un-intended consequences [RE-wrenches]

[Jeff Yago]

Ordered a nice RV to have mobile office at job sites with phone, fax,
internet using one of the dish firms, all powered by solar.  Also has
small bedroom, kitchen, and bath to allow sleeping when travel
distance too far for distant installations.  I thought this was a good
idea, until -

Sized everything for the trailer DC lighting, pressure pump, and
office laptop computer, since the kitchen equipment and hot water are
all propane.  Got a call yesterday saying they hope I don't mind but
they are shipping the RV with an all electric kitchen including oven
and stove!  It seems a recent Federal environmental regulation just
took effect that requires any firm making a product that includes any
amount of mercury is responsible for that mercury for the life of the
product, including its final disposal in a safe manner.

Seems ALL propane ovens require a special mercury safety switch as
part of its internal gas workings.  Maybe the high temperature
prohibits a snap switch, I don't know.  But the manufacturer that
supplies almost all of the ovens for many different brands of RV's has
chosen to stop making them and is changing to electric ovens!!

I remember about 6 years ago when Kohler made a great 6.5 kW propane
generator, until some new environmental regulations went into effect
that the engine they had been manufacturing for years could not now
meet.  Kohler found it was less trouble to drop this generator from
their product line and no longer manufacturer anything under 8.5 kW.

This just goes to show you that these "simple" environmental decisions
can have very far reaching effects. I know we need regulations, but we
also need some common sense!

Jeff Yago

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