One of California's early offshore oil drilling operations is under fire from state regulators to clean up its act after severely corroded and unsafe wells and other equipment were found at the idle facility as part of ramped-up inspections.
The Department of Conservation focused its renewed enforcement efforts on a facility with ties to an oil company with a long history of spills that allowed man-made Rincon Island wells to fall into disrepair near a popular surf spot on the Southern California coast.
"The number of long-term idle wells at this site in the marine environment is of great concern," said Ken Harris, supervisor of the Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources known as DOGGR. "The operator has failed to maintain the facility to regulatory standards."
The action aimed at Rincon Island Limited Partnership comes as the state agency tries to take a more proactive approach to regulating the industry after acknowledging shortcomings for what critics have said was a longtime lack of oversight that has led to pollution and other problems.
"DOGGR and industry worked hand in hand for many decades," said Brian Segee, an attorney with the Environmental Defense Center. "I think there's an effort being made to try to change that culture."
The order comes as the agency investigates the cause of a massive natural gas well blowout in October that spewed the largest known amount of climate-changing methane into the atmosphere and drove more than 6,400 families from their Los Angeles homes.
It also follows an oil spill nearly a year ago on the nearby Santa Barbara coast that demonstrated the threat to the marine environment from the petroleum industry, which operates onshore throughout the area and from massive platforms that dot the horizon in federal waters.
A motorist passing along the scenic Pacific Coast Highway would not think Big Oil when spotting tiny palm-dotted Rincon Island that looks more like a tycoon's hideaway or maybe an exclusive inn.
It was built in the late 1950s by Arco and has served many years as a decent oil producer just beyond the popular Mussel Shoals surf break in Ventura County.
Greka, an oil company responsible for many spills in Santa Barbara County, acquired Rincon Island Limited Partnership in 2002. It has largely been inactive since 2008 because of disrepair of a wooden causeway that carries vehicles and pipelines to the mainland, according to public records.
Inspectors on http://www.emergencyair.com/ Rincon Island on Feb. 23 noted nearly four dozen violations that included several rusted wellheads, valves, handles, and pipes "in an unsafe state of disrepair and dysfunction," according to the order pertaining to 75 wells, tanks, or other items on the one-acre island.
The agency also ordered the firm to inspect an idle well that sits on the sea floor that was damaged by commercial fishing gear more than 25 years ago.
The well, which was the first subsea well in California waters when it was drilled in 1961, has not been in use since 1977. It sits in 55 feet of water about half-mile from Rincon Island.
Plans to permanently seal and abandon the well have been filed repeatedly, but the work was never performed.
Attorney Kristen Monsell of the Center for Biological Diversity said the state's action is another sign of an agency unprepared to deal with aging infrastructure.
"I'm disturbed by the agency's protracted failure to act and its meager response when it finally did," she said. "State regulators knew for decades that this facility is a hazard. When a state inspection revealed even more problems, the agency's response was to wait six weeks to issue repair orders and rely on the company itself to conduct future inspections."
The facility was ordered to take action by June, though the order noted that some of the work has already been completed.
A lawyer for the business said it was still reviewing the orders and did not have a comment.
If you are not entirely confident how to use the control panel rather contact the dealer, as making https://www.championac.com/ a mistake can cause damage to your system. To sort out troubleshooting fast and effectively, always keep your carrier furnace error codes nearby, they might come in handy.
Some error codes include a option to initiate a test sequence. By pressing this button your furnace will go through an operational cycle, testing all the working parts. Each major component will then run for a few seconds. This will confirm that all the parts are in working condition. If there is a faulty part in your system, the LED will flash out the error code and then you can determine what is wrong. When using your manual make sure that the printed model code are the same as the one on your unit.
Nowadays, it is very easy to operate complicated systems. Each unit comes with an instructional manual where you can look up the meaning of error codes display by your Carrier furnace. Let's look at carrier furnace error codes.
For everything that can possibly go wrong with you unit, there will be an code allocated to that specific error. These error codes are listed in a diagram. First the code as displayed on the systems LED screen, and then the explanation for it.
Carrier Furnace Blower Motor Replacement
Why is My Bryant Furnace Very Loud?
Error codes are the only way through which your product can communicate with you. These messages are programmed into the unit at the factory. When there is a problem with the system, it calculates the damage and tells you in what area help is needed.
In most cases these instructions will be assisted with an attached image. The board with all the function button for your system will be marked clearly so that you can easily access the panel. Some Carrier furnace terminals may be located inside the unit. Only open this panel if your completely sure you know what your doing.
