Do installers go on the roof in the winter?

[bwinroc]

I am a long term, happy Dish customer. I convinced my parents to take advantage of a bundle deal with our local telephone company. When the installer go to their house, he immediately went to the side of the house, mounted a dish and proceeded to tell my parents that he couldn't get a signal. Now I wasn't there, but I am kind of surprised that they didn't go on the roof. My dishes are mounted on the roof, so are my neighbors. Granted there was a couple feet of snow on the roof, anyone know of a policy or general rule? Was the installer just lazy or do they truly know that the side of the house was the only shot? Would they have said "Can't get a signal off the side, but call back in the Spring and we will see what we can do on the roof?"

Thanks,

Brian

 

[joshua.mcglothlen]

yes we have a HUGE policy that says no to a roof. We can with what is called Fall protection but not in winter. Not to be rude butwould you access a roof with a few feet of snow on it? Sometimes common sense is all you need

 

[nextoo]

Unless one cancels service. Then getting on the roof as a consumer and retrieving the LMB seems to be a priority.

Depending (of course) which CSR one gets when discussing cancellation of service.

 

[Peter Parker]

I recently had a situation where an installer was uncomfortable about going on the roof if there was any snow anywhere on the roof. While he did not go up the same contractor sent a second installer who had no problem with the situation but only because there was snow anywhere near the dish. Subsequent conversations with DISH confirmed that the install work should have been done but one fairly knowledgeable poster with experience in the field insists that it is not.. If you had more than a foot of snow in the area of the dish I don't blame them for not going up on it.

Having said all that I would call once the next thaw occurs. While I understand being disappointed if you don't get the service you expected ( was at first) I think you would agree that safety is more important than TV service.

 

[papalittle]

I do not step onto a roof if there is snow or ice on it or if the shingles are in really poor shape; Instead I will mount the dish at the edge if the roof where no one has to step off a ladder to service the dish or remove the LNBF.

 

[bwinroc]

Of course the safety of the installer is more important than my $50 referral

 

[topcat5]

It it is all possible, I would avoid having a dish screwed into the roof. At one time I had two different dishes on the roof installed by two different install companies, a Dish 500 and later a single dish for HD. A couple of years ago when I had my shingles replaced they found rotted wood under both dishes. The conclusion of the roofers was that water had slowly leaked into the screw holes needed to mount the dish. The roof plate had to be replaced. At that time, rather than replace these dishes, I converted to the Eastern Arc which meant I could have a single dish mounted on a pole on the side of the house.

 

[JSheridan]

I am a long term, happy Dish customer. I convinced my parents to take advantage of a bundle deal with our local telephone company. When the installer go to their house, he immediately went to the side of the house, mounted a dish and proceeded to tell my parents that he couldn't get a signal. Now I wasn't there, but I am kind of surprised that they didn't go on the roof. My dishes are mounted on the roof, so are my neighbors. Granted there was a couple feet of snow on the roof, anyone know of a policy or general rule? Was the installer just lazy or do they truly know that the side of the house was the only shot? Would they have said "Can't get a signal off the side, but call back in the Spring and we will see what we can do on the roof?"

Thanks,

Brian

Seriously, he mounted a dish then figured out there was no LOS? If that was the case then you should ask for a different tech.

 

[DNS_Tech]

I will not go on a roof with any amount of snow or ice. I also won't go on a roof if there is a decent amount of rainfall. Both of which are company policies. Like a previous post mentioned, common sense, would you risk your life to install someones television, knowing if you slipped the company wouldn't pay a dime?

However, we can tell if you have LOS whether or not we go on your roof or not, it's simple geometry. Some techs might have a difficult time figuring it out, but its simple. Also, for the sake of argument, let's say the dish needs to face in the direction of the backyard. If I stand in the front yard and the trees are too tall, then me moving closer to the trees surely won't make my LOS any better. Again, it's all case by case.

I just refreshed and saw the comment about the referral.

 

[Frank7004]

The idiot who was at your parents should have known that there was no los before he mounted the dish. 99.9999% of the time, you can put your head where that dish is going to be and seek it out via a inclinometer. If there is any doubt, it shouldn't have been done. That said, hell no I wont go onto a roof when there is snow on the roof. Safety is paramount. I've been doing this now for almost two years, and can count on one hand how many roofs I've put both feet on.

 

[JimVT]

Hi Guys,

Be very glad you don't live in northern VT! We usually need to go on our roofs once or twice a winter to shovel off the snow. It is a matter of safety for us too -- otherwise it might collapse. I cleared about half of a roof with three feet of snow on Sunday. Just Google News for VT, NH or MA roof collapse, actually no homes here in VT have had a problem yet but several barns have.

