I completely agree with Heather Rosales. I too purchased a Viking built-in all-refrigerator in 2010 against my better judgment. My first problem was that I took delivery of a unit with a bent compressor, so I had to fight to get a replacement unit. In retrospect, I suspect that they replaced it with a refurbished unit because since then I have had ongoing issues. Almost all of my friends make jokes about my fridge issues because they have been following the saga. I had one or two warranty visits to address temperature issues during the coverage period. The warranty was also a problem because I purchased the unit almost a year prior to it being installed due to a renovation that needed custom cabinets that went on way too long. So, I lost a year of warranty time. Since then I have spent over $1600 in service fees (with an authorized service company to try to get it not to deep freeze all my food. I was given multiple reasons for why it was not working properly all of them completely hypothetical while each theory costing me money. The most recent episode involves the same authorized dealer deciding it needed a new door seal/gasket which took almost 3 weeks to deliver due to it being supposedly back ordered @ $700 cost. I am not sure if the seal was or was not the issue because the seal doesn't keep the door closed at all! There is absolutely no suction whatsoever in the door. In fact, the door looks open all the time now. Now they installed some type of temperature measurement device to monitor the temperature for the next 3 days. This experiment seems futile to me if the door doesn't close properly. It would be like trying to test air conditioning with all the windows and doors open. I am going on 26 days without a functioning refrigerator this time around. The other thing to be aware of it the quality of the crispers. They break very easily and the cost to replace them makes it impossible to replace. Of the 5 crispers, 4 are broken. I was quoted $700+ to replace 2 of them. Even the service company doesn't recommend replacing them due to the cost. I have had two other homes where I inherited Sub-zeros and I NEVER had one issue with those units. One of them was ancient but it was a beast; never failing me. I called Viking Range LLC and they don't seem to be interested in assisting. They have a customer care team that provides the token empathic statements but they don't seem willing to do more. In Canada, I noticed that even the authorized distributors listed on the Viking site don't actually carry Viking products despite being listed as Canadian distributors. This is a very telling sign! I would be happy to just trash this unit and caulk it up to a super bad consumer purchase but not only would I have to spend money to replace the unit, it will also require a new custom panel and custom trim work. STAY AWAY FROM VIKING!

I was there when he started putting down the CBU (I helped put in the Nuheat), asked why he didn't put thinset b/t the OSB and Hardi b/c that's what the Hardi instructions said to do. DB and I had just done the bathroom less than 2 months b4. Anyway, guy said he's been doing this for 35 yrs (yeah, the wrong way!) and put plenty of screws in, it'll be fine. Then when I noticed the problems 6 months later he said it was structural, then when he finally came out (3 months after that) to fix it he said someone walked on it too soon (I made sure all the subs knew the schedule, to my knowledge no one came in w/i 24 hours, after he grouted I came in but only walked where he laid the red rosin paper on and told me I could go). Anyway, the warranty period is long over - should I let him know we've got a new (continguous) area getting loose, try to get him to come back? Even if he won't come back, should I notify him? How long can I live with this? I really am trying to finish the rest of the house, don't want to get into ripping up 400sf of tile in the most-used rooms right now. If I notify him of the continued problems, do I have any recourse to take him to small claims say next year? Or is there a chance that if I replace another 10-15sf tile now, I can get away with it for another couple of years til I finish the master bath (and have someone who knows what they're doing lay new tile), or even another 8-10 years, when we might be doing kitchen reno (new countertops - another installer screw-up, another thread)? I hate to damage the 30sf of Nuheat that I paid the electrician $800 to install to rip up loose tile when the tile over the Nuheat is fine. Thanks

My DH was angry to see that Medicare was charged $300 for a PSA test from his physical last month. He's mid-seventies. His PSA numbers were never 'interesting' back when the test was appropriate for his age (prior to 70). We did our physicals at the same time. The lab gave me the option of declining the cholesterol test because I would have to pay the entire cost for it. I did decline it. (Perfect cholesterol is my only health claim to fame.) I wish DH had known he was getting the PSA; he would have declined it as inappropriate. Just because a test or procedure isn't Out Of Pocket doesn't make it appropriate. Jasdip -- Why is your DH having this test if he has no prostate? Is it indicated because he DID have a problem? (I don't understand.)

I can understand folks who have conservative politics and different ideologies about a whole vast array of things. But when I see folks disregarding the Constitution and even arguing that it is an unnecessary burden to be pushed aside for their personal benefit, or "it doesn't apply", well that's the moral problem I have. If you won't even CONSIDER a Supreme Court nomination by another party, and want to wait out the election until you have the votes, well why would we ever, ever even need a Supreme Court? The Democrats could just as easily say they won't confirm a Supreme Court judge until after the next election, and ad nauseum. And the idea that Supreme Court judges are purely political and don't have to abide by precedent and the Constitution, that it is just "us against them and whomever has the votes of the moment wins" is an anathema to what the US is supposed to be, a republic where laws and principles are supposed to govern. Sorry, but if you are a "rules don't need to apply to me" person of any ilk, I would find you dangerous. Also, I have looked into HC's "crimes" and they are just petty political stuff, any other candidate has done similar things or even DT's crimes, just don't stick to him, and yet some petty mishandling of e-mail is such a huge crime as to equate her with Anthony Weiner? Yes, folks in Libya were killed at the US embassy. NOT the first time US citizens working for the Army administration or State Department have been killed in the line of duty, and yet I haven't seen other Secretaries of State pilloried for that kind of thing, nor directors of the Army, etc. I just don't think this kind of extremism in our society in general (yes I know DT's supporters aren't the only ones doing it) is going to bode well for us in the long run to solve the kinds of serious problems we have with our economy. And I haven't heard any really good suggestions from either party on that. The old ways won't work. Divide and conquer is one way to rule, but it isn't the only way. Edited to add that I work in academia and if you think it is all hearts and flowers among colleagues, no matter what their political persuasion, guess again. Academics tend to be critical of each other because they get paid to be the smartest person in the room. So imagine a group of them in a meeting . . . If you can't get used to that kind of atmosphere, you probably won't last in academia, no matter what institution you work for. Some places are less acrimonious than others. But "spirited debate" of various viewpoints is the bread and butter of academic life.