A list of error codes will come in handy to quickly sort out a problem. Most systems nowadays have a build-in monitor that displays error messages. When you check the code against the list that is provided, you can easily make a diagnosis. By doing this, you will be able to understand how the system operates and will be able to fix an operational problem in no time.
Most instructional manuals will have a section on frequent questions and answers on this specific product. It is a helpful feature supplied by the company in case you come across a problem when using your system.
These manuals or tutorials are of great help when you need assistance with a product that is not operating well. It gives you a step-by-step guide how to install your unit. In this manual you can learn more about your system requirements as well as all the different working parts of the device.
Will Housh is the founder and CEO of HVAC.com, where consumers can get unbiased advice and answers to all their HVAC questions, shop for parts & supplies from an extensive catalog, and connect with trustworthy local pros.
Whether you are a Millennial searching for your first home, a new homeowner who just purchased a new place to hang your hat, or a seasoned homeowner trying to find your "first" second home, buying a new home is an investment. Here are some things to consider when looking at a home's heating and air conditioning system:
While insulating only an attic may not be very expensive for most, insulating a whole home can be costly. Consider your budget when thinking about purchasing a home with little or no insulation.
Light a stick of incense and pass it over any window seals or duct connections. If the smoke stays steady, you're good to go. If it starts moving, you've got an air leak you will need to seal so your system runs more efficiently.
If the units are old or in disrepair, discuss replacement options with your realtor. It may be possible to negotiate a lower selling price or even have the seller replace the unit before purchasing.
While you probably aren't a certified HVAC technician, you can still recognize inefficient ductwork.
Remember: Like a new home, your HVAC system is an investment in your future. As you look for your new home, use these strategies to find a system that will last. With the proper knowledge, care and help from a good technician, you can save yourself money while making your new home your dream home.
But finding the right house isn't always easy to do. Often times, buying your first home can be a confusing process filled with uncertainty and hidden costs that don't surface until months or even years later.
Issues like these can make your HVAC unit work harder than it needs to, costing you more on your energy bills and shortening the life of your unit. Repairing ductwork problems, especially air leaks, is a low-cost initiative that can make a big impact on reducing utility bills.
If you need to replace your HVAC system, think about replacing it sooner rather than later. Not only will it save money on costly repairs, but since your HVAC system is responsible for almost 50 percent of your utility bill, a newer, more efficient unit can lower your utility bills and save you money long-term.
Many houses have air leaks, and a few here and there should not turn "the one" into a dud. Simply knowing your home will help you make the most out of your investment, so take the time to find out the most you can before you make your decision.
If the AC or heat pump equipment was installed more than 10 years ago or the furnace is more than 15 years old, it may need replacement... especially if it has not been maintained well. Ask the owner for any maintenance records and review any notes the technician may have made to learn more about the system.
On average, a new furnace can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $12,000 and an AC unit could cost $3,500 to $10,000. If you are looking for a new home, it's important to consider the age and quality of the HVAC system so that you don't end up spending thousands of dollars in extra repairs or unit replacements.
Make the conscious effort to stop and look at the visible ducts in the basement or attic and those that run into the HVAC unit. If you see what many technicians in the HVAC industry have dubbed a "Ductopus," then odds are the house's ductwork may be improperly sized, leaky, or just old. Keep an eye out for rust, loose connections, condensation on the ducts, and gaps where ducts connect to one another.
If you are thinking about buying your first home, 2015 may be the year to do it. With low mortgage rates and an increasing number of houses on the market, home buyers have more opportunities to find the right house at the right price than they have in a long time.
HVAC equipment is often one of those hidden costs. If you've been a renter all of your life, you probably haven't had to worry much about dealing with heating and air conditioning issues -- except for letting in the HVAC technician when a problem arises.
Air leaks can cost new homeowners hundreds of dollars over the years. If you've just purchased a new home or you think you've found "the one," inspect the seals around all of the doors and windows to make sure they seal tightly. If possible, perform a leak test using a stick of incense.
In the long run, your home inspector will look at the units and discuss any technical problems with you, but spending the time to recognize obvious problems on your own may save you from spending money on a home that is not right for you.
First things first, perform a spot-inspection of the heating and cooling units in the home.
If you feel any drafts from the outside, or if the temperature in certain rooms is noticeably different than the rest of the rooms, the insulation in those rooms may be lacking. This is especially important in homes with additions, sunrooms, and enclosed porches. If possible, find out as much as you can about the different types of insulation in the home and whether or not they are properly employed.
As you walk through the home, try to be aware of the temperature in different rooms in the house.
It may not seem important, but ask your realtor about the home's insulation. Insulation is an important tool for helping keep the outdoors out and the indoors comfortable. It helps keep your climate comfortable and creates a barrier from moisture and sound.
