that work for someone else.


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## Bad Electrician (May 20, 2014)

don_resqcapt19 said:


> Actually assuming that Bob is not an employee, OSHA does not apply. OSHA only covers people that work for someone else.


As usual Don is on the mark!:thumbsup:


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## readydave8 (Sep 20, 2009)

Dash Dingo said:


> That's why I only visit the residential forum once or twice a year, there's a effen home inspector on here asking questions for Christ's sake.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yeah it's irritating, but not as much as the HI's that already know everything and don't ask questions.


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## Travis Latiolais (Sep 16, 2011)

CTshockhazard said:


> I take the flex duct off the register and aim it at me.
> 
> Unfortunately, that doesn't work on new AC installs, which is the most likely reason I'm up there.




Thats what we do. We use the ac duct that is in the attic, and put it blowing on us while we are working. Attics in south Louisiana get to 150 degrees.


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## Bob Sisson (Dec 17, 2012)

Opening the dead front is REQUIRED by my license unless I disclaim it for some other reason (Zinsco, Bulldog, FPE come to mind, or if it is live, buzzing or a hand full of other things) I know there are states where HI's are not allowed to open panels, in others they don't care. MOST states that license HI's, or at least have adopted a Standard for HI's, require us to open the dead front and describe what we see.


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## 120/208 (Nov 18, 2012)

Bob Sisson said:


> Sometimes when you open the attic and the blast furnace is on HIGH, you really wonder if it is worth it.
> 
> Luckily this was a Stand-up access type attic, but I still limited my work inspection time to a <5 min, and I was soaked!
> 
> ...



As a home inspector, how long do you typically need to be in an attic?


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## Morse (Aug 1, 2015)

A little unrelated but I go into attics quite a bit hotter then discussed here. Full PPE, bottled air and never without a buddy. With our gear on, we're good for maybe 5 minutes. When I'm up there as an electrician....10 minutes then break time. Heat stroke/exhaustion will kill you just as easily as an arcflash. I always hit the attic early as possible.


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

Morse said:


> A little unrelated but I go into attics quite a bit hotter then discussed here. Full PPE, bottled air and never without a buddy. With our gear on, we're good for maybe 5 minutes. When I'm up there as an electrician....10 minutes then break time. Heat stroke/exhaustion will kill you just as easily as an arcflash. I always hit the attic early as possible.



What full ppe is necessary in an attic?


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## Bob Sisson (Dec 17, 2012)

At 137 that day, I was soaked after only being in there <5 min, crab walking trying to get to to the far end to get a picture of a disconnected fan... I figured 1-2 min in one direction and then I needed to turn around and start out picture or no picture.

Some attics are easy, but sometimes you need to work hard just to get to where you want the picture, bent over, no air flow, etc... 

Not to mention that at 130 you can get contact burns, 150 and you had better be wearing good gloves... and don't touch any pipes or truss plates as they will burn you instantly...

PS... I never want to have to be "extricated" from an attic... you guys wouldn't fit through many scuttles with full gear on so you would just cut a (BIG) hole near where I was... It's bad enough when I put my foot through a ceiling and I had to pay to have it 
fixed... wouldn't want to clean up after the extrication... When it really hot, that's always in my mind... not can I get in, but can I get back out! If you pass out in an attic, by the time you are noticed, you are cooked, and by the time the fire dept gets there, and cuts you out, you are probably well done, dain bramaged or worse....


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

ponyboy said:


> What full ppe is necessary in an attic?


I'm assuming he's talking about firefighter PPE used during a fire attack.


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## ponyboy (Nov 18, 2012)

MTW said:


> I'm assuming he's talking about firefighter PPE used during a fire attack.



Ooooohhhhhhh I get it now


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