 

[Frank7004]

Many here are "raking" their roofs also. My father in law just tried. It ended up with two cracked ribs and a severe concusion. (sp)

Can one step onto a snow covered roof....sure. Will some, yes. Dish' policy is no. Is your tv worth my job and future, no. Termination is possible and footprints in the snow across your roof are difficult to hide. Managers pop in on us all of the time at random jobs. That's their job.

I always used to tell my Marines, if you have to think twice about doing something you know could be wrong, you probably shouldn't do it.

 

[TonyT@DISH Network]

As everyone here has really already posted, DISH Network does not want its installers, nor any of the contractors to attempt to climb on a roof when there is a slip or fall type hazard. Snow or rain, a technician should not be on the roof. I believe even without precipitation there is something written about lightening storms too. From my end, the company says that techs are not be scheduled during bad weather, as weather may be a cause of the issue and it puts my technicians in harms way. I personally look at the forecast and see if I can find a day of thaw or evaporation in the future to prevent any hazard to my tech. On occasion where winter is long and the snow won't be clear for a long while, I have created work orders to "abandon" the existing dish on a roof (with customer permission) and install a new one at ground level or somewhere where roof access or fall hazards won't be experienced. Having "been there" I want my tech to be able to fix your issue and get home to his or her family safely.

I know when I was in the field, OSHA could not only fine the company a serious amount for violations of safety guidelines (which I think even extends to vehicle daily maintenance logs) but could actually fine the technician themselves. That personal fine was hefty (I have heard threats that it was $10k for the first incident, but that may be an urban tech legend). You can find OSHA guidelines at OSHA.gov I think.

To the OP: Yes an installer can go on a roof in winter, providing the roof is clear of snow or moisture that could potentially (not to be confused with definitively) create a fall hazard. If a tech feels that the roof is not a safe place, whether it is due to weather, moisture, or construction they can refuse to get on the roof. In order for them to be on the roof, it is necessary for the tech to be able to install the proper safety gear (fall harness) and must have access to the roof in excess of the immediate area of where the dish is or will be mounted in order to install that gear.

 

[brad1138]

I walk on roofs all the time for work, but I wouldn't think of it if there was snow or ice on it. Dish Networks policy for their in house techs is not to step foot on any roof ever. But as I work for an independent co. I have no such restrictions.

As others have said, if he mounted the dish, then said no signal, he was an idiot. I would call for a second opinion, after the snow melts.

 

[vash1090]

The idiot who was at your parents should have known that there was no los before he mounted the dish. 99.9999% of the time, you can put your head where that dish is going to be and seek it out via a inclinometer. If there is any doubt, it shouldn't have been done. That said, hell no I wont go onto a roof when there is snow on the roof. Safety is paramount. I've been doing this now for almost two years, and can count on one hand how many roofs I've put both feet on.

That's a pretty high number. I bet you're one of those wondertechs knocking out 120+ points at least once a week, right. 90-95% is more reasonable, sometimes it's pretty close (with buildings of course, no 5% clearance). Every once in a while there is no way but to try it.

 

[dwarren2]

When the installer put up the EARC dish, he put it at the roof's edge where in was accessible from a ladder.

 

[hvcomputech]

...I am kind of surprised that they didn't go on the roof... ...Granted there was a couple feet of snow on the roof..."

ROFL!

 

[Frank7004]

That's a pretty high number. I bet you're one of those wondertechs knocking out 120+ points at least once a week, right. 90-95% is more reasonable, sometimes it's pretty close (with buildings of course, no 5% clearance). Every once in a while there is no way but to try it.

Ok, I'll give you your 95% of the time. To answer your question, no, I've never "tried it"...either it is, or it isn't with an inclinometer. If its a "let me try it"...its not going to work for 2 years...and I wouldn't even bother with my time.

 

[jfkittredge]

I guess I wonder why, "Is there snow on your roof?" doesn't seem to be a standard question installers ask before making a service call. My parents, who live in Maine, recently called to make an installation appointment. After being given an appointment window that was something akin to "between noon and next week," the installer arrived, spent the better part of an hour puttering around, and then told them he couldn't do the install with snow on the roof.

Obviously, a tech's safety is far more important than a customer's convenience, but why on Earth would Dish send someone out to an area of Maine that had just been hit by a blizzard without considering that there was likely snow on the roof? It just seems like a waste of everyone's time.

Note: this was an official Dish install, not a third party contractor.

 

[Frank7004]

haha. If you only knew...