5. Visiting the doctor more often. Studies have shown that that individuals who spend more time in air-conditioned environments have an increased use of health care services. An analysis found more visits for complaints related to ears-nose-and throat problems, respiratory and dermatological problems. There were also an increased number of sickness absences.
Remedy: Do all of the above and ensure that other aspects of the room or car are thoroughly cleaned, like carpets, curtains and the like.
2. Getting contaminated. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is warning us that we may be more exposed to pollutants inside than outside, especially because central air conditioning does not bring in fresh air but circulates old air. This means that if there is mold, dust, animal dander or other people in the building have viruses or air-borne infections, individuals are more prone to be exposed and get sick.
To begin, I do contest to the positive side of air conditioners, as they are beneficial to those individuals who suffer from asthma and allergies, as pollen and dust are filtered through the system. The air conditioners also dry out the humidity and usually clean out the air, enabling us to breathe cleaner air and not be over-run by heat stroke.
There are times when I am extremely thankful for air conditioning -- usually after I have had a long workout on a hot summer's day and am still sweating after a cold shower. The cold, dry air is invigorating and refreshing. But usually, after about 30 minutes, I find myself shivering and needing to go back outside. Indeed, I have found that the majority of homes I have visited and more so, public offices and stores, the air conditioning temperature is set so low that I find myself feeling sick so that I have to step outside. I also find that I am more https://www.championac.com/ tired and my muscles more sore from shivering all day. So I decided to look into why this is and what we should all know about air conditioning.
Remedy: Get a great moisturizer!
Remedy: Some systems are built to a low in a "leak" from the outside. You can create your own leak by cracking open a window even slightly.
Remedy: Make sure your air conditioning systems are cleaned regularly and the filter changed every few months.
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2. Fatigue, headaches and generally feeling ill. Many individuals find that after a day of work, they often feel more tired than usual, headachy and a general sense of malaise. They also find that once they leave the building, the symptoms often resolve. Sometimes termed "sick building syndrome," it may be that air conditioning may be the cause. In a study published in the Aug. 19, 2004 International Journal of Epidemiology, people working in office buildings with central air conditioning had more symptoms of illness than those who did not work in buildings with central air.
Remedy: Raise the temperature slightly so that you are not shivering and take regular breaks to step outside for fresh air and for your body temperature to equilibrate.
The problem is, however, that these systems need to be extremely well-maintained, checked and cleaned, or all these benefits are trumped by breathing problems and infections. More so, keeping the room temperature so cold has other negative consequences. These are the top five negative health consequences that you want to be aware of:
4. Dry skin. The more time you spend in an air-conditioned environment, the dryer your skin may become, as the cold, dry air can cause your skin to lose its moisture. Your hair may suffer such ill effects as well.
1. Breathing problems. When air conditioners are not cleaned thoroughly and filters changed, a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and fungi is created. These systems especially can be home to black mold, as moisture can build up in the coils and ducts from condensation that forms when the cool air passes through. When these microorganisms go air-borne, they can lead to a multitude of breathing problems, including a potentially fatal infectious pneumonia, Legionnaire's disease, caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila.
But what about startups? Isnt that a bright spot? Only if negative means positive. Maine scores negative 0.54 according to the Measures of Growth. As somebody who started a business and ran it for more than a decade, I can report that no amount of buzz around the word entrepreneur alters the bottom line. What makes ink black or red is opportunity, analytical thinking, winning ideas, hard work and courage.
Negative growth under Gov. LePage compared to positive growth under President Obama should put to rest the fictional narrative about which party is business-friendly, if the business at hand is economic well-being of people. Lets stop pretending Republicans are fiscally conservative because the data doesnt support that conclusion.
If you prefer data over talking points, read the Measures of Growth report published by the http://www.repairclinic.com/Shop-For-Parts/a16/Air-Conditioner-Parts Maine Development Foundation. It strips the veneer off the LePage Trojan horse of lower taxes and welfare reform and exposes the underbelly of an anemic state without a plan or team in place to revive it.
Maine trails the country in income growth. Wages are low to begin with and stagnant.
Its the economy, stupid.
[emailprotected]
More children are living in poverty under Gov. LePage.
The feel-good hipster spin around young startups and entrepreneurs should be tempered by the reality of Maines demographics. Instead of searching for the Fountain of Youth in somebodys garage, we should utilize the resources at hand older people and a clean environment.
We are spending more 18 percent of total personal expenditure on health care.
Theres only one thing holding us back and its the one thing on which this administration continually chokes.
Its not energy costs preventing prosperity; in fact, Maines energy costs are lower than the New England average.
Maines 2015 civilian workforce was the smallest since 2002 and represented a loss of 15,400 workers since 2010.
The LePage administrations rant about welfare reform has done absolutely nothing to help business growth but instead has shamefully increased the number of children living in abject poverty.
My executive summary will come as no surprise to any sentient being working to raise a family in Maine: We are sucking wind, people. Lots of good, clean wind.
Celebrating that were still in the top 10 most expensive places to do business reminds me of when my kids were little and rabid booster groups gave out trophies to every kid on every losing team.
Cynthia Dill is a civil rights lawyer and former state senator. She can be contacted at:
Our roads are getting worse, not better, and theres no viable plan to reverse the decline.
Maines economy had negative growth compared to 9.4 percent growth overall in the United States since 2009. Negative growth is an oxymoron a contradiction in terms like the myth about todays Republicans and fiscal conservatism.
The percentage of eighth- graders scoring proficient and above in math declined in 2015 in Maine.
Its not asylum seekers, Democrats, same-sex marriage, abortion rights or tree-huggers, either.
The data and the report card say it all. The state of Maine is not an economic engine under LePage leadership. The rising tide is drowning us. There are too many show horses and not enough workhorses in the administration, but dont just take my word for it, do the research. Read the fine print. If you are a numbers person, it aint pretty and in no way jibes with the governors narrative of whats ailing our state.
Sure, theres always a bright side. Hows this for a confidence booster: We got a gold star because Maines overall cost of doing business has declined from the second highest nationally in 2000 to 9th in 2013, plus two other gold stars for clean air and clean water. Yippee.
Gov. LePage wants a trophy because he lowered your taxes a little bit and put the squeeze on the social safety net, but we are getting exactly what we paid for crappy roads and hungry kids. The governor pretends hes Gods gift to fiscal sanity and should head to Washington, but his schtick is defied by math and science. We are not doing better under his leadership, we are doing worse.
We spend practically nothing on research and development, and it shows.
Which of course leads to the prospect of a national park in Maines woods, where again LePage and Republicans fail the straight-face test as far as business acumen goes. Every economic study suggests such a project would bring vitality, economic growth, and wealthy retirees to the state, but what is Augusta doing? Voting against a national monument and voting instead to transfer more taxpayer money collected in the south up north to save a failing biomass industry. Government may not create jobs under the LePage administration, but corporate welfare sure does.
Maine got its report card last week and if it were my child, the Pine Tree State would be spanked and sent to bed without supper. The findings are deplorable, and no amount of lipstick on this pig can make it sexy.
Crickets. Thats what weve heard from our governor since Maine got its appalling report card last week. And this guy wants to run for U.S. Senate on account of his performance? Give me a break. After six years in office, businessman Paul LePage should be fired. Anyone who can read a spreadsheet or economic data will agree, but therein lies another problem. Even when it comes to reading, Maine is failing.
Maines percentage of students scoring proficient and above on reading ranked last among the New England states in 2015.
Maines 2015 civilian workforce was the smallest since 2002 and represented a loss of 15,400 workers since 2010.
Maines percentage of students scoring proficient and above on reading ranked last among the New England states in 2015.
[emailprotected]
Twitter: dillesquire
Sure, theres always a bright side. Hows this for a confidence booster: We got a gold star because Maines overall cost of doing business has declined from the second highest nationally in 2000 to 9th in 2013, plus two other gold stars for clean air and clean water. Yippee.
Its not asylum seekers, Democrats, same-sex marriage, abortion rights or tree-huggers, either.
Theres only one thing holding us back and its the one thing on which this administration continually chokes.
Maine got its report card last week and if it were my child, the Pine Tree State would be spanked and sent to bed without supper. The findings are deplorable, and no amount of lipstick on this pig can make it sexy.
Which of course leads to the prospect of a national park in Maines woods, where again LePage and Republicans fail the straight-face test as far as business acumen goes. Every economic study suggests such a project would bring vitality, economic growth, and wealthy retirees to the state, but what is Augusta doing? Voting against a national monument and voting instead to transfer more taxpayer money collected in the south up north to save a failing biomass industry. Government may not create jobs under the LePage administration, but corporate welfare sure does.
But what about startups? Isnt that a bright spot? Only if negative means positive. Maine scores negative 0.54 according to the Measures of Growth. As somebody who started a business and ran it for more than a decade, I can report that no amount of buzz around the word entrepreneur alters the bottom line. What makes ink black or red is opportunity, analytical thinking, winning ideas, hard work and courage.
Maines economy had negative growth compared to 9.4 percent growth overall in the United States since 2009. Negative growth is an oxymoron a contradiction in terms like the myth about todays Republicans and fiscal conservatism.
My executive summary will come as no surprise to any sentient being working to raise a family in Maine: We are sucking wind, people. Lots of good, clean wind.
Its not energy costs preventing prosperity; in fact, Maines energy costs are lower than the New England average.
Its the economy, stupid.
The percentage of eighth- graders scoring proficient and above in math declined in 2015 in Maine.
We are spending more 18 percent of total personal expenditure on health care.
Gov. LePage wants a trophy because he lowered your taxes a little bit and put the squeeze on the social safety net, but we are getting exactly what we paid for crappy roads and hungry kids. The governor pretends hes Gods gift to fiscal sanity and should head to Washington, but his schtick is defied by math and science. We are not doing better under his leadership, we are doing worse.
We spend practically nothing on research and development, and it shows.
Crickets. Thats what weve heard from our governor since Maine got its appalling report card last week. And this guy wants to run for U.S. Senate on account of his performance? Give me a break. After six years in office, businessman Paul LePage should be fired. Anyone who can read a spreadsheet or economic data will agree, but therein lies another problem. Even when it comes to reading, Maine is failing.
The feel-good hipster spin around young startups and entrepreneurs should be tempered by the reality of Maines demographics. Instead of searching for the Fountain of Youth in somebodys garage, we should utilize the resources at hand older people and a clean environment.
The data and the report card say it all. The state of Maine is not an economic engine under LePage leadership. The rising tide is drowning us. There are too many show horses and not enough workhorses in the administration, but dont just take my word for it, do the research. Read the fine print. If you are a numbers person, it aint pretty and in no way jibes with the governors narrative of whats ailing our state.
More children are living in poverty under Gov. LePage.
Our roads are getting worse, not better, and theres no viable plan to reverse the decline.
Celebrating that were still in the top 10 most expensive places to do business reminds me of when my kids were little and rabid booster groups gave out trophies to every kid on every losing team.
If you prefer data over talking points, read the Measures of Growth report published by the Maine Development Foundation. It strips the veneer off the LePage Trojan horse of lower taxes and welfare reform and exposes the underbelly of an anemic state without a plan or team in place to revive it.
Negative growth under Gov. LePage compared to positive growth under President Obama should put to rest the fictional narrative about which party is business-friendly, if the business at hand is economic well-being of people. Lets stop pretending Republicans are fiscally conservative because the data doesnt support that conclusion.
Maine trails the country in income growth. Wages are low to begin with and stagnant.
The LePage administrations rant about welfare reform has done absolutely nothing to help business growth but instead has shamefully increased the number of children living in abject poverty.
Cynthia Dill is a civil rights lawyer and former state senator. She can be contacted at:
"The real issue for us, which is what's proving very exciting, is though the instruments have now been up for almost five years, we're finding news ways to use them and new ways to correct the effects of being in space," he said. "And so they're becoming even more sensitive than they were when we went up there."
"It shares the load in spectroscopy with COS (Cosmic Origins Spectrograph)," Jeletic said. "COS gets a little bit more work, but STIS gets its fair share."
In any case, Hubble normally operates with just three gyroscopes with the others in reserve, powered off but ready for use if needed. The gyro with the noise issue is one of the two currently held in reserve.
"If we can keep Hubble going through 2020, with an October 2018 James Webb Space Telescope launch, the scientific opportunity is tremendous. Now we can't guarantee that. It's space, it's really hard. [But] knock on wood, we can keep Hubble going a long time."
In a remarkable display of Apollo 13-style ingenuity, engineers precisely mapped the aberration and designed corrective optics that were installed during a December 1993 shuttle servicing mission, the first of five that eventually were launched.
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But NASA and contractor engineers eventually came up with heat shield repair techniques and O'Keefe's successor, Michael Griffin, reinstated the fifth servicing mission.
After multiple gyroscope failures in the late 1990s, NASA managers decided to split a third servicing mission into two shuttle flights.
"They're all ready to roll," Jeletic said of the software packages. "The two-gyro [software] was the first one, we actually used that before the previous servicing mission and then the one gyro we've implemented and tested as well. That's ready to go."
Jeletic said the loss of one gyro poses no issues for Hubble, especially given that engineers have developed software that would permit science operations to continue with two gyros or even with one.
The Space Telescope Science Institute still receives five to six times more applications for observing time that can be honored and Grunsfeld said NASA will continue funding the observatory, at more than $90 million per year, as long as it remains scientifically viable. NASA has spent $7.5 billion on Hubble in real year dollars since the program was approved in 1977, not counting the cost of six dedicated shuttle missions.
The secret to Hubble success was NASA's ability to launch shuttle servicing missions to replace outdated or malfunctioning components, to repair systems that could not be replaced and to install new, state-of-the-art instruments to keep the observatory at the forefront of astronomy.
Hubble was launched 24 years ago, on April 24, 1990, aboard the shuttle Discovery. In what became the opening chapter of a space drama rivaling the "Perils of Pauline," engineers discovered its presumably near-perfect 94.5-inch primary mirror suffered from spherical aberration, a condition that prevented it from bringing starlight to a sharp focus.
Operating Hubble much beyond 2020 will be technically and politically problematic. And no matter what happens, the telescope will continue slowly but surely losing altitude because of atmospheric drag, a phenomenon that depends in large part on the 11-year solar cycle and how much the sun causes the atmosphere to heat up and expand.
The Hubble Space Telescope was equipped with corrective optics during a 1993 shuttle servicing mission, counteracting a flaw in the observatory's primary mirror. Hubble has operated at the forefront of optical astronomy ever since.
NASA
"The spherical aberration story is one for the history books," James Jeletic, deputy project manager of Hubble operations at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, told CBS News. "And then the astronauts and the whole idea of the servicing, which allowed us to put new instruments on board and things of that nature, that has worked just absolutely spectacularly."
"When we get to 2020, if we're down to a single instrument, maybe we only have Wide Field Camera 3 left and we're on the cusp of launching a wide-field survey telescope ... the science community may decide funding isn't worth it and we ought to put it into the next-generation telescope," Grunsfeld said.
NASA still plans to attach a small rocket motor to the base of the telescope at some point to make sure it can be guided to a safe entry, one that will ensure surviving debris falls into the ocean.
But planning for Hubble's re-entry is many years away. In the near term, as a recent senior-level NASA management review concluded, "Hubble is operating at or near the highest level of performance and scientific productivity in its history."
NASA
"If the over-subscription (rate) drops down to a much lower number, and I don't know where that threshold would be, and there's more pressure on James Webb or a new telescope, then we would put it into a senior review where it competes against those other instruments."
Likewise, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, which also is operating in "single-string" mode, is still going strong.
"It's amazing. It truly is," Jeletic said. "Given all the things that can fail, a lot of people were hoping for one or two years of continued work with it. Now we've gotten over five."
Along with helping astronomers pin down the age of the universe -- 13.7 billion years -- with unprecedented precision, Hubble observations confirmed the existence of super-massive black holes and played a key role in supernova observations confirming the presence of "dark energy," a mysterious force that appears to be speeding up the expansion of the universe.
The ACS, like the repaired Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, no longer has any internal redundancy.
"Its images have become part of our culture in our textbooks, magazines, art and even popular movies and TV programs," Ed Weiler, former Hubble project scientist and Grunsfeld's predecessor at NASA Headquarters, said before the final shuttle visit. "Although we probably never will be able to visit these places or objects, Hubble actually allows our human minds and spirits to travel light years and even billions of light years to the farthest reaches of the cosmos."
The repair crew also installed an upgraded fine guidance sensor, new insulation blankets and a grapple fixture that will permit attachment of a rocket motor at some point down the road to enable a controlled re-entry when Hubble's orbit decays to the point of no return.
With its razor-sharp vision restored, Hubble quickly became one of the most scientifically productive observatories ever built, chalking up a steady string of major discoveries and sending down spectacular images that http://coolinger.com.sg/ now grace everything from scholarly journals to grade school textbooks, T-shirts and posters.
Based on an average solar cycle, the latest projections show atmospheric friction will cause Hubble to fall back to Earth around 2036. In a worst-case scenario, re-entry could come as early as 2027.
The only other instrument issues have been transitory space radiation-triggered single-event upsets "where a particle came down and hit some part of the computer circuitry and caused a bit to flip."
"You reset the electronics and you're back in business," Jeletic said. "So no damage or anything like that, and we were back up and running in less than 30 hours. So that's a no brainer. We get those on different parts of the spacecraft, that's not unusual."
All that said, Grunsfeld added, "I think we'll get to 2020 with Hubble."
"Hubble seems to be in remarkably good condition, the gyros are holding out, the instruments are holding out far better than we anticipated," he said in an interview.
Matt Mountain, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute at Johns Hopkins University, is equally optimistic.
"We see that, for example, with the optical telescope assembly, which is the structure that holds the mirrors," Jeletic said. "Every so often, every two or three years, we'll actually do a secondary mirror move to pull it back into focus. Similarly, with the Fine Guidance Sensors, there's still some of that going on. Nothing that we can't manage right now, just watching that trend."
He made the decision in large part because Hubble and the International Space Station were in different orbits and a Hubble repair crew could not reach safe haven aboard the station if their shuttle suffered a Columbia-class problem.
NASA
Jeletic said other than a single gyro failure, the observatory is operating in near-flawless fashion five years after the final shuttle crew departed.
Three of the six gyros installed in 2009, including the one that in March, used an older style flex wire design while three incorporated silver-coated "enhanced" flex wires to improve durability. In an unrelated event, another gyro was put in powered-down reserve because of "noise" in its circuitry. Engineers have since uploaded software to compensate and the gyro is considered fully operational.
The only other issue of any significance is the March 7 loss of a gyroscope, apparently due to the failure of a hair-thin flex wire that carried current to the unit. The gyro had operated for more than 50,000 hours when it failed, a near record.
Predicted failures of Hubble's science instruments and subsystems give NASA managers optimism the spacecraft will remain scientifically viable through the end of the decade. As the above charts indicate, engineers believe there's a better than 80 percent chance the telescope can reach 2020 without any major failures.
"Hubble's doing great," said John Grunsfeld, NASA's director of space science operations and one of the spacewalkers who helped service Hubble during a final visit in 2009. "We've had one gyro failure, but that's to be expected.
The shuttle Discovery, carrying the Hubble Space Telescope in its cargo bay, climbs away from the Kennedy Space Center during launch April 24, 1990.
Grunsfeld and his crewmates also repaired two science instruments, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph, which suffered a power supply failure in 2004, and the Advanced Camera for Surveys, which malfunctioned in 2007.
"We want to optimize that situation and get as much science back as we can while all the instruments are truly working," Jeletic said. "So we're going to stay in three-gyro mode. If that changes, if all the sudden we've lost two instruments or something, we may take another look at that. Or, if we end up losing gyros over time and we're down to two gyros, then we will automatically jump to the one-gyro mode and put one in reserve. That's the game plan."
Four years after Hubble was equipped with corrective optics, astronauts on a second servicing mission installed two new instruments -- the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph and the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer, or NICMOS -- replaced a fine guidance sensor, a gyroscope and installed a solid-state data recorder.
During the final visit in 2009, four spacewalkers working in two-man teams carried out five back-to-back spacewalks, installing six new stabilizing gyroscopes, a full set of six nickel-hydrogen battery packs, a new data computer and two new instruments, the $126 million Wide Field Camera 3 and the $81 million Cosmic Origins Spectrograph.
Neither is shrinkage caused by a phenomenon known as desorption, in which atoms and molecules making up a spacecraft's components can slowly migrate to the surrounding environment. As a result, the telescope's structure has actually shrunk ever so slightly over the years. One of Hubble's Fine Guidance Sensors, while still operating normally, is suffering from a slightly reduced aperture.
While engineers could improve Hubble's life expectancy by putting more gyros in reserve now, three are required to maximize the observatory's science return.
"Batteries are fine, solar arrays are fine, all the communications equipment is fine, we don't see any glitches with the computers, the instruments are all fine," he said. "In fact, an interesting statistic, the Advanced Camera for Surveys, which was repaired by the astronauts during the last servicing mission, that's actually now run longer on the repair than it did originally for the Wide Field Camera part of it."
More recently, Hubble has been used to search for minor planets beyond Pluto, to look for planets orbiting other suns, to improve the accuracy of astronomical distance measurements and to study gravitational lenses created by galaxy clusters that magnify the light from even more distant, and ancient, galaxies that formed shortly after the big bang.
During Servicing Mission 3A, launched in December 1999, spacewalking astronauts installed a new flight computer, a second solid-state data recorder, another fine guidance sensor and a full set of six gyroscopes. During Servicing Mission 3B, launched in March 2002, another shuttle crew installed two new solar arrays, the Advanced Camera for Surveys, an experimental cooling system for NICMOS and a replacement power control unit.
Five years after a fifth and final shuttle servicing mission, the Hubble Space Telescope's instruments are operating in near-flawless fashion and while one of its six stabilizing gyroscopes has failed, project managers are optimistic the observatory will be able to operate through the end of the decade, wrapping up 30 years at the apex of astronomy.
Then, 11 months later, the shuttle Columbia was destroyed during re-entry by a breach in its wing leading edge heat shield. Plans for a fifth shuttle visit, Servicing Mission 4, were put on hold and eventually cancelled by then-NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe.
If those forecasts hold up, NASA will be able to use Hubble in concert with its successor, the $8 billion James Webb Space Telescope, giving astronomers a golden opportunity to compare Hubble's visible-light images with Webb's deep infrared views to better understand the structure and evolution of the early universe.
This post by Nancy F. Smith originally appeared on Nov. 11, 2009.
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And don't think you can simply go to another insurance company for coverage if your premiums subsequently go up or you're "non-renewed," the industry's euphemism for canceled. Every time you make a claim, or even ask about a claim, it goes into an industry database called Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, or CLUE, where it is available to most insurance companies.
(MoneyWatch) You might think that after shelling out all that money for your home insurance premiums, you could actually take advantage of your policy whenever you needed it. But in the perverse calculus of actuaries, underwriters, and liabilities, it's actually not that simple.
"More than two claims in a three-year period is a red flag for the underwriters, and some insurance companies will drop you like a hot potato," says J. D. Howard, executive director of Insurance Consumer Advocate Network. "We always counsel people not to make a claim unless the cost of the repair is three times their deductible." So for example, if you have hail damage to your roof that can be repaired for $1,000, and the deductible on your policy is $500, it's probably better to pay for the repairs out of pocket. "The insurance company sees too many small claims as a homeowner using his insurance policy to pay for upkeep on his house," Howard says.
Finally, consider hiring an independent public claims adjuster when https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aircon you do make a claim. Otherwise you'll be relying on the insurance company's adjuster to evaluate your claim. Say your furnace malfunctions and causes a small fire that damages your basement. Your carrier's adjuster might invoke the "cause-and-effect" clause to exclude the cost of replacing the furnace. How? He could argue that the furnace caused the damage, and that your policy covers only the "effect" of the fire, which would limit the company's responsibility to repairing the damage to your basement. However, your independent adjuster might determine that a broken valve caused the furnace to malfunction resulting in the fire. Says Howard: "If the consumer's adjuster makes the argument that the valve and not the furnace is the cause, the company is very likely to exclude the cost of the valve, which could be a $3 part, and go ahead and pay for the furnace," says Howard.
Bonus: Many insurance policies will cover your adjuster's fee, which is customarily about 10 percent of the total claim. It's there, in the small print. Read your policy.
Under federal law, you can get one free copy of your report every 12 months at ChoiceTrust. Claims made on specific properties are also in the database, so if you're thinking of buying a house, you might want to check out its history since it could have an impact on your premiums and coverage. Ask the seller to obtain a "Home Seller's Disclosure Report" from ChoiceTrust, which will, for a fee, provide a five-year insurance loss history on a given address.
Always Make Use of Right Size of Electrical Wire: The size of wire is determined by the Wire Gauge System. If the wire gauge is smaller the ampacity is higher. Ampacity is the amount of electricity that a wire can handle before it gets damaged. Apart from that, one must also consider the wire capacity and the wire to be fitted.Use Safe Sheathed Electrical Wire: A plastic covered wires called NMC (Non Metallic Sheathed Cable) is perfect for indoor wiring.
Types:There are three types of Non Metallic Wires such as
NM electrical wires: They are used for simple wiring like in lights and receptacle circuits.NMC electrical wires: They are well insulated and safe so these wires are used in above ground and wet areas.UF electrical wires: They are used in outdoors under the ground. They are less safe than NMC wires. Thats the reason why they are only used below the ground.
The Ampacity And Wire Gauge Of Most Commonly Used Appliances Are As Follows:
Cook Tops - 45 Amps and 8 gaugeExtension Cords - 13 Amps and16 gaugeService Panels and Sub Panels - 100 Amps and 2 gaugeLow-voltage lighting and lamp cords 10 Amps and 18 http://www.deanphc.com/ gaugeService Entrance - 150 Amps/ 200 Amps and 1/0 gauge/ 2/0 gaugeAir Conditioners, Sump Pumps and Kitchen Appliances - 20 Amps and 12 gaugeFurnaces, Large Electric Water Heaters and Sub Panels - 80 Amps and 6 gaugeBuilt-in Ovens, Water Heaters, Clothes Dryers and Window Air Conditioners - 30 Amps and 10 gauge
One must exercise caution regarding these specifications and use only good quality Electrical Cable , wire with proper insulation for Electrical Wiring purposes. Wrong installation or damaged wire might be dangerous to life.
Electric Wires are used to transfer electricity from one point to another. There are different sizes and types of Electric wires. While choosing for home two important things to remember are the type of wire and the other is safety measures related to electric wiring. Whether one is installing it for the first time or reinstalling it at home, one must follow some simple tips which will make the task easy and safe. One should know in detail about wiring cords, connecting devices, electrical panel connections, circuit connections etc.
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